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Thread: 5.7x28 brass

  1. #1
    Senior Member Klawndyke's Avatar

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    5.7x28 brass

    Picked up 1200 rounds of 5.7x28 brass the other day at the Des Moines show.
    Next is finding the right dies.. I like the price and the feedback on the lee dies so i might run with those. but its not set in stone..

    Any one reload this round ?
    Last edited by Klawndyke; 04-20-2011 at 02:33 PM.

  2. #2
    Administrator imanaknut's Avatar

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    Sorry I can't help with the dies, but...

    I am a big fan of 5.7x28 but decided not to reload after reading on how temperamental the FNH Five-seveN is. Use extreme care when you load the rounds. Do not over load any. They are very sensitive to even slight overpowering.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Klawndyke's Avatar

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    When i load i like to start light... plus i have found some rounds shoot better light than hot..

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    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    I have been reloading for over 40 years. 5.7 is a bad one for pressure jump if pushed even a little bit over the line on a charge. Starting light is a good thing and not going much past published mid range for a powder type is probably wise if you want to maintain a functioning weapon. There've been many Five7N pistols blown up by folks reloading for them.

    On dies, I prefer Redding or RCBS myself. Lee die sets if they have the collet die for crimping are OK sets. The collet crimp die is a good product, the crimp it makes does work well.
    Last edited by Schuetzenman; 02-17-2013 at 12:43 AM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Klawndyke's Avatar

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    I was looking at the RCBs Dies to.. Just waiting on a deal for some in the next week or so
    "God didn't make all men equal -- Colonel Colt did."

  6. #6
    Senior Member Mark Ducati's Avatar

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    Klawndyke,

    I have a couple thousand rounds of brass I've been saving for years... heck, I save ALL my brass even though I wasn't reloading at the time.

    I'm taking an initial crack at reloading, starting with my 50AE.

    I too would like to load some 5.7x28 with some good quality un-neutured bullets! I could be wrong, but I think I've heard of people loading them with SS109 62gr bullets?

    Do you have any accurate reload data for the 5.7x28 you would care to share? There is no data for this round in my SPEER book.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Mark Ducati's Avatar

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    Oops.. I thought so, .223 bullets is bad ju ju...

    I found this on ARF.com

    I am a reloading instructor with 35+ years experience.

    The 5.7x28mm is a semi-auto version of the 22 Hornet - and use the same diameter bullets as the 223, 5.56mm, 22-250 etc etc etc etc etc - it is a .224" bullet. You just cannot use the same bulelts from these other calibers in a 5.7 'cause the 5.7 likes 27gr to 40gr bulelts - 55gr for subsonic.

    I have a ton of experience loading 223 for NRA Highpower Rifle competition to 600 yards - and I can tell you the 5.7x28mm is a very very difficult round to reload. The factory outside coating interfers with full length sizing. The case is too short to accomplish FL sizing, de-priming, and neck sizing all at once like normal reloading easily - your better off performing these steps individually, or, wreck 20+ cases getting the die dead on perfect.

    The full sized brass always needs trimming. The primer pockets are military crimped and need to have it removed with a swagger.

    The big problem - FN has never relieased their pressure data to United States manufacturer's - this means none of the powder or bullet companies can publish a load with 100% confidence it is safe. I've talked at lenght with Hodgon and Sierra about this.

    There is some load data on the internet, and, a few magazines - but these almost always use a local powder like 'True Blue' that is only found on the East Coast and not on the West Coast, Alaska - or sold by mainstream companies like Midway. This makes loading for this caliber very dangerous!!

    Bottom line. There just isn't enough info available for anyone to reload this round 100% safely. Just take a peek at your factory once fired brass and you will notice they all show signs of over pressure. I've never blown up a rifle or pistol reloading in 35 years, but, this is a real possibility for me as I continue to work on this caliber. By the end of June I should have some safe loads for 30gr Midway Dogtowns, 40gr Nosler BT's, and 55gr subsonics for people using suppressors. I will post them in this Five-Seven area. Lots of nice folks here. I have 24/7 access to a nice range just minutes from my house..

    American gun shop walls and ceilings all over the country are decorated with blown up rifles and pistols - mostly from reloading. These are guns blown up that had published data available. The 5.7x28 is not for the novice reloader - and - if you can't afford to have your gun blown up - you shouldn't be reloading for this either.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Mark Ducati's Avatar

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    Found this too:

    FYI LEE makes the best 5.7x28 dies. They are not listed on the Lee's site, but call and you can order over the phone.

    The coating on the brass will last the life of the brass for re-loading as long as you don't tumble the brass in media. The best way to tumble 5.7x28 brass is in a sealed tumbler bowl with 1 part simple green to 3 parts water. Rinse and let air dry or oven at 175 if your impatient.

    In a few weeks we will bring to market a CD with load data and short vids on everything you need to do to set up a 550, trim, prep brass and re-load the 5.7.
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    Looks like reloading 5.7x28 is more than I want to tackle just starting out... but I'll keep saving my brass.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Klawndyke's Avatar

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    Ya for the price of the ammo i think i will be safe and just buy it.. better safe than sorry.. lol any one looking for a die set?
    "God didn't make all men equal -- Colonel Colt did."

  10. #10
    Team GunsNet Silver 03/2014

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    I have a die set, but am still what I would call an amateur reloader, and haven't had the balls to try reloading the 5.7X28 yet.

  11. #11
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by az_paul View Post
    I have a die set, but am still what I would call an amateur reloader, and haven't had the balls to try reloading the 5.7X28 yet.
    You just have to be; 1 accurate and 2 don't free-lance any loads. Only used known published powder and bullet weight combos.

  12. #12
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    Thanks, Schuetz! Good advice! I'm very slow and meticulous with my loads and load on the light side. Also, weigh the loads to double check.

