My out of control gun buying habit got me again, this time in the way of a Winchester model 70 in 7x57.

What are the good loads?

48.5 gr. of H414 and 140 gr. ballistic tips got a problem 7x57 with a Shilen barrel shooting MOA for me. The load was averaging 2820 over my chronograph.

All my other 7x57s did real well with 47.0 to 50.0 gr of IMR 4350 and Hornady 139 gr BTSP.

Rojelio

H-4350 50gr / 140 Accubond

Passport,

Good snag. Have a M70 XTR Fwt Swede myself and a couple other 7x57's so I resisted temptation on that one.

Unfortunately, the 7x57 and the 6.5x55 are critters onto themselves for loading data. My extensive use of the two cartridges justifies Quickload in and of itself.

QL and a Stoney Point OAL gauge are your friends. Maybe shoot a box of factory fodder for a brass source and for comparative chronying of loads. Make sure to measure the water capacity of your spent casings and plug into QL for good data.

Get a back issue of Handloader Apr/May 2007 where Barsness discusses loading parameters for the 7x57.

FWIW R15 works as well with 120 TSX's in my 7x57's as in the 7mm08. 4350's dance nicely with 139 SP's.

However your chamber geometry will dictate ...

GE

47.0 grains of H-414 with 140 grain Nosler Partitions shoot well in my new 7x57. 48.0 grains, same powder, same bullets, was too hot. My son's 7x57 shoots 48.0 grains of H-414 very well, and 49.0 grains was too hot, all with 140 gr bullets.
Start low and work up.

My Model 70 Featherweight shoots 140 grain Partitions over 48 grains of IMR4350 into tidy groups. They work quite well on whitetails too.

If it won't shoot any other loads well.. try 40 grains of IMR 3031 with ANY bullet weight..

MV with them all will be in about the 2600 fps range..

760 is the best performing powder with the highest velocities in all bullet weights I have tested in this cartridge.

A very good second choice is Rel 15 with the middle weights around 150-160 grains.

I never got the same performance from the 4350's even though they work more than well enough. This cartridge has its reputation because of its shootability because of hte moderate recoil and muzzle blast, which permits precise shot placment with good game bullets that also work very well at 7x57 velocities.

These velocties negate to a large degree any need for premium bullets.

If there is any cartridge where 100fps here or there is no no consequence, the 7x57 is the one. That does not mean however, that "I" would load light and not care if I have powders available that would offer a little more.

Fussy, arn't we?



JW

The first rifle I put together was a M-98 in 7x57 for my wife, back in the winter of 70-71. It still shoots that load into WAAAAY less than 1 inch at 100 yds, and she has accounted for plenty of deer, elk, pronghorn and bear with that very load. Wow, 37 years of trying and I haven't found a better killer or more accurate load for a 7x57.

Wayne

It does seem to be a well balanced load. A friend of mine also has a Model 70 in 7x57 and his rifle like this load too.

Worked up to 50.0gr of H4350 with the 145gr Speer Hot Cor. Still the most accurate load to-date in my 7x57.

Is anybody loading the 120 TSX, or, the 120 Nosler BT in the 7X57?

I'm running RP Brass, CCI BR-2, 49 gr R15 and 120 TSX at 3.13 (Lands - .050) out of Shillelagh (FN Venezuelan Sporter).

REALLY good load out of my 7x57 but each rifle is a creature all it's own and that goes exponentially for 7x57's.

GE

GE,
Thanks!! Sounds like a great load! I am planning on using nearly that exact load in Colorado this year for bear, and, elk.

Huntr,

I haven't run the load extensively, didn't even work it up in a traditional manner. Had done a work up of 120 BT's and got nice shot to shot consistency at 49.5 grains (2960's out of a 17.5" ish barrel) but the bullets were seated WAY out to 3.21 and still .054 off the lands - with poor neck tension. Shot like crap but the chrony liked it.

So, I planned to seat a 120 TSX at 3.13, cut powder by half a grain to compensate for reduced capacity. Double checked my figuring on QL, loaded up 5 with this recipe and hit the range.
No chrony with me but ... what the heck ...

Shot 1. 25yds - 2" high, 1/2" left. OK so 32 clicks down, 8 clicks right.

Go out to 100.

Shots 2, 3, 4 - go into .497 center to center at 3/4" high, 1 1/4" right.

OK so 4 clicks up, riiiiiiip, 5 clicks left, riiiiiiip.

Shot 5 on cross 2" high. Meets the 200 yd zero for the B&C reticle.

Have been refinishing the stock on Shillelagh over the winter, just got it put back together and am letting it cure for a week or two before shooting.

I'm expecting the chrony will tell me 2925-2950. I'd look for ~ 3100 out of a typical length barrel. A 120 TSX in the 2900's is fine for my "woods gun" anyway. Heck if it insists on being a half inch gun (or at least that consistent with my first shot POI) it'll be a fine "anything gun".

