Two 7mm rounds for whitetails. Which would you choose?

[Newtosavage]

If you read above, you'll understand why they are slow.

It is the price of being able to carry a very light and compact 7x57

 

[T.R.]

Whitetails are easy animals to kill with a good shot through the chest organs. I hunt with a scoped 30-30 carbine which shoots a 170 grain bullet at about 2,100 fps. I suggest that you hunt with the most accurate of the two.

TR

 

[Newtosavage]

Again, if you read above, you will see that they are both very accurate. I'm very aware of what it takes to kill a whitetail. Been doing it for over 35 years, and like you, have taken many with a 30-30 and 170-grain load.

I just thought it would be interesting to hear people compare one of these loads to the other. I was instinctively leaning toward the 140-grain Core-Lokt factory load because I like heavier bullets, but wanted to see if someone could give me some things to consider about the 120's that I hadn't thought about. The advantage of those is that I can hand load them, and the Remington 7x57 ammo is getting really hard to find.

 

[stoky]

There are a lot of good bullets in 7mm 140gr available for handloading. I've had good luck with Sierra Game Kings. I think the extra weight would be good if you hit a shoulder blade or rib, where the ballistic tips make a mess. IMO more people make an imperfect shot from time to time than admit it.

 

[Art Eatman]

In the event of a need to take an angling shot, odds are that the heavier bullet would be more reliable for penetration.

 

[Newtosavage]

Stoky, if and when I run out of the Remington green box 7x57's, the SGK will be my bullet of choice. I've already determined that the 140-grain SGK is very accurate out of this rifle, over H4831 powder. Probably the closest load I've created to the Rem. factory load both in velocity and accuracy.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I've used both bullets in 7mm08. I don't care for any of the 120 gr plastic tips. I have had decent performance from them in my 7-30waters at essentially the speeds you are running.

I've had excellent luck with the Hornady 139gr Interloks and find them equal to the no longer available 140 Corlokts and doubly expensive Nosler Partitions.

I've had 120, 140, and 150gr .284" Ballistic Tips fail (break up) on smallish deer. Wouldn't trust them on mule deer. Certainly not elk.

Try some Reloader17 in your 7x57. I would expect to be able to get 2,800 and equal accuracy to what you are seeing.My 20" bbl Rem. Mod-7 7mm08 with a 139gr Hornady will get 2,900fps. It's not a tackdriver but matches your loads accuracy for 3-shots from a cold barrel.
It weighs 7lbs with scope,sling, 4rds ammo. (Drilled out butt of laminated factory stock, Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8x in Leupold two piece rings). My favorite "mountain rifle".
My hunting buddy in Wyoming liked it so much, he replaced his Steyr .300winmag with a Ruger M77 compact carbine in 7mm08. He doesn't reload so on my suggestion he's using the Remington 140gr Corlokts. He's been very pleased. My rifle prefers 150's, however. I run 150's to 2,775fps. Either a few Corlokts I have left, or Nosler Partitions.
I have a few Winchester 150gr PowerPoints left and adore them on smaller deer of s.e.usa. They unfailingly break up and shed jackets, but blow the stuffings out of deer! Typically fist size exit wounds on chest/ shoulder shots. But, you will loose meat! Again,I wouldn't trust them on mule deer over 250lbs or elk.

Added; btw, I have a few discontinued Sierra 170gr RN. I'm running them as fast as your 140's (2,500). They penetrate into "tomorrow", with modest expansion. I carry them in my chamber when returning to finish packing out a carcass in case "Yogi" ambushes me!
Don't under estimate your cartridge! It will match the 7mm08 at lower pressures. However, they're for practical purposes ballistic twins.

 

[Newtosavage]

I read up quite a bit on what the 7x57 can do, compared to the 7mm-08, but I don't think this 18.5" barrel is going to deliver the velocities that you're getting in the 7mm-08. However, I will try RL-17, as it could be a nice compromise between the 15 I'm using under the 120's and the 19 I've tried for the heavier bullets.

Glad to hear the Hornady interlocks are a good substitute for the Rem. Core-lokt's. I will give those a look.

I'm not much of a fan of blowing holes in 100-lb. deer. I'm a lifelong bowhunter so if I need to track one a little ways, no biggie. I do it all the time when I bowhunt. I guess this is another reason I tend to favor heavy and slow. But I can understand why someone who doesn't wish to exercise their tracking skills would choose a load that is more likely to produce a DRT result and sacrifice a little meat in the process.

 

[stoky]

Roger the 4831
Another powder that I've had good luck with in the .275 Rigby is 4350.

 

[Patocazador]

I never shot a 7x57 but I shot a 7x57 Ackley Improved for over 30 years. It has about the same ballistics as a .280. My hunting load was a 140 gr. Nosler Partition over 52.0 gr. of IMR 4350. I killed over 100 deer plus some elk, moose, and antelope with that gun and load. I also killed 13 animals in Africa with it.

I don't know how it relates to the smaller capacity of the factory 7x57, but trying some loads in IMR 4350 won't hurt.
WDM (Karamojo) Bell killed a few (~800) elephants with that cartridge so I know the 7x57 is up for almost every task you have.

 

[Newtosavage]

I've heard that story quite a bit, and although I'm a fan of history and tradition, I also have a degree in science. So as much as I love the stories, the math is the math, and the 7mm bullet coming out of my barrel doesn't know what caliber it came out of, just how fast it's going.

So, since I am somewhat limited by my chosen barrel length, I'm going to have to accept the fact that despite being chambered in the venerable 7x57 caliber (or .275 Rigby if you prefer ), I am not likely to ever hunt elk with this gun due to the ~ 200 fps. "tax" applied at the muzzle.

But I'll keep the 4350 in mind, and if I come across some, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Patocazador]

Obviously, Mr. Bell was an excellent shot and was an expert in elephant anatomy.

"Bell recorded all of his kills and shots fired. It was a business to him, not pleasure, and he needed to record expenditures.

He shot exactly 1,011 elephants; about 800 of them were shot with Rigby-made 7x57mm (.275 Rigby) rifles and round nose 173 grain military ammo."

http://chuckhawks.com/bell_elephants.htm

 

[Newtosavage]

Yup. Very familiar with it. I think that story comes up every time the 7x57 is mentioned.

 

[IWAC]

Makes not a hill of beans worth of difference. Either or both will do the job.

 

[outlawjw]

Both will do the job ,but the core location is notorious for coming all apart & I don't like eating bullet fragments . on the other hand the BT seperates into two pieces , the lead core & the jacket .both kill quick but give me the btbt they have dropped everything I've ever shot at from squirrel to elk .

 

[T.R.]

We hunt the brushy canyons and ridges of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania where shots tend to be 75 yards or less. Most guys hunt with 30-30 carbines and with good luck, too. If you were to hunt with us, I'd suggest the heaviest round nose bullet that you can load. A 3inch group at 100 yards is adequate and not a handicap at all.

TR

 

[double bogey]

Other than cost, I think you have a toss up. both are accurate, both will kill deer very well. Look for the best price on either, buy enough too last a few years, and kill deer.