i have some rounds loaded with 45.5 grs of RL-19 and 160 gr Swift A-Frame bullets that chronograph at 2370. do you think these will suffice for elk at ranges not to exceed 150 yards?

thanks for the help.......

yes absolutely.

I'd start worrying about how to get those elk steaks grilled, just right. JMO, Dutch.

i sure am glad to hear that response. i get reading on these boards and hear about these guys getting 2700 or 2800 out of their 160 grain loads and start to think i'm missin the boat. thanks for the responses.

You can't miss 'm fast enough to kill 'm....... Dutch.

Bill Smith,
I have never found it difficult to get 2700 plus a bunch more FPS with a long throated 7x57 with a 160 gr. bullet and H414 or 2600 FPS with a 175 gr. bullet....and yes I have a chronograph and have reloaded some of those loads up to 6 times and one case 14 times when testing....

But like I said my Brno has a very long throat and I can seat a 175 gr. Hornady half way to the cannalure, so in effect I suppose it is a 7x57 Improved by birth..I use considerably more H414 than the book does...

Anyone who has a 7x57 on a 06 length action can utilize the whole box and cut the throat to match it...I set the 175 Hornady to barely fit but still feed 100% then cut the throat to match that bullet on most of the 7x57s I have built or had built...The Brnos 21 and 22F come that way...
perhaps some of the others do the same...

I have no doubt the above load will kill elk, but it is very mild even for a 7x57 as any of them will crank 2500 FPS..and be a better killer perhaps, but certainly shoot flater...

Ray: i don't know what kind of throat i have on this rifle. it is a Ruger MkII. i ought to establish that though as a point of reference about the rifle. plus, it may allow me to add more powder to my loads and seat the bullet out further.

with the 45.5 grians of RL-19, i am using a OAL of 3.065". that puts about .430" of bullet in the case without compressing the powder. but, there certainly is plenty of allowance for shallower seating of the bullet if the throat allows.

Bill, my backup rifle is a .280 w/ 160grNPs @ 2800fps. My only thought on your 7x57 load is that the Swift is designed for magnum vel. & may not expand much as the range gets out there. If you can stick toy oyur 150yds, I think your in good shape. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

Bill,

I would be willing to bet that you have a fairly generous throat on your ruger.

And like others have said you should have no problem. I've killed 2 cow elk so far with my 7x57 with 150 grain NPs at 2730 fps. The elk I shot were each at around 125 yards and I got complete penetration with just behind the shoulder shots. Good luck on your hunt.

Bill: I have also owned a Ruger Mark II in 7x57mm and it does, indeed, have a long throat. That COL in the books is a suggestion, not hard and fast. In my Ruger the throat was so long that I couldn't even get it to seat like .01 inch off the lands and still have enough bullet shank left to seat properly in the case mouth, and this was with 154 grain bullets. I stuffed my cases with H414 with the 154 and 162 grain bullets and with the 162 grain Hornady was pushing 2,740 easy with 48 or so grains of H414. Sure the load you have will kill an elk if you do your part. At the same time you have a rifle that capable of a lot more performance. I seated 160 grainers to a COL of 3.20 inches in my Ruger and still wasn't at the lands. I am one of those who post on here and do get 2,855 fps and exceptional accuracy with the 162 gr. Hornady SST and H414 powder in my CZ 550 American. As far as the load you mentioned, it does not even reach book minimum in my Hodgdon #26. What does all this mean? Not a darn thing. If you want to stick with your 45.5 grain load of R-19, then stay with it by all means. Good luck! Tom Purdom

Your rifle is almost exactly throated like mine, as I load Nosler 160 partitions to 3.065 OAL. I load mine to 2817 fps with 50.5 gr H414 in a Winchester case. My rifle is also a 77 MkII. It has flattened elk as well as big kudu and oryx. You may not of course get yours to reach 2800, but I'd bet money it'll go 2700 safely with RL19 or H414.

