7x57 Ruger with cast

Dick West

Dick West

Member
Finally got a couple hours range time.

Took the M77 and some guess loads pushing a 130 gr. Lee cast.

I loaded IMR 4227, 'cause that's what I've got.

A 14grain. load shot into about 4" at 100.

An 18g.load shot a little better, about 3-4" at 100.

A 20 grain load did a bit better.

My best luck was with a 21.3g load. CCI LR primer
130 air-cooled battery-terminal clamps. With an alum. gas check I bought from a member Josh. Tumbled lubed in Ben's recipe with the liquid floor wax and alox.
The slug was seated way out with only two grease grooves into case. A hair short of the rifling.
The brass was '06 range pickups formed to 7x57.
Black-splatter target is 100yards, the orange/white is 50 yards--six rounds.

I'm happy. With closer bullet inspection and some load testing, I should be able to tighten a bit. Recoil is light. I'm guess the velocity is in the 1,500-1,700 fps range.
 

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Ben

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I'd say you're making some real good progress.

My 7X57 loves this load :


A lot of people say there is something magical about 10.0 grs. of Unique. Maybe they are right ...... ? ?








 
Dick West

Dick West

Member
I haven't seen 2400 in more than a year. The only other powders I have for cast are Red Dot and Tite Group, which I plan to try.

i'm using a Lee mold that Ian sent me. IIRC, your 130 "soupcan" has a flat point. My mold has a spire point, did Lee change the design?
BTW, my old lyman manual puts the velocity near 2,000 FPS. And I'm not seeing any leading with just the tumble lube.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
The C285-130-R that I sent to Dick is not the Soup Can, it is the standard production 7mm sillywet mould. The Soup Can is a semi-custom jobbie from Midsouth Shooter's Supply, and works better in worn throats or military throated Mausers.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
The Soup Can:
006-7MMSOUPCAN2_2.jpg



The C285-130-R

331841.jpg
 
Ben

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
Yes, Ian & Dick,

I was in error.
Sorry,

Ben
 
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fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
you still got some things to try but those ain't bad groups.
you could try water dropping the bullets, that alone can make a big difference.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
Dick, that's about where I seated them in my Savage barrel, just the space above the check and groove above that one lubed, and the case mouth in the middle of the next band with an empty top lube groove and crimp groove. The x57 has a longer neck than my 7mm-08, you might be able to use the Soup Can to good effect in yours.
 
Dick West

Dick West

Member
Thanks, all.
I'll post a photo of a loaded cartridge when I get a chance--but I think if I loaded the bullet out any further it wouldn't fit the magazine.

But I'm happy with the groups so far. This rifle has the original Ruger barrel that I've read only shoots well with a 160g or better bullet. But Ben's, and even my, results put the lie to that.
Nevertheless, I wonder what a heavier, longer bullet would do besides waste lead.

intheshop: I don't have a chrono, but my lyman indicates these babies are moving at about 2,000 (much faster than I usually go with cast, but it seems like the sweet spot with 4227). The range I use often has squirrely winds, so I may be able to compare the x57 vs. .300 Sav. out of my Rem. 722 that likes the Lee SKS 150gr.

Ben: Have you ever grouped those soup cans at 100 yards? I'd be interested to see how much they open up in 40 yards.

Fiver: I water dropped some yesterday, so I'll get to try your theory.
 
Dick West

Dick West

Member
Another day at the range with he 140ish Lee spire-point cast bullets. This time I tried Red Dot. The results were satisfying. I really like this Ruger 7x57.
With 9.0grains of Red Dot--the heaviest load i tried--i got groups under 3/4" at 50 yards. loads of 7.5 and 8.5grains of Red Dot produce slightly larger groups of about 1".
i may take it up a bit, but this is a nice plinking load that would do the trick for small game.

Cast, water-dropped, sized to .285, Ben's liquid lube, alum. gas checks.

35 degrees, sunny, the wind blowing in from 6 o'clock.

Distance; 50 yards.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
looks like the @80% of a 30 cal load theory I use is holding up.
your 20grs of 4227 is 90% of the 22grs I know many use in their 30-06
and your 9 grs of red-dot is pushing the 80% of the 12 grs I see some use too.
 
Ian

Ian

Notorious member
I never used that bullet with fast powders. My goal was maximum velocity (just to see what I could make it do) and ended up using low-end j-bullet loads of H414 for a mash-fit of the bullet to the bore. One I managed to recover only had one side that wasn't torn up from impact, but it looked like a cucumber, slugged up clear to the ogive, deep full-length rifling engraves, and no visible front band step remaining. 3" groups at 2610 fps from a 9" twist barrel and soft, ductile alloy will do that.
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
the 12grs I was referring to was also in the 0-6 case.
the 80% thing is how much the 7 is of the 30.
80% bullet weight and 80% powder with cast.
like 24grs of 4895 instead of 28grs, 15.5grs of 2400 instead of 18grs.
they just seem to shoot their 'best' when compared to the 30 caliber 'best' [145-150gr boolit versus 165-180gr boolit] when your in that 80% area.

it's just something I have noticed.
 
Pistolero

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
My Ruger 7x57 has a super long throat, but it likes the LBT 150 cast GC that I have shot a bit
with 2400. Previous owner marked the cavities, but initially I didn't pay attention to it.

This is without sorting by cavities.

7x57_150LBT_18_2400_2.jpg

I noted that three were about in one hole, so I decided to
test it again with four from cavity 2 and one from cavity 1.
18gr2400_LBT 150.jpg
Answer seems to be no.

I need to do more testing, like a 10 shot group with each cavity. Also need to
see what it does at .286 diameter.

Bill
 
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