I'd suggest loads that keep the pressures below 35,000 psi.  Go to the Hodgon site, and they have loading data WITH pressure data.  Looks like 4350 and Varget will be the best for keeping pressures down (on the 170 gr bullets I looke at).  

Here's the link:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I'm wondering if the 7M.M.SM and 7.mm that are stamped on the 97/02 Remington rolling block was loaded to the same pressure as modern 7x57 at 57,000 psi.
I have each and was wondering what pressures the #5 rolling block was designed to handle.
WW

I have been messing about with a 7x57 #5 Roller for a couple of years, more off than on.  Military sights & trigger really preclude any serious load development.  I have lots of jacketed bullets.  Bore is .284 at breech & muzzle but larger in between.  Cast bullets are a waste of time.   

What I want is a good set of .30-30 level loads, 35,000 psi or less.  I tried loads edging up from 30.0 to 35.0 grains IMR-3031 with 136-grain military bullets.  No great results.  I went to the Hodgdon site.  H says the upper end load is over 39K, too much for the ye olde roller.  The H4895 reduced load looks like the next step.

The original bullet was a 175 grain round nose in the 7mm Spanish Mauser.  I have been shooting 7mm rolling blocks for 50 years and have always used the heavy 175 grain bullets.  They work very well.  Also, the 168 grain cast bullet will work very well.  For many years I used 39 grains of 4320 with the jacketed bullets.  Four or 5 years ago I switched to 4350 because that gives a little bit lower pressure than 4320.  The other trick is to make your brass by necking down 30-06 military brass.  That brass is a good bit heavier than the commercial 7mm brass and lasts longer.  I use 4198 with the case bullets.  Have to look up the load but it is around 1800 fps.

If you look in most of todays reloading manuals they will tell you to consider the minimum listed loads as the top loads for the '93 Mauser and the Remington rolling block.

You can also get a much lighter trigger spring which will really help.

George

OK, I found my old notes. My 1902 carbine was well worn to the point that the rifling looked pretty smooth (there were no pits maybe just cleaned the heck out of it). The first criteria to meet is that the brass has been fire formed to the chamber by putting one wrap of a 1/8 inch wide strip of electrical tape around the head just in front of the extractor groove. This will require a little pressure to push the case in just far enough to close the block and will ensure 2 things - one that the case is centered in the generous chamber so that when it is fired it expands evenly all the way around and two that the shoulder can blow out to the length of the original 7x57 chamber to set the headspace. After the fire forming the tape can be removed and the case only neck sized from then on. The best load I had was the 160 grain Norma boattail with 47 grains of 4831 giving a 100 yard group of just over 1 1/4 inch. When I came back to play with it some more I used the 169 grain RCBS cast bullet and 24 grains of IMR4895 worked well as did 15 to 16  grains of 2400, and 20 grains of IMR 4198. One time 16 grains of IMR 4198 even got a 6 shot group at 200 yards into 4.5 inches with the barrel sights on the carbine. With a 150 grain Lyman 19 grains of 2015 worked well at 100 as did 14 grains of 2400 as well as 4227. YMMV

Different brands of 120 gr mostly speer and some 168 gr Bt not sure what brand they are.

calledflyer wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2018 at 5:50pm:


All commercial shooting ranges I use DO NOT ALLOW rifle ammo with steel cores or mantles and will use strong magnet to check all rifle ammo for steel cores and mantles.