powder for 7x57

[c. schutte]

I'm converting an old mauser back to a 7x57 (should say having it done) and am wondering if I already have some good powder on hand or is there one that is best suited for that cartridge?

On hand there is plenty of RL17, RL22 & RL 15.

Planning on using the 140 grain AB, 24" barrel. It's an old mexican mauser so I'm sticking to moderate pressures, (50 to 53K).

Thanks.

chs

 

[DrMike]

Any of the powders you name will work. I worked up a load for a gentleman on one occasion with 160 grain Partitions in an old Mauser. The powder that gave me the best results was RL19 and IMR4350 close behind. RL19 and 160 grain Partitions gave 0.3 inch accuracy and decent velocity. This was his moose gun and it showed the use; but, man, did it shoot.

Cartridge : 7 x 57 mm Mauser (SAAMI)
Bullet : .284, 140, Nosler AccuBond 59992
Useable Case Capaci: 52.245 grain H2O = 3.392 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.071 inch = 78.00 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-17

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   76    38.24   2239    1559   26417   8508     90.3    1.513
-18.0   78    39.20   2296    1639   28112   8800     91.7    1.474
-16.0   79    40.15   2354    1722   29918   9081     93.0    1.436
-14.0   81    41.11   2411    1807   31842   9351     94.2    1.399
-12.0   83    42.06   2469    1895   33890   9608     95.3    1.363
-10.0   85    43.02   2526    1984   36080   9851     96.3    1.328
-08.0   87    43.98   2584    2076   38414  10078     97.1    1.290
-06.0   89    44.93   2642    2169   40891  10288     97.9    1.252
-04.0   91    45.89   2699    2265   43569  10480     98.6    1.216  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0   93    46.84   2756    2362   46416  10653     99.1    1.180  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   95    47.80   2813    2460   49464  10805     99.5    1.146  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0   97    48.76   2870    2560   52728  10937     99.8    1.113  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0   98    49.71   2926    2662   56229  11045    100.0    1.081  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  100    50.67   2982    2764   59985  11132    100.0    1.050  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  102    51.62   3037    2867   64023  11207    100.0    1.020  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  104    52.58   3092    2972   68367  11278    100.0    0.991  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 95 47.80 2949 2704 60178 10388 100.0 1.057 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 95 47.80 2619 2133 40201 10579 93.9 1.261

Cartridge : 7 x 57 mm Mauser (SAAMI)
Bullet : .284, 140, Nosler AccuBond 59992
Useable Case Capaci: 52.245 grain H2O = 3.392 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.071 inch = 78.00 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-22

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   86    42.08   2169    1462   25328   8173     78.4    1.542
-18.0   89    43.13   2228    1544   27051   8513     80.1    1.500
-16.0   91    44.18   2289    1629   28902   8852     81.8    1.461
-14.0   93    45.24   2351    1718   30892   9186     83.4    1.422
-12.0   95    46.29   2413    1810   33033   9516     85.0    1.383
-10.0   97    47.34   2476    1906   35337   9839     86.6    1.345
-08.0   99    48.39   2540    2005   37819  10154     88.0    1.305
-06.0  102    49.44   2604    2108   40503  10460     89.5    1.264
-04.0  104    50.50   2669    2214   43402  10754     90.8    1.222  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0  106    51.55   2734    2324   46537  11036     92.1    1.183  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0  108    52.60   2800    2437   49937  11304     93.3    1.145  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  110    53.65   2866    2554   53626  11555     94.4    1.108  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0  112    54.70   2933    2675   57632  11790     95.4    1.072  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  115    55.76   3000    2798   62010  12005     96.3    1.037  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  117    56.81   3068    2926   66784  12200     97.1    1.003  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  119    57.86   3135    3056   72010  12372     97.9    0.970  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 108 52.60 2983 2766 61273 11575 98.7 1.048 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 108 52.60 2572 2057 40298 10384 83.5 1.266

Cartridge : 7 x 57 mm Mauser (SAAMI)
Bullet : .284, 140, Nosler AccuBond 59992
Useable Case Capaci: 52.245 grain H2O = 3.392 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 3.071 inch = 78.00 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder : Alliant Reloder-15

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   71    34.08   2200    1505   27771   7759     90.7    1.526
-18.0   73    34.93   2251    1576   29428   8000     91.7    1.489
-16.0   74    35.78   2303    1648   31177   8235     92.8    1.453
-14.0   76    36.64   2354    1722   33021   8464     93.7    1.417
-12.0   78    37.49   2405    1797   34966   8686     94.6    1.383
-10.0   80    38.34   2455    1874   37017   8899     95.5    1.350
-08.0   81    39.19   2506    1952   39179   9105     96.2    1.313
-06.0   83    40.04   2556    2031   41458   9301     96.9    1.278
-04.0   85    40.90   2606    2112   43860   9488     97.6    1.244  ! Near Maximum !
-02.0   87    41.75   2656    2193   46393   9665     98.1    1.212  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   88    42.60   2706    2276   49064   9830     98.6    1.180  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0   90    43.45   2755    2360   51880   9985     99.0    1.150  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0   92    44.30   2804    2445   54851  10128     99.4    1.121  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0   94    45.16   2853    2530   57986  10258     99.6    1.093  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0   96    46.01   2901    2617   61296  10375     99.8    1.066  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0   97    46.86   2949    2704   64792  10480     99.9    1.040  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 88 42.60 2824 2478 57884 9613 100.0 1.097 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 88 42.60 2546 2016 40439 9578 93.2 1.289

 

[Europe]

Charles I remember using varget when reloading for the 7 mauser and for almost everything else for that matter.

 

[1Shot]

I fixed a Spanish Mauser 7x57 for a friend and did a work up load. His father had the rifle and had the barrel cut to 22" and Williams open back and front sights put on it and had it hot blued and put in a sportier stock. Someone broke into their house and stole it and as the thief was coming out the door they were pulling into the drive way and the thief threw the rifle down and ran away. This broke the stock in half at the grip area. It sat for years in this condition. My friend wanted a deer rifle and asked me about fixing this. I got him a new stock and drill and tapped for scope and cut off the old bent down bolt handle and replaced it with a handle I made that worked with a scope and I made a single stage trigger out of the old two stage trigger and got it down to 3lb pull. I also installed a new safety leaver that works with a scope. Oh, the barrel on this rifle looked like it was new in side. Remington cases CCI 200 primers 45 grs IMR 4350 with 154 gr Hornady Interlock sp bullets was a tack driver and it has been a great deer killer for him.

 

[SJB358]

17 would be my pick Chuck. It has worked excellent with 140-160's in my boys rifles. 19 worked well with 140's and 150's as well. It wasn't hard to find a good shooting load in his rifle. Seemed to shoot everything decently.

 

[c. schutte]

Thanks guys & gal,

The rifle will be finished in short order and I have not even ordered brass! Need to get my arse in gear for sure. Actually, the goal is to have it ready for loading late January.

Scotty, RL17 does wonders in a certain 9.3x64 so maybe it will do wonders here too!