Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Fav 7x57 loads

Passport, FWIW, H4350 and Nosler solid base 140's (discontinued)or Hornady 139 FB Interlocks. I run WW cases and Fed match primers.

RL19 looks to be good, too, if you have a supply.

EFW:
Not trying to be preachy but as Gaviidae said, to make the 7x57 shine know your chamber and throat. Each rifle is different and comparing two cases of near capacity like the 7-08 and 7x57 with just a couple grains between them comes down to the rifle and careful handloading, IMO, rather than the cartridge.

Tomk,

No problem. I think you're absolutely right... I think that added caution is needed here b/c the 7'08 is used exclusively in modern rifles while 7x57 isn't. That is the confusing factor when looking in the manuals... the start/max loads are all over the board w/ this cartridge because of the old '93s and '95s that are out there.

I had given cursory attention to numbers in one manual and was new to the cartridge. I've since learned a lot.

Thanks,

efw

My 7x57 loves 49 gr/IMR 4350, 140 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip or Partition, Norma cases, Fed 210M primer. Custom Oberndorf Model 98 Mauser. Don't use this load in the older rifles - this is for modern rifles only, as the older Mausers and others can't handle these pressures.

I have been shooting 120g X bullets out of my 7x57mm M700 Mountain rifle since I got it bay in the 90's.

The load is ::

RP cases at 2.224
CCI 250 primer
51 g AA2700 powder
120g X bullet flat base
3.032 C.0.L.

THIS IS A MAXIMUM LOAD

Reduce at least 10% and work up for YOUR rifle

Does about 1.25 inches at 100 yrds. Drops whitetails like lighting.

My best 3-shot groups @ 50 yards with the scope set on 12x and the A/O adjusted to eliminate parallax out of my 7x57 Ruger #1 International (full Mannlicher style stock) with a 20-inch barrel and a Kepplinger single set trigger using H4350 behind a 140 grain Sierra ProHunter flat-based bullet sparked by a standard Winchester primer in accurized Remington cases were as follows:

47.2 grains = .176" (accuracy load)
47.6 grains = .179" w/MV of 2578 fps (accuracy load)
50.0 grains = .404" w/est. MV of 2780 fps (Hunting load)

The Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") "likes" H4350 powder. All groups fired using H4350 were relatively small (less than a half inch at 50 yards), but recoil and report were up considerably at the maximum load of 50.0 grains of H4350. THIS IS A MAXIMUM LOAD FOR MODERN RIFLES ONLY.

All bullets were seated out to within 10/1000" of the rifling.

Hodgdon H4350 rifle powder is one of Hodgdon's "EXTREME" powders meaning it is not "temperature sensitive". Therefore, you should get about the same muzzle velocity regardless of the air temperature. Many hunting loads are developed in the heat of the summer or in the warm autumn weather, but used in much colder temperatures during hunting season.

Therefore, the EXTREME powder has a great advantage over other powders, many of which ARE sensitive to air temperatures and will yield considerably less muzzle velocity in cold weather compared to a hunting load that was developed in warmer temperatures earlier in the year.

I hope this information helps you.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.