Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 7x57 140 NPT load

My 7x57 550 CZ FS seems to like 140's. I tried to interest it in the 162 Amax, tried a number of loads. But, it's telling me it likes 140's. Best groups so far have been with the 140 NBT.

I like NPT's more than NBT's for hunting and am putting together some loads for the 140 NPT. The consensus seems to be one of the 4350's or H414/760. Other less frequent mentions include Hunter, N-550, N-150, RL-17, RL-19, Norma URP and N-204. I gottem all.

The CZ is a strong action and I'd like to push 140 NPT's at around 2,800+ if I can.

Would apprecaite pet 7x57 loads for 140 NPT's at 2,800-2,850 or so. Barrel is 20.5".

DF

DF,
Pardon me if I give loads for a 7mm-08, but that's what I got.

47.5 g Ramshot Big Game and 140 NPT gave me 2870 ft/sec and great accuracy.

43.0 g Varget and 140 NAB game me 2825 ft/sec and great accuracy.

Loads were safe in my rifle, be careful with yours.


P

My tang Ruger also loves 140 NPTs (and pretty much any other 140gr bullet).

54.5/H-205/2879fps. Accuracy runs around 1 MOA.
54.5/N-204/2856fps. A little less accurate in my rifle.

My Ruger has considerable freebore, so take that into consideration. Good luck on finding H-205, although a few weeks ago, someone was listing several pounds that he had for sale here on the fire.

51.5gr RL19 is a great load. powdr

DF, I with dawaba like H-205, but have found H-414 excellent with the 140 g. bullets and Big Game also seems to work very well.

BUT!!! 7X57 throats and chamberings vary greatly from rifle to rifle. For example dawaba suggests 54.5 grains of H-205 in his rifle, in mine that would be too hot of a load.

I use up to 52 g. of H-205 as a max load and get over 2900 fps in my rifle with the 140 Nosler Partition and/or the 139 Horn BTSP. But the same amount of H-205 with the 140 g. Nosler BT I got marks on the brass, a stiff bolt lift and over 3,000 fps on the chronograph! It is clearly too hot in my rifle with the 140 BT. I used the 52 g. load for decades with the 140 Nosler PT or the 139 g. Horn bullet and my brass lasted over 10 loadings and I never had a stiff bolt or marks on the case.

I usually use CCI 200 primers and WW brass.

I have no trouble reaching 2900+ fps with a 140 g. bullet, but reaching 3,000 fps is well beyond my comfort level.

As I use up my remaining stock of H-205 I usually load 51.5 g. for just under 2900 fps in my 22" barrel.

Earlier this year I was testing Big Game and found as the temperatures increased from March to June that loads that appeared safe in March and April started showing pressure signs. I suggest starting with 7MM-08 data for Big Game and then carefully working up if your rifle will take the increased loads without overt pressure signs.

I am still experimenting with Big Game and the 140 Nosler and will try 49.5 g. next as 50.5 g. gives pressure signs in the warmer temps.

I found that with the 120 g. Nosler BT that my rifle shoots best with 50 g. of BG, - this is the max load in Nosler data for the 7MM-08. I tried more powder because the 7X57 has a little more case capacity than the 7MM-08 but accuracy fell off. This load in my rifle gives right at 3,000 fps.

With one of the 4350 powders I never got the velocities with 140 g. bullets that I could get with H-205, H-414 or Big Game. IMR-4350 did give excellent results with the 154 g. Hornady bullet.

Of course, H-205 is one I don't have. Reportedly that was a double base powder, not too unlike Norma MRP, which I do have, as well as Norma URP. In the Dennis Hall 7x57 Article I posted on another thread, he also liked H-205 and said it didn't like to be compressed. Dennis was "pouring the coal" to his rather loose chambered early thumb safety Ruger 77. He was getting unbelievable velocities.

I understand the 120 NBT is a harder bullet and I was afraid it may pencil thru a 130 # WT doe. On the Ballistic Research site by Nathan Foster in NZ, I see that the 140 NBT wasn't thought to be as good as the 150 NBT as a deer killer. The 140 NPT and 150 NPT are reportedly very good. I'm going to try some 150 NPT's, but was leaning toward the 140 NPT, as my gun seems to prefer 140's, so far at least.

My CZ has a long throat and it takes 175's, loaded long, to reach the lands. Everything else has to jump. I do have some Big Game as well as IMR4007ss which is about the same burn rate.

Thanks for your help.

DF

Is N-205 around anymore? It use to give great results in other rifles. I suppose H-205 is a close equivalent. No experience with that powder, unfortunately. One thing I'm thankful for is my FN Winchester 7x57 has a standard chamber and I can seat the bullets deeper than those that have considerable free bore.

