I just purchased a new Ruger #1 in 7x57mm and I started to load some bullets for it last night. I noticed most manuals have the cartridge OAL listed at 3.000" to 3.100". Using a 140g Nosler Ballistic tip I had to seat the bullet to 3.235" before it contacted the lands. Similarly, using the Remington 175g core loct resulted in a OAL around 3.200" as well.
Does this caliber have an unusually long throat or does my rifle just have a long throat?
Posts: 498 | Location: Georgia | Registered: 13 January 2002
You should see my .25-06 #1 - the bullet really hangs out there, trying to touch the rifling. As if that round doesn't have enough powder capacity already! Seems to me that this is a typical problem of quite a lot of #1s in several calibers.
ALL the Ruger 7X57mm rifles I have owned have had long throats, which appears to be pretty standard for this caliber. BUT, I understand that NOT all Ruger 7X57mm chambers have throats as long as mine, and there may be other US-made 7X57 rifles, (Win., Rem., etc.) with shorter throats than the Rugers.
I consider the long throats in the 7X57mm to be an advantage, because they permit one to attain performance levels with heavy bullets that a shorter throat won't allow. It works like the freebore concept that Weatherby and others used. However, I have been able to get very good accuracy from my lonmg-throated chambers, even with bullets as light as 140 grains, unlike some folks with long-throated Rugers. If you are able to seat your bullets one caliber deep in the case neck and still be pretty close to the lands, your accuracy should be acceptable.