Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7x57 velocities

While researching load data for my CZ 550 FS, I ran across this Dennis Hall article in the March-April, 1977 Handloader. Seems Dennis pushed his 7x57 Ruger just to see what it would do. He was amazed at the performance he got.

Now, this is for ONE rifle, no implications for any others. It's interesting, nonetheless.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/hl66partial.pdf

DF

Pretty zippy. Makes me want to cast my older 77's chamber.

Most published 7mmRemMag loads cannot keep up with a 7x57mm loaded to the threshold of long brass life and backed off a 2 gr safety margin.

Dirtfarmer,

Those loads are, indeed fascinating. Before we knew better than to trust case extraction and primer observance as max pressure indicators we ALL were able to totally smoke the factory and book published loads. As for me, I am quite a bit more conservative with my handloading than I was in 1977.

That said, if I was loading for a MODERN and well made 7x57 today I would expect slowly increase my powder charges until I exceeding 7/08 velocities and approaching 280 Rem "booked and tested" velocities. While all of the time checking for those obvious and telltale signs of (usually) way overpressure loadings mentioned in the '77 article.

I recall that article.Those old Rugers in 7x57 had throats long as the Holland Tunnel...drove some guys at our range nuts getting them to shoot.

My own group of shooters had our own little adventures with H205, N-205,and MRP which replaced N205, but in the 30/06 more so, the 7 Rem Mag, and the 338 Win Mag among some others.

These were first exposures I recall to double based powders,which showed the tendency keep adding velocity as you added powder, instead of flattening out at top end like the single based powders did.They made the chronograph sing.

This went along fine for awhile ,and you thought you were OK and happy with your "enhanced performance" until one day....POW!......you had arrived over the top,and the sooty or blown pockets showed up along with ejector marks and other good stuff. By the time you backed off to where you figured you were "safe",velocity was not much if any better than with the single based stuff.

Yes, you could play with throats, harder, thinner brass,and double base powders to get smaller cases to approach the velocities easily obtained by larger cases, but do enough of that stuff(I have done way more than my share)and you eventually figure out that there is no magic, and no substitute for case capacity...especially when it comes to the heaviest bullets. I learned that if I wanted a 280 or 7 mag I should buy one, instead of trying to make smaller cases do the same things.

My father had his affair with H205 and the 300 Win. mag with 165 grain bullets.

mathman: Did he like that combo?

IIRC he was saddened when H205 went away.

So was I...for awhile.

I own a long-throated R77 in 7x57. It is one of my favorite rifles. And like Hall, I can achieve some interesting velocities with careful reloading.

When that article came out, I saw where Hall got over 3000 fps with WW785 and the 140 bullet. Having both of those components, I gradually worked up to 60 grs of 785, but my velocity only reached 2785 with the same heavily-compressed load that he got over 3000 fps with.

This article may have been the beginning of my love affair with H-205. I have found it to be the best powder for the 7x57, as well as the .30-06 and .338 WM. It always gives fine accuracy at top velocities with these cartridges. Just be careful as you approach max, as H-205 can quickly show the explosive personality of a fish wife.

Laffin'! That's true!

I'm getting 2790+fps with a 160 gr NP and H-4831 SC in a CZ 550 7x57 Mauser.

I got an 8# jug of MRP and want to find good loads for my 7x57. I don't think I'm going to be as adventuresome as Hall, but will work up some "strong action" loads.

Right now, I'm thinking about the 162 AMax, although I have a good selection of 7mm bullets on hand.

Check out this link: http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/7x57.html The author has done a lot of testing and had this comment on the 162 AMax:

"The best of the Hornady range is the highly frangible 162 grain A-Max. In fact, this may well be the best all-round projectile ever produced for the 7x57 and 7mm08 powered cartridges. The A-Max is noticeably and measurably faster killing than other bullet styles at close and also long ranges. Penetration is surprisingly good, regardless of weight lost due to its thin jacket and on light framed deer, this projectile has the ability to reach vitals with tail on shots, not that the A-Max is best utilized in this way. The key to outstanding all-round performance with the 162 grain A-Max is mild muzzle velocities no greater than 2700fps. From the lower muzzle velocity of 2600fps, the A-Max produces wide, fast bleeding wounds out to 300yards (2200fps) with a slight reduction in wounding between 300 and 475 yards (2000fps). The A-max continues to excel below 2000fps in the absence of bone strikes. This projectile requires very little resistance to initiate expansion and for this reason, is a more ethical killer at longer ranges approaching where wind factors make exact shot placement more difficult. Occasionally, pin hole wounding (rear lung/ liver shots) can occur at velocities lower than 1800fps yet this also occurs with competing designs, such are the limitations of our current technology."

DF

DF, good plan, overall. If I had a newer 7x57 I would be pushing it a little past current printed loads as well. No reason not to get it running in the same pressure range as other modern rifle cartridges.

Good luck and please do report back how you are doing.

I do have a spectacularly pretty 'short' Mauser custom in 7x57 with all of the nice custom tweaks and add's. If I don't sell it at the gun show this weekend, perhaps I will play with it a bit. Although I have to admit that I am mighty tempted to re barrel it to 224TTH or 22 Cheetah 40* Mark ll version, and if I left this barrel on it, the temptation to AI it at a minimum would be strong

The CZ is very strong and is of the "C" type configuration like older Mausers, not the "H" set up like FN and later Mausers. It gives less room for expanding gases to come back on the shooter.

I'm not going to push the envelope like Hall, just want some good, solid loads with best accuracy.

I traded my M-70 .404J for this CZ plus some cash after rotator cuff surgery in early Jan. Since then, I've had a Vitrectomy for Macular Hole and won't be able to shoot until late June or July. I can still do research and reload...

Mark, if anyone understands having to work around infirmities, it would be you...

DF

Dirtfarmer,

That doesn't surprise me. The 7x57 has felled every big game species in North America and more than a few elephants.

.284 caliber projectiles are legend for their abilities to penetrate and kill big game.

The .280 Rem might just be the BEST big game cartridge for all North American big game. A properly handloaded 7x57 would give the .280 Rem a whole lotta competition for that title.

Yep, I understand! I am still fighting a bad gout flareup I caused myself in my right hand while testing loads for my ultralightweight 329PD 44 Magnum earlier this week. I am DEFINATELY going to load this down even more for my next tests.
Going in on Monday to get more pain shots in that forefinger, thumb and knuckles. Probably won't mention to the doc how it flared up so badly and so quickly

Yeah, he doesn't need to know "everything"...

That way, he won't get all upset. Could ruin his day...

DF

MRP is about the closest we have to N-205.

How close to N-205 was H-205?

DF

I believe N is slower, but the H-205 era was a little before I did much rifle reloading.

For comparative purposes, my old Sierra manual shows 74.9 grains of H-205 in a 300 Win. mag pushing a 165 grain bullet to 3200 fps.