7x57 or 7x64

[greyfox]

shoot them over a chrono, shoot ANY animal with either a 175 7mm at 2700 ish and a 30 cal 180 at 2600 ish and ask it to tell you the difference.

Don't get me wrong, I use a 7 Mag and I love it, but honestly, there's not alot of difference between a 7 Mag, a .30'06 and throw the grand 270 in there too...

 

[matt85]

not sure about those numbers... the 7mm mag ive used had more velocity then that. I was firing a 175gr bullet at 2900fps (a fairly standard load) im not sure about the 30-06 but I imagine it would be a stretch to match that velocity with a 180gr bullet.

comparing a 175gr .284" bullet to a 180gr .308" bullet isn't exactly fair to the .308" bullet. the 175gr .284" bullet will drop less, hit harder, and penetrate deeper (assuming we are talking the same brand).

-matt

 

[sestoppelman]

I have both and love them both. My 7x64 CZ will outshoot my 7x57 CZ. Look at this way. The 7x64 is to the 7x57, what the .30-06 is to the .308 Win. All are great rounds. A friend of mine took both a .308 and a .30-06 to RSA. I know right? But after shooting things with both he felt it was hard to tell the difference in killing power on that size of game, all plains game of the usual menu. So that said if I could only have one of those two 7's, I would opt probably for the one that shot best and if equal, I would take the more powerful for longer shots and flatter shooting, the 7x64, its a wonderful old round. With it or the American version, the .280 Remington, one can expect with carefully crafted hand loads, and a 24" barrel, around 2800 with a 175 gr bullet, 2900 with a 160 gr. bullet, just over 3000 with 150's, and close to 3200 with 140's. That's around 200 fps better than the 7x57 can usually muster barring a particularly fast (or long!) barrel, in all weights. Now I know some will say they can drive bullets to nearer those speeds in a 7x57 but its usually guys who believe the dope in the Ackley book and those that don't own chronographs. Plus the PSI will be fierce! There is no escaping the difference in powder capacity.

 

[PaulT]

Ses, have you done any more loading with your 7x64mm ?

Have you tried the 140gn T.S.X's yet by any chance ?
If you have i'd love to know what your loads you are using.

I haven't gotten around to doing anything with mine for a while but I have a heap of the 140gn T.S.X's on hand and want to build up a good efficient, flat shooting load.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sestoppelman]

Hey Paul! No, I have not tried those bullets in this rifle, been just shooting mostly 150 Ballistic Tips, with R19 and 22 which I have found to be excellent powders for this cartridge. Shot also some 160 gr Sierra Game Kings, the one with the hollow tip and they also shot great with the same powders. With the 140 TSX, we shot those in our .284 Win using Win 760 powder and that was the kick butt load my boy used in RSA, shoots great and digs half way to China! One shot wildebeest with that. Used 55.5 grs of 760 for just over 3000 fps with a 22" barrel.

 

[PaulT]

Thanks Ses, i'm keen to try the 140 T.S.X's as I bought a reasonable quantity of them in a bulk buy and figure they should be the cat's meow in 7mm.

 

[Longwalker]

I currently shoot three 7x57 rifles and two 7x64 rifles. If used in the same action length and barrel length, the 7x64 does everything the 7x57 can, and some little bit extra too. 7x57 factory loads from the USA are very underpowered, European loads are superior. The chamber and bore dimensions of the 7x57 are quite variable, and some rifles will not shoot well with lighter bullets like 140's because of their long chamber throat.
Have not run into those difficulties with the 7x64. I find factory loads are consistent and full powered, and enjoy a better selection of bullets than the 7x57. My 7x64's shoot well with everything from 123 grain to 175 grain bullets. My 7x57's do best with 160's and 175's.
I really like my 7x57s, but because they are very useful and artistic rifles. If they were chambered in 7x64 i'd like them a tiny bit better.

 

[Steve Steyr]

