Not sure if this is the correct forum, but I recently began reloading again and was wondering if there are some good opinions on bullet performance with regards to hunting. In particular I'm looking to reload for my 7x57 to be used on whitetailed deer. I had excellent accuracy results with a Berger 168gr classic hunter and a 140gr Barnes TTSX. I'd like to stay below 150Gr to get little more speed from my 7x57. Any other suggestions would be appreciated?

MC While some feel the need to shoot premium bullets at whitetails I have never had a problem with plain old cup and core bullets. Whitetail deer are not particularly difficult to kill. I have found the 139 gr Hornady spire pt to be very effective in the 7x57 as well as the 7mm-08. I have also used the 140 gr TTSX bullet in several 7mm magnums on deer and they worked very well. However I'm not sure they are required on deer at 7x57 velocities. I would be more concerned about some premium bullets not opening up at low velocities. There are several 7mm bullets in the 139 to 145 gr range that would provide the extra speed and flatter trajectory you are looking for. I'm sure you would find at least one that would group well in your rifle.

The ones you have well all work just fine pick one and go kill deer

139 Hornady, for deer; all I use and all you need. Premium bullets for deer are a waste of money, IMO and experience, and as indicated above, won't open up very much at 7x57 speeds. I want my deer bullets to really mushroom.

I use the 140gr regular TSX in my 7mm08. Not because I need a premium bullet to kill deer, but because they shoot extraordinarily well from my rifle. Bullet placement is still everything.
They expand as designed, but as others have noted, you don't get much of a blood trail.
My velocities are a little north of 2800 fps, I would guess you could get about the same in a 7X57.

Any good cup and core from 120 to 175 roger

Most 7X57 rifles have long throats. seating the bullet out to reduce some of this freebore, may help accuracy.

thanks for the input...And I agree with all comments. I think i'll try the hornady to see how they work for accuracy. someone suggested Nosler partitions..any thoughts on these?

Sure, Noslers work great; just not needed for deer. As for the long throats, that is why I had a reamer ground explicitly for the 140 grain bullet; no need for the 175s in a 7x57. If I need a heavy bullet in a 7mm, I go to my 280 Ack. Or usually go to a bigger caliber.

Maybe it's superstition, karma, or just dumb luck; but I believe in certain premium bullets for reloading. I was always a nosler guy, but switched to Swift A-Frames (56 bucks/box) because they shoot in my guns much better; I only go through 2 boxes/year anyway. I also changed from Accubonds to TTSX's. Reason, every caribou I shot went right down with the Barnes bullets. I have close to 300 boxes of bullets on my bench, mostly Noslers, (Deals from SPS) but still buy TTSX's & A-Frames for a couple of my favorite shooters. The Nosler Partitions are for when the powers that be make bullets rare & hard to find.

Another Ak Acc Reload member was telling me about those A-FRames. We were out this canyon shooting at rocks and he started on about those A-Frames and I figured I better give them a try as serious a look as he gave me. I did, and now am a Swift Bullet Company believer too.

You hunt deer, I hunt moose, caribou, and grizzly bear. Don't matter, what you hunt is what life is all about. Reload some premium bullets and see if they shoot and kill any better. You might be surprised, them A-Frames are like Sarah Palin; you know what you got for sure.

I think I would try either 145-grain or 160-grain Speer Grand Slams and see how they act. They are not inexpensive, but the 145s have always printed excellently and worked marvelously in my son's 7 x 57 when pushed with a top of the load chart dose of Accurate 4350...

Go with the bullet that you can place on target the best; don't worry about the rest

Well, I do have to worry about the rest, meaning cost; I shoot hundreds of rounds a year from various calibers and can't spend $1.50 per bullet for something that is not needed for deer. Which was the OP's question.
I find that standard bullets kill deer just fine; started with them in the 1960s before such things as solid copper bullets were invented. No need to change now.

I load H-414 and any 139-140 grain bullet.

They don't have to be the newer type to get the job done.

I use Hornaday's and Speer's the most.

If you use a 140 grn bullet use a flat based one.
The flat base can be seated closer to the rifling. The 7x57s are normally throated long and the combination of boatail, short bearing surface and long distance to the lead makes top accuracy less likely.
So use long seating with a flat base.

As stated about, damn near any bullet will kill white tailed deer. Find the one you like. You don't need a heavy bullet. Personally, I'm a Nosler fan. I've been shooting Nolsers since circa 1955 and I have yet to have a terminal ballistic failure of a Nosler bullet.

I currently use Accubonds. You'd do well with Nosler hunting ballistic tips.

Good hunting!

I'm with Rusty.....a big Nosler fan here. I've seen the AB and partition work too well, too many times on big game, mainly deer and aoudad, to make me want to try anything else.

If $$$ are an issue, you can always, for example, practice with a ballistic tip, then load the same grain accubond to hunt with. I've personally found them to have the same POI the vast majority of the time.

quote:

Originally posted by Dulltool17:
Go with the bullet that you can place on target the best; don't worry about the rest

That's the best advice you've gotten so far.

Your instinct to use a bit lighter bullet for higher velocity is a good one. A bullet of no more than about 140 grains will allow enough velocity to stretch the range of the normally somewhat slow 7x57 and make hits in the 250-300 yard range more easily. With the modest velocity of the 7x57 I'd recommend a rather "soft" bullet. Any conventional cup-and-core bullet like a 140 (or close) Sierra, Speer, or Hornady or something like the 140 Ballistic Tip will make your 7x57 into as good a deer rifle as any caliber. Even 120's and 130's would do fine.

My favorite bullet in the 7x57, one of my all time favorite calibers btw, is the 130 gr. Speer, I have used in on Mule Deer and Whitetail for a century or two! It kills quickly and I get large exit holes and good blood trails if needed..On elk and bear locally I use the 160 or 175 gr. Nosler partitions, depending on which unit I hunt in.....

Thanks again for all the input. Time to start playing!! FYI, I stopped by bass pro in PT Saint Lucie , fl and they actually had a pretty good selection of powder.

I really like the 140 gr. Nosler Partition and the 150gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips in my 7x57. Prior to this I used the Speer FBHC and Sierra BTSP 160gr. bullets on everything with no issues. If I were to choose just one it would be the Nosler Partition.