Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Suggest a powder please

After 3 years of trying many bullets from 160gr to 139gr using H414 and IMR4350. Ive come to the conclusion that my rifle (7x57) just does not like those powders. Groups were very inconsistent.

Varget on the other hand shoots 150 as well as 139 grain bullets consistently into groups small than an inch.

Trouble is, that it’s rather slow.
150gr bullets only go 2540fps and 139gr does 2630fps.
Is there a powder similar to Varget but a tiny bit slower that could move a 139gr/150gr bullet a bit faster?

Have you tried Ramshot Big Game?

Add more Varget?

I have not, is it comparable to Varget?

As l’m writing this in my lap l have Ken Waters Pet Loads looking at 7mm Mauser loads he has listed. It looks like 2800 FPS is max for 140 grainer and 45 grains of IMR 4320. Might want to drop down to 120 grain bullets to get 3000 fps with the same powder with a charge of 48 grains. Cross reference to a load manual.

I did and accuracy went right to $ht

I thought of that, it’s really my only hunting rifle now, and I’d like to hunt moose and elk with it too.
I think 120gr may be a bit light for elk and moose?

Try some RL15

I have found in several rifles that whatever Varget does, VihtaVuori N140 does it better

I’d say no

Big Game on the 120's, R19 for 140 - 150's

Not 7x57, but my 7-08s do well with CFE223 and 120 TTSXs and 139 Interlocks.

I used a lot of RL17 for my sons 7x57 with 140-150-160’s. Excellent speed and accuracy. Hunter would be what I’d try today since 17 is tough to get.

RL15, as mentioned should work excellent with 120’s and probably 140’s as well.

Thanks very much guys. Lots to consider here.
I think it’s going to come down to which of the powders I’m able to get my hands on first.

What rifle is your 7x57? I use a max 7mm-08 load of H4350 with a 140gr flat base bullet and get great accuracy. Most load data for 7x57 I've found is wimpy and considers the old 7x57 rifles around for safety. My rifle is a Mannlicher carbine made in 1956.

RL-15 is very sensitive to temp changes, if in an area where that may happen, say, developing a load in summer and using it in late fall or winter where temps have dropped 20 - 30*F... or visa-versa. That easily happens here in Ontario with summer heat at 80*+ and later fall during moose or deer seasons in +30s and 40s. I've had experience in my 9.3 x 62 like that and switched to RL-17 and never looked back for the past 12 years. However, as mentioned, RL-17 is getting scarce so recently purchased some Big Game which is slower than Varget and RL-15 but faster than RL-17.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

IMR 4451 and rl 19 work well in my 7x57"s, but I'm not that concerned with velocity as long as accuracy is good and the animal dies rapidly.

look up Alliant Reloader powder it will show what Federal cartridge uses or Mule Deer has books written that are also a very good source for what powder to use for your 7 x 57.

My 275Rigby (7x57) was a fair bit fussy as well. I wanted to use WW760 in it but it would not shoot that at all. I tried different combos of other powders and bullets to no avail. Finally out of frustration I pulled out some 120gr NBTs and shot it with some Varget with good, repeatable results. It's a good deer load.



Moose load ......

I hear that all the time from friends shooting .308s. I'm very satisfied with N135 in mine but haven't tried N140 yet.

N150 might be worth a try. I've gone through a few jugs of it and it burns a touch slower than Varget in a .308, but not as slow as the charts place it in my experience..