what weight bullet would you use for a 7 x 57 for deer & black bear in pa. shots will be 50 150 yards, 140 0r 160-thanks

Welcome to the site.
We use 140gr accubond in the wife's 7x57 for all big game. From small hill country TX whitetail to Elk and her plains game in Namibia. I've found the 140s to work great. See no reason for the 160s. Now for a 7mag velocity I go 160s.

Randy,

At those ranges it doesn't matter. I might even choose the old 175 RN.

Mark

Depends what rifle your shooting them in and which bullet it likes better. My Ruger tang safety has a pretty long throat, so seating the 160 Accubonds out further helps that rifle deliver very good accuracy. That rifle doesn't like the lighter weight bullets. Plus I've had excellant results on many plains game heads up to kudu with this load.

175 without a doubt.

I love those old 175 round nose in mine.

me too. they hammer stuff.

You've been given good advice already. I have two Ruger No 1's in 7x57. One shoots the Speer 145 BTSP in the mid 2900's, the other a Nosler 160 Accubond in the mid 2700's. I'd say whatever 140 and up that shoots best in your gun would work just fine.

I use a pretty standard 140 gn in mine for deer. But when I was invited driven boar I had a box of 156gn Norma Oryx and didn't feel under gunned. If you are going after big stuff get a tough bullet that will penetrate.

160 or 175 grain should do nicely.

Randy,

Over many decades I likely walked a thousand miles up and down PA mountains carrying multiple rifles. Mostly a custom 30-06 and a Ruger # 1 in 7x57. Since your shooting distances will be relatively short, I too recommend the 175 gr RN in your 7x57. No need to push it hard. I can assure you...that bullet will do everything you ask it to with all confidence. A very reliable bullet in a great cartridge.

TASK1

I like the 145 gn Speer SPBT for deer. Just about anything upward of 130 gns should work fine.

dpcd and I have been brainstorming over the barrel setup he will be doing on my 7x57. Zastava LH action, 1909 argie bm unit. dpcd has a reamer for a 140 and for a heavy. we seem to be in agreement with a 30 06 length mag box why not get the most we can out of the caliber and chamber for heavies and seat to one caliber deep if we wish.

I've shot deer with most bullets in the 7x57, I like two extremes the 130 gr Speer flat base or boattail, or any old cup and core 175 gr. bullet. The 7x57 can work its magic under about any conditions on about any species.

Let your rifle pick the bullet weight. Try a variety and pick the one your rifle shoots best, any 7mm bullet from 140 to 175 gr. will take care of any bear or deer you want to shoot.

Welcome, Randy,

I've got a stash of Hornady 154 gr. Round Nose and out of my 7x57R they really thump stuff.

You don't have to go to the extreme end of the load charts either - they deliver superb accuracy and terminal results just ambling along at whatever load your rifle decides to shoot best.

I've hunted deer & hogs with almost all the 7mm bullets from 140-160 grains for the past 40 years. The Sierra 150 gr. is my favorite, either boattail or flat base spitzer.

I agree with the 175gr RN bullets. Been using them in a Ruger No 1 RSI at 2350 fps. Good for most African game.I also Like the 175 Gr Woodleighs!!

S&B 173 gr SPCE or PMC 175 gr in factory loads. If handloading either 140 grain or 150 grain at 2800 fps or 2700 fps.

Randy, I would choose the 140.gr. or a 130.gr. if you find a good 130gr. hunting bullet. Which ever shoots the Best out of your Gun.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
I've hunted deer & hogs with almost all the 7mm bullets from 140-160 grains for the past 40 years. The Sierra 150 gr. is my favorite, either boattail or flat base spitzer.

the Sierra website shows no 150gr Pro Hunter in 7MM.

I like a 175 gr. bullet like a Woodleigh or Rem Corelokt or WW powerpoint or Silvertip on Black bear mostly because I want a lot of blood to follow, that thick hair can erase a single hole blood trail most times, bear feet don't leave a lot to look for as they are soft, and Ive seen some hard recoverys over lack of blood with bears soaking up blood in the fur and belive a good blood trail is the salvation for the recovery of many black bears. For deer about any bullet suits me.

I see the 7x57, particularly with a good 175 gr. bullet and especially the Nosler as the lightest caliber I would feel capable of killing any animal on earth with, but would not be my first choice all the time..

I load the 175 grain round nose partly because I inherited a bunch and secondly because they shoot great in my Mausers.

175gr nosler partition or swift a-frame

My 7x57 is my go-to gun for deer and pigs. I shoot a 150 Partition @2700fps. It has worked flawlessly on pigs and deer up to a 250lb red hind. I am beginning to like the 175gn Hornady RN, for pigs a 100yds, but alas, it's been discontinued. Captdavid

Its also a fine elk rifle out to 400 yards. I like the 160 gr. Nosler partition or Accubond about as well as anything for elk, but the 175 Nosler works real well and shoots amazingly flat as a matter of fact in my long throated 7x57s seated .284 deep in the case and the extra amount of H414 it holds I pretty much duplicate the 180 gr. 30-06 with a little better SD or penetration.

