Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7x57 Loads

I just bought 700 mountain rifle in 7x57 that was made in 1989. From what I have seen is that because the 7x57 is such a historic round, and there are so many old guns chambered in it factory loads and load suggestions are rather anemic because the older guns can't handle the pressure.

I was looking through Hodgdon's Reloading magazine and came across the following loads for 140s. The left side is the minimum and the right is the max. To me, it seems that max load is still light, and I could push this more in a modern firearm.

My goal, which I think is doable is a load that pushes a 140gr bullet around 2,800fps. Certainly I'll work up to it, but do you have any pet loads that you love for the 7x57?

52 grains of 760/H414 will get you 2900fps+ in a 22 inch barrel.
Start at 48 and work up. The 4350's also work but cannot reach teh velocities of the ball powder.

John

Hornady books have 7x57 loads for modern rifles.

You can also use any 7mm08 load as a starting point as the 7x57 case has more capacity.

2800 with a 140 TSX is no problem.

With that short barrel I'd move toward medium fast burners and get a chronograph.

H380, BL-C and Varget will all get you there. Suggest CCI 250 (magnum) primers. look at the Hodgdon page for 7mm08.

Congrats on the best 7mm.

48 to 49 grs of H4350 chronys 2800 - 2850fps with 140gr Nosler Ballistic tips, Sierra ProHunter and Hornady Interlocks all in three different rifles with 22" barrels. Of course, you need to back of a few grains to start.

Good luck.

Wayne

I run 2800 fps MV out of a 22 inch Model 70 featherweight barrel, using 140 grain Ballistic Tips.. my load is 44 grains of IMR 4895..

for heavier bullets, I run 40 grains of 3031 from out of an older Hornady Manual. according to the manual, it will run 175 grain RNs at 2400 fps, but my rifle chronographs those same loads at 2650 fps, and 160s at 2700 fps...

same in my Ruger 77's 22 inch barrel.

+1 with H414 you will achieve the velocity goal easily.

I like H414 too. Good velocity and accuracy out of my 7x57. I use a CCI mag. primer and 49grs. with the 140gr. Nos.BT in Winchester cases.

jryoung: I saw your post on this Mt. Rifle...cool beans..
I would listen to Seafire on this one, he knows his way around a loading bench.
I'm no help, cause I shoot heavier bullets in the 7x57 ( 160 gr +..) But Ive shot them out of a Rem Mt. Rifle and a Win M70 Fwt....and leaned on them....

Hey! Don't listen to others who posted on this thread? We don't know what we are talking about? I resemble that remark.

I also use H-414 in my 7x57 with all bullet weights 100-173 grain.
It just goes together well.

JawnHenry,

One of the oldest myths in handloading is that shorter barrels will get higher velocities with faster powders.
In reality, the same powders that get the highest velocities in longer barrels get the highest velocities in shorter barrels. In fact the last velocity loss in short barrels comes with a combination of slow powders and heavier bullets.

I'm too tired right now to explain AGAIN why this is so, but it is.

I comfortably get where you want to be with H4350, and fine accuracy to boot. This is in a 7x57 built on a G33/40 action that I feel is safe.

Lots of luck. In my Winchester M70 Featherweight, 49.0 gr. of W760 was showing pressure signs and I had to go all the way back to 47.0 grains before all signs of high pressure disappreared In my custom FN Mauser that load (47.0 gr.)would lock up the bolt nice and tight. However, that rifle does have a minimum chamber. Final velocity in the M70 was 2800 FPS. Bullet was the 140 gr. Nosler Ballisitic Tip.
Paul B.

I was gonna mention " listen to roundoak too..." but I neglected it...now we have had our first tiff, so I'd say keep listening to Seafire!!

Yeah - OK. What goes around comes around... sometimes faster than one would expect

PJGunner, I agree with you about 52grs of H414 and a 140gr. bullets, at least in my rifle 49grs IS max. With 52grs I'd be getting over the top pressures. But the 7x57 is one round with a lot of differing chambering dimensions, but still were it me I'd approach that load suggestion with caution.

I have settled on 50.0 grs of H4350 with any 140gr bullet.

Ditto to what Huntr sez... I shoot 50.0 grains of H4350 in my Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") as my "hunting load". That's a MAXIMUM LOAD according to the Speer Reloading Manual #13.

I haven't chronographed this load yet, but I don't think this load quite makes it to 2800 fps outta my RSI's short 20-inch barrel, but it comes close... I'm guessing probably about 2785 fps or so.

However, in their testing, Speer's test rifle had a 22-inch barrel for this load and achieved slightly OVER 2800 fps.

My RSI fired a .404 inch, 3 shot group at 50 yards with this load behind 140 grain Sierra ProHunter, flat-based bullets sparked by standard Winchester large rifle primers in once-fired Remington cartridge cases. I noted that recoil was up (but not bad) as was the noise level, so this is 'most likely a true "maximum load".

However, there were no pressure signs and the empty cases extracted easily... but that load is a "whomper" for sure!


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I confess. Last night I committed an heretical act. Actually, it was a two night event. First, I loaded underweight, lead-free, plastic tipped bullets in the new PRVI brass cases stamped 7mm Mauser. Then I went and loaded them in a classic single shot Ruger #1 and proceeded to fire them into an old rusting steel hulk nearly as old as the cartridge itself. The rifle, a very long throated, early barreled #1, is not a tack driver generally. Ironically, adapting a "Campfire load" of Reloader 15 for the 7mm-08 and bumping it a couple of grains resulted in virtually identical results as what I've gotten in the -08, tight, small clusters. I have to admit, plastic tips in this old cartridge just don't seem right somehow.

My Ruger # 1 22" is a early one with a very long throat. It shoots well though. I can load 50gr of H 4350 with 140 gr bullets for 2855 FPS. 175 gr Hornady 48 gr RL 22 around 2575 FPS.
I loaded the 160 gr NP pretty hot with H 414 and was surprised at the speed and low pressures.

It shoots the better loads around 1.5" @ 100 yards 3 shot groups. with limited testing, it was a lot easier to develop loads with the # 1 Ruger in 7X57 than my LH Ruger 7-08 Hawkeye!