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It looks like the European maximum load pressure* for the 7x57 is about 10% higher than USA maximum load pressure**. After a long hiatus I've come back to add a couple 7x57's in my meager battery. A Classic (which I already owned), a Mountain Rifle and a Mauser. The weather has cooled down enough for me to get back to the shooting bench. I pulled out some loaded ammo of the shelf and I saw that the loads were higher than what the reloading manuals now show (quite a bit higher than the Hornady Manual loads). However, I did see one in Big Book of Gun Gack for a 7x57 Ruger #1 that was close but with H4350. The old load was a longtime favorite for the Classic, which is 50.9 grains IMR4350 and 139 grain Interlocks - I mostly used this load on Pronghorn but am considering it for white tail in a few months - no clue how I came to this load.

It sure would be nice to have a pressure gauge. But I'd like to see loads up to an equal 65,000 psi like the 270. (I noticed the Europeans load the 270 milder than the Americans.) I thought I saw manual(s) at one time that showed pressure in their pressure guns for loads listed... Maybe it was in Load data?

Comments?


*CIP 390.00 MPa (56,565 psi)
**SAAMI 351.63 MPa (51,000 psi)

You did not say what your Mauser was but my understanding that the loading in the US was less PSI because of the older Mausers.

Such as model 91,93, 95 and others. I load according to the gun that will be shooting the load.

Plus 1 ipopum, also add in the Remington Rolling Block single shot 7MMs

Remington Rolling Block military rifles made for smokelss cartridges scare me. A gun shop near where I grew up had a 1902 rolling block in 7x57 that had an action that was split nearly in half. I never knew, never asked, what caused the catastrophic failure, but it hung on the wall for all to see.

I use MD’s load of 46 gr of H 4350 under a 156 gr Norma Oryx in all 3 of mine. Ruger Hawkeye African .275 Rigby, Ruger # 1 and a CZ 550 American all shoot MOA with this load. Deer and pigs hate it.

Not to put words in M.D. mouth, but I believe he has mentioned more than a few times, the length of throat in YOUR rifle, be it long, could produce, with the same powder charge and bullet, less velocity and pressure than in mine, which could be short. I believe he also mentioned using a good chrony, and developing a load to give a particular velocity for the bullet weight used.

Apoligies to MD if I mis-remembered.

I use the process outlined in mine, works for me.

I’ve been rolling 175SGK’s and 175 Hornady RN’s out of my #1.
49.0grn. RL-22 give both about 2,500fps. I came into a lifetime supply of 175 Interlocks (pointed) a while back and will wean over to them.
A chronograph is invaluable for reloading anything and doubly so for the 7x57. My loads may well be smoking hot in your rifle, owing throat dimensions.
MD’s article from several years ago should be mandatory reading for anyone loading the grand ol’ 7 Mauser.

You have a good memory. That's exactly what I've written for loading modern 7x57s--loading to a certain velocity level for various bullet weights, due to varying throat lengths. Basically, I load 'em to 7mm-08 velocities, and often start with 7mm-08 data. Because the 7x57 has a little more powder room than the 7-08, this is a safe way to start.

Before loading I would check throat lengths. You will probably have little to no commonality between the three guns. The mauser if old at all probably has a generously sized chamber and may require you to keep brass separate. My old ruger has a huge chamber and a country mile of throat. I inherited it and deveral hundred rounds of winchester brass that will not fit in any other 7x57. I use a 160 gr nosler partition as my hunting (elk and deer) load, bhut have killed elk with 150 gr Corelokts. Lots of powders are usable in them , but the 4350s and similiar are the standard.......

Is it sacrilege to chamber a M70 in 7x57?

No, I believe that shows good sense.

Winchester didn't think so since they did it. Admittedly they are rare but about 40 years ago I handled a pre-64 factory model 70 that was pure 100% factory chambered in 7x57. At one time I had a collector books that gave the production numbers and they were not many of them chambered i 7x57.

drover

Interesting. That sounds like the way to go.

