7x57 Federal Premium with NP bullets!

[MD]

Went to see my good pal in Port hardy last week and told him I was just about out of my handloads with 139 grain Hornady Interlocks and I was out of bullets too. I had also had poor results loading 175 grain bullets for the rifle (1955 Husqvarna 4100 Lightweight) and he gave me two boxes of Federal premium cartridges with 140 grain Nosler Partition bullets.

They should not shoot too differently than my 139 grain loads so once sighted in I should be good to go for at least a couple of seasons. That is my favourite "Carrying around" rifle along with its twin sister in 270.

 

[Potashminer]

Hello - I think I have the identical rifle - Husqvarna Model 4100 in 7x57. For some unknown reason to me, they decided to make that one with 1-12" twist, when German 7x57 used 1-8.66" twist for many years. As a result, I am guessing that the Swede rifle will want "short" bullets to be stabilized in the slow twist, whereas the cartridge really made its military rep with the very fast traditional twist.

When you swap from one brand to another, "shortest" does not always mean "lightest" - is a thought that I have read - that for slow twist, you want a "light" bullet - is not really how that twist and stabilization thing works - is the bullet "length" that matters, not so much the "weight" - although within same brand, the lighter one is usually shorter - so I would expect in 140, 150 and 160 7mm Partition bullets that the lightest one is also the shortest one. Here is a picture of various 7 mm bullets that are here:



So, from left, that is 139 grain Hornady Interlock BTSP - so that one is "lightest" - then 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (Hunting), then Woodleigh Weldcore 140 grain PP SN - that one is "shortest" - then Speer HotCor 145 grain, then 150 grain Nosler Partition, then 175 grain Hornady Spire Point. So if you want "shortest" as I do, then I went with the Woodleigh.

i would be looking forward to how that choice works out for you. I took many dozen White Tail and Mule Deer with 150 grain Partition in a Ruger No. 1 7x57 - I thought that was the "end all / be all", until I came into this Model 4100 - but different twist rate in those barrels.

 

[MD]

Hello - I think I have the identical rifle - Husqvarna Model 4100 in 7x57. For some unknown reason to me, they decided to make that one with 1-12" twist, when German 7x57 used 1-8.66" twist for many years. As a result, I am guessing that the Swede rifle will want "short" bullets to be stabilized in the slow twist, whereas the cartridge really made its military rep with the very fast traditional twist.

When you swap from one brand to another, "shortest" does not always mean "lightest" - is a thought that I have read - that for slow twist, you want a "light" bullet - is not really how that twist and stabilization thing works - is the bullet "length" that matters, not so much the "weight" - although within same brand, the lighter one is usually shorter - so I would expect in 140, 150 and 160 7mm Partition bullets that the lightest one is also the shortest one. Here is a picture of various 7 mm bullets that are here:

View attachment 771996

So, from left, that is 139 grain Hornady Interlock BTSP - so that one is "lightest" - then 140 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip (Hunting), then Woodleigh Weldcore 140 grain PP SN - that one is "shortest" - then Speer HotCor 145 grain, then 150 grain Nosler Partition, then 175 grain Hornady Spire Point. So if you want "shortest" as I do, then I went with the Woodleigh.

i would be looking forward to how that choice works out for you. I took many dozen White Tail and Mule Deer with 150 grain Partition in a Ruger No. 1 7x57 - I thought that was the "end all / be all", until I came into this Model 4100 - but different twist rate in those barrels.

All I can do is agree. No amount of fiddling with powder weights could convince that rifle to shoot any decent groups with a long 175 grain bullet, but the 139 grain Hornady did fine a the range and onthe one bear I took with it.