    It's funny, I've loaded up to 30-06 and am now setting up for 300WSM's, and don't worry too much, but the little 5.7X28's have me concerned.

  13. #13
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by az_paul View Post
    Thanks, Schuetz! Good advice! I'm very slow and meticulous with my loads and load on the light side. Also, weigh the loads to double check.

    It's funny, I've loaded up to 30-06 and am now setting up for 300WSM's, and don't worry too much, but the little 5.7X28's have me concerned.
    As we read about the 5.7 it clearly is emerging as the new 220 Swift of the cartridge world. Small caliber rounds just develop pressure faster it seems vs. larger caliber rounds. It clearly isn't a round to be free-lancing new combos on unless you're prepared to replace a weapon to find out if the load is safe to shoot.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Mark Ducati's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by az_paul View Post
    Thanks, Schuetz! Good advice! I'm very slow and meticulous with my loads and load on the light side. Also, weigh the loads to double check.

    It's funny, I've loaded up to 30-06 and am now setting up for 300WSM's, and don't worry too much, but the little 5.7X28's have me concerned.
    Paul, when you "weigh the loads to double check"... does that mean that you weight the empty and primed brass case before loading?

    Seems like you would have to... no two primed brass cases weigh the same.

    Too much effort for me, but I applaud you if you do.

    I said I was going to save all my brass for the day I do get the balls up to reload, but I can tell you right now that with about 4000 rounds of 5.7x28 sitting in my reserves, I really do not forsee me reloading anytime soon if EVER. I bought all my ammo when it was about $16-17 bucks a box of 50 (no joke).

    I've always wanted fancy SS197 "bullet proof penetrator bullets"... so I tell you guys what, for any of you that want to reload 5.57x28.. I have a little less than 300 rounds of 5.7x28 (I thought I had a couple thousand rounds of spent brass, I was wrong, that my .223. I have bags and bags of spent various calibers in the basement)....

    If anybody wants to reload 5.7x28, I'll ship you my brass at my cost... just send me back a single box of 50 rounds that you loaded/tried/and have proven to be safe and we'll call it even.

  15. #15
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Lightbulb

    Weighing a completed round of ammunition isn't going to be very revealing in most cases. AS you pointed out Mark, brass does vary in weight. How big a case is, brand / manufacturer, commercial or Military will all cause different amounts of variation. .223 military brass can vary upwards of 3 grains if I remember correctly. For match loads I will weigh the brass and separate them into different lots.

    Benchrest shooters will fill the case with water and sort their cases by internal volume identified by weight of the water. Bigger volume cases will hold more water, heavier cases will hold less water and have a smaller internal volume. The volume inside the case contributes to pressure and bullet speed resulting from a known powder charge. Small volume = more pressure and speed. Bigger volume = lower pressure and speed.
    Last edited by Schuetzenman; 02-17-2013 at 12:46 AM.

  16. #16
    Senior Member Silicon Wolverine's Avatar

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    another option for all that 5.7 brass is buy a set of CH tool and die swaging dies and turn them into 165 gr 30 caliber bullets. i make old 9mm cases into 40 S&W bullets al the time.



    SW

  17. #17
    Senior Member Mark Ducati's Avatar

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    SW,

    So, if you're basically making a soft point- FMJ bullet with the outter layer being brass... how does the brass wear on the steel and/or chome-lined barrel?

    Isn't brass made of copper and nickle? So, I'm thinking that the brass bullets would be more erosive over time? And rapid shooting or FA, the barrel would over heat faster?

    What's your experience been? And how about fouling of the barrel and cleaning it?

  18. #18
    Senior Member Silicon Wolverine's Avatar

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    not any different than copper jacketed for most points. they ARE harder than copper jacketed, but they take the rifling just fine and dont leave any residue that ive noticed. ive run them as fast as 2200 FPS out of my hi point carbine with no problems, and ive used them in my glock 10mm with no problems related to polygonal rifling either. long term i have no idea, but ive fired around 1000 of them from my hi point 40 cal pistol and it shoots just as good as the day it was new. ive never noticed any heat difference between them and regular. they act just like normal bullets.

    SW

  19. #19
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    Reloading 5.7

    Reloading the 5.7 is a slow process. Don't tumble the brass. Use the Lee universal decapping pin first. The crimped primers are very tight. Put the fired cases in the basket of your media separator. Fill the media separator with warm water with just a touch of Simple Green and agitate. Repeat with clear water and let dry. Because the 5.7 pistol and the PS90 operate differently the load data is different for each. five-sevenforum.com has some easily found load data and quite a bit in their archives. Due to a fatal crash of their site digging up the old info will take some time. Anyone can post on a forum; don't use any loads that claim unusually high velocities. 1800 to 2000 fps is about it. The best powder is True Blue, it is like fine dust. It is not an "eastern" powder; it is from Western Powders in Miles City, Montana. I prefer the RCBS dies as they lock in place better. Expect to crush some cases as they are definitely fragile. Normal case life is 4 or 5 reloads as the neck moves forward .050 every time you shoot. 1/10 of a grain too much powder can create not only a wrecked gun but a wrecked hand. I won't recommend any specific loads but you can get them from Accurate(also a Western Powder) or Ramshot. Just be careful and start at the bottom of the load data not the middle. I have found 40gr Nosler varmint bullets to be my favorite.
    Anyone wanting to sell some brass email mwtyoung@hotmail.com or call Mike at 813-210-4867. Enjoy your guns.

  20. #20
    Moderator & Team Gunsnet Platinum 07/2011 O.S.O.K.'s Avatar

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    to the board mwtyoung, and great first post! Looking forward to seeing some more posts from you
    ~Nemo me impune lacessit~




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