Bill, the 7X57 has been killing elk and moose longer than most have been around. Relax and go hunting. It's WHERE you hit them....not what with.

those of you who are saying that the 160 grain @ 2370 is weak are certainly correct. and i respect all of your wisdom on this and thank you for it.

i have tried some of your suggestions and realize that the cartridge is plenty capapble of more. today, i was out trying some H-414 loads and they are a whole lot more cartridge than what i have on hand. i was using 49.5 grains and getting an average M.V. of 2750. this is undeniably gonna do more and do it further out. however, the shooter of this rifle is a 108 pounder and she is just not really keen on recoil. since the 2750 MV produces noticeably more jolt than the 2370, i was hoping that the lighter, slower load would suffice.

anyway, it seems that the concensus is that the 2370 will do the job nicely if she can get a little close. that's hers to do and she's better at it than one might imagine. however, rest assured that if i ever get the urge to use her rifle, and if i need to be at any distance, i'll be tuning that baby back up to 2750.

thanks again for all the advice.

Bill,

At those velocities the only thing I would question is the choice of a Swift A-frame. Thats a pretty tough bullet and it may not be enough to open it up. You might be better served with something like a partition or even a RN.

Bill, I started my daughter on the 7x57. I used the max load listed and the 154 RN bullets. She didn't feel a thing. I don't let her shoot a "big" gun at the range, just my 223, which is sighted in the same.

This spring she asked for my big gun and has knocked down a bear, two antelope and a mule deer doe to date.

I get the 7x57 back!

Snapper

Wstrnhuntr: that thought crossed my mind too. i called Swift and the technical rep i spoke with told me that the bullet was made to expand at 1700 fps. so as long as she keeps her shot around 150 yards she ought to do okay.

Snapper: i believe that i'll load up a box at around 2700 and let her try them and see what she says. which ever one she chooses will probably work okay.

thanks again for all the help.....

Bill:

It is hard to do any better than the excellent advice that you have received across the board. Anyone who carries a 7 x 57 afield is always in good company.

I am also carrying one for Elk hunting this year. A Winchester Featherweight, with a Ruger 77 Mk 2 in the same caliber as backup, more of less.

In playing with different powders, I stumbled onto using 40 grains of IMR 3031. Accuracy and minimal deviation spread in velocity are all you could hope for. One hole groups at 100 yds, with the Winchester or the Ruger ( I own two of those Rugers).

Velocity with a `175 grainer is about 2650 fps. The bullet is seated to the lands, and backed off half a turn on the seating die. With a 160 grainer, I am chronographing 2750 fps. ( That is the load I am carrying in the field, a Speer 160 grain bullet). 150s and 140s chronograph a hair over 2800 fps. All with the IMR 3031 load of 40 grains.

Even tho the bullet weight difference between 140s and 175s, the velocity difference is about 150 fps. At 100 yds, point of impact is not that much different. A little adjustment on the 3 x 9 Leupold, and point of impact is the same.

40 grains of IMR 3031 give me all the versatility with minimal fuss, and accuracy that can't be beat. If only some other rounds worked that way.

Seafire,
40 grs of IMR-3031 is sure a hot load with a 175 gr. bullet...at least in most rifles it is...I have seen that load blow primers with a 150 gr. bullet...sure you got it right?

Ray,

The Lyman 47th Edition lists 38 grains with a 175 grain bullet. ( page 251). As you indicated that you use a stiffer load with H 414 than in the manuals, as you seat your bullet long to match the throat of your Brno. ( Cause it works)

I don't consider the two grains over as stiff, as the cartridge is usually having loads understated because of the earlier rifles. This load was worked up and produced no pressure signs etc.

I have actually shot it quite a bit, and as far as the number of times, I can't tell you. I bought a hundred pieces of PMC brass when I bought my first 7 x 57 and am still using it. No casualties. I have gone thru at least 1500 rounds of ammo( mostly Remington Bulk, 140, 150 and 175 grains) on that inital batch of brass and the 25 Remington cases someone gave me.

40 grains of IMR 3031 has worked so good, I use it almost in all my 7 x 57 reloadings. It is this round that actually turned me on to using this powder. 3031 has performed nowhere near as well in other cartridges as it has in my 7 x 57s. I own 3 rifles in this caliber. Two Rugers and One Winchester Featherweight.

I can only vouch for what works in my rifles, but my luck has been fantastic.

Ray, what,s the largest animals you shoot with the 7x57 ? And what load do you use ? thanks