Hoenig O/U 7x57R Regulation Problems

[Bulldog Firearms]

My dad has a pair of these in 7x57r and 9.3x74r. He wants me to do load development for the 7x57r. RWS was making 7x57r ammo that shot very well and was well regulated. They changed their recipe and now it shoots like crap.

There's also the small issue that the RWS Cone Point 162 gr bullet is almost impossible to find stateside. What are my realistic options for selecting a bullet that will regulate in a similar fashion?

I'm ordering Shooting the British Double Rifle and hopefully that can provide some insight in this matter.

What kind of recommendations would you guys make for a 7mm bullet that will shoot easily in this application if none of the RWS bullets are available?

I'm also contemplating doing a modified ladder trying to catch overlap of impact as well as flat spots in velocity. Overlap in impact is more important than flat spots in velocity.

 

[AZDAVE]

You have started on the right foot by ordering Graeme Wright"s book it will give you alot or good information to start you down the road to getting a good load that regulates.
Do you know the velocity of the RWS ammo that regulated well? if so it will give you a starting point. as for bullet selection I would look for a similar weight bullet that has the same profile and bearing surface length as a starting point. Then you are looking to do a ladder to see what will work. If you know the powder that RWS was using that will help; as it will allow you to find a powder that has a similar pressure curve etc. Working on double loads will require some patience as it is more complex than a single barreled rifle. Read Graeme's book a couple times and then get a plan in place and start your testing. Remember that the O/U will need to take the chart on page 166 at the top of the page and turn it on the side to compensate for the O/U barrel orientation. I have worked up loads for my 8x57JRS and 450/400 O/U's that use several different bullets than what it was regulated with. So when you get to that point PM me and we can have a phone call to discuss any questions you might have. When we have hit the max of my knowledge I can recommend a couple guys here on AH that can help on really picky doubles. Welcome to the wonderful world of doubles.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Welcome to AH.
Check the bullets:
- Hornady 162gr SST
- RWS ID Classic 162gr
- ORYX Norma 156gr
- Sellier&Bellot SPCE 11,2g, SP, FMJ, HPC, Sierra.
Good luck.

 

[raimanparoni]

Rhino has also 160gr for 7mm