Sakoron asked, "I'm really enjoying this thread so let me pose a scenario ...If someone was going to use a 70's era pushfeed M70 Fwt 7x57 as one gun do all go anywhere critter getter in Texas for anything that walks, what one bullet weight & powder would be the perfect do all DRT shooter to concentrate on 1st?"
My prime go to 7x57 is the Winchester XTR push feed FWT as well. Also run a Ruger #1A and a custom Mauser The load I've pretty much settled on uses RL17 and the 150 gr. Nosler Partition. I won't give the charge as it is above published levels. Velocity is in the lower 2800s an is sub-MOA in the FWT, MOAA in the Ruger and the Mauser doesn't like it. Can't win them all.
I have a lot of 160 gr. Speer Hot Core bullets on hand that I will try and see if they work in the Mauser. Accuracy is no problem with it, just shows pressure problems much sooner than the factory guns. Action is a commercial FN that used to be a .270 Win. so I'm not concerned about strength. I think the problem stems from the fact that that rifle has the tightest chamber I've ever seen, I have several customs but none have chambers as tight as this rifle. I'll have to scrounge up some factory ammo and work up from scratch with that rifle.
JMHO but I think for an all round load, a 150 or 160 gr. bullet would be the way to go. At the velocities possible, one may not even need a premium bullet which is why I plane on trying the 160 gr. Speer in the fussy Mauser. If a 150 gr. bullet from a .270 is good for elk, so should a 150 gr. bullet work just as well. The 160 might be just a little bit better.
I've found that the hardest part of getting an elk these days is drawing a damn tag.
Paul B.
