5.7x28 bolt gun powders for handloading

[Wm Cook]

Similar to my first post but with a couple of specifics.

I’m guessing that over the counter preloaded 7.5x28FN are designed for short barrel (pistol/carbine) semiautomatic blowback designed firearms. And as such they use fast powders typical for pistols.

The only handloading reference material I could find on the 5.7 was in Jan/Feb 2010 Handloader. Pearce used typical handgun powders such as AA 5 & 7, True Blue, Universal etc. He was able to get 40 grain Sierra Hornets over 1,800 with an FN Five-seven using several different pistol powders.

I’m headed down the path to have two firearms chambered in 5.7. The handgun will be the FN Five-seveN FDE and will exclusively use factory produced ammunition. That and two thousand rounds will be home defense.

The second will be a bolt gun based off of a Cooper Model 38. That rifle will shoot handloads but could shoot the factory ammunition if necessary. That’s the fun gun.

That’s a long winded explanation for a simple question. Does anyone have slower powder recommendations that could be used for a bolt gun chambered in 5.7x28.

I have nothing to go on so I could use some help. I’m hoping Matthis see’s this post and can shed some light on this for me. I’m expecting to see stuff like 1680, 4227 and other Hornet like powders but I could be wrong.

I have a chrono in my shop so starting low and working up is easy to do. On this project I’ll start around 900 and work up to 2,500fps, measuring shoulder and case head expansion as I go. Typically I shoot three shot groups at 10 meters and stick with the same three cases to see how long they hold out.

Another question; why is only Matthis shooting a 5.7 bolt gun? I know it will about duplicate a Hornet but in the little Cooper 38 it’d be fun to play with. Thanks, Bill.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Its never crossed my mind to chamber a bolt gun is a five seven. And 2000rds for home defense? I can see it now- “can you believe the arsenal this militant had on hand? He was ready for war!!”

 

[piie]

Similar to my first post but with a couple of specifics.

I’m guessing that over the counter preloaded 7.5x28FN are designed for short barrel (pistol/carbine) semiautomatic blowback designed firearms. And as such they use fast powders typical for pistols.

The only handloading reference material I could find on the 5.7 was in Jan/Feb 2010 Handloader. Pearce used typical handgun powders such as AA 5 & 7, True Blue, Universal etc. He was able to get 40 grain Sierra Hornets over 1,800 with an FN Five-seven using several different pistol powders.

I’m headed down the path to have two firearms chambered in 5.7. The handgun will be the FN Five-seveN FDE and will exclusively use factory produced ammunition. That and two thousand rounds will be home defense.

The second will be a bolt gun based off of a Cooper Model 38. That rifle will shoot handloads but could shoot the factory ammunition if necessary. That’s the fun gun.

That’s a long winded explanation for a simple question. Does anyone have slower powder recommendations that could be used for a bolt gun chambered in 5.7x28.

I have nothing to go on so I could use some help. I’m hoping Matthis see’s this post and can shed some light on this for me. I’m expecting to see stuff like 1680, 4227 and other Hornet like powders but I could be wrong.

I have a chrono in my shop so starting low and working up is easy to do. On this project I’ll start around 900 and work up to 2,500fps, measuring shoulder and case head expansion as I go. Typically I shoot three shot groups at 10 meters and stick with the same three cases to see how long they hold out.

Another question; why is only Matthis shooting a 5.7 bolt gun? I know it will about duplicate a Hornet but in the little Cooper 38 it’d be fun to play with. Thanks, Bill.

Would you load a .357 different (hotter) just to get more speed out of your lever action, and then run the risk of blowing up, or have some other non-optimal result in your revolver?
Will the extra barrel length in your bolt rifle not already give you a "natural" speed increase already using "standard" loads that you can use universally?

 

[Wm Cook]

I think you're right about hand loading for the semi-auto handgun blowing up so I'll stick to over the counter ammunition on that.

For the bolt gun its a different story. There's no need to balance bolt cycling while the bullet is leaving the case/barrel and cycling the semi-auto action. With the proper precautions and if you know what you are doing you can safely load the 5.7.

As to why on powder searches and not standard loads like Pearce suggested? That's a personal problem. With my belief that all bullets in a group should go through the same hole it kinda keeps my mind working. With all of the powders, bullets (cast and jacketed), primers available its become a game for me. Kind of a hobby of mine to shoot 6 or 8 groups at at time capturing load data, case expansion, group size and chronograph data. Its just fun finding the combination for a low standard deviation, sub sonic, 44 grain cast Lyman bullet at 1000fps in a bolt action. Or a solid 2,000-2,800fps jacketed load that both will consistently shoot sub MOA out of the same rig.

I believe Savage offered a 5.7 for a year or so around 2011 but it fell out of favor. There were references to accuracy which I attribute to ammunition designed for semi-auto firearms and not long guns. And I'm not worried about working with the cases. I'm used to bumping shoulders, neck sizing, cleaning and properly lubing cases for hand loading. If I had to produce 200 rounds and hour it would be different. But small quantity batches with the right equipment adds to the fun.

Please, I do not want to offend anyone. I'm not knocking someone who likes to pull the trigger and shoot steel plates. I just enjoy chasing tiny groups. It's the short range 6PPC Benchrest shooter in me. It's the X prairie dog shooter in me who quickly learned to hit a PDog at 400 yards you gotta have something that will shoot consistent .5" MOA groups.

And I like to hand load. I like seeing the difference in standard deviation of small pistol versus small rifle primers, 2 grains of Unique versus 2.2 grains of Unique, 44 grain cast or 45 grain Sierra jacketed bullets, touching the lands or .015 into the lands. The bolt gun will just be a hobby that'll take me a couple years to wring out. When finished all I'll have is a few loads that will hit a bottle cap at 75 yards every time I pull the trigger and 200 or so hours of fun. And as a plus, if I can find a recipe for bottle caps I can feed the family in hard times. But I'm thinking that head shot gray squirrels would be a bit toothier.

But the semi-auto handgun is simply for defense. The handgun will never see hand loads. There's too many variables that can't be controlled in a semi-automatic designed firearm. So its best to leaving factory ammunition for that design.

Why converting the Cooper 38 to 5.7? Its currently barreled for 17CCM and the rig has little value because of that. But the 17CCM have the same case head diameter as the 5.7 so its a simple re-barrel conversion and the removal of one of the extractors and tweaking the clip to feed rimless. And our minds find excuses to chase some projects. It makes perfect sense to me to have two firearms capable of shooting the same over the counter ammunition.

So on the bolt action powders for the 5.7, is anyone using anything except heavy pistol powders?

A better question is, other than Matthis, is anyone even shooting a 5.7 in bolt action? I must be seriously missing something here. Wouldn't be the first time. Take care, Bill.

 

[Tanker2]

I converted a Savage 25 .22 hornet to 5.7. 5.7 out of bolt action is closer to 22 hornet than 22mag. I too just like to punch paper. Reloading 5.7 for a bolt is cheaper than buying 22hornet, actually buying factory 40gr vmax is cheaper than hornet. I started off buy using hornet powder and cutting it way back then worked up.