Gents!
Does the dies for 7x57 Mauser also fit the 7x57R with the exeption of the shellholder?
I have read about some guys using the 7x57 dies for the 7x57R and just trimming it to length after sizing.
There is a big difference in price for the dies. 7x57 dies are 1/4 of the price of 7x57R dies for some reason.

Any suggestions?

Sincerely
Daniel

I deleted my post in response because I mis-read the decimal place and gave an inaccurate description. Sorry about that.

So,will try again. Please note, I have only American (SAAMI) data for the 7x57 rimless, and only European (CIP) data for the rimmed case, so they may not be directly comparable data in every regard.

Correcting for my mis-reading of the decimal place, the American standard for the diameter of the rimless 7x57 at the base is .0015" smaller than the CIP standard for the 7x57-R. That is pretty negligible. Many makes of brass vary more than that between each other.

The angles of the shoulders show the American-made rimless case to be very, very slightly sharper shouldered than the CIP rimmed case shoulders ...1/4 degree to be exact.

Likewise figures for the length from case bases to the bottom of the case necks shows the 7x57-R to be .006"longer than the 7x57 rimless. Again, that is no big deal, as the lengths of factory chambers, especially for rimmed cases, sometimes exceed that amount.

So, as all the American dimensions for the rimless case are very slightly smaller than the European rimmed case figures, it should be very practical to size the European rimmed brass in the American rimless dies. They would easily enter a standard CIP rimmed chamber, and would expand very little on firing. Brass life might be very slightly reduced, but probably not enough to really tell the difference without very careful and extensive testing and documentation.

Where you might first see problems caused by using the rimless die to size the rimmed cases would be at the top of the case shoulder. The case shoulders would be set back by about .004" to .006" too much IF one screwed the die into the press all the way to firm contact with the shell holder. The case shoulder would then blow forward and work-harden every time the sized case was re-fired.

Yes yes, just grab dies for the 7x57 and have at it. The same is true for 8x57IS vs 8x57RS, 7x64 vs. 7x65R etc etc.

- mike

as others have said, the only difference in the shellholder

I just recently bought a combi in 7x57R and was asking the guy in the gun shop about dies. He told me people do sell 7X57R dies but they are very expensive and not necessary, he recommended I just buy the normal 7X57 dies and then get the correct shell holder.

He's not lying...

Just buy the standard 7x57 dies and get the correct shellholder.

Gents!
Thanks for the replies!
That saves a smaller fortune for me...
I will get both bullets,cases, dies and powder for less than the price of the rimmed dies...

:-)

/Daniel

Daniel,

Bless Alberta Canuck's soul - a sterling explanation of the minute differences - well done.

Like others have already referred to, in practice there won't be enough difference to appreciate.

I do the opposite; I've got a set of RCBS 7x57R Dies that were purchased long enough ago that I didn't have to take out a loan to pay for them. They work excellenty of course in my two 7x57R rifles and I also use them to load for a friend's 7x57 rimless cartridges.

The shell holder(s) for the rimless & rimmed cartridges will depict a small difference when using the same die for both versions of this cartridge.

My suggestion is if you are using the dies for one rifle, use an already fired cartridge case to set up the dies. Simply ensure you set the F/L Die up to chamber as closely as you can get it to headpsace on the shoulder (neck/shoulder junction). That is DO NOT use the instructions received with most Die Sets that state to touch the Die to the Shellholder and then give another 1/4 turn after that to cam-over the reloading press' handle.

Have fun!

The 6.5x57 mm die works for the rimmed version, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry:


Daniel,

My suggestion is if you are using the dies for one rifle, use an already fired cartridge case to set up the dies. Simply ensure you set the F/L Die up to chamber as closely as you can get it to headpsace on the shoulder (neck/shoulder junction). That is DO NOT use the instructions received with most Die Sets that state to touch the Die to the Shellholder and then give another 1/4 turn after that to cam-over the reloading press' handle.

Have fun!

Gerry - I would recommend your method to all handloaders, regardless whether for rimmed or rimless cases. It is what I do for my loading, and works easily and well.

Where I have several rifles of a single nominal chambering, I set the die for the shortest chambered of the bunch. When when using the dies the first time for another rifle, I adjust the die down into the press to where it puts the headspace just right, and make a note of how much the die is still scewed out away from shell holder contact.

Then for each additional rifle I make a similar note, and I accumulate all those notes on one sheet of paper, which I keep in the die box with the dies.

So, for instance, my shortest chambered 7x57 is a Remington M722, and the die lock ring is set for where that rifle will get correctly headspaced ammo if I screw the die into the press to where the lock ring is tight against the top of the press.

My next tightest chambered 7x57 (headspace dimension, that is) was a Ruger No. 1-A.

According to the little note sheet, that die should be screwed in until it is just 1/16th turn short of the lock ring touching the top of the press for cases to properly fill the 1-A's chamber.

For some of the rifles where I have more duplicate calibers, there may be as many as 9 or 10 notations on correctly setting the dies contained in that die box. My various .308s and '06s have all kinds of die-setting depths recorded in their die boxes.

Obviously, if a new rifle turns out to have shorter headspace than any of its predecessors in that chambering, I have to re-set the die lock ring and adjust the little list of notes accordingly, but neither is difficult.

quote:

I would recommend your method to all handloaders, regardless whether for rimmed or rimless cases. It is what I do for my loading, and works easily and well.

A-C,

I don't rightfuly know that it's my method but; if you've been around a reloading bench for a while this method works pretty good, including belted magnums (knock on wood!).

This is from Steves Pages. Hope it helps.




There seems to be a difference in the shoulder angle and neck length.