How low...

[Blucollar]

Can you go?
Loading for a 93 Mauser 7mm 7x57, How low can you go safely in reduced loads for these older rifles?
Can I start down and watch for signs of pressure like when working up?

[jhalcott]

With LEAD bullets or them OTHER kind?? According to my old SPEER book (#11) ,you can START at 18 grains of 4759 and a cci 200 primer . This will get you about 1650 FPS. 22 grains will get about 2000 FPS. This is with the Speer 130 grain bullet. The book also has other weight bullets using 4759 for reduced loads.

[Blucollar]

175g Hornady SP bullets.
From what I've read and what (little) I understand, these rifles are supposed to shoot better with the heavier bullets.
I'm just trying to get it as accurate as I can, probably won't shoot over 200yds much if any for whitetail.

[Siskiyou]

150 GR. NOS BT       150    H4895    .284"    3.000"    34.0    2271    40,200 CUP    36.0    2383    46,000 CUP          
150 GR. NOS BT       150    Benchmark    .284"    3.000"    34.0    2291    40,900 CUP    36.0    2365    45,700 CUP          
150 GR. NOS BT       150    IMR 4007 SSC    .284"    3.000"    40.0    2358    41,700 CUP    42.5    2486    45,500 CUP          
150 GR. NOS BT       150    760    .284"    3.000"    42.0    2406    40,100 CUP    44.5    2532    45,400 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    H4831    .284"    3.000"    43.0    2311    41,500 CUP    46.0    2415    45,700 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    Hybrid 100V    .284"    3.000"    40.5    2337    36,600 CUP    43.5C    2468    41,600 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    H4350    .284"    3.000"    40.0    2314    42,100 CUP    42.5    2399    45,400 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    H414    .284"    3.000"    40.0    2292    40,200 CUP    42.5    2405    45,400 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    H380    .284"    3.000"    37.0    2186    40,800 CUP    39.5    2299    46,000 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    Varget    .284"    3.000"    33.0    2160    41,100 CUP    35.0    2261    45,900 CUP          
160 GR. NOS PART    160    H4895    .284"    3.000"    33.0    2165    40,200 CUP    34.5    2245    44,700 CUP       

Hodgdon Powder Company has developed the following reduced loads for youth and beginning shooters for use on deer and similarly sized game animals. The bullets chosen were originally designed for single shot pistols and their lower velocities. These loads have been developed to closely approximate those pistol velocities in rifles, and therefore, similar performance on game animals. This provides our young and beginning shooters with loads effective to 200 yards with minimal recoil.
For all cartridges we chose H4895 because it is the slowest burning propellant that ignites uniformly at reduced charges. For years, H4895 has been the top choice by cast bullet shooters. For this type shooting, loads are reduced even more than the hunting loads listed herein. To create loads of this type for target and plinking, we recommend our 60% rule with H4895. By taking the maximum charges listed in our Annual Manual with any given cartridge and multiplying it by 60%, the shooter can create a 1500 to 2100 fps load, depending on the bullet weight shown. This works only where H4895 is listed. Do not use H4895 in a cartridge where it has not been shown.
Call Hodgdon Powder Company if additional information is needed. Loads may be adjusted up or down to achieve best accuracy. Do not reduce by more than an additional 10%.

Hodgdon Data