Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7x57 loads in a modern action

Chronographs are a good indicator. My experience is that QL is very good if you actually measure your case capacity, brass length, and COL. Either of those are going to be better than the discredited case head expansion or pressure ring measurement. I'd probably use the software as a start, and then fine tune with the chronograph.

With 150 grain bullets, my measured pressure with H4350 was 56.6 KPSI and my MV out of a 24" barrel was 2864 FPS, right in line with what QL predicted.

Last fall, my 16 YO granddaughter took it elk hunting, carrying 139 grain bullets loaded to 2800 FPS. She loved it. I think she didn't want to bring it home.

Just to be clear: The chart does not suggest that you take pressures up to 65 KPSI. That's just to show that if you're one of the guys that is running your 280 at over 3000 FPS, you're probably also running excessive pressure.

I don't really need heavier bullets. I just like to shoot the gun. I'm going to take stock of brass tonight and tomorrow and start working up a load or two. Accuracy is what I'm really after. Like you said, deer are pretty easy to kill with shot placement and the right bullets.

Ok. thank you. Like I said, making it a .280 isn't my goal. I have a few of those. I'd just like a nice accurate load that make preferably 2 holes in the deer. I like the low recoil of the 120's so that why I have those. I will try a few 154gr's though. At the ranges it will be used at this year, they'll be fine.

Absolute best reason I know to use a firearm.

Thanks Denton for that QL extrap. That looks like a useful software for guidance with "if,than" questions.

A faster is better mentality no doubt. A perceived notion that a faster bullet will make up for other short comings of both the cartridge and the shooter perhaps?

Well, like I said. I'm looking for accuracy and low recoil. Even the hot loads are pretty mild recoil though. I'm going to load up a few, but need to shoot some to get brass. It looks like I don't have much that isn't in loaded factory form.

I don't need to super fast. I have a .280 if I need more FPS. I don't need 175gr bullets, I have the .30-06 for that. But you guys have given me a good starting point, so thank you.

Perhaps, safely gleaning the most from ones weaponry and self and not excepting anything less, if not, those may be satisfied with sloth like hunting using slingshots and throwing rocks.

Not sure which 7X57 you have but a chronograph is THE way to go when working up loads for one.

You can stand on them as hard as any other cartridge in a suitable action.




Dave

Yup, 98 Mauser and chrono all well tested safe, and when safe, why not? that grand old cartridge made it's name with 175 grains, and in the case of the Partition at 2700 fps, it flies really well to 400 yards, I know I'm sending a well spun javelin of a bullet into game when I fire, just a damn cool cartridge with a lot of rich history.

It is a cool cartridge.

Did I miss it? I don't know which rifle tzone is shooting.




Dave

Don't know either, just noticed T tagged a thread form 2013 so he must have just got one recently, bet it's in fine shooting condition regardless of make/manufacturer.

Amen to that Gunner.. makes me wanna break it out and monkey with my boys a little. I'm betting 26 would be pretty wicked with the 160's and 175's...

I can't attest to RL 26 with the 160s and 175s...

But recently I have pulled out the old Ruger Mk 2 in 7 x 57...

Having 7 or 8 one pound bottles of RL 26, it was the first powder I thought I'd try
in it, with the 180 ELD-M Hornadys I picked up also...

Haven't had the chronograph out to test the velocity, but the powder and bullet
combo gave nice small groups out to 200 yds with a 4 power scope and a rest
to shoot it off of.

going to the campfire get2gether in Quemado, kinda shelved going further..

I can report fine accuracy and I can report, recoil was less than I thought it would
be... the 7mm Mauser is just a fine cartridge...

Made a few cartridges out of 280 Win nickle brass, just so the loaded rounds
look cool also...

Those Rugers were known to be picky for accuracy... but not with this bullet or that
load.. which were loaded to magazine length for the Ruger's action.

I may give something along those lines a shot in my boys rifle. It dotes on 17 with 140's, 150's and 160's. Haven't ever done much with the heavyweights.

"I've never grasped why shooters who want magnum velocities from a standard cartridge. Any thoughts to share on this?"

For me it's bringing a 100+ year old cartridge into the 20th/21st century. I've own several rifles in 7x57 over the years, the first being an 1893 Mauser sporter that was built in England by some small gunmaking shop back in 1973.. I lost the first deer shot with it using the only ammo I could find in the small rural cowtown I was living at the time. (175 gr. Federal round nose) Soured me on the gun and I traded it off. Still kicking myself on that one. Then came a Ruger M77 tang safety they just didn't impress me so it went down the road. Fell into a deal on a Ruger #1 but had to send it back to Ruger for a barrel replacement. Shoots good now. Picked up a Winchester M70 Featherweight and had a semi-custom build based on a commercial FN Mauser so playing with the cartridge is a given.

The 7x57 in factory guise is a nice accurate mildly kicking round that serves well for most deer hunting so no gripes there but it's like buying a new Corvette and disconnecting two spark plugs. Why shoot a 140 gr. bullet at 2600 FPS when 2800 FPS is easily arrived at? If all I ever hunted deer, that 145 gr. Winchester factory load would most likely do it all but where I hunt ranges can stretch out a bit. I'm just more comfortable with that 140 gr./2800 FPS than the 145 gr./2600FPS, that is if the factory load even gets that fast. I ought to Chrony some if I can ever find any.

I would do the same with any cartridge not loaded to it's full but safe potential. Think .280 Rem., .257 Bob, even the 30-06 does not reach advertised velocity. It's not about hot rodding a cartridge, it's just realizing it's full safe potential and the 7x57 definitely responds in that category.

Would I try to" get more" from say a .243, 308 or .300 mag.? Absolutely not. There is a point of diminishing returns and those cartridges are load pretty much to where they need to be. JMHO
Paul B.

Amen... I'll hang in Gunner's corner.

Yup, when we have or need to hit something, hit em hard!

Use 7mm08 loads .... simple !

fwiw...

the QL that Denton posted show a FPS advantage to the 7x57 over the 7mm-08. I imagine in the real world that is nit-picking, but i-net forums ain't the real world... Providing the 7x57 isn't stuffed into a short action, of course...

let's see, shorten an 06 case and then blow it out...a guy with the 7-08 AI is just getting to where today's 7x57 is...:)