I built a 7x57 for my nephew and need to work some deer loads...of all the many deer I have shot I have never used a 7x57...
In 7-08 the 140 combined technology has been flawless...
For his rifle tho recoil is not a problem he's a grown man...I have some 150s left over from my 7 mag days...cor loc and fed fusion...the fusion may be too tough of bullet in the 7x57 (thoughts?)
How about the cor loc...I love them on deer out of 30-06

What twist rate are you working with?

9 twist...

140 Partition, never the wrong choice.

To make it easier.. in a modern action.... just use any 7/08 data ya like...

for deer out of mine, I run 44 grains of 4064 or IMR 4895, and either a 139 gr Hornady, or 140 grain ballistic tip...

right @ 2800 fps

I like the 139gr Hornady Interlock. But any of the Speer, Nosler or Sierra traditional bulletin should work just fine.

This! Been using the 139 gr Interlock in the 7X57 since the mid 80s (whitetail only) with consistent success. I suspect the equivalent C&C bullets would all work as well.

My personal choice in the 7x57 for many years. Excellent accuracy and very effective on whitetails.

Re: the Fusion. It's a redesign of Speer's "Deep Curl," boat-tail v. slight concave base. Both are chemically plated. I have a bunch of Deep Curls and load them in my 7x57s. They are death on hogs. I can't see the Fusion being anything other than very effective as well. And, as was said, Partitions, although mine generally are 160-grains.

Here's the only Deep Curl I ever caught.

Pick a bullet in the 140-160 grain range and use it.

The 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip would be a great choice.

I have a fairly decent load using the 150 gr. Nosler Partition at 2700 FPS with Re17 and can push it a bit faster if I want to. This from an M70 Featherweight. I can also push a 140 gr. Ballistic tip to 2800 FPS using W760. I'm thinking of trying to see what I can accomplish with 160 gr. Speer Hot Cores for game larger than deer. Trials with the 150 gr. Nosler ABLR have been dismal in three rifles chambered to 7x57 and terrible as well in a 280 Rem. Go figure.
Probably for deer I'd use a 140 gr. bullet but frankly I like a 150 much better. I noticed that the late Jack O'Connor and his wife both apparently preferred the a 160 gr. bullet for all their hunting with a 7x57. I think I'll look into that as well.
Paul B.

If a bullet works in a 7-08, it will work in a modern 7x57, and as was said you can use 7-08 data. As best I recall I've used 120 NBT's, 154 RN Interlocks, 160 Deep Curls, 160 Accubonds and all worked fine. 150 NBT's didn't shoot well in my rifle, that was a disappointment. Never tried 140's. Never caught a bullet. RL15 for the 120's, H4831SC for the others but seems like must guys like 4350 class powders.

Really the old Mauser isn't too hard.

The highlighted portion suggests you may have controlled the width and length of the chamber throat compared to the wild 7x57 chamber variations that are out there. If that is the case than you shouldn't have much trouble working up a good load with any number of deer appropriate bullets. Anything that works on deer out of a 7-08 will do. Just use good brass and dies and get them seated straight.

Fusions are bonded, but they aren't too tough in the sense you're worrying about. They're excellent deer bullets in a variety of cartridges, having been designed to expand readily and widely without going to pieces.

Only three choices for me, and all 175's, old style Speer Grand Slams, Partitions and Swift A Frames, have never fired any other bullets in my 7x57, also have never recovered one from game, trajectory is math and easily repeatable, i'll take penetration with tradition all day any day.

The highlighted portion suggests you may have controlled the width and length of the chamber throat compared to the wild 7x57 chamber variations that are out there. If that is the case than you shouldn't have much trouble working up a good load with any number of deer appropriate bullets. Anything that works on deer out of a 7-08 will do. Just use good brass and dies and get them seated straight.

Fusions are bonded, but they aren't too tough in the sense you're worrying about. They're excellent deer bullets in a variety of cartridges, having been designed to expand readily and widely without going to pieces.

[/quote

I cut the chamber with my standard off the shelf reamer...it has done a a few chambers and no complaints on accuracy from anyone...

Sounds like those fusions might be a good choice...I have 250 of them ..that should keep him going for awhile..

RevMike,

Actually the Deep Curl appeared AFTER the Fusion, as a component bullet. They were both made by Speer, with the same equipment.

For some reason the then-PR guy for Speer decided the "new" bullet needed a new name, and came up with Deep Curl. Quite a few people suggested that since the Fusion was already pretty popular, they stick with that name--or perhaps Fusion with some Speer addition. But he refused to listen, and within a few years the Deep Curl disappeared.

