7x57 - the grand cartridge dedicated reloading thread, - let's help each other! :)

[User00056]

My 270 load was 56gn with 130gn @ 2850/2950 fps, I loved my old 270

If I was told I could only have one rifle for the rest of my days it would be my .270 Abolt. I love that rifle!

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I lovely my 270 but I love my 7x57 more, it’s the calibre I’ve always wanted, ever since I read books by Richard Prior and that lit a spark.

She just needs a cerakote spray tan mat black (i HATE the stainless barrel) in the spring and that’s me until I curl my toes up

 

[Scipio]

Thanks for all the new input lads - it is also quite cool that we have posters in this thread still being able to hunt with lead, so that we can compare and adapt to how the old 7 works the best with leads and non leads alike.

@Quixote luckily for you we 7x57 men are a confident and classy bunch, so we wont take offense of your profuse praising of this new up and coming youngster cartridge that you mention, - the 27...something. ,D
Just kidding of course mate, but getting a bit more real about it, if one is losing access to ones favored powder, perhaps one of these 6 burn rate charts can help one find a decent and similar alternative: https://www.xxlreloading.com/powders

Beware of course to not trust that data exclusively, as it can very from publisher to publisher and burn rate alone isnt the only important variable for the combustion characteristics of a powder either, as i understand it. But maybe this will still helps you get in the ball park more quickly. Good luck!

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Thanks for all the new input lads - it is also quite cool that we have posters in this thread still being able to hunt with lead, so that we can compare and adapt to how the old 7 works the best with leads and non leads alike.

@Quixote luckily for you we 7x57 men are a confident and classy bunch, so we wont take offense of your profuse praising of this new up and coming youngster cartridge that you mention, - the 27...something. ,D
Just kidding of course mate, but getting a bit more real about it, if one is losing access to ones favored powder, perhaps one of these 6 burn rate charts can help one find a decent and similar alternative: https://www.xxlreloading.com/powders

Beware of course to not trust that data exclusively, as it can very from publisher to publisher and burn rate alone isnt the only important variable for the combustion characteristics of a powder either, as i understand it. But maybe this will still helps you get in the ball park more quickly. Good luck!

I have a 150gn Barnes ttsx load on the back burner ready to go, but I’m enjoying shooting lead at the moment while I still can

 

[User00056]

@Quixote luckily for you we 7x57 men are a confident and classy bunch, so we wont take offense of your profuse praising of this new up and coming youngster cartridge that you mention, - the 27...something.

The .270 was in my head from the very outset of my stalking career, and I love it dearly. In all honesty though, the .275 Rigby (I prefer the romance of the name) has always had a bit of a hold over me, and if I ever have to retire the .270, it will probably factor strongly in the choices that replace it

 

[Scipio]

The .270 was in my head from the very outset of my stalking career, and I love it dearly. In all honesty though, the .275 Rigby (I prefer the romance of the name) has always had a bit of a hold over me, and if I ever have to retire the .270, it will probably factor strongly in what replaces it

Hello again mate .-)
Well, you're walking in the footsteps of the great Jack O'Connor in appreciating both of these grand old cartridges, and I reckon that is not a bad thing.

As for the future, who knows what it shall bring, but if you guys have to go non lead fairly soon, then maybe that will be another step towards 7x57, given it's typical quicker Twist rates and longer throats vs the 270
Or did the 275 Rigbys have different freebore and twist rates to the classic 7x57 ?

 

[User00056]

Hello again mate .-)
Well, you're walking in the footsteps of the great Jack O'Connor in appreciating both of these grand old cartridges, and I reckon that is not a bad thing.

Not a bad thing at all As a matter of interest, I already download my .270 to almost mirror the .275, albeit with a 130 grain bullet.

As for the future, who knows what it shall bring, but if you guys have to go non lead fairly soon, then maybe that will be another step towards 7x57, given it's typical quicker Twist rates and longer throats vs the 270
Or did the 275 Rigbys have different freebore and twist rates to the classic 7x57 ?

