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  1. #1
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    Default 7x57 for plains hunting

    Dudes,

    I have a Musgrave 7x57 and I am planning a hunt in the Free State area. The oppertunity is there to shoot from springbuck to eland. Average distance of shots is about 200m to 230m.

    My questions are:
    Will the 7x57 be up to the challange.
    What ammunition will work, I can reload if necesary.

    Thanks,

    AndrePo

  2. #2
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    If you really want to make it a flat shooter you can use GS Custom 117 or 120HV bullets which will give you 3100 fps +. Go visit gscustom.co.za and follow the links to the HV bullet range. You can order by mail or look for them in gun shops. They have plenty of tips to get accuracy etc. The bullets are premium and not cheap. Other choices are the Barnes X and Spartan. The monometals are lighter to achieve the same length of bullet and can therefore be moved a bit faster.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    PottieP,

    I also own a 7 X 57 and have used it for hunting on both bushveld and plainsgame. The variety in the size of the game species you mentioned could be problematic. The bigger game at long range could be problematic. To my mind shooting an eland with a 110or 130 gr bullet could land you in the dwang, especially if it is at 200m or further and if it is a bul. Should you hit heavy bone, you are likely to have a wounded, but not dead animal. My advice to you is to shoot with the heaviest bullets your rifle groups well with. You might want to determine what the groove turn of your rifle barrel is. The tighter the turn is the heavier the bullets that it will stabilise, eg 1 in 10 inches (160 - 175gr).Tthe lighter the turn the better it will stabilise lighter bullets 1 in 12 inch (130 to 150gr)

    Once you know what the best diet for yor rifle is. start working on the loads for the bullets you plan to hunt with. Use the best quality bullets you can afford. Core bonded, solid shank or monolithic bullets should all work well as they are all likely to rentain the most or all of its weight after impact and maintain momenum better. Very important especially for those larger animals.
    Zero your rifle in at 200m and start shooting those loads at different ranges 100, 150, 200, 250m, so that you can learn the trajectory of that load. Learn to estimate range as correctly as possible or get a range finder. Shoot a lot and really get to know your rifle. Shoot from the positions you expect to hunt, eg sitting, prone off sticks, ext. It really helps if you are prepared for this and it is a great comfort if you are well prepared for your shots. Determine what the maximum range is that you are comfortable with, to take a shot at a quarry, and plan you hunt around that.

    If you are planning to go for small to medium sized game, you could work with 140 to 150gr bullets which gives higher velocities with a flattter trajectoty out to 250m with enough momentum to bring down your quarry.

    What I've written here are my opinions and based on my experiences only. I am not an expert, I just like to shoot my rifle and enjoy reloading. There are better and more experienced people out there that may perhaps have better advice that may greatly differ from me and perhaps they can give their opinions too. My rifle shoots better with heavier bullets because it has a 1 in 9.5inch turn and does not group well with 130 gr bullets.

    RegardsJHN

  4. #4
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    Well said, Johan.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    Johan N,

    thanks for the feed back. I will make work of your sugestions.

    Will you please be so kind as to share your reloading secrets and tricks for the 7x57 with me. I get the feeling that reloading information is not something that people easily part with. I sort of understand why.

    Cool,

    AndreP

  6. #6
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    I have had a 7x57 in the family since 1958. At one stage I had four. Since 1992 I have used my own 140gr HPs and since 1997, depending on which rifle I take out, the 130gr HV or 117gr HV. The weight of the bullet is unimportant if it is a mono. In tests with a 7-08, the 120gr HV tied for deepest penetration and largest wound channel volume with a 175gr partition style bullet. Do not equate cup and core performance and weight with that of drive band monos and their weights. Reloading info is freely available, just ask.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    PottieP,
    Any time you have questions relating to your rifle, reloading or the calibre, you just ask. If I can help, I will. The great advantage of this website and it's forums is the fact that there is a lot of collective knowledge available and the people are willing to share.
    Regarding reloading tips, just remember that when you are looking for loads specifically, the reality is that the load that works well in my rifle with a large loose chamber, will cause dangerously high pressures when fired in someone elses rifle with a tighter chamber, resulting in damage and/or injury. The reason is basically that chamber dimensions differ from rifle to rifle and those differences causes variations in pressures and performance (you will never fire somebody else's reloads in your rifle or your reloads in somebody else's rifle). Normally the only safe loads are the starting loads as supplied by the manufacturer of the specific powders. In the South African scenario it is the Somchem powders using Somchem's ballistic manual.

