Suggestions for loading my 7x57 Ruger RSI

[Newtosavage]

I have been loading for this rifle for about a year now, and have some loads I'm satisfied with (along with the factory green box Remington loads that shoot very well), but since I'm new to loading I am always trying to learn more...

So far, I've loaded everything from 120 to 162 grain bullets, from 2700 fps to 2300 fps. The Ruger RSI's have a short (18.5") barrel that definitely affects velocity. Most of my loads are 150-200 fps. slower than the published data.

So, if you're loading for 7x57 in an 18.5" barrel, what powders and bullet weights would you be inclined to use, and why?

My best loads so far are with H4831 and 4831SC powder, slightly compressed at 51 grains, and 154-grain Hornady Interlocks (1 MOA). I would load the 7mm Remington Core-lokt if I could find them, but I can't.

Factory green box Remingtons give me 1 MOA groups and push the 140-grain bullet at 2600 fps. - a velocity that's hard for me to duplicate in my handloads. Would anyone hazard a guess at what powder Remington uses in their 7x57 ammo?

My primary use for this rifle is deer and hogs out to 300 yards.

 

[stoky]

I can't speak from experience to the 18.5" barrel or RSI, but regarding 7x57:
I like 140gr bullets for deer and pronghorn............and plinking.
I've pushed 160gr'ers for Elk.
Remington green box is excellent, IMO, and a bargain. Federal "Premium" OTOH,,,,,,,,,,
I've had the best luck with IMR4350, powder wise. Couldn't get Win 748 to work. I think 4831 is on the slow side.

 

[Bart B.]

I would never use any powder that max charges thereof produced the highest muzzle velocities for a given bullet if best accuracy is your objective. A stick powder about 2/3rds up the list for velocities at a grain or two below maximum is probably going to give the most repeatable pressure curves which always lead to best accuracy.

As for bullet weights, I'd use whatever gave JBM's stability calculator's results in the 1.35 to 1.45 range at the velocity they'll leave at in that barrel length. Then be sure they're at least the diameter of the barrel's groove diameter. Again, all for best accuracy.

Test at 300 yards if that's your max range and use at least 10 shots per test group. You should be able to keep all of them shot from a bench inside about 6 inches.

 

[Newtosavage]

Forgive me, but what powders are "stick" powders?

And you're losing me with the JBM stab. calc. talk... Sorry. Newbie here.

My current loads (factory Rem and H4831SC/154 Interlock) are good for near-MOA performance at 300 now.

I suppose I'd love to figure out how to reproduce those Remington factory loads if at all possible, because they are getting harder and harder to find, and so far give me outstanding performance from my rifle.

 

[Bart B.]

Forgive me, but what powders are "stick" powders?

And you're losing me with the JBM stab. calc. talk... Sorry. Newbie here.

Stick, or extruded powders differ from ball powders; they look like short lengths of mechanical pencil lead; same color and only a few thousandths inch long. Ball powder's are tiny and round in shape. Extruded/stick powders have produced best accuracy for decades in spite of its ability to have greater charge weight spreads than ball powders doing so. The picture below shows both.

https://www.google.com/search?q=stick+and+ball+powder+pictures&tbm=isch&imgil=qd-iD-wXwa0naM%3A%3BvgyYLSItps2jwM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbarkysblogs.blogspot.com%252F2015_02_01_archive.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=qd-iD-wXwa0naM%3A%2CvgyYLSItps2jwM%2C_&usg=__0K_1NsP9KP420llyTVPzjqLw6GU=&biw=1280&bih=593&ved=0ahUKEwjxzrGV1cnRAhVLqVQKHcY7DOcQyjcINQ&ei=HU9-WLFMy9LSAsb3sLgO#imgrc=qd-iD-wXwa0naM:

And flake powders look like ball powder particles smashed flat; look like a small disk.

JBM ballistic formulas are available at:

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmstab-5.1.cgi

 

[Newtosavage]

So the H4831SC is a "stick" powder, albeit "short cut" stick... I've tried 3 or 4 powders with the 7x57 and it proved to be the most accurate.

