Shot My custom 7X57, today,
Its a FN military 98 action Has a 24 inch barrel, and a 3X9 leupold. It does not seem to like Boat tail bullets.
I had 4 loads on hand, . All with H-414. The bullets were 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip,
145 gr Speer BT, 139gr Hornady Bt , and a 140 grain Sierra FB,
I started with 48 grans of 414 and worked up to 50 grains. The last load was 50 grains H-414 under the 140 grain Sierra fb, and it gave me a 3 shot group at .78, and a 4 shot group at 1.12.
It was the only load of the bunch that shot well, so i got Set up my Chrony.
I Got 2907 from a Ruger #1 7X57 i had a few years back, with the same Powder and Charge weight. The bullet was a 140 grain Balistic tip. That rifle had a 22 inch barrel,
This rifle with 24 inch barrel Knocked my socks off when the chrony read 3069 , and 3070.
From a 7X57 ? No real pressure signs, Bolt lifed a little stiff on a couple of the rounds, but not much.
I think i will try the Sierra Bullet with 49 grs. If it Shoots that well again and gets even close to 3000, I will sell my 7 mag.
Do you think my Chrony is miles off ?
It gave reasonable readings with the 270 i brought , as well as my 38 super ?
If wanted to, i would hunt the 50 grain load with fresh brass and be very confident.
But that is a bit fast, My coal i pretty long, at 3.125 witch reduces pressure a little. But that is too fast, it was cold out too. Shoot that load on a hot day, and it might not be a good thing. I would like your opinions please ! ...tj3006

That does seem a bit fast.

My 7x57 doesn't like BT either but 49.5 grs H4350 behind a Sierra or Hornady 140 gr flat base will cut clover leaf groups all day.

50.0 grains of H414 is on the warm side. I have a NULA in 7x57 and a Rigby in .275 Rigby (7x57). Neither will shoot 140gr anything very well although they all shoot well enough for minute of critter. They both start impressing me with 160gr and 175gr bullets, especially the Nosler partitions.

Safe shooting.

LL

I really like the Hornady plain base 139gr interlocks.
I get a titch over 3-K with my ICL X57 if I ramp it up with 4831.
I run it back down to just under 2900 fps with RL-19 and we are both a lot happier.

Yes i will try 48.5 grins. and see how i do.
If i get even 2900, i really have no need for a 7mm Remington magnum. I could turn mine into something fun ! ...tj3006

In a modern action, Rl-17 should easily top 3000 fps in a 24" barrel with 140 gr bullets in the 7x57.

How long is the throat in your rifle? That will determine how much powder to use. I wouldn't shoot those loads on a hot day before trying some much lighter. If you are concerned about your chrono giving incorrect readings, shoot a few .22 RFs over it to see if it is reading properly.

The throat is pretty long my coal is well out there
I am not at home so can't look at it now.

Very Nice load...basically ≈3000#ft energy...but consider a 7RM can hit 3300 fs with the same bullet weight and ≈3400 #ft...or hit 3050 fs with a 168 gr bullet and almost 3500 #ft.

They BOTH have applications, pro/cons, etc. I haven't had a 7x57 for almost 40 years, always liked it, bounced all around it with various .284 cal cartridges, still think about doing another barrel...just because.

And your right...you can ALMOST match the 7 RM and do it with less powder, less recoil, and kill most game world wide. Might want something a little bigger to handle the big DG regardless s of all the "Karamojo Bell" stories...not many "average" shooters like him in todays world, but we can dream.

Yes...DO USE RL-17, you can creep up on a ≈139-140 gr, 100% load at ≈3.00 - 3.30" COAL and get OVER 3100 fs depending on a lot of factors you need to understand BEFORE going there.

Good Luck

What is the barrel's twist rate?

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:


Yes...DO USE RL-17, you can creep up on a ≈139-140 gr, 100% load at ≈3.00 - 3.30" COAL and get OVER 3100 fs depending on a lot of factors you need to understand BEFORE going there.

Good Luck

Wha'd'I'say...but DON'T trust QL too much...I've had LARGE deviations between what it came up with, what Load from a Disk, what Powley, what reloading manuals show, what the chrono's said and what the PRESSURE indicators said on the range. Yes, I've read the small print.

Good Hunting

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:
Wha'd'I'say...but DON'T trust QL too much...I've had LARGE deviations between what it came up with, what Load from a Disk, what Powley, what reloading manuals show, what the chrono's said and what the PRESSURE indicators said on the range. Yes, I've read the small print.

