7x57mm Mauser

(Continued from page 28)

weight (grains)
with net water case emply water capacily

field use. If I could wish for -any changes, it would be for a twenty-fourinch barrel with stand-by front and rear iron sights. The issue barrel is twenty-two inches long, with Remingtons standard 7mm twist of 9-1/4 inches. Sighting on the Remington is provided by a Weaver Micro-Trac 2.5-4.5~ variable scope set in Weaver top mounts - an arrangement that has proved eminently practicable for just about any use to which Im liable to put this rifle. Now before turning to a discussion of the cartridge and loads, let me call attention to the fact that my data table includes two columns listing muzzle velocities, one as recorded from the twenty-two-inch barrels of the Remington and Ruger rifles, and the second showing the readings from the twenty-three-inch Venezuelan Mausers barrels. I should add here that neither the Ruger nor the Remington has a long-throated chamber like the Mausers, with the result that bullets dont have that long jump from case neck to rifling origin as in the military rifles. Case construction and capacity of the 7x57mm came in for a careful study. I looked especially for clues that might explain the modest velocity advantage demonstrated by the 7mm-08. Was the superiority of the newer cartridge, however slight, real? Or could it be equaled with the right formulas in a 7x57mm? R-P and Federal brass were used primarily in the Remington 700, Federal and Norma in the Ruger Number One, and WinchesterWestern in the Mausers. It was thus necessary to determine average case weights and water capacities of all four makes. Filled to the base of a Hornady spire-point bullet seated to an overall cartridge length of 3.06 inches, it worked out as follows:

R-P 189.5 240.5 52.0 Federal 182.0 234.5 52.5 Norma 174.0 227.0 53.0 W-W 168.0 222.2 54.2

Average water capacity for all makes combined was thus 52.9 grains, but a more significant comparison with the 7mm-08 can be gained by comparing capacities of RemingtonPeters cases in both calibers, since R-P is currently the only company

HANDLOADER