I'm fairly sure the two are identical The '.275' refers to the distance between the lands, rather than the bullet diameter. We Brits were far too stupid to properly understand metric back then

 

[harrygrey382]

Well my 7x57 needed a tweak having an 18” barrel, so change of powder to H4350 48gn same 3” OAL with the 150gn sierra GK only took 9 rounds to get an average speed and change of zero so happy days.

My H4831 load was fine but the entry on bigger deer was fine, excellent internal damage but exit was on the small side and easily plugged with a lump of lung so tad more welly required

Nice mate, that’s doing fairly well from an 18” barrel. I reckon you’re on about 58k psi so still got a little wiggle room if you have to switch to a faster powder. You getting any unburnt powder? I thought you were always a loyal Barnes user?

My go-to powder for my .270. Damn shame it's no longer available to buy. Think I have around enough left for around fifty rounds, and then it's an unwanted change

You can’t get H4350? That’s dark… it’s my staple, an awesome powder. It’s made here by ADI as AR2209, repackaged as H4895 for the rest of world

Not a bad thing at all As a matter of interest, I already download my .270 to almost mirror the .275, albeit with a 130 grain bullet.

I'm fairly sure the two are identical The '.275' refers to the distance between the lands, rather than the bullet diameter. We Brits were far too stupid to properly understand metric back then

Pretty sure the twist rate is all but the same - 1:8.77 rather than 1:8.66 or something like that. Bore dimensions are all but the same too, not sure about throat dimensions but they were good to shoot the original 175gr loadings so they’re not going to be limiting

 

[harrygrey382]

Thanks for all the new input lads - it is also quite cool that we have posters in this thread still being able to hunt with lead, so that we can compare and adapt to how the old 7 works the best with leads and non leads

Yes I guess it’s it’s yet another challenge for you guys to overcome, maybe not the worst though. I think there’s no doubt a copper won’t be able to match the killing power of a well made fragmenting cup and core bullet like the ELD-M, but it’s also very clear they can be pretty potent none the less.

I’m interested to see how these 162s go with a 2750fps MV. By all well documented accounts pretty well

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Nice mate, that’s doing fairly well from an 18” barrel. I reckon you’re on about 58k psi so still got a little wiggle room if you have to switch to a faster powder. You getting any unburnt powder? I thought you were always a loyal Barnes user?

I am a loyal barnes user, I’ve got them in the cupboard, I just dropped on to a heap of sierra gk at a bloody good price

Burn rate is about 97% if you take notice of all that, I’m too feral for all that

Hope you and the family are well?

 

[harrygrey382]

I am a loyal barnes user, I’ve got them in the cupboard, I just dropped on to a heap of sierra gk at a bloody good price

Burn rate is about 97% if you take notice of all that, I’m too feral for all that

Hope you and the family are well?

Ah nice, Sierras have become really pretty pricey here so don't blame you.

Yeah family are great thanks - how about yours?

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Ah nice, Sierras have become really pretty pricey here so don't blame you.

Yeah family are great thanks - how about yours?

Yeah we’re all good thanks I’m in rebellion against the establishment, with a smidge of luck I’ll have a steady supply of ‘nuts and bolts’ coming from the US so we’ll see how that goes

 

[Scipio]

Hello all you fine users and appreciators of the grand old 7x57, the components of my loading project for the "little old 7" is now set, they are:

Primers: RWS LR
Cases: Once fired PPU
Powder: Vihtavouri N150
Projectiles: Fox Classic Hunter 130 grn

Let's see how it goes, and what load turns out best.

 

[west_scotland]

I know this thread has been quiet for a few months but have read through the lot of it and it is great resource so first and foremost - thanks!

I am picking up my 7x57 (Musgrave w/K98 Mauser action, 22” barrel) next week. I have got my hands on some factory ammo to get me started (Fox 130gn and Norma Oryx 156gn) but plan on reloading in the longer term. This will be my first foray into reloading and one of the many reasons I chose this calibre was its reputation for being rather forgiving in this department. Over time, I am looking to develop two different loads:

1. A non-lead monolithic suitable for Reds, Roe (primary quarry) and other UK species.

2. A heavy-for-calibre round akin to the older 173/175gn RNSPs. The primary purpose for this will be for Plains Game (Kudu and Gemsbok specifically) in South Africa next spring. Ideally, I will also be able to push 2450 fps that would render it deer-legal in Scotland which is home for me, and where I do the vast majority of my stalking. It strikes me this would be a great option for Reds (for the next few years anyway) as well as PG. I have been considering a 160gn Nosler Partition or similar to balance the desire for a high SD to encourage good penetration and terminal performance with muzzle velocity. Expected range is up to 200-250m, but typically 150m.

