Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Heavy Weight 7mm Projectile Expansion Test in my 7x57.

With my newly 18yo camera man still sleeping it off and the handbrake at Mass with the monster-in-law I was left to my own devices this morning.

I am looking for a 'soft' fast expanding heavy weight projectile for my 7x57. My rifle does not shoot light weight projectiles as accurately so I'm stuck with the heavy weights. Testing was done at a measured 100 yards and all projectiles achieved full penetration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIPnl3IRS4I&feature=youtu.be

I also found an accuracy load with the 173 H-Mantels. Velocity would be in excess of 2,340fps.



173 RWS H-Mantel

It was the first to expand and is the same weight as the the original FMJ load that made the reputation of the 7x57. I was expectiong the nose of the projestile to shear off early, as it is designed to do but was hoping for a larger would channel.

175 Hornady RNSP Interlock.

This one performed exactly as I expected, possibly expanding a little earlier and the least of all three. It kept on penetrating and I assume in the 7x57 would be capable of taking any game out to the limits of it's trajectory with this projectile.

175 Sierra SptBt

A real surprise package, I was expecting this to be a lot tougher and designed for the larger magnums. Its exit hole from the test medium was explosive and in the 7x57 would be perfect for larger deer and antelope such as Kudu and Elk.

175 Woodleigh PPSN

I have field tested this round in the 7x57 on large camels and all achieved full penetrated (except for one frontal shot) and did not expand. It is better suited to the 7mm RM and would probably be even better in the 7mm Weatherby and faster for the largest game.

That is a good accuracy with that 173 RWS. A few questions.

1) What is the barrel length and twist of the rifle.

2) What is the magazine box length?

2) Book OAL for the cartridge is 3.065"...your OAL is 2.90"...is that the sweet spot bullet seating depth?

Thanks for sharing your results.

Wayne

I want to test some bullets on camels! Any bullet

I'm taking some AR and NE forum members out in August 2012 but there are no vacancys sorry or you could join us.

1) Barrel is 25" with 1 in 8.7" twist.
http://www.lothar-walther.de/270.php

2) I do not know the box length. The donor action came from a Belgium built Columbian FN Mauser '98 carbine (18.5" barrel) in .30-06.

3)I took the OAL from the Norma 156 Oryx load data as it has an approx same nose shape. The longest round I have loaded is 3.230" and did not test different lengths.
http://www.norma.cc/en/Ammunition-Academy/Loading-Data/7x57-Mauser/

I'd try working up a load using Hodgdon's H4350 "EXTREME" rifle powder and the 175 grain Nosler Partition Bullet. The bullet has a Sectional Density of .310 indicating excellent deep penetration capabilities and a Ballistic Coefficient of a huge .519 indicating excellent down-range ballistic capabilities.

My own "pet" 7x57 load for whitetail deer is a 140 grain Sierra, flat-based, ProHunter spitzer bullet in front of 50.0 grains of H4350 sparked by a standard Winchester large rifle primer in Remington cases. It was with the 139 grain bullet that the 7x57 made it's "mark" in rifledom.

This 140 grain bullet in front of a 50.0 grain H4350 powder load is my hunting load in my Ruger #1 International (20" barrel, Mannlicher-style stock) and is a maximum load yielding 50,000 CUP and yielding close to 2800 fps out of a 20" barrel while giving .404 inch accuracy (3 shot group) at 50 yards.

Jus' my 2�...


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Tophet this had me laughing.....funny stuff!

Your comments on the Woodleigh are interesting....are they a tough bullet?

The legal drinking age here in Oz is 18yo. I'm afraid the big fella (he's 6'2") has gone out a bit too hard, too early, with some mates who are home on leave from the Army. I don't go to Mass as I'm not R.C. and I'm always afraid of getting hit in the side of the head when they start with the funny up, down and across hand actions.

The Woodleighs are hard. I love them but you have to find the right combination of projectile weight for calibre. eg the 165 PPSN worked a charm at all ranges for me in a .308W on all Medium size Plains Game when I went to Africa in 2008 and 2009.

The 7mm 160 penetrates very well in the 7x57 but not as much in the 7mmRM. The 175 pencils through in the 7x57 and I would see the 7mmRM or 7mmWeatherby as being the minimum sized case for this projjie. You could shoot just about anything with that combo. I do know one South African who swears by the 175 Woodleigh in his 7x57. African game is larger than what we have here in Oz.

The beast in my Avatar was taken with a 140 Woodleigh PPSN from my .264WM at 150 yards. Another deadly combo for the big stuff. This takes the .264 up a notch.

If a kid is old enough to go to war, drive and vote, he's old enough to drink... at least Australia has that right.

Tophet1 since you have done the penetration tests with the 160gn and 175gn Woodleigh in your 7x57 and the velocities you run yours at and those you achieved with your 7mm RM would you think the 160 at 2700 fps would have to be a "best" (subective) all round bullet for light through to heavy PG. If you were to pick one of the bullets you have tested for an across the board bullet for both AU and Africa, where would your testing lead you?(providing you could achieve the 2700fps with the 160gn PP that I can im my own 7x57)

Von Gruff.

Tophet1, have you done any work with the 160 gr 6.5mm Woodleigh? That's one bullet that has caught my eye for my 264 WM.

Bloody hell mate that's a big call. I really don't have enough real world/field experience with the 175 at higher velocitys yet to make a definitive judgement. Sorry.

Edit: You'll get plenty of penetration it's just a matter of how much expansion you want. I do know the 160 in a 7-08 is used by a whole family, resident in the NT, to take Scrub Bulls so based on that I would say yes.

I don't know how to double quote so forgive me.

My .264WM has a 1 in 9" factory Remington twist and would not shoot the 160's less than 1.8" for three shots at 100 yards. I did not cronograph the most accurate load which had 66 grains 2225/Retumbo under the 160 Woodleigh. The 160 is a very, very long projectile and protruded well into the case in my rifle. I did not persevere with it. I have not tried it in the field.

The 140 Woodleigh expanded very quickly and would work very well at slightly lower muzzle velocity than those in the .264WM. The 160 would naturally give better penetration.

Thanks Tophet1, my 264 has a 1 in 8 twist so should be able to handle that long bullet. If you have any left maybe you could do a bullet test if that's not too much of a problem.

I've just got to ask this seeing as I've never ate Camel meat, how the heck does it tast????

Respects

Taste like chicken!!! hehe, capt david