I've read in numerous places that Reloaders 19 is a superb powder for this caliber/bullet and aim to try it. Speer's #14 manual list 52 gr as max with a velocity of 2795 fps. It may be worth trying.

DF,

Either IMR or H4350 will easily get 2800, and probably 2900.

The throats of 7x57's vary so much that suggesting a powder charge is pretty much a shot in the dark, so to speak, but I've never gotten into trouble starting with around 45 grains and working up until the chronograph shows 2800-2900 with a 140.

Thanks, John.

I have both 4350'a and will give them a work out.

I had previously been thinking this CZ with fairly fast twist would be a good 160/162 gr. rifle, but it says otherwise...

Here's that thread on the Dennis Hall hypervelocity 7x57 article. Dennis was definitely flogging that old Ruger pretty hard... He used H-205 and MRP.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8834853/1

I have a 7RM to shoot those velocities. I want to keep the 7x57 in the safe zone and hopefully find an accurate load.

DF

I think N-205 and H-205 are fairly different, at least that's what I've read. Never had any H-205. It's my understanding that Norma MRP has replaced N-205. There may have been some confusion between the two 205's. MRP-2 is now N-117 and N-204 is now Norma URP. Gottem both plus a half can of N-204.

I don't like to get caught short when I need a powder, so I pick up a can or two here and there as I find them. I recently found 8# jugs of Ramshot Magnum and Norma MRP, so I should be set for a while with those two, both top performers in my .240.

DF

DF, on the Nosler 120 g. BT I have only observed two pronghorn antelope does shot with it. (Pronghorns are probably smaller than your whitetail deer.) It is only a sample size of two.

They were shot too far back with a moderate load from a 7MM-08. In spite of the imperfect shot placement both animals were anchored in place and were finished with a neck shot. All the bullets exited and the results were impressive given the shot placement, so I would not hesitate to try them on deer.

But when I was making plans for a Colorado Mule deer hunt, I went back to loading 140 g. Nosler Partitions. (- alas, I did not draw a tag .) I know that the 140 NPT is completely reliable as I have taken a number of mule deer bucks with it and it has always worked perfectly. Never recovered a bullet, but extensive to almost too much damage on some animals.

My standard load in my Model 70 Featherweight....

44 grs of IMR 4895 or 44 grains of IMR 4064...

Both chronograph 2800 fps pretty much right on the nose, out of a 22 inch barrel using the 140 Ballistic Tip or Partition...

Seafire,

I've noticed that you generally use faster burning powders than most.

What's your thinking on that?

DF

The 120 NBT would probably do just fine. Like you, I have a lot of confidence in the 140 NPT and for now I'll stick with them. The confidence factor is an important part of the equation...

DF

"Is N-205 around anymore? It use to give great results in other rifles. I suppose H-205 is a close equivalent. No experience with that powder, unfortunately."

I too liked H-205 but sadly it is no more. According to the Hodgden rep at tghe NRA convention back in 1981/82? hte reasons, in his words. "Frankly, the numbers weren't there."
My thoughts run to possible different reason. N-205. I think Hodgden screwed up big time by naming that powder H-205. Too damned many idiots out in the shooting world I'm sad to say and I'm sure we've all seen a few of them in action. I'll be a few of those bright lights saw H-205 and thought Hodgden was making their version of N-205 and as H-205 was quite a bit faster, it's not too damn hard to figure out the rest. A few KABOOMS mixed with a few greedy layers and a fine powder goes down the crapper, figuratively speaking. I've always wondered if Hodgden might not bring H-205 out under a different name? Tha tpowder was a bit too good to have to go the way of the dinosaurs.
Paul B.

Reportedly, those double base powders are harder on rifle bores than the single base powders. They have a bit more energy and thus enhanced performance. I guess everything is a trade off, one way or another.

DF

Oh I don't know.... I find more consistent results in my opinion... guess there is a reason stuff like IMR 3031, 4064, and 4895 have been around for years and are still good sellers for a reason.... I think they are less finicky on their load than slower powders...

Stretches out the old powder budget... lots of reasons...

but it gives me accuracy... and 44 grains of powder still kicks less than 50 grains of powder... so who knows, less recoil makes the shooter shoot it better...

at the same time tho, I find that say 4895 works well in a 223, 22.250, 243 on the low end, and then on the higher end, works just fine also in my 338/06, 300 Win Mag, 7 Mag, 338 Mag...4350 or 4831 would be anemic in the smaller cartridges..

its a "better gas mileage" thing I guess also...and large rifle primers, work just fine with them, regardless of case size...no need for mag primers...

^^^^^^

This logic seemed to apply more to my project to consolidate powders down to a few, that would work for everything I had: faster was more versatile.