I went out gun shopping today.
And you guys talked me out of the FN 270, thank you.
I started on the east end of town and went west.
1st thing of interest i saw was an old Styer Built on a 98 in what the shop keeper and i think is the 257 Roberts. It was stamped .257 Rem.
It was tasty looking but it was a grand and awfully heavy. So i passed. Went to a smith shop i know and almost bought Savage 99 250/3000, it was a 50s one with the right twist, had been drilled and tapped and had a pad, so the price was decent.
I was very tempted. And would have come back and bought it if i didn't find something better.
The last shop i went to had lots of nice stuff, another 250/300 just like the other and custom 98 in 260, i liked, but it was heavy too.
Then i found the one i took home. A very handy Custom 7X57 on a FN miltary 98 Action in a light custom stock styled after the old BRNO rifles.
The stock is kind of crude pistol grip and checkering could be better , and there is a wooden plug where a cross bolt was at one time. But it fits me great it has a nice light 24 inch barrel that is to nice to be military, and it has a old Leupold 3X9 compact.
I got it for 500.00. It has an after market trigger but i don't know what kind. origional floor plate witch works fine too.
I had some loads i saved from a #1 i used to have and was glad they chambered fine so she has a long throat.
I need to pull a bullet and weight the powder charge before i risk firing them in this old girl.
She is a good 98 action, but not a #1.
I know the load is H-414 under a 140 grain Ballistic tip at just over 2900 from my old rifle.
And that's to hot for a starting load.
Midway had dies on sale and free shipping so i ordered some with 50 norma brass. Nosler Brass was 84.00 bucks. norma was 34.00. I love Nosler but 84.00 for 50 brass cases is nutz ! I will post some crappy phone pics soon...tj3006

cant seem to get a picture on here guys sorry !

Congratulations on your new (old) gun.

To post a picture you must first have it on some image hosting website. Then copy the img code directly to your post.

Looking forward to seeing it.

thanks for the advise,
Never going to happen. just doing this is as much as i can pull off. there is a reason people become truck drivers,,,,

140 gr bullet at 2900 fps in a 7X57 is mild for a M98 action. Bob Milek from the 1980s used to get 3000 fps but I suspect those were over 60,000 PSI. A M98 action should handle that easily.

It may be worth checking Ken Waters' Pet Loads

That is virtually identical to a 7mm08 from a larger case capacity.

Its no problem to get 2900 FPS or 3000 FPS with a 140 gr. Nosler accubond or Partition in a good 7x57, particularly with a long throat and a 30-06 magazine box as you can seat the bullets out..or ever so close to 3200 FPS, I was shooting mine with 52 grs. of H414 with that modification to equal a 7mm IMP, just another way to IMP a caliber as opposed to blowing out the shoulder..or do both to really make one cook..wow! but the beauty of the std. 7x57 is low recoil with sufficient velocity of bullets up to and including 160 and 175..

Ray i am real ready to shoot mine.
Waiting for dies from Midway and a box of Norma brass.
This action has an 06 length mag box, i checked on that , and the throat is so long a 140 grain nosler pushes clear out of the case before it reaches the lands.
Kind of worried about accuracy but it might shoot great. If not i will have the barrel turned back a couple threads and a new chamber reamen the way i want it...tj3006

That long throat is a perfect candidate for 160 Accubonds or even 175 gr bullets.

Good luck.

Naki
If i want heavy bullets i will go with my 7 mag.
140s will kill mule deer just fine, and i have a bunch of them.
I might go up to 150 or down to 130, but i like to be around 2800 to 3000, with my bullets , cause it makes it easier to lead correctly and if you stay around 4 to 500 in BC hold over does not very much.
in 30 cal, i like 150 from a .308 165 from an 06 and 180s for a magnum. But i do very a bunch...

quote:

Originally posted by tjroberts:
Ray i am real ready to shoot mine.
Waiting for dies from Midway and a box of Norma brass.
This action has an 06 length mag box, i checked on that , and the throat is so long a 140 grain nosler pushes clear out of the case before it reaches the lands.
Kind of worried about accuracy but it might shoot great. If not i will have the barrel turned back a couple threads and a new chamber reamen the way i want it...tj3006

You should have the lands inspected using a borescope; sounds like there is a good chance they are eroded. A long throat is one thing, but having to seat a bullet that far out of the case to reach the lands is ridiculous.

Being close or into the lands is not always a requirement for great accuracy.
I have a 6.5x55 Swede that shoots 120 and 140 grain bullets into half and 3/4" 5 shot groups at 100 yards and they are seated no where near the lands.
I have other rifles that like being close or into the lands. Just depends on the rifle.
You have to load for it and shoot it to know.

Yeah! I decided long ago that bullet jump in the chamber is hogwash, I have used the long throats for many years in 7x57 and 8x57 and in my 257 Ackley Imp. never a problem over the years with a number of rifles..Brno mod. 21 and 22 have a very long magazine and throat in all calibers and they are all accurate, great guns those Brno...

TJ, btw a 1950 Savage 99F in 250-3000 is drilled and tapped at the factory, and the most sought after of the 99s.. and most are 1x10 twist, but a small few are still 1x14. some D&T and some not, but if its drilled and tapped at factory its more than likely one of the 1x10 guns, but I always run a patch down the barrel to check and be sure..That said the most accurate rifle Ive ever owned is a 1x14 250 mod. 99 (1920 take down). it shoots all 100 gr. and lighter bullets into under half inch, 3, 5, or 10 shots consistently, except 100 gr. Balistic tips, guess the longer tip makes them keyhole..but it also shoots the HOrnday 117 gr. ROUND NOSE into quarter inch groups..It has to do with bullet length no weight it appears...