Of course, another reason for its demise was Speer planned to discontinue the Hot-Cor, replacing it with the Deep Curl--which they initially thought could be made (and sold) as cheaply as the Hot-Cor. That turned out not to be the case, and they also usually offered different Deep Curl bullet weights than Speer had offered in the Hot-Cor for decades. The rest is history.

139 Interlock or 140 Ballistic Tip.

Thanks for the clarification, John. I was under the impression that the Fusion replaced the Deep Curl because of the latter's pressure issues. Either way, I really like the Deep Curl. They shoot well in my rifles and perform well on game. Too bad Speer killed it. Every once in a while I find a batch of pulled ones for sale, but they're few and far between at this point.

I had no idea that Speer made the fusion

I had no idea that Speer made the fusion



That would be my first choice also as they have both been flawless in 7-08.....but I have these fusions and cor-loc that need used up and want to give them to my nephew..I want him to shoot a lot to get good with the rifle..free ammo would be no better way to do it..he just doesn't have the money to buy factory ammo...
Don't want him to be one of those guys that just shoot a few rds the week before hunting season..

At 7x57 velocities, it's almost harder to come up with a bullet that wouldn't work well on deer. I settled on the 154 grain Hornady SP, since it shoots the best in my rifle.

FC

^^^^^^this^^^^^^

But more specific, Hornady 154 grain InterLock.

I shoot heavies through mine (though, admittedly, it doesn't get shot all that much). I've come to like 175's at 2500 out of my #1. Currently pushing them with RL-22.

I really like the Hornady 175 RN, but they quit making them. I'm shooting through a batch of 175 GameKings that shoot OK for what that rifle will be used for, but when I run through them and run out of Hornady Blue Noses, I'll probably switch to 175 Interlocks.

I guess my thinking behind the heavies is that I've already got a .25-06 shooting 100's or 120's. 140's out a 7x57 seem a bit redundant to me (but no less effective for anyone else).

About the only thing I can take issue with is a modern rifle in 7x57 can be loaded up to or use 7-08 data. I have three rifles chambered to the 7x57. A Ruger #1A, Winchester M70 Featherweight and a custom based on an FN Mauser that used to be a .270 Win. so the action is strong enough. I have had no trouble working up to 7-08 standards in the Ruger and M70 but that Mauser is a bit of something else. Case in point. I've always heard how the 7x57 made it's reputation with 173/175 gr. round nose bullets so digging through the data I have on hand I determined XX.X gr. of powder Y would deliver the roughly 2300 FPS the round was supposed to deliver. I ran three rounds over the chronograph with each of the above mentioned rifles. I'm going from memory here but the Ruger was the slowest at IIRC about 2320 FPS. The M70 was a bit quicker at 2340 FPS and that Mauser 2450 FPS, a full 120 FPS over the combined average of the first two rifles. I later question my gunsmith who built the rifle about the throat and he said he used the standard long throat found in most 7x57 rifles. That rifle has the tightest chamber of any rifle I have ever owned. That slight bulge that a fired cartridge case get from lying in the chamber is almost not there on brass fired in that rifle. Could that be the cause? What bothers me is how quickly pressure rises regardless of bullet seating or primer. I would think I could get decent velocity with less powder due to whatever is causing pressures to rise so fast but so far no go. Accuracy is no problem as the higher the pressure goes the tighter the groups. I cannot go much past what pressures Winchester and Federal load their ammo to without running into problems regarding pressure. Damn thing is driving me sane. Anybody have any ideas????
Paul B.

A tight chamber will theoretically give higher presure with less of a given powder charge...but doesn't sound like the problem as who cares the charge as long as you are a heaving the normal Bol range...
Premature presure signs are something I have addressed before....distance to throat can be a problem...causes a spike in presure ...usually seating depth can remedy this...but if I were you I would consider doing a chamber cast and see if the neck may be too tight....I had a reamer one time that cut too tight of chamber and nec..I don't recall the cal but I got it from a retired gunsmith and it appeared to have been re sharpened..I just replaced the reamer...the old ones are just used for roughing...

No need to do a chamber cast to see if the neck of the chamber (or the combo of brass and chamber neck) might be too tight. Instead try to insert a bullet into the necks of fired cases. If the bullets won't slide in easily, then the necks are too tight for that chamber.

OR the neck of the chamber is a little shorter than standard. This results in the front end of the neck being lightly crimped around the bullet. If that's the case, trim the brass a little shorter.

I've shot a pretty big truckload of whitetails, from does to some big N Mo. bucks with a 140 TTSX pushed to 2950 fps by H414. I have shot exactly one twice.