I bought a very nice looking 700 BDL chambered in 7-08 too. I have not shot it yet. First thing I did was check the bedding. Bubba is alive and actively working on rifles by the way!!! I removed the hunk of plywood Bubba glued in the fire arm, free floating the barrel. The action screws were tough to remove because they evidently were not covered completely with release agent and the bedding was through to the floor plate. I drilled out the action screw holes so the screws were free from the bedding material.The actual recoil lug was tight inside the bedding making removal of the barreled action from the stock a project. I removed the bedding material in front of the lug and beside the lug so that in the future it will come apart easier.
It will be interesting (to me) how the two 700 7x57’s compare to the 7-08. A guy has to keep busy in retirement you know.

Absolutely not. Winchester chambered the Pre 64 in both std and carbine in 7 MM Mauser. I've had both but sold the rifle but that carbine will be with me forever.

I have read where some refer to the 7MM-08 as the modern 7x57. That maybe true but just to make sure I have a couple of each. I'm retired as well Bugger I just wish there were enough components available to be able to try different things. I did load up a box of 7MM-08's yesterday using IMR 4350 and H414. Bullets were 140 grain Accubonds, Sierra Game Kings, Speer Grand Slams and 139gr Hornady Interlocks. When it stops raining I'll be at the range.

In 2014 Winchester made some Model 70 Super Grade LW in 7x57. If memory serves about 500 for Cabella's, with the first 250 marked "Cabella's", and another 160 for general distribution. I bought one at a local store in 2020. Guess they weren't flying off the shelves.

Bugger. I've been playing with the 7x57 for a while now mostly with RL17. Saw a post a few years back where a guy using RL17 in a 7x57 Winchester M70 Featherweight getting some interesting velocities and accuracy.. I contacted him and he gave his data which I used to work up my loads. First run took 140 gr. Ballistic tips to 2800 with W760. I did get to 2880 but started feeling bolt sticky lift so dropped back a grain. He'd done most of his work with RL17 so that's what I went with when I found some at the LGS. I found I could do 2880 FPS with the 150 gr. Nosler Partition in the M70 and the load also worked just fine in the Ruger #1A. The only rifle this load does not work with is a custom job using an FN action and Douglass barrel. It locks up at just about one grain above factory loads. haven't figured that one out yet.

BTW, The latest Speer and Nosler manuals show some pretty hot loads. You might find what you're looking for there.
Paul B.

If it twe’re wrong, I don’t wanna be right!

That is about as perfect looking a deer rifle as one could hope for I'd say.

Did you slug that chamber or at least invert a bullet in a case and obtain a length?

Before I purchased a chronograph I loaded for several cartridges, including the 7x57. I did not have to consult 7mm-08 data because the world is full of 7x57mm data. With that data and common sense I never blew up or damaged a gun.

7X57 Mauser References

2020 - The Big Book of Gun Gack III, John Barsness

2019 - Handloader #320, June, The Modern 7x57, John Barsness

2017 - American Hunter, February 2017, Behind the Bullet: 7x57mm Mauser, Phillip Massaro

2017 - American Rifleman, October, A Tale of Two Sevens, Craig Boddington

2015 - The Big Book of Gun Gack, John Barsness

2015 - Guns Magazine, May, The Magnificent 7x57 Mauser, John Barsness

2015 - Sporting Shooter Magazine, Handloading the 7x57 Mauser, Nick Harvey

2014 - Rifle Magazine #273, March, Ruger 7x57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill

2014 - Handloader #289, April, 7x57 Mauser Part II, Gil Sengel

2012 - African Expedition, Mauser's 7mm, Koos Barnard

2012 - Guns and Hunting - Two Decades of Thoughts on Guns and Calibers, A Tale of Two Sevens (Chapter 1). The 7x57 mm Mauser (Chapter 17). Finn Aagaard

2012 - Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, 7X57mm Mauser, Dave Scovill

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Contemporaries of the 7x57, Mike Venturino

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The 7mm Comes Full Circle, John Haviland

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, Seven Deadly Millimeters, Ron Spomer

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Legacy of the 7x57, John Barsness

Rifle Magazine, Fall 2012 Special Edition, The Commercial Sevens, Mike Venturino

2010 - Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition

2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #119, July/August, The 7X57 Stalking Rifle, Garry Keown

2010 – New Zealand Guns and Hunting, #118, May/June, The 7X57 – the 7mm Mauser and the 275 Rigby,
Garry Keown

