Thread: School me on the 7x57 mauser

I've had them on and off for the last 27 years. Presently have an R version in a K4. I tend to think of them as the German .308W. Do everything without fuss or fanfare.
I will make a few points relative to handloading. Most 7mm Mauser rifles have very long throats designed around 175 grain projectiles. So having a magazine to seat a pill long in a case is beneficial. You will almost never load 20 thou off. It's (140 - 160 gns) going to jump to the lands.

With respect to JD " With a good rifle design (like a Mauser 98 or any modern action type) with a 24 inch barrel you can load the 140 grain bullet up to 2950-3000 fps and the 160 grain up to 2700-2800fps."
It is not easy to get these velocities handloading and they (his loads) are hot!
He is about 150fps above where most reloaders would say quick and accurate and stop. His results are what you aim for with a 7x64 or .280rem. If you like the challenge of wearing an extractor then WW760 is the best powder for this case. Yes 2209 works but 760 is better, more velocity with less pressure.
However the beauty of the 7 mm is a 140 - 160 works well at safer speeds. (2600 - 2800 fps).

In my experience it is easier to get top velocity (2850 fps) with a 140 in the 7mm08 because the smaller chamber, shorter throat etc.

Originally Posted by Dicko

I've had them on and off for the last 27 years. Presently have an R version in a K4. I tend to think of them as the German .308W. Do everything without fuss or fanfare.
I will make a few points relative to handloading. Most 7mm Mauser rifles have very long throats designed around 175 grain projectiles. So having a magazine to seat a pill long in a case is beneficial. You will almost never load 20 thou off. It's (140 - 160 gns) going to jump to the lands.

With respect to JD " With a good rifle design (like a Mauser 98 or any modern action type) with a 24 inch barrel you can load the 140 grain bullet up to 2950-3000 fps and the 160 grain up to 2700-2800fps."
It is not easy to get these velocities handloading and they (his loads) are hot!
He is about 150fps above where most reloaders would say quick and accurate and stop. His results are what you aim for with a 7x64 or .280rem. If you like the challenge of wearing an extractor then WW760 is the best powder for this case. Yes 2209 works but 760 is better, more velocity with less pressure.
However the beauty of the 7 mm is a 140 - 160 works well at safer speeds. (2600 - 2800 fps).

In my experience it is easier to get top velocity (2850 fps) with a 140 in the 7mm08 because the smaller chamber, shorter throat etc.

As for the loads I have quoted, this is not new information! I have a great deal of experience with the 7x57, and have had several rifles in the chambering (and also 7mm08) but most users will know that the cartridge has a pressure rating of 45K CUP for the sake of any old Rolling Block rifle still out there. With 60k PSI loads in a modern rifle it is easy to exceed the 7mm08 (which has a smaller case capacity.) 50- 54 grains of 2209 will get you 2950 - 3000 fps with a 139 or 140 grain bullet out of a 24 inch barrel. This depends on the rifle because they all have different length throats, some very long, (like the Ruger 77's). Out of a 22 inch barrel 2900-2950 fps is a good load.

Basically the 7mm08 data is where to start with the 7x57 Mauser. For example, if you use a max load for the 7x57 from 7mm08 data you will get lessor velocity than what you get with the 7mm08, simply because the 7mm08 has less case capacity (hence lower pressures resulting in the 7x57 with the same load,) plus on top of that a great many of the 7x57 rifles have longer throats to handle longer 175 grain bullets., so you get lower results again. With some rifles I can get 2900 with a 22 inch barrel from 50 grains of 2209, and others will take up to 54 grains to get that result.

I have not loaded Win 760 in the cartridge.