Which powder for 7x57?

[68lemans462]

Using PRVI brass, CCI large rifle primers, 139 grain hornady spire. Have been loading 47-50G of IMR4350 and accuracy has improved as I increased the loads but still not where I want it to be. Gun is a Ruger M77.

I've been reading about H380 in the 7x57 and have some on hand. Anyone had success with it? How about varget/3031 - are either of these worth hunting down?

 

[Kachok]

Don't have a 7x57 but I do load it's modern twin the 7mm-08, best results thus far are with H380 and Big Game, no luck with the Hornady bullets shame because they perform so well in my other rifles. Best bullets I have used thus far are 160gr Deep Curl, 140-160gr Game Kings, 120gr Pro Hunters and 150gr Ballistic Tips, everything else has been all over the place.

 

[Float Pilot]

IMR 4350 is a perfect fit for the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge.

My first center-fire rifle in 1969 was a 7x57mm and after being rebarreled I still own that rifle.
Ruger M-77s are sometimes a little hard to tune up for super tight groups. But it can be done with glass bedding and lapping the bore.

CAUTION ********* JUST BECAUSE IT WORKED IN MY RIFLE DOES NOT MEAN IT IS SAFE IN YOUR RIFLE>

Here are some loads that are accurate in my Mauser with a Douglas 20 inch barrel and a 1 in 10 twist rate.
All groups at 100 yards

120gr Hornady SP
45.0gr H-4895
WW brass, WLR primer
col- 3.025 in,
Vel=2,880 fps and a 0.75 inch group


139gr Hornady Spitzer
50.0 grains IMR 4350
WW / WLR
COL. 3.028
Vel=2,780 and a 2.0 inch group

150gr Nosler Ballistic tip
WW brass / CCI primers
3.042 col all loads
49.3gr IMR 4350 and CCI 200 = 2,700 fps and a 0.60 inch group
42.5gr IMR 4064 and CCI 200 = 2,545 fps and a 0.35 inch group

154gr Hornady Spire Point
Privi Brass / CCI-200
3.065 col
44.0 grains IMR 4320 Vel= 2,600 fps and a 0.55 inch group
42.5 grains IMR 4064 vel= 2,515 fps and a 1.3 inch group
49.0 grains IMR 4350 vel= 2,633 fps and a 1.1 inch group

162 grain Hornady national match HPBT
Lapua Brass / CCI-200
3.025 col
48.1 grains IMR 4831, Vel= 2,575fps and a 0.35 inch group
Same as above but with federal match primer = 1.25 inch group

175 grain Sierra Game King BT
46.5 grains IMR -4831
Privi Brass / CCI=200
3.050 col
vel= 2550 fps and a 1.0 inch group


When I find more of my notes I will post more...

RL-22 and RL-19 are great powders for the 7x57mm

xx

 

[osprey176]

Several years back I owned a custom model 70 that I used IMR 4350 and H 380 with and got great results.That rifle shot everything well,but it was stolen.Now I have a Ruger #1 in 7x57.After several years of less than stellar groups,I started using H414. I got pretty much the same results until I went hot with my loads.I used load data from an older Hodgdon manual that was developed for the #1.I won't post the load,as it is too hot for your M77,but it chronographs around 3000 fps with Ballistic tips and shoots into an inch and a quarter in my rifle.This is by far the best this rifle has ever shot.

 

[sghart3578]

7x57 powder

I have great results with H4895.
130 gr boattail
36.5 gr H4895

Very accurate and 2750 fps if I remember correctly.