Hey, brother. I think you're really missing out as a reloader by falling victim to internet hysteria regarding this cartridge, especially since you're running a Ruger 57, which simply doesn't experience the issues commonly associated with 5.7x28 reloads. The following is my response to your stated concerns, based on my personal, real world experience reloading for the Ruger 57. For others who may read this, again, this is based on *my* experience reloading for the *Ruger 57.* If your results are inconsistent with mine, perhaps I have a magic gun, magic brass, or maybe I'm just an enigma of a reloader and I should write a book. 1. Process. The reloading process for 5.7x28 is no different than anything else. No extra care is necessary and no additional steps are necessary. The cases are small and you'll also need to trim the brass each time; that's all. 2. Coating. Either maintain the coating or just remove it entirely. I wet tumble my 5.7x28 brass in stainless steel media, which completely removes the coating. I've experienced absolutely zero issues in my Ruger 57 with either coated or bare brass. No misfeeds, no ejection problems. No need to trash the brass just because the coating starts coming off; just remove it and continue as normal. I can't speak for results with other guns. 3. Powder. I've intentionally exceeded load data and have pushed 40gr V-Max bullets over 2,050fps out of the Ruger 57. The powder charge in this case was 0.4gr beyond book max, which is considerable given the fact that the span of the charge weight from the starting charge to book max for the load is only 0.6gr. The brass was very stressed, but the gun handled it just fine. Note, I only did this in order to establish a tolerance window for potential overcharges due to human error and for my own peace of mind while getting into reloading this cartridge, as I myself was susceptible to internet hysteria at the time and was worried that if I exceeded my charge weight by so much as a tenth of a grain, the world would explode. The most commonly used powder for 5.7x28 is True Blue, and let me tell you, you really have to try to mess up the charge weight when using that powder, as it's so fine that it meters like water. I kid you not, my cheap, standard RCBS powder drop meters the stuff consistently to within 0.02gr with each and every charge. You heard that right... that's *two hundredths of a grain,* verified countless times via my FX-120i scale. I drop powder in 100 round batches, verifying my charge weight at 25 round intervals. True Blue is pure magic for this cartridge, and I've never had an issue. One important safety concern to mention; however, is that it is possible to double charge 5.7x28 brass with True Blue, up to and including max powder charge weights. A double charge will fill the case to about midway up the neck. It's very easy to spot, but you do need to remain vigilant and not allow yourself to get distracted or complacent, as with all reloading processes. 4. Issues. Ironically, the one and only problem I've had was something I've never even seen mentioned on internet fear forums, as it's something only those who actually reload the cartridge would know, and it has to do with the small surface area of the base of the cases. It takes a surprising amount of force to resize the cases, and some shell holders don't provide enough support at the base of the case, which can cause deformation of the rims while resizing the brass. I don't know offhand which brand of shell holder I'm using, but once I found one with tight machining tolerances, I've had no damaged brass. So to summarize: Forget the never-ending fear gossip about this cartridge, and just start reloading those tiny cases. Don't do anything special; just do what you do with every other cartridge you reload, save yourself a ton of money, and go have fun. Otherwise, don't throw away your brass - send it to me!
I reload this with zero issues I use a rcbs charge master all charges are weight the same every time under .1 of a grain. Have had zero issues reloaded 400 so far with zero issues.
I think some are a little hard on you for not being confident in this rd, though nobody was in the beginning, and because you verbally slipped one weight measure that we seldom use for another weight measure we seldom use. I load for one specific gun in one specific barrel length, LC Carbine with 16” barrel, and am not to the powders nor the weight of charges or bullets I will eventually use but have only one problem so far… getting my big hands to hold the brass and bullet in the press to get it started. I remember my sixth grade science teacher teaching us metrics in ‘69… “Everything will be metric by the time you graduate”. A gram is a nickel. About 15 grains equals a gram. Grains are handy and traditional for measuring cartridge parts but with ammo prices lately, I think we could be using carats! And I’m certain you knew that.
I have successfully loaded 270 once fired brass without using special technics. I individually check each load for the correct amount of AA#7 which surprisingly doesn’t add a lot of time. I do agree with you that people should not reload this or any caliber if they are not willing to follow basic safety practices. AA#7 is such a fine grained power it should always be double checked for accuracy.
try reloading the 5.7x28 you will find youre out wrong wrong , all mfg.say dont shoot reloads,, im 75 yrs old and never had any problems in any gun.. its now my past time.like always be careful .,no rush
The graphite based or wax lube on the outside of the case was specifically designed to feed from the magazine of a P90 so it may not be necessary for other platforms. However, I do agree with your analysis on this being a cartridge that requires some care to reload
Now you’re talking this guy has no idea what he is doing. I load these things all the time and my powder measure doesn’t need to be checked. I’ve done lots of videos on reloading this thing and it’s no different than any other Rolfe cartridge. Finely somebody who knows what they are talking about.
