Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What’s the attraction with Heavies in the 7x57

So I just purchased my first 7x57 (M70 SG Lightweight), and am pondering loads. My first inclination was to go 140’s since the load data suggests similar charges as the 7mm-08. I understand that the 7x57 has more case capacity and load data is light in respect to older rifles.

While doing some forum reading it seems most 7x57 guru’s prefer bullets in the 160-175 grain class. Is this because of nostalgia? or because most are built on a long action, so since there’s room, might as well use it?

Someone gonna mention elephants in 3...2...1...

Very little in North America one could not hunt with the 160 Partition at 2700fps.

SPS has 140 and 160 partitions in stock so ordered both to try. Any expansion issues with 160’s?

Heavies in a 7x57 is the classic load, esp the 175gr RN. I'm going to load those for my M98 7x57 when it's finished but in all reality the lighter 140 to 150s would be a better choice for deer. I have some 160gr NPs here that would work well for moose.

There is something magic about heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocity, especially when you couple that with a rifle that is fun to shoot like the 7 Mauser. Having the extra mag length is an added benefit.

Nostalgia for me, no reason other than that really. Hunting swamps in the deep south, shots are typically so short I don't feel in any way handicapped by using the 175 RN's (Ruger #1A). I used to use 160 Partitions in a 280AI and they worked flawlessly too so wouldn't hesitate to keep using those or a dozen other bullets but I like the old torpedoes so that's what goes down range.

Who makes 175gr RNs now that Hornady got out of them?

I have always heard the Remington rolling blocks in 7X57MM shoot better with 175s

It ain't nothing but " Old School " and " Old Technology " .

A good 140 or 154 will kill 'completely' DEAD at longer range w/o the SOFTBALL trajectory.


Jerry

I used the 139gr LRX on my Alaskan moose this year, worked great! I sure do love the 7X57!

From memory, my Ruger 77 shoots best with the heavies.

Good question, anyone?

Hawk bullets is the only one I know of off the top of my head but there may be others. I have a pretty good stache of Hornady's and they still pop up for sale here and there.

A quick check of MidwayUSA and Midsouth Shooters Supply didn't show any RNs in stock. Hardly definitive, but there you go. They both have Speer 175 gr Grand Slam Soft Points though. Perhaps not a bad option if they shoot well in your rifle.

True that.

I don't listen to the 7x57 guru's, I load my 7x57s with 139 and 154 grain bullets and for nostalgia use 173 grain Sellier & Bellot SP ammo.

I no longer have my 7X57, but when I did I used bullets from 139 to 175 and the ones I had the best luck with were the 160s and 175s. The 139 were too prone to break up. The Remington 150 grain CLs were fine and so were the 154 gr Hornadys Spire points. The 160 Nosler Partitions, 175 Partitions, and the 175 gr Hornadys in both round nose and spire points all were perfect in every instance.
None of these ever left me with any complaints at all.

I killed deer with all those above and I killed elk with the 175 Hornady RNs and the Noslers in both 160 and 175.

Ive done a lot of hunting with the 7x57 and prefer the 175 NPT for general purpose. In my case reason being, I live in Montana where elk, deer and bear are all in season at the same time, so you're not positive what you will see on a given day. Ive taken a number of each with the heavy 7x57

Also been to Africa a number of times...again not sure on a given day if you'll be shooting a jackal, or a kudu, or a number of things in between. Again. Ive shot all those things in between with the heavy 7x57.

Even with the 175s the trajectory isn't at all bad out to 300 yards, most game is killed well within that range, or half that....so I never felt lacking with the 7x57


Now I have one that doesn't like heavy bullets, so I shoot a 150 NBT out of it...but I also dont hunt any game heavier than 300 lbs anymore cause I dont want to drag it out of the woods...

Long throating often necessitates shallow seating of lighter bullet weights. Might try a monometal.