I suppose what I'm curious about is twofold... First, what can I do to reproduce the excellent performance of the Remington factory load, and Second, are there powders/bullet combos that make more sense in that 18.5" barrel than others?

 

[Bart B.]

For cartridges the size of the 7x57 Mauser, few have shot as accurate as IMR4064 and IMR4350 powders for those bullet weights you mention. In my opinion, anyway. That 7x57 case has about the same internal volume of the 7-08 that was popular in rifle competition getting best accuracy with those two powders for several bullet weights

Only when 7mm cases get bigger in magnum size cases does 4831 types of slower speed powders come into its own. Especially with your shorter than normal barrel.

 

[Newtosavage]

Thanks Bart, that's what I was looking for. I figured between the case's more "classic" tapered shape and the shorter barrel, there might just be a powder that would be more ideal for the round.

I will look at those two you mention.

Any idea what powder Remington was putting in their factory loads?

 

[Decoy80]

I would try 139 grain Seirra boat tail soft points, CCI large rifle primers and a charge of IMR 4350. I have an old Customized Mauser 7x57 rifle with the short 3 step military barrel. I have never missed unless due to human error ( my fault ) hunting with it over the last 25 years. I like the short barrel as ease of movement helps get on the target faster. That is the most important advantage but a short rifle is easy to like. You might find the sweet load for your rifle using the same componets above. Happy hunting

 

[Newtosavage]

Thanks for the suggestion Decoy! And you're right about the shorter rifles. Very easy to like.

 

[Decoy80]

Getting a load for your rifles sweet spot will be worth the amount of time and effort spent. That old rifle of mine has consistently helped me by allowing freedom of movement a longer barreled rife restricts. How many more opportunites to shoot I havent counted but each one adds up to several more successful hunts over the years. This is if you are hunting at medium ranges mostly. Once you get the right load liking a short rifle may lead to love. Good Luck

 

[Decoy80]

Not to pretend to be any expert on 7x57 by any means but putting a witness mark on my brass and just necksizing reoads for my rifle hasnt hurt accuracy any. It just removes some variables that do affect it somewhat. Measure each charge seperately by weight using IMR 4350 as a 1 grain variance is common using my metering drum. I dont measure each charge by weight normally. Just working up a load. That short rifle may be a tool in your box for life.

 

[stringnut]

I always used 4064 or 4350 in my 7x57s. If loaded to the same speed accuracy and poi were the same with either powder. 139 Hornady flat base . Shot best at max with modern data from a reliable source. The 7x57 has a fairly low pressure limit due to older guns out there. Sometimes below max doesn't have the best pressure for the most efficient burn. Stay away from old sources of data. Some of it for "strong modern rifles" is pretty hot.

 

[Decoy80]

I always used 4064 or 4350 in my 7x57s. If loaded to the same speed accuracy and poi were the same with either powder. 139 Hornady flat base . Shot best at max with modern data from a reliable source. The 7x57 has a fairly low pressure limit due to older guns out there. Sometimes below max doesn't have the best pressure for the most efficient burn. Stay away from old sources of data. Some of it for "strong modern rifles" is pretty hot.

Not sorry I looked at this again. I might try the Hornady flat base 139 next time I load some for my personal take on them. The Sierra bullets flew straight and were killers not wounders so I ended my quest with them. If you talk to folks who reload in your area you might be able to get a few of each to try without having to buy 100 bullets just to try a load out. That would be a plus and they may also have useful information from their own experimentation with loads helpful to you.

 

[stoky]

Stick, or extruded powders differ from ball powders; they look like short lengths of mechanical pencil lead; same color and only a few thousandths inch long. Ball powder's are tiny and round in shape. Extruded/stick powders have produced best accuracy for decades in spite of its ability to have greater charge weight spreads than ball powders doing so.
And flake powders look like ball powder particles smashed flat; look like a small disk.

.......then there's the little grey cheerios substitute black powder cartridge stuff
which could probably be made to work in 7x57, but not optimally

 

[Newtosavage]

Still no guesses on the factory Rem powder?

 

[Coltdriver]

I have an RSI in 30 06. For what its worth I try to run faster powders in mine.