    When I reload I hope to achieve optimum accuracy and have continues, identical results every time I use a specific load. In order to do that I must make sure that my ammunition and components are concentric and uniform and that it lines up concentricly with the rifle chamber and barrel. All the processes in reloading like resising the cases, cutting the cases, weighing and sorting the cases and bullets, measuring the powder, seating the bullet heads to specific depths, is done to achieve concentricity and uniformity.
    Gerard's comments regarding monolithic bullits are also something that is very interesting and also important. Gerard is truly an expert on monolithic bullet performance and I believe in the field of bullet development and it's ballistic performance. I on the other hand am a layman in all matters ballistic and reloading. Monolithic in this case refers to uniform copper material as opposed to lead core bullets with a copper mantle or cup. The properties of the two materials differ and in order to compare their performances you need to take those differences in considiration. Perhaps Gerard can give us more insight into this.

    Regards,

    JHN

  8. #8
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    Johan,

    thanks for the further info.

    How do I know what is enough presure and what is to much presure?

    How do I check to see if the chaimber of my rifle is loose or tigh?

    Is there someone I can take my rifle to to almost "analyse" my rifle for me in terms of all the factors I need to take into account when developing loads for my rifle?

    Cool thanks,

    AndreP

  9. #9
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    Pressure:
    Pressure makes the case expand and seal against the chamber wall so that gas does not leak to the rear (base of the case). When you extract the fired case, look at how far down the case neck the powder residue has left a deposit. If the case is shiny and clean right to the mouth, pressure is approaching maximum. If the case neck is blackened, pressure is at a reasonable level. If the case shoulder shows powder residue, pressure is very low. Any powder residue down the body of the case indicates pressures that are unacceptably low.

    Chamber length:
    If the length of the chamber exceeds the length of the case, it is called excessive headspace. It is possible that the rifle has too much headspace and it must be repaired. It is also possible that the case has been sized too far down, the shoulder has been pushed back and all the symptoms of excessive headspace are there. This is easy to fix. Headspace, whether artificial or real, has all the symptoms of excessive pressure. When "pressure signs" are seen at start loads, it is usually a headspace problem.

    Take a dummy round (loaded as per normal with a bullet but without powder and primer), chamber it and note how the bolt feels when it turns to close. Stick one layer of masking tape onto the base of the case and trim the excess so that there is a disc of tape on the base of the case, covering the primer pocket. Chamber the round and see if it feels tighter than previously. If it does not feel tighter and with visible drag marks on the tape, there is headspace and it may be real or artificially created by sizing too far down.

    Chamber diameter:
    The critical dimension for accuracy is the inside diameter of the chamber neck and the clearance between the chamber neck wall and the case neck outside diameter. The difference may not be more than 60 micron (0.060mm). To do this test use parcel tape (the wide gray one that looks like sellotape on steroids). It is 40 micron thick. Sellotape or masking tape is thicker and cannot be used for this test. Cut a small length of parcel tape that is the width of the case neck height. It must be long enough to go around the case neck but the ends must not overlap. Tape the neck of the dummy round like this and chamber it. If it chambers without pushing the tape back, the chamber neck diameter is too big. The rest of the case is not critical for diameter and does not play a big role in determining accuracy. Chamber diameter aft of the shoulder dictates case life and not much else, unless it is grossly out of spec.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: 7x57 for plains hunting

    Gerard,

    all I can say is wow, that is cool and scary at the same time.

    "I can see clearly now" that getting a license for a rifle is only half the battle, the real work is to get to know your weapon and not just the feel of it.

    Thanks for the info.

    AndreP

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