Mr Atkinson- Do you find the Nosler 175 and the 175 Woodleigh to be good even on Mule Deer, besides elk? I am going to start out with the Nosler 168gr Accubond, but also want to try the 175gr in my Mod 700 Classic 7x57 ( it has a long throat) and I really like Woodleighs but not sure they open fast enough for Mule Deer?

Ive had no problem with the Woodleigh 175 gr. or 160 Nosler, on deer and if you have to take a shot on a deer headed South it will dump them..Doesn't waste a lot of meat unless you break major bone. I use it when hunting elk, bear, and Mule deer at the same time...The Nosler opens faster as they are intended to do so, but they still penetrate very well indeed...Either bullet suits me, both give exits and lots of blood on broadside shots..and don't overlook the fact that the 160s shoot a little flatter.

Your choice of the 168 gr. Accubond, although I have not used it, is a great choice and I know it will work like a charm..The Accubonds always work, you give up a tad of penetration for beautiful expansion, but Ive always gotten and observed others get sufficient penetration on deer and elk with them in several calibers, primarily the .338, 9.3x62 and 30-06 in my case and other calibers with friends and clients.

Bottom line is today there are so many good bullets out there failures are all but a thing of the past with standard calibers that shoot 2800 FPS give or take a 100 or so FPS.

Strictly for deer, I like the Speer 130 gr. or the Speer 145 gr. equally as well..

Shot loads of buffalo, cattle and boars with Woodleigh 175 grain PPSNs out of the Rigby .275.

I'm a PA hunter as well and load 150 grain Partitions in a couple 7x57s. Its a good weight for some of those big PA bears found in the north. I hunted just south of Bradford and some of those bears are well in excess of 500 pounds.

Thanks Mr A- I found some Nosler Blems over on Shooters pro shop and ordered some 140 Accubonds and 175 partitions. I'll find some woodleighs eventually to try.
I have used the 150 partition in a 7mm RemMag for big Northern whitetail and they were superb, but Nate Foster claims the 150 ballistic tip is a good one too in the 7x57, for all around. I have some of them to try.
While I don't hunt black bear, we have them all over the place here in the Fall (Utah) Camp Defense ( there's always some putz who leaves food out! ha)is more likely than running into trouble in the field, but they are there. Thanks to all who posted to the original OPs question, it helps guys like me too!

The 154gr RN Hornady is a absolute hammer.

I found the Balistic tips outstanding killer of deer, but simply too destructive for me because I really love chicken fried venison haunch or backstrap, biscuits and gravy, pinto beans, pico de gallo, cowboy food!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I found the Balistic tips outstanding killer of deer, but simply too destructive for me because I really love chicken fried venison haunch or backstrap, biscuits and gravy, pinto beans, pico de gallo, cowboy food!

What do you drink with it? Cowboy white wine AKA Bud Light?

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I found the Balistic tips outstanding killer of deer, but simply too destructive for me because I really love chicken fried venison haunch or backstrap, biscuits and gravy, pinto beans, pico de gallo, cowboy food!

Why are you shooting them in the haunch or back strap?

Sometimes ya gotta shoot em going south or go home empty handed these days..however my intent was simply that I feel the ballistic tips are too blood shooty for deer with any shot, even a double lung or heart shot, Its just not a perfect world.

I drink Lone Star with my meat Az, except on Sunday with the family, then I drank Coors Light.

When I was camp cook years ago my favorite recipe was shoulder/haunch/backstrap cube steak fried and smothered in Cajun gravy with a fried egg over easy on top, Argentine style. Yellow grits on the side. Buttermilk biscuit to mop up the leavings.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I found the Balistic tips outstanding killer of deer, but simply too destructive for me because I really love chicken fried venison haunch or backstrap, biscuits and gravy, pinto beans, pico de gallo, cowboy food!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Sometimes ya gotta shoot em going south or go home empty handed these days..however my intent was simply that I feel the ballistic tips are too blood shooty for deer with any shot, even a double lung or heart shot, Its just not a perfect world.

If I can't get an entrance somewhere in the rib cage, I don'rt shoot. I'll take frontal shots, but anything more than quartering from the rear I pass.

The bullets I hate as far as meat destruction are Accubonds. Nasty entry wounds, small exit with poor blood trail. At least a BT gives a good exit wound and blood trail on broadside hits.

A nice sleeper of a bullet is the Nosler Partition 150-grain bullet at 2,700 fps. It has a good BC; the Accubond is better in that regard. Both do a fantastic job.

Good to know that DPCD has a 140-grain friendly reamer.
My favorite 7mm-08 load features a 140-grain Partition at 2,820 fps