Any favorite loads for 7x57 Mauser using Hornady 139gr SST

[Lefty Trigger]

I have found that the old Mauser really likes this bullet but I'm struggling to find an awesome powder and load for it. What shoots awesome at 100yds goes to sh*t at 200yds. Some powders work the other way,... weird? The Hornady SST is the only bullet I found that will group less than 1/2 inch at 100yds. So I'm kinda looking for favorite powders and charge weights. I tried different lengths and found .050 jump to be best, so far keeping in mind I'm still using the original military stepped barrel. Rifle powders on hand,...
3031
8208 XBR
IMR 4064
Varget
IMR 4350
Hybrid 100V (seems to like this the best)
Reloader 19
H4831

 

[Barlow]

What rifle are you using? Barlow

 

[AckleymanII]

I have an FN carbine made for the Venezuelan Police. This little rifle loves R#15 with a 140g ballistic tip, and shoots 2.00" groups at 200 yards with a 3x9, with no bedding or free float.

Some of these guns have long throats, mine has a short throat.

 

[2506]

Long story but I built a rifle for a friend to deer hunt with that his father had that was a sported military small ring Spanish Mauser 7x57. It shot lights out with Hornady 154 gr Interlock bullets and IMR 4350. I can't remember how much powder I used but it was a mild load for the small ring Mauser rifles. The 154 Interlock is one great deer bullet. It was my favorite bullet out of a 7mm Rem mag for deer.

 

[HillBilly98]

Great white tail round. It’s a classic. I love Mausers as well. I have built a couple on the large ring 98 actions all of them VZ24s. I still have one of them. If memory serves me they both liked anything in the 140ish. They all shot the best toward the lower to mild loads. That being said more often than not I don’t push my hunting loads very hot. At the time I was hunting mostly in deep east Texas in heavy woods. Shots were close and fast.

I am sure most know but feel obligated to restate that some if not most reloading manuals warn to not take the small ring mausers to the max charge.

 

[Ringostar]

I like H4895. You can also get away with reduced loads if you want.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

What rifle are you using? Barlow

Its a FN 24/30 Venezuelan military model (Mauser 98 large ring) that my dad "sporterized" back in the 60's. Still using the original military barrel. I recently install a Boyd's laminate left handed stock on it.

 

[normmatzen]

I,too,hunt with a M98 VZ24 action assembled with a surplus military stepped 7X57 barrel cut down to 24".
I started out with RL-17 and 162 A-MAX which shot pretty well. I shot a Black Tail buck with major meat damage so I tried Barnes TTSX 140 gr and they shot way better than the A-MAX!
I was using 46.7gr of RL-17 with a Col of 3.036".
I also used RL-17 in my K-31 Swiss Rifle as well as my 284 WIN Long Range BR /F-Class gun and switched to RL-16 primarily for better Temp. characteristics. I will be testing RL-16 in the 7X57 as well as it worked out well for the other guns.
I would start with a lower load such as 45 gr
and working up in .5 gr steps and do 5 shot groups with each load and then with best group, try different Col. The TTSX likes short Col or long jumps. I stopped tweaking when the gun shot better than 1 MOA. I'll try again now with RL-16.