There is a wealth of info here regarding option 1, but I was wondering if anyone was shooting the more traditional, heavy for calibre bullets and/or RNs in their 7x57s? I have made a note to look into the 162 grain ELD-ads discussed a few pages back. I would welcome any feedback from anyone that has experimented with a similar load and has any lessons learned or recommendations they could share - thanks!

 

[Sika98k]

I know this thread has been quiet for a few months but have read through the lot of it and it is great resource so first and foremost - thanks!

I am picking up my 7x57 (Musgrave w/K98 Mauser action, 22” barrel) next week. I have got my hands on some factory ammo to get me started (Fox 130gn and Norma Oryx 156gn) but plan on reloading in the longer term. This will be my first foray into reloading and one of the many reasons I chose this calibre was its reputation for being rather forgiving in this department. Over time, I am looking to develop two different loads:

1. A non-lead monolithic suitable for Reds, Roe (primary quarry) and other UK species.

2. A heavy-for-calibre round akin to the older 173/175gn RNSPs. The primary purpose for this will be for Plains Game (Kudu and Gemsbok specifically) in South Africa next spring. Ideally, I will also be able to push 2450 fps that would render it deer-legal in Scotland which is home for me, and where I do the vast majority of my stalking. It strikes me this would be a great option for Reds (for the next few years anyway) as well as PG. I have been considering a 160gn Nosler Partition or similar to balance the desire for a high SD to encourage good penetration and terminal performance with muzzle velocity. Expected range is up to 200-250m, but typically 150m.

There is a wealth of info here regarding option 1, but I was wondering if anyone was shooting the more traditional, heavy for calibre bullets and/or RNs in their 7x57s? I have made a note to look into the 162 grain ELD-ads discussed a few pages back. I would welcome any feedback from anyone that has experimented with a similar load and has any lessons learned or recommendations they could share - thanks!

Nosler 175gr Partitions get 2484 fps over N165,49.5 grs. 3,050coal. Perfect on oryx anyway. Kudu are imho a relatively soft animal.

 

[HandB]

I know this thread has been quiet for a few months but have read through the lot of it and it is great resource so first and foremost - thanks!

I am picking up my 7x57 (Musgrave w/K98 Mauser action, 22” barrel) next week. I have got my hands on some factory ammo to get me started (Fox 130gn and Norma Oryx 156gn) but plan on reloading in the longer term. This will be my first foray into reloading and one of the many reasons I chose this calibre was its reputation for being rather forgiving in this department. Over time, I am looking to develop two different loads:

1. A non-lead monolithic suitable for Reds, Roe (primary quarry) and other UK species.

2. A heavy-for-calibre round akin to the older 173/175gn RNSPs. The primary purpose for this will be for Plains Game (Kudu and Gemsbok specifically) in South Africa next spring. Ideally, I will also be able to push 2450 fps that would render it deer-legal in Scotland which is home for me, and where I do the vast majority of my stalking. It strikes me this would be a great option for Reds (for the next few years anyway) as well as PG. I have been considering a 160gn Nosler Partition or similar to balance the desire for a high SD to encourage good penetration and terminal performance with muzzle velocity. Expected range is up to 200-250m, but typically 150m.

There is a wealth of info here regarding option 1, but I was wondering if anyone was shooting the more traditional, heavy for calibre bullets and/or RNs in their 7x57s? I have made a note to look into the 162 grain ELD-ads discussed a few pages back. I would welcome any feedback from anyone that has experimented with a similar load and has any lessons learned or recommendations they could share - thanks!