GE

Do you guys typically get similar to a bit better velocity from the 7x57 compared to 7-08?

It sounds like at least one of you does!

Also- has anybody done any work with 140 gr VLDs at all? I'm thinking that these might be pretty decent pronghorn medicine if I can get 'em up near the -08 velocities.

Why not? Bigger case, more powder, everything else being the same will equal more velocity.

If you are going to use a 140 for pronghorns, use the Hornady 139 grain Interlock. It is about the fastest 140 out there. 2900 fps is no trick with it.

I got a fwt 70 in 7x57,I checked the twist in it and it is 1:8 or 1:8.5 which is the same twist as the old original mausers and in the early days of the 7x57 there was really only one bullet around,the ol 175 gr. RN,So therefore I would think that if your rifle is twisted the same it should do its best work with heavy bullets 160-175 grainers,I got a mannlicher 7x57 that is twisted 1:12 and the only bullets it shoots real well is the 100-120 gr.,Winchester 760 {H-414}I believe is the Highest recommended powder for use in the 7x57 case and even its offspring the 257 Roberts and the 6mm remington..........

Right on Joe. I have a whole bunch of those and am definately going to give 'em a whirl, along w/ the SST in the same weight.

I just wondered if the extra BC advantage in the VLDs might really be significant as far out as I'm likely to shoot.

I'm not sure what the twist on my is Coyo, but that is a good point. I'll have to check that out. The gent I've purchased it from didn't know if it was an aftermarket customization job or just a nice turn-down from the step-tapered original. Now that you bring this to my attention I see just what a significant difference this could make in my bullet choice.

Does anybody have an accuracy load utilizing the 162 gr A-Max?

I'm having my turned-down military barrel recrowned and would like to test the results with this bullet (amongst others).

Passport, FWIW, H4350 and Nosler solid base 140's (discontinued)or Hornady 139 FB Interlocks. I run WW cases and Fed match primers.

RL19 looks to be good, too, if you have a supply.

EFW:
Not trying to be preachy but as Gaviidae said, to make the 7x57 shine know your chamber and throat. Each rifle is different and comparing two cases of near capacity like the 7-08 and 7x57 with just a couple grains between them comes down to the rifle and careful handloading, IMO, rather than the cartridge.

Tomk,

No problem. I think you're absolutely right... I think that added caution is needed here b/c the 7'08 is used exclusively in modern rifles while 7x57 isn't. That is the confusing factor when looking in the manuals... the start/max loads are all over the board w/ this cartridge because of the old '93s and '95s that are out there.

I had given cursory attention to numbers in one manual and was new to the cartridge. I've since learned a lot.

Thanks,

efw

My 7x57 loves 49 gr/IMR 4350, 140 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip or Partition, Norma cases, Fed 210M primer. Custom Oberndorf Model 98 Mauser. Don't use this load in the older rifles - this is for modern rifles only, as the older Mausers and others can't handle these pressures.

I have been shooting 120g X bullets out of my 7x57mm M700 Mountain rifle since I got it bay in the 90's.

The load is ::

RP cases at 2.224
CCI 250 primer
51 g AA2700 powder
120g X bullet flat base
3.032 C.0.L.

THIS IS A MAXIMUM LOAD

Reduce at least 10% and work up for YOUR rifle

Does about 1.25 inches at 100 yrds. Drops whitetails like lighting.

My best 3-shot groups @ 50 yards with the scope set on 12x and the A/O adjusted to eliminate parallax out of my 7x57 Ruger #1 International (full Mannlicher style stock) with a 20-inch barrel and a Kepplinger single set trigger using H4350 behind a 140 grain Sierra ProHunter flat-based bullet sparked by a standard Winchester primer in accurized Remington cases were as follows:

47.2 grains = .176" (accuracy load)
47.6 grains = .179" w/MV of 2578 fps (accuracy load)
50.0 grains = .404" w/est. MV of 2780 fps (Hunting load)

The Ruger #1 International (aka "RSI") "likes" H4350 powder. All groups fired using H4350 were relatively small (less than a half inch at 50 yards), but recoil and report were up considerably at the maximum load of 50.0 grains of H4350. THIS IS A MAXIMUM LOAD FOR MODERN RIFLES ONLY.

All bullets were seated out to within 10/1000" of the rifling.

Hodgdon H4350 rifle powder is one of Hodgdon's "EXTREME" powders meaning it is not "temperature sensitive". Therefore, you should get about the same muzzle velocity regardless of the air temperature. Many hunting loads are developed in the heat of the summer or in the warm autumn weather, but used in much colder temperatures during hunting season.

Therefore, the EXTREME powder has a great advantage over other powders, many of which ARE sensitive to air temperatures and will yield considerably less muzzle velocity in cold weather compared to a hunting load that was developed in warmer temperatures earlier in the year.

I hope this information helps you.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.