2009 – American Rifleman, November, A Perfectly Delightful Cartridge – 7x57 mm Mauser, Jim Wilson

2008 – Handloader, #252, April/May, 7x57 Mauser - The “First” 7mm, John Haviland

2007 Nosler Reloading Manual

2007 – Handloader, #246, April/May, 7x57mm Mauser – The Original 7mm, John Barsness

2004 – Handloader, #231, October/November, 7x57mm Mauser – Accolades from an admirer, Steve Gash

2003 - Rifle #205, Jan-Feb, The 7x57mm Mauser Again, Dave Scovill

2001 - Handloader #214, Dec-Jan, Semiwildcats (7x57 throats), John Barsness

2001 – Handloader, #211, June/July, 7x57mm Mauser – The grand, old 7mm, Stan Trzonec

2000 - Modern Reloading, Richard Lee

2000 – Handloader, #206, August/September, 7mm’s – The all-American standard, John Barsness

1999 – American Rifleman, February, 7x57mm Mauser in Modern Rifles, Edward A. Matunas

1996 - Hodgdon Basic Reloaders Manual

1995 – Handloader, February 1995, Modern Powders in the 7x57, Ken Waters

1995 - Sierra Rifle Reloading Manual

1995 - Speer Reloading Manual

1995 - Alliant Powder Reloaders Guide

1992 – Game Loads And Practical Ballistics For the American Hunter, (see index), Bob Hagel

1991 - Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading

1991-Guns and Ammo, 1991, 7mm Mauser…Smallbore Blockbuster!, Ross Seyfried

1991 – Rifle, #137, September/October, The 7mm Mauser, The Legend Lives on,Ludwig Olson

1990-American Rifleman, April, 1990, John Rigby & Co., Finn Aagaard

1989 – Nosler Reloading Manual, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard

1987 - Lyman Reloading Handbook 46th Edition

1986-American Rifleman, Nov. 1986, The 7x57 Mauser, Finn Aagaard

1986-Guns, July, 1986, Know Your Hunting Cartridges: The 7mm Mauser, Ed Matunas

1985 - Handloader's Guide (StoegerPublishing), A Rebounding Cartridge -the 7mm Mauser, Stanley W. Trzoniec

1984 – Outdoor Life, March, The 7x57 Mauser, Jim Carmichael

1984 - Speer Reloading Manual

1983 – Handloader, #102, March/April, light hunting bullets in the 7x57mm, Mike Venturino

1982 – Rifle, #83, September/October, Model 70 Featherweight – 7x57mm, Bob Hagel

1982 – Handloader #95, January/February, still popular…7mm Mauser, Ken Waters

1981 - Nosler Reloading Manual

1980 - Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25

1977 – Handloader, #66, March/ April, Super velocities in ONE 7x57, Dennis Hall

1976 – Guns & Ammo, November 1976, 7x57 Mauser, Les Bowman

1974 – Gun Digest, #28, Forty Years with the Little 7mm, Jack O’Connor

1973 - Gun Digest, 27th Anniversary Edition, The Beautiful Blazers all but Forgotten , Bob Bell

1973 – Sports Afield, August, The Welterweight Rifle With The Heavyweight Punch, John Jobson

1973 – Rifle, #27, May/June, Ruger 77 7x57---, Bob Hagel

1970 – The Hunting Rifle, Big Punch in Little Case, Jack O’Connor

1968-1969 - Yours Truly (Handloader Magazine column) Loading for the 7x57, pgs. 107-110, 178-179, 184-185, Harvey Donaldson

1968 – Handloader, # 16, November/December, Cartridge of the Month, 7mm Mauser, (Staff)

1968 – Handloader, September, The 7x57 Mauser, Ken Waters

1967- Gun Digest 1967, The Mysterious Seven, Robert Sherwood

1967 - Speer Manual for Reloading Ammunition

1967 - Lyman Reloading Handbook 44th Edition

1967 - Hornady Handbook of Cartidges

1964 – The Rifle Book, The All-Around Rifle (7x57), Jack O’Connor

1961 - Outdoor Life, March, Big Punch in Little Case, Jack O'Connor

1948 – Outdoor Life, October, Arms and Ammunition – The 7mm is great stuff for most big game. Jack O’Connor

First Edition (date ?) - Lee Reloading Handbook