What should be minimum bullet seating deapth for 7x57 Mauser,with 140gr bullet.What are the dangers for too much air between bullet and powder,and what about no air between them.

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Originally posted by RAO:
What should be minimum bullet seating deapth for 7x57 Mauser,with 140gr bullet.What are the dangers for too much air between bullet and powder,and what about no air between them.

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RAO/ I don't load for the 7x57 BUT I do/have loaded for other calibers and there are some loads and caliber/powder combos that have NO space between the bullet base and powder,in fact some shoot better with compressed powder charges....TOO much space is only dangerous in very fast powder charges,not high velocity, but fast burn rate powders....as for seating depth, your guns magizine length if it has one is one limit on the length of the round, the gun will tell you what length it wants if you will test the distance from the ogive of the bullet to the lands distance and use that length for the gun....you will need to get a test round and go from there.....if you are working UP a load don't start high and move the bullet length as IT CAN EFFECT PRESSURE and is only a problem in TOP loads that haven't been worked up with that bullet seating length...there are several methods of finding the sweet spot seating length...check archive list....good luck and good shooting!!!

In the 7x57 most barrels have a long throat and you should take advantage of that and get higher velocity with slow burning powders such as H414, the only powder for the 7x57 in my opinnion....as to that gap, it is a problem in double rifles etc, but "within reason" is not in a good bolt rifle. of course you don't want to use fast burning powders in any rifle...3031 4064 etc. will not cause problems, but certainly are not optimum powders in a 7x57.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com