I am a fan of 160gr bullets in 7x57 as they are a good compromise of high ballistic coefficient and moderate recoil. I am averaging 2797.5 fps with 46.1gr N150 and 160gr TMK bullets in my 23 inch barrel 7x57 BSA Hunter. The extreme spread for 5 shots of this load is 11.4fps and the SD is 4fps (see photo). Usual disclaimers apply: make sure to work up to this load gradually in your rifle as per standard load development procedure.

 

[harrygrey382]

I know this thread has been quiet for a few months but have read through the lot of it and it is great resource so first and foremost - thanks!

I am picking up my 7x57 (Musgrave w/K98 Mauser action, 22” barrel) next week. I have got my hands on some factory ammo to get me started (Fox 130gn and Norma Oryx 156gn) but plan on reloading in the longer term. This will be my first foray into reloading and one of the many reasons I chose this calibre was its reputation for being rather forgiving in this department. Over time, I am looking to develop two different loads:

1. A non-lead monolithic suitable for Reds, Roe (primary quarry) and other UK species.

2. A heavy-for-calibre round akin to the older 173/175gn RNSPs. The primary purpose for this will be for Plains Game (Kudu and Gemsbok specifically) in South Africa next spring. Ideally, I will also be able to push 2450 fps that would render it deer-legal in Scotland which is home for me, and where I do the vast majority of my stalking. It strikes me this would be a great option for Reds (for the next few years anyway) as well as PG. I have been considering a 160gn Nosler Partition or similar to balance the desire for a high SD to encourage good penetration and terminal performance with muzzle velocity. Expected range is up to 200-250m, but typically 150m.

There is a wealth of info here regarding option 1, but I was wondering if anyone was shooting the more traditional, heavy for calibre bullets and/or RNs in their 7x57s? I have made a note to look into the 162 grain ELD-ads discussed a few pages back. I would welcome any feedback from anyone that has experimented with a similar load and has any lessons learned or recommendations they could share - thanks!

Nice pickup, you’ve made a great start! Do you know the barrel twist? Assuming it’s fast (and not some modern slow twist attempt) so you’re fine for 175s, I would say you have a lot of leeway. I’m currently using a box of old Hornady 175gr RN (after finishing my box of 154gr RN) at about 2450 fps in my open sighted rifle - this is a mid pressure load, and the bullets are quite tough, IMO a bit too tough for the goats and fallow I mostly shoot. They’re also NLA, in fact all traditional RN 7mm bullets are NLA - unless someone can correct this (which I’d be very happy about). There are plenty of premium options for heavy for calibre 7mm bullets - Noslar partition to name one for sure. Hornady ELD-X and ELD-M are excellent as noted, with X being a tougher bullet - the Ms expand more readily on smaller species but do still seem to carry enough mass through to be very effective on elk and moose by all (substantial) reports in the US.

As usual follow the recommended impact velocities, consider your range and work back from there. Remember in a 98 action you’re well safe up to 65k psi

 

[harrygrey382]

Nosler 175gr Partitions get 2484 fps over N165,49.5 grs. 3,050coal. Perfect on oryx anyway. Kudu are imho a relatively soft animal.

What’s going on here - that looks like the back end of the bullet poking through the hide? But no blood/exit hole?

 

[harrygrey382]

I am a fan of 160gr bullets in 7x57 as they are a good compromise of high ballistic coefficient and moderate recoil. I am averaging 2797.5 fps with 46.1gr N150 and 160gr TMK bullets in my 23 inch barrel 7x57 BSA Hunter. The extreme spread for 5 shots of this load is 11.4fps and the SD is 4fps (see photo). Usual disclaimers apply: make sure to work up to this load gradually in your rifle as per standard load development procedure.

Yep, agreed on 160gr - there are really good options there too. That’s healthy velocity for a 23” barrel, what sort of pressure do you reckon it’s running?

 

[HandB]

Yep, agreed on 160gr - there are really good options there too. That’s healthy velocity for a 23” barrel, what sort of pressure do you reckon it’s running?

Yes it's a decent velocity. Pressure for this powder load is moderate. The next powder increment up (46.2gr N150) started to show some primer cratering on hotter days, therefore I settled on 46.1gr N150 as the sensible moderate pressure load as I want something that will work in cool and warm weather without pressure signs.