Hopeful for my "new to me" 7x57 & 338

[preacher]

Well, after months of just gathering up components and getting this rifle tweaked, scope mounted, I finally loaded up some trial loads. I say I'm hopeful as this particular rifle has a "not so long" throat. In fact, I was able to seat my bullets off the lands the distance I wanted. I seated the 120 Hornady & Nosler deep enough to have a good grip by the neck and my 160/175 Sierras are not too deep. All work through the magazine fine. I then loaded up some trial loads for this "also new to me" Mod 77 .338WM. Different story here. Had to seat all to work through the magazine and its throat is pretty long. So, in the next couple weeks I'll get to the new indoor range and shoot for groups. Its been a long time...and I was having withdrawals, ha. Merry Christmas!

 

[DrMike]

Looking forward to your results. And a blessed and joyous Christmas to you, my friend. May the Good Lord prosper you in the New Year.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Looking forward to reading about your results. Dan.

 

[Divernhunter]

Best hunting load for the 338win mag is a Swift A-Frame 225gr with 71grs of IMR4350 powder and a mag primer. I have used win and fed mag primers. This load was/is super accurate and gave me the highest speeds over my chrono. It has taken quite a number of animals in Africa and a few here in the USA. Seat the bullet deep as the swift bullets need jump just like the Barnes bullets do.

 

[preacher]

Thanks Pard, that's good to know about the Aframes. I've only loaded them for my SILs .308 (165) and I just seated them to the cannelure to "try". It wadded them into .75 and 2750 with 2000MR....pretty impressive.

 

[preacher]

No joy...none...zip...nada! Best the Mod 70 shot was right at 2" with a 3rd flyer off 3.5" with Sierra 160. Couldn't hardly keep 120s on paper! Didn't feed well either. The 77 338 was surprisingly pleasant to shoot, just poor patterns. Rounds set at 3.34" "almost" didn't feed right, best the rifle did was about 1 3/4" with Barnes 160TTSX. Didn't like, at all, the 180AB, 200BT, nor 250AB. Bummer. Oh well, I'll figure something out...drats.

 

[truck driver]

No joy...none...zip...nada! Best the Mod 70 shot was right at 2" with a 3rd flyer off 3.5" with Sierra 160. Couldn't hardly keep 120s on paper! Didn't feed well either. The 77 338 was surprisingly pleasant to shoot, just poor patterns. Rounds set at 3.34" "almost" didn't feed right, best the rifle did was about 1 3/4" with Barnes 160TTSX. Didn't like, at all, the 180AB, 200BT, nor 250AB. Bummer. Oh well, I'll figure something out...drats.

Well sounds like the M70 7mm needs bedding.
The big Ruger M77 338 sounds like it needs a more stable stock. They tend to try and twist the action out of the plastic factory stocks or at least mine did and the action screws would work loose. Like to drove me crazy till I figured it out. I was ready to wrap it around a tree.
210gr PTs over R17 worked really good in mine.

 

[preacher]

Well, I hear you uncle Rodger, "however", the Mod 70 has been bedded/floated and so has the Mod 77! Now, it could be the 77 is twisting, as you say. It recoils like a 30-06 though. Oh well, I am not going to lose any sleep over either one. Heck, if I find a rifle I like I'll sell these puppies to pay for. Which is good because I don't have any "discretionary" funds, at present, ha. It will all work out.

 

[Divernhunter]

If you want the Barnes bullets to group well 1) load to max load. They get more accurate the faster they are pushed. 2) seat the bullets so the top relief groove is just showing. They NEED bullet jump to group . This also help with keeping pressure spikes down at max loads.

 

[PJGunner]

I have two rifles in .338 Win. mag, but I never did much with them and no longer shoot them. At my age (80) recoil isn't the fun it used to be. I have done some work with the 7x57 though and two powder have stood out above others I tried. W760 and Rl17. I have the Nosler Ballistic Tip 140 gr. moving out at 2800 FPS with group averaging .75" or slightly less. I have the Nosler 150 gr. Partition doing an honest 2700 FPS and right in the .75" average for groups as well from my M70 Featherweight using Rl17. Both loads will do at least one inch from my Ruger #1. I also have a custom 7x57 based on an FN Mauser action with 23" Douglass barrel.The loads that work in the M70 and #1 prove to be too hot for that rifle which has a very tight bore and chamber. Winchester 145 gr. 7x57 ammo has proven to be extremely accurate in that rifle. I did a test using the few Hornady round nose bullets I have left, extrapolated the charge to give me the original 1893 velocity figures for the cartridge just to satisfy my curiosity. The M70 and #1 were close being a hair over the 2300 FPS I was looking for. The custom Mauser was a full 100 FPS faster.
Frankly, I feel premium bullets may not be all that necessary in a 7x57 unless one is going for the full potential of the cartridge. Next project will be with 160 gr. Speer Hot cores. Seems Jack O'Connor's wife loved that bullet in the 2700 FPS range and took a lot of game with that load in her 7x57. IIRC, he liked it too. You said you were trying a 160 gr. TTSX. I wonder if that bullet isn't too tough for 7x57 velocities? Also it might be a bit too long to stabilize in the M70's twist rate. I've heard it's anywhere from 1 in 8.5" to 1 in 10" and I've never been able to get a good reading from my barrel.
Bullets that have not worked well for me are the 120 and 140 gr. Barnes TSX and the 150 gr. Nosler ALBR. Probably just have to tinker with them some more.
Dunno if my rambling helped much but they do suggest alternatives.
Paul B.

 

[preacher]

I shot the Hornady 120vmax 120NBT...couldn't keep them on paper! The "Sierra 160" went about 3". The 140AB did 2 about 2.5" apart with the 3rd a 3.5" flyer. I had to run my windage dial almost to limit to get on paper at 100. It appears the scope holes are "canted" OR the barrel is not concentric with the action. I'm bummed...they are sold asap.

 

[preacher]

And just like that...they were sold this afternoon!

 

[truck driver]

Boy either you have very little patience or someone wanted them more then you did

 

[preacher]

Both lol

 

[preacher]

Just won the Bid on a Model 700 Classic in .270 Winchester. I will play with it for awhile and later on have my 35 Whelen AI barrel put on it. I know my way around Model 700s ( getting them to shoot well) far more than I do Rugers/Winchesters. This makes the 4th Mod 70 FWT and 3rd Ruger 77 I could not get to shoot well. Hard to beat a Model 700 Classic.