He also mentioned "necking". Im not sure what he means by this. I think he's the type who reloads with the Lee manual and a hand press neck sizing die only. If he can't just use the little scoop that came with the dies, he doesn't want to do it.
I enjoy all your videos. Thank You. I would also like to hear about your experiences as a combat helicopter pilot. Maybe another channel ?? Thanks Again kind Sir.
Sir: thank you for your input. I run a Ruger 57 and two CMMGs. I have reloaded a couple thousand rounds now. Some five times. Ive had very few feeding and no ejecting problems. Maybe the varnish is a must for some guns, mine like the brass with or without. Plus the fact it costs $.28 to reload compared to $1/per shell new. I will admit that reloading 57X28 takes a lot longer than any other bullet I reload. But it is still worth my while.
is it so that the original NATO spec was hotter then nixed by ATF? how much hotter is that? what ft-lbs does that get it to? just got a Ruger LCC and also wonder if hotter loading will be a problem for the slide weight and spring
Guess what, one bottle of 90% rubbing alcohol and one small bottle of lanolin oil creates a thin lubed surface on the case which feeds in the magazines and firearms fine. Also any reloading can be dangerous or hazardous no matter the caliber, just take proper precautions and start small and work your way up with powder charges and case neck crimp.
5.7x28 brass can be carefully cleaned by first punching out the old primers with a hammer, an old fashioned pin punch, and a pedestal. These are commonly used by benchrest shooters. The cases can then be cleaned inside, outside, and inside the primer pocket in an ultrasonic cleaner. This will not damage the polymer coating. I resize using Imperial resizing wax with a Lee full size resizing die. Lee dies are made with extra clearance so they will not scratch the polymer but, they will not do a full job of resizing. I have to resize a second time with Imperial resizing wax in an RCBS die to get the cases fully resized. If you use only the RCBS dies, you will scratch the polymer coating and the case will be ruined. I measure powder initially with a Lee powder scoop. I dump the powder onto a digital scale and use an old fashioned hand trickle charger to bring it up to the full desired weight. Currently, once fired 5.7x28 brass is readily available. It has to be carefully cleaned and inspected. Scratches in the polymer coating render the brass useless. You can get about 4 reloadings out of a brass casing. Following resizing, every case will be stretched too long and will require trimming every time. Case gages for 5.7x28 are available and, I rely on them. This is an extraordinarily tedious process and will use up as much patience as you can muster. I got into it because there was a time when 5.7x28 ammunition was unavailable from any source at any price. It happened once so, it can happen again.
I not degrading what your saying but you can reload this round. If it is brass and even steel case can be reloaded.as long as you lacquer coat the case using Simply Green. I think that your over estimating the cartiage misdisjudgemnt. The same process follows as it would for any other reloaded cartiage. Resize, bullet adjusment, crimp like crimp. Cleaning using Simple Green is what is used.
I enjoyed your video. I'm interested in the 8 x 33 , you can buy 98K's that are chambered for it new . do any of the points you made apply to the 8 x 33 ? Thank you .
You points are, of course, quite valid. Especially where it pertains to reloading for the Ruger pistol. However, as with most larger caliber rifle cartridges, might there be some niche use-cases, like varmint hunting or target shooting, where tedious and careful workups to that "golden" formula of powder, powder weight, bullet type and weight, case resizing/chamfering/neck annealing, etc., to obtain the greatest accuracy from a particular action/barrel would be worth the effort and care? Also, might there be a product for refinishing the case, similar to Woody's arrow lube? Just asking, for the nerds/geeks out here.
Good questions. The use-cases you suggest are best served using high-performance .22 ammunition. The reloading ideas, although interesting, might be something others might pursue. I'm just not that into that much work.
@@inyourdefense0 Totally agree. I really was asking for the sake of that ultra-small subset of reloaders who might see it as a challenge worth accepting. To me, it sounds more tedious than fun. Also, I wanted to let you know that I have learned not to let the subject line deter me from watching your videos. I have zero actual interest in the 5.7x28 and its platforms. But I do enjoy and appreciate all of your efforts and content.
I’m new to 5.7 and noticed the shell casings get crimped on one side pretty good after being fired. Is this normal? Not used to seeing this with 45 or 9mm .
