Thread: Velocity
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Old May 14, 2000, 06:13 PM   #2
Paul B.
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Join Date: March 28, 1999
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,790
Steve. It depends on what caliber rifle you are shooting, and the rifle itself. Let's compare two similar rounds. The 7x57MM Mauser and the 7MM-08 Reminton. The 7x57 is not loaded to it's full potential, due to the fact there are rifles that are considered too weak to hold modern pressures. The cartridge was developed in, I think, 1892. The rifles were built to withstand something around 45,000 PSI.
The 7MM-08, on the other hand is a round that was developed in recent times, and rifles for it are desighned to hold somewhere between 50,000 to 55,000 PSI. (actually C.U.P. Copper units of pressure) don't know the exact figure.
So what happens if you load a 7x57 in a modern rifle such as the Ruger 77, Winchester Mod. 70, etc. to the same pressures as the 7MM-08? Well you have a horse of a different color now. But, you cannot do the same thing with a 7MM-08, because it has been loaded to whatever pressure is considered maximum.
I can think of several cartridges, offhand, that you could pep up a bit. .257 Roberts, 30-06, 45-70, just for openers.
Is it worth it? I used to think so. I still pep up the 45-70, but I have two strong rifles for that one. I load the 06 with 180 gr. bullets to the same velocity as factory anymore. I haven't really decides how hard I want to push my 7x57. fact is, I don't really know if I want to.
In my younger days, I loaded some ammo that was downright scary. That was 45 years ago. Now I like lighter rifles, and don't really feel the need to get bruised at the shooting bench. If I am hunting deer, how much power do I really need? Only enough to place a bullet where it will give as close to an instant kill as is absolutely possible. On elk and bigger game? I'll use a larger and heavier caliber gun. I'm not recoil shy. In fact I think it is kind of fun to master a heavy game rifle. As one grows older though, the old bod deteriorates, and one of my fears is the possibility of a detached retina in one of my eyes. So the hot 45-70 loads, the several .375's, the .338 mag., they all get a bit more neglected. I still shoot them off and on, but nowhere near as often. So I have to sneak a bit closer. After 50 years of deer hunting, I don't feel I have anything to prove. I've averaged 3 deer a year throughout that time frame, so I've gotten my share, and probably more.
Besides, the lighter load is easier on your rifle.
Paul B.
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