Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Forming 7x57 from 8x57

I was thinking of getting some new Lapua 8x57 brass and necking it down to 7x57. I've been reading some say its as simple as running them through a FL 7x57 die to, "no, you need an intermediate step", to you don't get 7x57 but a case with a different shoulder angle. I'm not worried about it as I would leave a bump near the shoulder and fireform them anyway. This will be, if I go this route, for a Mod 700 7x57 Classic, not a military chamber. I want to avoid any necessity to turn necks/anneal. Anyone done this for their 7x57 and is it worth messing with? Thanks

Jim,
While I haven't done the 8x57 to 7x57 conversion you are asking about I have necked a number of 30-06 military brass to 270 which is not quite as much but close with no problem. That being said brass and rifles are not all the same so you would need to check the neck thickness of the finished brass to make sure you would not need to neck turn and possibly anneal. I would be surprised it you can't find some good new 7x57 brass though.
Russ

I have directly formed 7x57 from 8x57 with no problems at all.

My preferred method of getting 7x57 is more extreme than that. Since I have abundant 30-06 and 270 brass, I anneal those cases farther down from the neck than I usually would, run them through the FL 7x57 die, trim to length, deburr, and load.

This will make your case necks a little thicker, so you should try one or two dummy cartridges first, and check to see that they will fit your chamber. But, as I said, no problem for me.

I can get commercial brass, but was thinking about Lapua brass, they don't make 7x57 and RWS is really a pain to get/priced very high. I think I will shoot a box of PPU , prep them and see how that goes. I'm not after target loads but full power hunting loads. What I like to do, if I have assorted headstamps, is you a different headstamp for different bullet weights/styles. Just a hobby of mine.

I once found some 8x57 brass at the range and figured I could convert them to 7x57. Didn't work. I got multiple folds in the shoulders of the cases so the brass made it to the scrap heap. Didn't work for me.
Paul B.

i've resized some with no problems.

Ed

How does Federal brass compare to, say, Remington? Harder, softer, etc?

I would just buy some. For hunting loads it is not worth messing with.

Good price.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/73072

Pricey.
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/25945