Couple of things....400 m is really stretching it. I think a really sharp PH should be able to get you closer.
I've owned a lot of 7x57's and two 7x64's. All of the 7x57's responded to my handloading work with a minimal effort. I can easily get 2950 fps with most any 140 grainers from my 22" Winchester Model 70. Accuracy is often <1" with many loads. For factory loads, the old Norma 150 grainers at 2750 fps were tops.
Recently, I found S&B 173 grainers and PMC 175 grainers shot @1/2" at 100 yards.
They aren't fast, though. Most clock @2360 fps. so learning trajectory past 300 m is critical. Since this basic load has been used effectively for nearly 125 years on large game, there is no reason to ask "will it work?"
Recoil is very pleasant and I can shoot 7x57's all afternoon with no sore shoulder. 270's, 280's, and 7x64's get to me sooner so my range sessions are less pleasant and I practice more with the 7x57.
The 7x64 is new to me and my rifles seem only to like 175 grain Remingtons or 170 grain Norma ammo. My handloading efforts haven't yet paid off and 1 1/2" to 2 1/4" groups have been the norm. I do notice the chamber specs for the 7x64 call for a LOT of freebore and, while this keeps pressure low, I can't help but think it doesn't do a thing for accuracy.
I am admittedly a great fan of the 7x57 so my subjective choice is, obviously 7x57. However, truthfully, either will serve you faithfully.
Good luck.

 

[sestoppelman]

I had a Ruger 77 in 7x64, a run they made for the Euro market that didn't pan out I gather, as most of them are here. It too had a lot of throat. So much so that I tried to get Ruger to do something about, don't remember what I thought they should do, but the answer was "shoot it first before you complain!". Guess what, it shot excellent! The idea that freebore will ruin accuracy is a myth. If the magazine will allow beyond spec OAL, then seat bullets out farther.

 

[Odinsraven]

The blonde uses my 7x64 139gr sst every plainsgame fell to the shot ...was able to purchase 170gr pmp at the local store ...

Ohh of going to Port Elizabeth have a dealer there who will have your ammo in stock for you which is quite cool.

However want a 7x57 for the cool factor

And as I have the dies brass and heads

 

[ZG47]

I had a Ruger 77 in 7x64, a run they made for the Euro market that didn't pan out I gather, as most of them are here. It too had a lot of throat. So much so that I tried to get Ruger to do something about, don't remember what I thought they should do, but the answer was "shoot it first before you complain!". Guess what, it shot excellent! The idea that freebore will ruin accuracy is a myth. If the magazine will allow beyond spec OAL, then seat bullets out farther.

Yep. This business of seating bullets out has more to do with long range single-shot work with short-shank boat-tail bullets than real world hunting shots from repeating rifles. Also, the reason why the assassins in the movies are shown with custom-loaded cartridges, carefully nestled individually in foam, etc is the same reason why top FT competitors store their air rifle pellets similarly. Those cartridges and pellets are too delicate for either field use OR most range shooting.

NB Boat-tail bullets were developed for long-range machine gun use including reverse slope firing. Look at the hassles the British had in the Falkands trying to use the inadequate 7.62x51 NATO instead of the .303 Mk VIII loading adopted for their belt-fed guns in the late 1930s. If the 7.62x51 had not been adopted they would likely have changed from the Mk VIII to the sS (198gr) loading of the 7.92x57IS which their tank crews had been using since the late 1930s.

Boat-tails were later adopted by match shooters but for obvious reasons it is harder, i.e. more expensive to make uniform boat-tail bullets and harder to get them properly aligned with the barrel axis, especially with older rifles made to commercial mass production specifications, hence the insistence by some people that you have to seat your bullets closer to the lands than the big ammo companies do!

I use boat-tails in my Brno .30.06 because the rifling is a bit tight for flat-base projectiles. I use 198gr flat-base bullets in my 8x57 Brno made M98 but stay below 2400 because the military velocities were achieved with boat-tail bullets. Boat-tail bullets make sense in a hunting rifle if the barrel is a bit tight but otherwise, WHY, with all due respect to other peoples' beliefs, BOTHER?

 

[sestoppelman]

If magazine length will allow and I have a long throated rifle, there is another advantage to seating out, more boiler room. When you take a long bullet and seat it deeply in the case you effectively reduce powder capacity, and if using max loads may increase pressure as well. Bullet seating depth influences this to some degree. I usually will seat per mag length given enough throat to handle the extra length. Otherwise throat dictates OAL.

 

[Scrumbag]

I'm based in the UK, and neither calibre is that popular here, it tends to mainly be 243, 308 and 6.5x55. I will probably have to bulk buy ammunition, but I don't mind doing that, or maybe I'll have to start home-loading.

R, I'm in the UK and my 7x64 is my go to rifle. Give me a shout and if I can help I will.

Scrummy

 

[Odinsraven]

As commented before 7x64 drop's everything ....However a rigby 275 made by rigby is my dream

 

[D.M.V]

Did you guys see the Corbbett commemorative rifle Rigby built

 

[D.M.V]

 

[D.M.V]

Down to the broken tooth on the tiger that was part of this death defying encounter

 

[D.M.V]

 

[D.M.V]

 

[D.M.V]