Hunting boolit for a long throat 7x57?

[the_ursus]

I'd like to start casting for my Ruger 77 in 7mm Mauser that's been plagued by a long chamber throat. That said, it likes loooong bullets. I'm looking for mold suggestions base on experience from .284 (mauser/mag) shooters/hunters on mold options, alloy hardness, and velocity.

I know these may be narrow perameters but thought I'd give it a shot.

[runfiverun]

softnosed, round or flat at @1800.
there is an older thread in the hunting section on using the 7mm for hunting.
but the velocity was upped.
the long throat will want a heavier boolit the flat point will be the hard part.
i was able to use a soft nosed spire type point [lyman 168 gr]on a deer last year with good results.

[HORNET]

RCBS used to make a 7-168-FN mold that ought to be superb. I don't even see it in their special order section anymore. Looked like the 30-180-FP but skinnier. You might locate one on flea-bay or try the WTB section of Swapping & Selling. As an alternative, you could get the Midsouth 6.5 Cruise Missile and paper patch it. Those guys down in the paper-patch section make all kinds of velocity and accuracy claims.

[303Guy]

... 7mm Mauser that's been plagued by a long chamber throat.The 7x57 is designed to shoot a 174gr RN J-word seated to the base of the neck. That means most of it is outside the case. It'll drive that 'torpedo' to 2450fps at modest pressure.

I made a smooth sided mould for my 303 Brit using the original 215gr J-word as a model. At the same length but sized to the throat, it came out at 225gr. I got the nose shape such that a layer of thick 'waxy-lube' would support it in the throat/leade/bore. Accuracy indications were very promising and there was zero leading. I changed to paper patching which required sizing that same boolit (or any other boolit) to make room for the patch. The thing is that if I can shoot seven smooth sided heavies at about 1800fps with good accuracy and no leading then so will you. Furthermore, your 7x57 with long heavy cast boolits at a reasonable velocity of 1800fps or more will be one serious game rifle!

[the_ursus]

Thanks for the help guys. I do know that my rifle really likes 175gr Hornady RN and really hates anything shorter that I've tried. I do have an RCBS mold (160gr?) but it has lube grooves almost all the way to the tip. I think I can get this bullet to touch the rifleing but I really don't like all the exposed lube beyond the case from a shallow seat.

https://shop.rcbs.com/WebConnect/MainServlet?storeId=webconnect&catalogId=webconnect&langId=en_US&action=ProductDisplay&screenlabel=index&productId=3315&route=C12J059

This bullet looks good since it's long and the lube grooves would be covered by the case but looks like a sillouette design and don't know if it could make a good hunting round.

[HORNET]

If you've got the Loverin-style RCBS, try it. There's no reason that you have to fill all the grooves if you use a really good lube, Maybe White Label Carnauba Red or Bullshop's Speed Green. In fact, some members have reported better accuracy on the Loverin styles lubing only the grooves that will be in the case neck. There's a phenomenon called lube purging that can happen with over-lubed boolits.
For hunting, a sizeable meplat is preferred under most circumstances. For alloy, something with a fairly low antimony content (50/50 WW/ soft lead) to reduce any brittleness. Maybe heat treat to get hardness up. Bullshop's Rule was for an impact velocity in fps of 100 X BHN for reasonable expansion.

[Nrut]

ursus,
You should make a impact throat slug so you determine the dia. as well as the length of your throat.. I wouldn't be surprised if that RCBS mold at .285" dia. is to small..

[the_ursus]

Very interesting, I do believe the mold I have casts a bullet that's the same diameter on all bands. I even have a small sample of carnauba red I can try with it. Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'll hopefully cast a few before the weekend to try.

[Von Gruff]

My previous 7x57 was a Ruger MKII and I used the Lyman 287641 160gn mould. Got good accuracy over 28.5gn 3031 although in my present 7x57 I run it much harder over 39gn 2209 (H4350) giving me 2415fps and decent hunting accuracy. Just last week I took 4 goats, the first at 143yds the last at nearly 200. Aperture sight and tons of fun. Bullet is a 65gn 50/50, pb/ww soft nose on a lino shank. Lapped a Lee die to .2855 and nose size enough for positive engagement without debulleting if ejecting a chambered round. Love the mould and the bullet it produces. I use my own lube which is just 2/3 bees wax to 1/3 vaseline and it works well up to these velocities.

Von Gruff.

[runfiverun]

if the rcbs/lyman molds get along fine with one lube groove full the lyman will too.
i use a nei loverin design in my 30 cals with the grooves in the neck filled only.
but have a couple of loads where i fill all the grooves by dipping then sizing 310 and then wiping the lube from the grooves after loading.
this keeps the lube grooves where they ride in the bbl,with less bearing surface.
and provides the extra lube my 30-30 likes at the higher velocities.
in my 7.7 jap rifle i size 313 and then fill two lube grooves for more bearing surface, and it also hides the lube in the neck.

[303Guy]

Bullet is a 65gn ...That would be 165gr, right?

Well, I can see no reason why a harder lube - melted and dipped - shouldn't work just fine in a Loverin style boolit.