Bought one this weekend. The only loads I could find were 140grn partitions. They grouped 1" at 100. This seems like it would be a great whitetail rifle. Is there a better load for this caliber?

No. For heavier animals you might go to a heavier bullet but the 140 Partition ought to do well there too.You've got a cartridge that has a 100+ year very fine reputation as a hunting cartridge for many types of game all over the world. It's a winner !!

The cartridge started in 1892, but I did not get one of the Mausers until 1965.

I got my first #1 in 2000.

As soon as I get a chance, I will buy a #1 in 7x57.
Extra points for 1" groups

I can't wait to shoot something with it.

Big, many of the #1s have longer throats. You may get even better accuracy w/ heavier bullets seated out a bit. Nice thing about the #1 is you aren't limited to OAL.

Mo.
If you do have a long throat I suggest to use the Barnes TSX bullets they are longer and extreamy accurate and a very good game bullet.I would try H414 powder. Stay 0.020" away from the lands and you be fine.

You have a winning combination. A #1 in 7x57 that shoots the 140 grain Partition accurately is a great deer rifle (it is just about perfect in my book). My father had an older #1 with a long throat in 7x57 and the best load we found (after experimenting with countless handloads involving different components and seating lengths) was the Winchester 145 grain Power Point factory load. Accuracy was about 1" and it was a deadly rifle for mule deer.

quote:

Originally posted by 9.3 rifleman:
You have a winning combination. A #1 in 7x57 that shoots the 140 grain Partition accurately is a great deer rifle (it is just about perfect in my book). My father had an older #1 with a long throat in 7x57 and the best load we found (after experimenting with countless handloads involving different components and seating lengths) was the Winchester 145 grain Power Point factory load. Accuracy was about 1" and it was a deadly rifle for mule deer.

I have three rifles in 7x57 and all three are very accurate with that 145 gr. Winchester load, the worst still shooting under an inch. But I can not find a load that will work with Winchester's 150 gr. Power Point bulk bullets. I sectioned one and it has a nice relatively thick jacket that probably would work not only for deer but elk as well but I just can't get the damn things to give a decent group. I also have an extremely accurate .280 Remington and they won't group in that rifle as well. Maybe I just got a bad batch, but it sure has soured me on that bullet.
My most accurate 7x57 is a Winchester M70 Featherweight and it will shoot groups of .375" to .80" with every bullet I've tried except for that damned 150 gr. Power Point.
The 145 gr. Winchester factory ammo does .50" in the M70, .75" in a custom mauser and .80" in my Ruger #1A. It's good stuff.
Paul B.

Paul B.
The two bullets in 7mm I swear by are 140gr Tsx and the 139gr Horn. Interlock SP.

The Barnes tsx will do on elk

quote:

Originally posted by Big Mo:
Bought one this weekend. The only loads I could find were 140grn partitions. They grouped 1" at 100. This seems like it would be a great whitetail rifle. Is there a better load for this caliber?

The 140-grain Nosler Partition .284" bullet may not be the absolute best for your purposes, but I don't know of anything better, and I've been loading 7X57mm ammo since 1972-mostly for a Ruger No. 1A----- It is also a good elk load!

Mine shoots 140-grain Nosler Partitions with 53 grains of WW760 or H414 like this:



The MV of this load in my No. 1A is 3000 FPS......

I shot it again today. took my new 470 double to shoot for the first time and brought the Ruger along. shot one 3 shot group at 100 yds and it was just inside 1" this is just propped on a covered 4x4. I put it back in the case.
How do you measure the throat. I'm haven't started reloading yet but will real soon.
thanks guys

quote:

Originally posted by Big Mo:
I shot it again today. took my new 470 double to shoot for the first time and brought the Ruger along. shot one 3 shot group at 100 yds and it was just inside 1" this is just propped on a covered 4x4. I put it back in the case.
How do you measure the throat. I'm haven't started reloading yet but will real soon.
thanks guys

There are tools (instruments) for measuring throats. But in the No. 1, I just drop a long bullet into the throat, then slide an empty, sized case in behind it, and measure the amount of the case that is left sticking out of the chamber with a caliper. This tells you how deep you have to seat that particular bullet so it won't touch the rifling. I usually seat my bullets 2mm deeper than that....... Just enough so you can extract the round without risking a chamber/action full of powder due to a lodged bullet.....

I've been shooting my #1A 7x57 this weekend and also had good results with the 140gr partition ion factory loads. I'm a fan of "heavy for caliber" bullets so i picked up a few boxes of 160gr bullets (tsx and partition). Has anyone tried these? if so can i ask the load you used?

I haven't used either of those bullets, primarily because I don't think you need pricey premium bullets in a 7x57, even with hot loads in a Ruger #1. JMHO. However, my powder of choice is W-760 for the cartridge. others prefer H-414, which is supposed to be just a different lot of the same powder. With careful handloading practices, one can easily surpass factory loads in modern rifles. Your Ruger #1A qualifies, but spotting high pressure signs in a #1 is a bit different than than with a bolt action rifle. There won't be an ejector mark, for an example to use as a warning sign. This is where using careful case head expansion measurements and a chronograph will help to spot when pressures are too high.
Paul B.

Mo,
I'm envious, hate you, and am extremely jealous of your new acquisition. Been telling myself for years to get one of these, but something else comes along that always seems to have priority. I do have a 7mmMag in #1B, but the #1A is downright sexy.

I'll send you a pic of the first Whitetail I get with it this year. It is a good looking rifle, topped it with a Zeiss 3x9.

I use 154 hornady round noses with 48.0 gr of h4350 in mine & it drops them dead.