Have you ever pulled a bullet from one of the Remington rounds? You may be able to at least narrow down the powder used by the type you find in the case. And you could weigh it to get an idea of the charge used.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have an RSI in 30 06. For what its worth I try to run faster powders in mine.

Have you ever pulled a bullet from one of the Remington rounds? You may be able to at least narrow down the powder used by the type you find in the case. And you could weigh it to get an idea of the charge used.

That's my next step. I just figured someone here might know.

That factory load shoots so well that I would like to try and duplicate it, esp. since I'm planning to have a custom reticle made for my 2-7x33 Leupy scope that matches that trajectory

 

[Coltdriver]

Great minds Newtosavage!! I have the same scope on my RSI. I got the Boone and Crockett reticle just for the elevation marks. Since I run different loads I have found its easier just to determine poi for each elevation mark for a given load.

 

[stoky]

I really like the look of the RSI, and the concept.

 

[Newtosavage]

Great minds Newtosavage!! I have the same scope on my RSI. I got the Boone and Crockett reticle just for the elevation marks. Since I run different loads I have found its easier just to determine poi for each elevation mark for a given load.

I may do that too. If I knew that scope came with the LR reticle, I would have ordered it. But what a great scope for that gun, huh?

Stoky, I don't believe I've owned a finer looking rifle. However, it didn't take me long to remove that beautiful full length Mannlicher stock and end cap, pull the front sight off, and remove the rear sight base, then drop it into a black Ruger factory synthetic stock. It's now my lightest rifle and has the look of a very high-end "mountain rifle" if you will... Still beautiful, but in a different way.

I just couldn't bear to beat up that beautiful stock. I may sell it someday, and if I do, the Mannlicher stock will go back on it. Or I'll give it to a grandkid (if I'm lucky enough to have them) or niece or nephew. A finer looking rifle has never been produced IMO. Darn handy and fun to shoot too.

My next step is to get some IMR 4350 and see what the velocities look like. From the load data, it seems I can pick up some fps with fewer grains of powder and not have to shoot compressed loads to equal the factory load. Who knows... perhaps Remington is using IMR 4350 in their factory load to get those velocities.

I still have half a box of 154-grain Hornady Interlocks, which have proven to be 1 MOA shooters in this rifle at 2300 fps, but I'd love to launch them at 2450-2500.

 

[Newtosavage]

Here's the rifle, with the original stock and sights.

 

[Coltdriver]

I had forgot that Ruger made an RSI with a bolt action. Mine is a #1 RSI that I had converted from a #1 in .243 Sporter. I got a new medium sporter barrel from a #1 in 30 06 and a great smith cut it down and fitted all the bits and pieces. The smith is in Missouri and is named Regan Nonneman. It turned out perfect which is really hard to do with a #1 as there are a few peculiarities in mounting the barrel that make it easy to screw up.

The RSI platform does look good.

 

[Newtosavage]

Sure glad I tried that IMR 4350! What a difference. I made test loads at 46, 47 and 48 grains under a 154-grain Interlock, and 46 was the winner. 1" group at 100, good velocity for this rifle and primers/pressure signs looked good. @ 47 grains, the primers were just starting to flatten and at 48 there was noticeable flattening. Neither 47 or 48 grains gained me a lot of additional velocity, so 46 it is. Better velocity without having to compress the load (like I did with H4831 and 4831SC) which I really appreciate.

I'm tickled to find this powder and this load. I'm pushing a 154 grain interlock at very nearly the same speed as the Remington factory 140's. Recoil is noticeable in this sub-7 lb. gun, so I may back down to the 139-grain Interlocks and see how they do. But for now, carrying 1000 ft. lbs. to 400 yards is fine with me out of the 18.5" pencil barrel.

Thanks to those who steered me to the IMR 4350 here and on other forums. I see no reason to use anything else in my 7x57 now!

 

[horsey300]

Gotta ask, is that your elk load? Would be pretty handy around here for the big critters, but I can't ever find the 154s in stock! Love a good 7mm! I'm glad you got that load worked out!