Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 7x57 Sellier and Bellot 173 grain, on deer?

Stuff shoots well in my RSI Ruger. Wondering if anybody has experience on deer with this ammo? With a 20" barrel I know I am losing some velocity, but my longest shot would be about 125 yards. Still, a little worried about expansion.

So, any real world experience with this load would be appreciated.

thanks

I have used that ammo on 3 Blacktails, nothing to report. Never more than 60 yards, but the deer went down close enough to where they were when I shot.

In my Ruger they shoot about 1.25" for 5 rounds.

I really like S&B, my "goto" home defense gun, a Mossberg 500 is loaded with their buckshot and slugs.

Thanks. Exit wounds? Were they shot through the lungs or was shoulder bone involved? Broadside?

What bullet is in it?

I have some in 243 & 270 that are loaded with NPs.

Seems to be there own bullet? It is called SPCE for soft point cutting edge. It is a two diameter bullet with a shoulder of sorts

I used that load out of my #1A on a 130# WT angling away at 43yds. The bullet traveled 27" ending up behind the opposit shoulder. Deer dropped within 30 yds.

Also the brass groups better than W-W does in my reloads.

I don't know about the S&B 7x57 175gr, but I shot some of their 140gr 6.5x55 with their 2-diameter bullet and it grouped an inch or a little less out of my old sporterized M38 Swede. I shot one deer with it and it was a steeply quartering away shot and the deer didn't make it any more than 15 feet. Bullet entered just behind the last rib on left, penetrated the liver, traveled diagonally through the chest, penetrated the right ribcage, through the right shoulder breaking bones on the way, and ended up under the hide beside the point of the shoulder.

I know it's a stretch comparing the performance of their 6.5mm 140gr bullet to their 7mm 175gr bullet on a statistical sample of ONE, but, IF it's comparable, then it oughta be a good bullet and you'll be just fine with it.

I have used a lot of Sellier and Bellot in different calibers, from little to big, because it's cheap and it's accurate. (And also not so downloaded in European cartridges as US ammo seems to be. Your S&B ammo will certainly be getting more velocity than say, your Winchester, for example)
On red deer, I find their bullets 'hard'. You will be able to get a normal sized whitetail from any angle with a 173 grain 7mm put it that way.
They always killed what I shot them at, and one of my rifles was a 20 inch barreled Brno 7x57. Use them with confidence.

Great info. Thanks guys

You guys are describing exactly the same kind of performance I get with 175gr Hornadys from my various 7x57s. I am absolutely hooked on the reliable performance of this load. Ribcage shots typically exit leaving a hole you could stick your fist in. Body parts hit with it just friggin break, whatever they are. Regarding drop, well, all bullets drop. No rifle shoots "flat." Holdover is required on long shots regardless which bullet used. An advantage with the heavies is the momentum retained and performance achieved when the bullet gets there. That's why I'm reluctant to spend more for lighter-weight "trick" bullets - I really don't need better performance than what I get with relatively heavy for caliber jacketed pills. Call me old-fashioned, I like it!

Sweet

Anybody cronograph the SB 173 load? Course barrel length would be good to know

I banged two WY antelope a couple of years ago, using my Savage 7x57 and S&B with 135 grain (I think)SPCE factory loads. Both shots were about 100 yards and I very pleased w/their performance. As CarlsenHighway said, use with perfect confidence.

S&B advertises 725m/s (2379ft/s) from a 60cm (23.6in) barrel. Here's a link: http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/rifle-ammunition-detail.php?ammunition=12&product=170

I am aware of advertised velocity , but some ammo does not live up to those claims

Why is it important to know the velocity?

Expansion out at longer range? And is it much different than a 30-30 if factory loads are whimpy

I've killed several deer with it as 7X57R and found it fine in my limited experience. Two were shot at between 225 and 250 yards. The "cutted edge" bullet expanded fine and did what most cup'n core bullets do. They lost weight faster than tougher bullets, but at their velocities they work fine.
The third was shot at 60 yards. The bullet went on through.

That picture is freakin awesome