Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Powders for 7x57 Mauser

I`ve had very good results with RL 17 in mine...from 140`s to 162`s.

I have a Mod 70 Fwt. 7mm Mauser enroute. Missed having one or two in the safe. I will start with H4350 and the 150 BT, work into the Acc. and the Partition. I have the old MD story on the Mauser and frequently gone back to re-read it.

I have the M70 FWT and I've had excellent results with Re17 and the 150 gr. Partition. I'm not going to post loads as they're well past any published book loads. All I will add is they're safe in my M70 and Ruger #1A. Not so in my custom rifle based on a commercial FN action. That rifle shows high pressures much faster than factory rifles.
Paul B.

MD has written quite a few times about using your reliable chronograph to tell you when to stop.

My Winchester xtr only like H4831 for some reason. Does well with 130's and 140's.

H-414 works great with 154's for me. Even with temp sensitivity, the cartridges I've loaded with that powder have never let me down. Most of the shots with that carbine have been at woods ranges and one or two long shots (around 200 yds). All the deer died and were collected.

Dan

Ramshot Hunter out shot H4340 with 120 and 140 Ballistic Tips. Plus it meters like a dream.

The new Fwt. 7mm Mauser arrived today and getting it prepped for an eventual range trip.

Thanks, PJ for your report.

I have burned a bunch of AA 4350, IMR 4350, WC 852 and H414 in my 7x57. My shooting seldom goes past 250 yards and the temps I hunt in can vary from 10 degrees to over 100, I have never had temperature sensitivity of a powder make the slightest difference on any shot I have made. Come to think about it that rifle has had many pounds of powder run through it.

I decided to see just what results I might get in my Custom Mauser with Re17 and the 160 gr. Speer Hot Core. Thought it might be a nice load for a cow elk hunt.

First I had to find a source of data as none of my manuals have much on Re17. I sent Speer an E-mail and they came though giving me a place to start. Then, using a set of data from a Quickload search a friend did for me giving me an idea of when I should quit. I got to the ranges yesterday and ran 12 loads from start to where I thought it would be a good idea to quit. I couldn't use my chronograph because it was acting up with weird readings. Load #10 was where I felt it was time to quit as bolt lift on load #11 was quite stiff.

This rifle usually shoot MOA or better with factory ammo so the disaster this groups of test loads surprised me. Best group was three inches. Worst was close to six inches. WTF?

I was out in my shed early this morning checking screw tightness, the muzzle's crown, you know, all the usual suspects and everything checked out good. I would have gone out today but it was a bit windy than what I care to shoot in so just worked on the brass and cleaned the gun. Gonna be windy the next few days so I'll probably just load another test series with the bullets seated a bit deeper. I had this batch just off the rifling.
Paul B.

Paul:

When you get a chance, please post an update. I'm mostly curious about the bullet and how it shoots in your set-up.

Thanks

After thumbing thru this thread...

I still go back to using two bullets in my Featherweight, with a factory barrel..

139 grain Hornady or the 140 grain Ballistic tip...

and two powders with those two bullets... IMR 4895 or 4064.. both with 44 grain charge..
chronographs right on the money at 2800 fps...

if the rare occasion I use a 160 grain or 175 grainer.... the load is 40 grains of 3031..
got that out of an older Hornady Manual...that turned into the magic powder for a Ruger 7 x 57.
velocity is higher than the Hornady manual says it should be...but its accurate and the rifle or brass don't seem to care...

Seafire, what does the Hornady manual say the velocity for 175 grain bullet should be, and what velocity do you get with 40 grains of 3031 in a Ruger 7 x 57 with I assume a 22" barrel?

PM is being sent...

I`ve been shooting RL-17 and the 162 ELDM`s in my 7x57. Excellent accuracy at 2750FPS to 300.
Anyone using this combo in their rifle?

I loaded up another test series using RL17 and the 160 gr. Speer bullet, There will be a few differences for this test. First all new Remington brass as the rifle used will be my M70 Featherweight rather than the custom Mauser. Second, I'll use the same seating depth for the M70 and third I'll use the chronograph for this next run. I probably should have changed the seating depth and do them in the Mauser but I'm curious on how the M70 handles that load. Now I have to wait or a day that has decent weather like little or no wind for a few hours. Looks as if next Wednesday is a possibility as Monday and Tuesday are forecast to be a bit breezy to windy.
Paul B.

I may have to try 175’s if I can’t get the 154’s to shoot well. Maybe I’m being to picky.

Rev. Mike. I hope this gives you what you want.

Well the weather forecast was for calm winds becoming light and variable in the afternoon. Yeah, sure. Got to the range and it was blowing 8 to 10 MHP easy. Temp was about 65* and the wind felt cold. I'm wearing a tee shirt and jeans.

I had ten sets of three rounds starting with 42.0 gr. with a half grain increase on up to 48.0 gr. Speer's max for the 160 gr. Hot Core is 44.0 gr. Before I go any further, this was in my rifle and nothing gave way. Results were if nothing else a bit on the weird side as will be explained. Sad to say these loads were tested in my FN Mauser and this M70 without my normal use of the chronograph as the last time I used it it gave very erratic readings. Just haven'y gotten down to sending it in for repair.

Load #1 Triangular group about 1.25x"3 5/8". Primer nice and round.

Load #2 Group is 1 1/16"x 1/16". No change in primers.

Load #3 Group 1 1/2' x 1/2" Primers round with slight cratering. (I should note that even the mild Winchester 145 gr. ammo shows mild cratering in this rifle.)

Load #4 Group 1 1/2"x 1 1/2" perfect triangle. Very slight flattening, no change in cratering and edges still nicely rounded.

Load #5 Group 1/4"x 1". Primer no different from load #4.

Load #6 Group 1"x 1 1/4" No change in primer flattening and no cratering.

Load #7 Group 13/16"x 3/8" Primers still with rounded edges and slight cratering.

Load #8 Group 3/8"x 1 3/8" Primers still have nicely rounded edges. slight cratering on one case only.  

Load #9 group 3/8"x1/2" Primers slightly flatter than previous cases. Cratering definitely more noticeable but not much different than what I've seem in factory .270 Win. and .300 Mag loads.

Load #10 Group 2 5/8" x 2/3/8". Primers flattest so far with still slight rounding at the edges. Cratering quite noticable.

Rifle Winchester M70 FWT, brass brand new Remington, flash holes reamed, trimmed and primer pockets uniformed.
Wind out of the east 8 to 12 MPH estimated, temperature about 62 when starting and 66 when done.

Target was a black 2.5"x2.5" square with a 1.0" white square in the center. Odd number shots were on the lower left hand corner and even numbered shots on the upper right hand corner. No effort was made to bring the scope into line with point of aim as the rifle is sighted in for a good load with the 150 gr. Nosler PT.

Interesting thing is shots on the lower left corner always seemed to me much better than when the upper right corner was used as the aiming point. I've used those target for more than twenty years and this is the first time I can recall that happening. It's also interesting that the FN Mauser showed pressure at load # 5 vs load #7 or 8 depending on how you look at it in the M70.

All in all an enlightening day at the range.
Paul B.

Very interesting, thank you. If what I've read is accurate, your most promising loads are No 4 and No 9. For No 4 it's an issue of just tweaking the seating depth. It looks like No 9 is already there, albeit with a bit of pressure signs.