Thank you for your input, me and my pop are new to 5.7 and we've not quite gotten to the reload step. But I will say one thing that I do have a lot of knowledge on: ALL GUN CONTROL IS RACIST.
It's an act of passion. It isn't actually difficult. The coating on the cases stays functional through 4 or 5 reloads. It isn't as simple as a straight wall like a 9 or a 45, but it's doable and relatively painless.
I truely appreciate you posting a video about why you will not be reloading this cartridge so thank you. I also disagree with some of the information in your video as my experience with this cartridge is very much different than yours. I hope that we can all agree that differing opinions create dialog that is important for us to progress as a society and force us to think about a subject in a way that we would not otherwise do on our own. Take Care!
The way I take the video is you are letting us know it is a little bit more precarious than other rounds. Thank you, i dont clean my brass ever, no primer pocket cleanings, i dont ever trim either. Ill anneal maybe at 7 reloads. Anyways. Nice video, thanks for info.
Way late to comment, but I both agree and disagree with you. I made 15+ videos on my channel years ago on everything necessary to reload 5.7x28 (from gear [e.g, dies, sonic cleaner, projectiles, powder, etc.] to all processes including chronographing ladder rounds for optimal charges), so I disagree when you say this round isn't meant to be reloaded. It can be done without difficulty. Where I agree with you is on the care that is necessary for this round due to either the "coating" (some believe it, some don't) FN puts on the brass (requiring sonic or wet cleaning...no pins) or the powder (and which powder) charge. Very easy to get into trouble with too much or too little and it doesn't take much to go in their direction for pressure issues. Certainly a round NOT to reload in a progressive press (or at least not charging it with a progressive powder drop) IMO, but more of a single stage or turret where charging is weighed and dropped by hand each time. But, the beauty of reloading is to each their own. Not a beginner reloader's caliber to learn on, but certainly not a caliber to be afraid of.
I think any neck case is harder to do, Have some hardcore reloaders and some casual ones, I understand you, I’m a casual one too, but with the price of 5.7 I not blame someone to reload that
$1+ a round and if there is supply chain issues... I make sure I have the ability to reload any caliber is shoot. Not to say I don't buy factory ammo too
When I bought my Ruger57 it had a case neck stuck in the barrel, apparently the previous owner reloaded and had a case separation, it was easy to get out, I used a small tap, twisted it till I felt it starting to cut threads into the case neck, then pulled it right out
There have been comments from others here that suggest that this round CAN be reloaded. ANY round can be reloaded. Honestly, I don't have the time to fool with reloading this round.
I don’t think you should be giving reloading advice you are obviously an amateur. 5.7x28 is a very easy cartridge to reload and you don’t have to measure the powder for every case if you have a dissent powder measure. And if you use an ultrasonic you don’t disturb the coating. And it isn’t for feeding it’s for ejecting. If you don’t know how to do something don’t make a silly video where you talk about grams instead of grains.
I’d be interested in your source for your claim that 5.7 isn’t meant to be reloaded. In your video you ask why reload it? Perhaps because factory VMax rounds are one dollar each, but can be reloaded for one third that cost. One third! So yeah, that’s why. The round really requires nothing special to reload. Don’t strip the coating and use the recommended lube for the resizing die being used (I use Lee dies and lube). To be honest, you don’t sound like a reloader. Not based on this video.
The primary source is FN. Ruger also has that warning. While I understand that reloading is less expensive (I reload 1,000s of rounds a year from other calibers) the work required to handle this small cartridge just isn't worth it to me. In my area, VMax is $.70/round and "regular is $.60/round.
Every manufacturer instructs “no reloads” in their guns, so I’ll assume you don’t actually have a source to uphold that 5.7 shouldn’t be reloaded. You’re getting VMax FN rounds for $35 per 50? I’d LOVE to see that.
5.7 is the hardest caliber I’ve ever reloaded! Not for beginners! Absolutely No data to speak of! And good look finding powder these days! If you do reload, use the minimum power charge and pay close attention! The Preacher
"Was not intended to be reloaded" literally the stupidest thing I've heard this month. Which in fact as of right now is also this year. Please spend a little more time perfecting your craft before you present yourself as an authority on a subject. Reloading is a careful process. If you dont weigh each round you dont really understand the initial basis for reloading ammo which is to achieve more consistent and more accurate ammunition. Yes the fact that it makes it more affordable is a factor but the main basis is accuracy. I have rifles that I've purchased in the last few years that were less than $400 new that shoot sub .5 moa groups at 100yds. I just purchased the Ruger 57 and the LC carbine to go with it and my dies just came in the mail today. I'll be shooting reloads this weekend.
