7x57 rifle advice
- Thread starter Milt Dale
- Start date
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
Good shooting and nice buck! Any details on the load and performance used?
The 98 threads are big enough to allow for re-threading for a Winchester, Ruger, or any other with a 1 inch thread. It is not large enough to turn to fit a Remington (1 1/16), Savage, or Sako. Depending on the diameter ahead of the threads, it might be possible to set back, thread, and re-chamber. In truth, almost any barrel can be fitted to almost any action; all that is required is the desire to do it or the money to hire it done!
Winchester grey box 145g. Shot was about 200-250 yards, no more than that. He was broad side to me lightly sparring with a smaller buck. Fired the shot right in the boiler room and all he did was turn and walk a couple yards out of my line of sight behind the crest of a hill between us. Didn't jump, didn't flop, didn't act startled. He was in a group of about 6 bucks and a dozen does. They didn't run off either. It was pretty windy and with my distance I don't know if the report of the rifle was loud enough to startle them. I started to question if I missed but I thought there's no way. I stayed watching to see if he would come back in my sights but eventually the herd started to leave so I went to check. Sure enough that couple yards he walked out of my sight he went into some grass and bedded down. He was alive when I walked up to him but he was messed up and wouldn't try to move or get up. I could see my entrance wound behind the shoulder and he had blood in his mouth, breathing real slow and heavy. I had to finish him off to end the suffering. Upon gutting the round punched a good hole in the ribs and never exited or even made it to the other side of the rib cage. I never did find the bullet though.
Had he not walked exactly where he did after being shot I'd have seen him bed down. It messed him up for sure but it was strange how he reacted. Maybe he didn't know what happened and just started to suffocate due to lung damage.
Side note: I bought the Winchester super x 145g and a box of Federal blue box 140g from Wholesale Sports at least 15 years ago. Paid $19.99 per box or so.
Those two brands are now selling for $65 and $57 respectively, if you can find it. Crazy.
Those two brands are now selling for $65 and $57 respectively, if you can find it. Crazy.
My only centerfire rifle is a M1000 chambered in 7x57. I’ve also recently had to purchase ammo and found the pricing to be steep. I’m going to look into reloading since I have everything but the primers sitting around. I picked up some Hornady 154gr SP interlock projectiles. Hoping they shoot well since everything between 139gr to 175gr seems to.
I’ve had luck with everything from 139gr Hornady BTSP, 140gr Core-Lokt, 145gr Winchester PP, 175gr Privi SP and 175gr Norma RN. There’s also some various S&B loadings which I recall were fairly good. They used to be $20 a box so I used them for practice. Latest acquisition was Winchester PP 145gr for $61.99 and Federal Power-Shok 140gr for $49.99 (both were old stock pricing as the ammo had been there awhile). I’ve gotten sub 1” groups with all the above. Nice cartridge choice.
I picked up three boxes of PPU 139g SP from Prophet River about 2 years ago when it could be had for $29 a box. I see even now that stuff is pushing close to $40. Any experience with it? It'll have to do once I'm done with the other stuff as I don't reload.
I wish I could help you but I’ve not tried the modern PPU. The boxes of Privi that I have say “Imported by Century Arms” and “Made in Yugoslavia” - which alludes to the age of the ammunition. I bought them used from Epps paying $8 a box a number of years ago. They group up well and are pretty consistently.
My local store has stock of the modern PPU but only in FMJ offerings. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the price.
I am always checking the used ammo bins for the same reasons.
Epps has some RWS 7x57 162gr as well for $89.99. Not rimmed of course but I was tempted to try a European loading and see how it compares.
I almost feel that way myself. I like the rifle and it shoots well so I’m willing to give hand loading a go.
1:9 for those. But in a long action with a bit of a throat, you might want to try some 175's or 180's. Could be fun, but you'll want 1:8 to spin those.
- Location
- Steel Town
Factory RWS is in the middle in terms of muzzle energy, a step up from "7mm Mauser" labelled stuff. Norma is the hot stuff and like RWS, it's exceptional in terms of performance. I buy every box of Norma I can find, especially the Oryx variety. Prvi isn't bad actually, and it's brass is very good for reloading.
Now that you say this, I have regrets not buying that box of Norma 156gr Oryx Epps has a few weeks ago.
Good to know about the Privi. The ones I have a fine shooting and accurate.