Good Hunting

I have found that QL is a bit optimistic with RL-17 and Vv N550 is a bit hotter than predicted.

I now use Rl-17 and Norma MRP for everything from 30/40 Krag to 8mm-06 Ackley Improved.

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:
7RM can hit 3300 fs with the same bullet weight and ≈3400 #ft...or hit 3050 fs with a 168 gr bullet and almost 3500 #ft.
Good Luck

\\

3500 ft# you say?

Maybe not as flat shooting as the 7mm RM, but it hits like the hammer of Thor with over 3800 ft# of muzzle energy. (BTW, QL was very close on this one)




Sighted in @ 250 yds it is 3.8" low @ 300.

Ive been a 7x57 fan for many years, I want a long throat and magazine and some Mausers have that. Most of mine were fixed..

I shoot 52 grs. of H414 with 140 and 51 with 150 and my all time favorite load is the 160 gr. Nosler partition with 48.5 grs..I also shoot 48.5 with 175 gr. bullets for 2634 FPS average of 3 five shot groups...Yes Im shooting in the 55,000 to 60,000 PSI range, always have going back to 1953, when a well known figure to the hunting world told me I could do that with the 7x57, if it was a good one..Ive loaded beyond these grs to find my max, then cut back about 1 or 2 grs from that max, just to be sure, not other reason..

48 grs. is max in most books and that is because of the junk rifles in 7x57 out there, same with the 8x57...

Your apparently good to go TJ...these guy that live in the ballistic charts only get half the story and accept it as gospel..Its a learning thing experience, just the same as ballistic ranges numbers, it means very little, you have to shoot your individual gun at 100, 200, 300,400 and even 500 to know the drop figures..John Barness in the latest Rifle mag article brought this up and that's the first time Ive seen it mentioned in print, other than I bring it up from time to time..one expert in a million has ever bothered..

That is a grand calibre. I had one in a Interarms 98 that I chambered to an AI;traded that off in a moment of weakness for a 470 Merkel dbl.Still have another in a tang safety mod. M77,as well as a #1 International,scoped w/ Nikon.I love this calibre as much as my 6.5X54 M/S

TJ

Under an inch at 100 yards is great. Good job.

Bullet design is probably a non-issue except possibly penetration advantages using lead-tipped bullets. Plastic-tipped 7mm bullets always disintegrated for me. Yet the job got done. First choice is still Nosler Partitions.

3000 is smokin' for a 7X57. Might not be best for the lug seats. I backed off my hot loads by 1 grain in my .270 because of hard bolt lift.

My 7X57's all like heavier bullets and slower powder like H4831 or 4831SC.
Barrel twists ranged from 8.66" to 9". and bullets varied from 154 grain to 175 grain.
Good enough for out to 250 yards or so on hogs and deer.

3000 is easy with 120 and 130 gr. bullets, 140s in my guns are 2900 to 2950 so some guns might get you up there?? beyond that your on your own, and I'll stand with a tree between us..

Ray, I am going to try your loads first when my new gun gets in. I prefer the 160 and 175. I have been wanting to try the north fork bullets and see how they do.

I shoot 139's in my 95 mauser scout rifle at 2450 kills deer well.

reloder 19 with 51 gr and 140 TSX bullet is magis down my Shillen medium contour fluted SS barrel. Screwed on to my 95 chillean mauser. Bullet going about 2935 if I recall correctly.....FS

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
3000 is easy with 120 and 130 gr. bullets, 140s in my guns are 2900 to 2950 so some guns might get you up there?? beyond that your on your own, and I'll stand with a tree between us..

You haven't tried RL 17 yet have you?

EDIT: Oops, that was RL 17, not 19

Out of my CZ550 with H4895 and Sierra Pro Hunter,140 & 120's. Minimum meat damage on small deer,great round. jc

Yes Ive shot a little RL-17 and yes it got me about an extra 75 to 100 FPS, the problem with me and RL-17 is twofold. One is its about equel to H414 and I have so much loaded ammo with RL-15, RL-19 and H414 that I havn't given RL-17 a real workout..It looks really good on the surface..

Keep in mind that the 7x57 is so underloaded in the reloading books its unreal, so one is on his own and flying by the seat of his pants and particularly with H414 for some reason more so than others. Its loaded at 40,000 PSI or thereabouts. Same for the great 8x57..In my good rifles I load the 7x57 right up there around 55 to 60,000 and duplicate the .280, 30-06 and 270 for all practical purposes...