Thread: Pet loads for the 7x57

I put 4 in one hole but not 5. My error. WW760 is the go in the 7mm as Mathais et al state. Lots of variations in max load for ind rifles due to brass and chamber / throat dimensions.
48-50 gns behind a 140 will normally get you around 2800 fps.

760 is good with 154/160s too.


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Originally Posted by Dicko

I put 4 in one hole but not 5. My error. WW760 is the go in the 7mm as Mathais et al state. Lots of variations in max load for ind rifles due to brass and chamber / throat dimensions.
48-50 gns behind a 140 will normally get you around 2800 fps.

760 is good with 154/160s too.


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Thats good.
You know don't you that every time you do that it means there are 5 less primers in the world. Just say'n.

No shortage of anything shooting related here Thar, only the time to engage in it and it’s too hot, re meat spoilage and snakes.

Ive had a number of 7x57, still got a M70 and a double rifle in 7x57R, miss the brno, ZG47.
I have always run, 160 gr/162 gr with 47-50 gr of 4350,4381 for 2650 ish, depending on barrel length and throat,
50 gr R19 has a 150 gr Balistic tip humming along in the M70, still prefer the 162 A-Max or a 160 gr soft point speer for performance.

RL19 would be my choice after WW760. In my experience 2650 fps with a 160 is top velocity and that same 48-50 gns of 760 is needed to obtain it. Would be a higher pressure load than the 140 load (same charge wt).

Just out of interest, what was the speed on the old school heavy projectiles they used to use in the 7x57

Ditto w760. I'm using 50gr with 139gr interlocks

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Just out of interest, what was the speed on the old school heavy projectiles they used to use in the 7x57

Depends how far back in time you go I would guess. My uncle ran a BSA 7mil for Tahr culling in the 60's and said that the best ammo was 'Imperial' out of Canada. Think it was 140 grn 'Cone point'. Would flatten a Bull or big stag on the spot.
Anyway they tried to duplicate the imperial stuff with reloads but couldn't. From their comparison of known loads from tables and expected speeds ( no chronograph ) the conclusion was that the Imperial loads were at about 2900 fps for the 140. Uncle says that he used fast 130 grn reloads as his main loads when he used up the 2000 rds of imperial

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Just out of interest, what was the speed on the old school heavy projectiles they used to use in the 7x57

I ran a crony on federal blue box, of 175 round nose, in my M70 7x57 and got 2250fps,

winchester manual #13
7mm mauser
125grn projectile 760 powder 48.7 grns for 2885fps 43500cup
150grn projectile 760 powder 46.5grns for 2660fps 43500cup
175grn projectile 760powder 44grns for 2400fps 44500 cup



now seeing 50 grns as a load for 139 got me thinking
the .270w has 52 for the 130grn and 49 for the 150...split down middle is 50.5grns and 49000cup WAY HOTTER than the above....bigger case,smaller hole

Originally Posted by southernman

I ran a crony on federal blue box, of 175 round nose, in my M70 7x57 and got 2250fps,

Yup and that would be the US anaemic version of proper euro loads.
The 8x57 is a classic example of that. Take nearly 250fps off between euro and US loads for that @Micky Duck yip probably because 270 has 10000psi salami rating over the 7x57. Late model modern rifle it should should be the same yeah?

Tried them all over the years, starting with the 130gr Speer flat base that killed everything I hit with it - then went up the scale through the 139/140's which again killed everything, then the 150's - settling on the 154 Hornady interlock and the 150 Core-loc.
Then someone gave me some heavy German RN's when I ran out up by Taupo and they impressed the shit out of me, so I bought a few packs of 173gr Kynoch's I loaded up as I couldn't get the German ones.
Then I dropped back to 160gr Speer spitzers and stayed around there, my current loads being 162gr Hornady Amax (because I bought a few)
I used Norma 203 then on to American powders when that dried up - IMR3031, 4895, 4350 and a year or so ago stocked up with AR2209.

I've been over 50grs with 4350 and the 162gr, but dropped back to 48.0grs as I like a bit of life out of my cases - I retire them after 25 reloads and start a new lot. I neck anneal every three firings and by the time I get to 25 'loadings', I only have half a packet left as I didn't always find the ejected ones.

My gun is BRNO 600 and 7 mil is all I really ever used after I found out there were other guns other than the .303.
All my hunting is 'bush' and I wouldn't have a clue what speed my bullets are doing - and it's never worried me - it's killed everything I ever hit right regardless of what bullet I was shooting.

My longest shot was a stag, I gave daylight over his shoulder ............. and he ran away. And I chased him from the other side of the valley - and he ran right up and I whacked him in the neck at ten yards. I could hear him puffing from 40 yards away as he ran straight toward me - he was buggered, his tongue hanging out.
Cleaning him out I found an 'in' and 'out' hole slightly high through the boiler room, so fished through the 'vitals' and couldn't find anything. That was the most expensive bullet I ever shot - a 150gr Nosler partition that pencilled through without hitting anything .......... figure that.

My manuals are probably getting on a bit - my Norma being 1965, Speer 1966 and the Lyman has the cover gone - it's the 45th edition.

The 7x57 is probably no better than a bunch of other cartridges - but it's always done what I wanted it to without booting me around too much

Other thing when I buy components I buy 'large' because over the years stuff dries up - and you can't get it.
I have bullets here I payed $4.55/100 for - that's the 130 Speers I never completely shot up.

Not a BSA but in my old Winchester model 70 7x57 I ran 139 gr Hornady interlocks and those projectiles killed well everything from goats, fallow, sika, reds and tahr

As for powder, I ran the discontinued AR2206

Book data is all over the place due to the old / early Mauser 94 ? Rifles that are out there.


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Forgot to mention I was shooting those BRNO loads out of my BSA Viscount - it's a strong gun.

The Mauser '98 is probably considered the 'strong action' out of the Mauser's - the 7x57mm being designed in '92 and first chambered in the '93 Mauser. I think the Rem rolling blocks were chambered for it as well - the 'piddly loads' probably intended for them.
My mate had a Spanish '93 in 7x57 and he shot full blown loads out of that - and that might have been foolish, but he never blew it up.