5.7 is win

The 5.7 is more novelty than a "real" serious cartridge as of course you can do the same thing with a number of the other small bore choices. I've reloaded it and the good thing is that it takes all of the various .224 projectiles...the bad thing is a very small case capacity and the laquer coating on the cases. You can't tumble the cases because once that factory laquer coating is gone or even "damaged" enough you will run into severe extraction issues and even encounter split cases. If you are shooting out of an autoloader, you MUST use the small base resizing die otherwise you will run into chambering problems. I'm not going to tell you to not get or support the round...all I am saying is don't lose your mind over it and fall for the hype. It is what it is.

I'd choose it over Hornet. It's cheaper. I'd rather have a small boltgun in 5.7 than in .22 Hornet. I'm not well read on the hype. I don't read gunrags and don't frequent the big gunboards. I read ogre's post about these two calibers and realized he was right.

How many people have the time to reload ammunition? Getting out to the range is hard enough.

How many people have the time to reload ammunition? Getting out to the range is hard enough.

-khorne

Sometimes it's not all about the time to do it...and in this case with a very limited selection of factory ammunition it is what you have to do if you want the best accuracy, consistancy and bullet performance that you need for your particular rifle. The PS90, Five-seveN and AR57 aren't "precision" arms so what you feed them doesn't really matter. The SS195 is a 28gr. non-expanding hollow point and the SS197 is a 40gr. fragmenting ballistic tip...and that is all that is available. If you want/need a fragmenting 30gr. Berger projectile pushing 2800-3000fps then you need to load it yourself. If the 40gr. ballistic tip is only giving you 1" through your bolt gun but you want better, then you need to load it yourself.

Okay. So you're really into reloading. Then you probably don't want to buy these 5.7 rifles that don't exist.

Heh...I load for a few rounds that I need either bulk, accuracy or knockdown for hunting. IMO anyone would do (much) better with a .223/5.56 bolt gun...but with guns it's not just about need, it's about pure wanting as well and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

There's a lot to be said about wanting.

Hell if it was about need I'd settle with three or four guns total...

The .223 Remington is a great small game hunting round.
Now, I don't say this much... but I'm going to say it here... it's too much gun for hunting for fur. I shot a fox with it, standard .223 Hollow Point, 50 grains I think it was.
Blew that little fox apart so bad, the pelt was ruined. The 5.7 is not as hot, and actually enters into the Just Right catagory for fur hunters - much like the .22 Hornet. Just that the Hornet is expensive and it doesn't carry as well at range as the 5.7x28.
So it's perfect for the fur hunting application.
What is also perfect, is the Light Rifle. Like the Remington Model 7 or the CZ 527. It's the combination of these two ideal purposes, make for the ideal fur hunting package.
And not just for fur huntings. Remember the phrase "Squirrel Rifle"? That's what this is. Doesn't destroy so much meat, has farther reach, and greater accuracy to fill the stew pot much easier.
And yes, you can reload for the 5.7x28. Load that sucker up with those light Barnes Varmint Grenade bullets... Fantastic stuff there.
Great accuracy. Zero recoil. Cheap to shoot. Yet allows the use of premium grade hunting bullets that allow you to buy or build the perfect load for your application.
This is a round that has no downsides, yet is overlooked because FN is only putting it in their freaky little space guns... and all the gun rags are going nuts over the .17 Fireball for the same purpose - which is again, a more expensive cartridge. One box of 20 .17 Fireballs costs the same as one box of 50 5.7's. See what I'm getting at?

What am I doing over here anyway? I shoot lead conicals and patched roundballs in half-inch doses. My next purchase will be a Traditions Kentucky Rifle. I will kick myself out of this thread.

Imagine this... a CZ 527 Carbine in this caliber, with a suppressor on it... shooting Hornady V-Max bullets.
Tell me you couldn't find some urban application for that tool.

Imagine this... a CZ 527 Carbine in this caliber, with a suppressor on it... shooting Hornady V-Max bullets.
Tell me you couldn't find some urban application for that tool.

-madogre

I've been working on Mack Bolan too long to think of anything other than vermin removal...

Pin Point, quiet... it could be nasty for that purpose.

nay...keep yer ca'tridge guns.

Imagine this... a CZ 527 Carbine in this caliber, with a suppressor on it... shooting Hornady V-Max bullets.Tell me you couldn't find some urban application for that tool.

-madogre

I can see it used for a (limited) suppressed application as the diminished case capacity & using a 55gr. or 62gr. projectile it is very easy to load a subsonic round...BUT the energy generated isn't much more than a .22LR 40gr. slug and the LR would actually give better bullet performance as the thicker & heavier jacketed rounds will be struggling to perform. The 5.7 loaded hot is a real zipper, but the benefits aren't truly possible unless the round is loaded to the user's purpose as the current factory ammo is either tactical (SS195) or semi-target/semi-hunting (SS197). Another thing is that all of the (limited) handloading data that has been tested for this round is out of either a handgun or a 16" carbine. It is still to be seen how/if a slower burning powder will perform in a 18"-22" rifle barrel as the case capacity is so small that the user would possibly be running into compressed charges. Would I buy a CZ in this chambering? Only if I can get it for 500.00 or less as for me I can do with a .22 Magnum for about the same money.

That's a lot of hostility to load on a lovable little caliber Mat, I've run hundreds of rounds through my PS90 and think the only thing neater might be the same cartridge in a nicely made bolt gun.

It's easily in the K-hornet class and a LOT of shooters probably would like a rimless alternative to that little number.

Factory Thompson Center barrels would be a great start.

If TC made a barrel for it - I'd have it. Encore rifle and pistol barrels should be made available.

That's a lot of hostility to load on a lovable little caliber Mat, I've run hundreds of rounds through my PS90 and think the only thing neater might be the same cartridge in a nicely made bolt gun.

-tom-the-impaler

Tom, I've done my fair share loading the 5.7 and I have experienced some of the pitfalls with this cartridge. The laquered cases is a big one as once it is removed enough it causes extraction problems as well as split case necks. The case capacity is small (6gr. of Power Pistol almost fills it up), so when you are wanting a variety of projectiles...or even the choices of them, problems will arise when it comes to not only performance but operation and safety as well. The round is what it is, but IMO the .22 caliber realm is saturated enough.

One thing to note: The orgininal maker of the ammo has lost the contract. Fiochi I believe it was. New maker is going to be different. Don't know who yet.
.22 Overcrowded? Sure it is. But out of all the many cartridges out there the 5.7 really is unique.