Thread: 7x57 and 2213sc

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings @Titanium,
Depending on what your friend is expecting I wouldn't be too quick to write of AR2213SC (H4831SC). Hodgdon lists the powder for the 140 grain with a start of 47 grains and a compressed load of 49.5 grains for 2,719 fps. Granted this is a low pressure load and faster powders should give more velocity when worked up closer to 50,000CUP but 2,700 fps loads will not bounce off deer in spite of what you may read elsewhere.
Regards Grandpamac.

Thanks, will give this ago before the rl19, he's not expecting much, only shoots out to couple hundred, cheers for info.

Greetings All,
As it was raining and a bit cold outside and I am a bit of a wuss about that these days I had a bit of a dig in some of my old manuals to see what was recommended as a load for the 7x57 a while back compared to the 49.5 grains in the current data. Please don't try any of these loads as they are way over the top.
First was an old Lyman Manual around 1975 which suggested a compressed charge of 53.5 grains of 4831 (probably the old surplus stuff) for 2,816 fps. Crikey! Looking a bit further the rifle was a Mauser 95 with a 29" barrel with a 0.2865" groove dia (yes I typed that right). So 4 extra grains of powder and 5 inches more barrel only yielded an extra 100 fps. No surprise that this was not a pressure tested load.
Next came the first Nick Harvey manual from 1980. Nick listed 52 grains of 4831 with the 140 grain for 2,830 fps with no barrel length or rifle specified. This was likely the Nobels version of 4831 which was marketed by Hodgdons as H4831 at the time. Again no pressures stated.
The most 7x57 data is stated to develop around 45,000 CUP so is loaded down in the US in deference to a lot of really old rifles including Remington Rolling Block single shots. The Hodgdon data is one of these. Nosler data lists loads that are hotter with 51 grains of the faster IMR4831 producing 2,762 fps with the 140 grain projectile so Nicks old load of 52 grains, while hot, is in line with the hotter Nosler data. 53.5 grains however is way over the top and could take a modern tight groove short throat rifle apart.
So what did we learn from this. For me it is to only use modern load data published by the powder and projectile manufacturers. Shop around by all means within this data to get a better understanding especially with cartridges that are routinely underloaded in the US and I have found the Nosler data good for this. Do NOT use any load that is published in posts on the internet some of which may have been imagined rather than actually loaded. Also work up with a chronograph and do not exceed the load data velocity as this is a better indication of pressure.
Lets all be careful out there.
Regards Grandpamac.