Daydreaming the next rifle build...

[Blkram]

Oh, the dangers of being laid up in a hospital bed, with lots of time to think...

While my 25 CM rebarrel project is waiting on me to be able to up and about again, to take that Browning LH X Bolt All Weather into the gunsmith to have that new 24" Benchmark 5R SS 1:7.5 twist barrel put on...

I have been reading the latest hunting and shooting magazines that have come out since we left for SA in early May.
Again, there was a note in one of the articles by Joseph Von Benedikt about the Hornady 257 AI (Improved) or 257 AII; a fast twist version for shooting those heavier 25 cal bullets.

So I had been thinking this would be a fun build, so that I would have the regular 257 Roberts with the 1:10 barrel for shooting the lighter bullets (110-115 gr). And then have a 257 AII with the 1:7.5 twist barrel for the heavier bullets (128-131 gr), going 100-200 fps faster than those from the 25 CM. A 131 gr at 3000 fps should be a very handy smaller big game cartridge for deer/antelope/sheep. (I would then have the 250AI for 110 gr AccuBonds and the 25 CM for the 128 or 131 gr bullets, and the 257 Roberts with 110-115 gr bullets and the 257 AII for the 128-131 gr bullets.) Because; Why not?!?!
Really hoping the Sierra 131 gr TGk is the winner here!

Definitely going to go with a LH LA, so that I have the magazine box length that I do not have with my 257 Roberts in the SA Sako LH 591.
The question will be which action to build it on?
- a LH Rem 700, or
- a LH Sako AV or 85, or
- a LH Browning X bolt.
And would it better to use a 270 Win as the donor, a 25-06 if I can find one as the donor, or will any LA action be fine (thinking about the feed rail geometry here)?
Thoughts?
Hoping that those of you with more experience with the 257 Roberts AI can weigh in on your experiences.

As for the barrel, if the 25 CM barrel performs well, I will get the same barrel for the 257 AII.

 

[IdahoCTD]

A 25-06, 270, 280, and 30-06 are all basically the same so a donor in any of those will work in a Remington and I would assume the same for Browning and Sako. Another option would be the 6.5x55 AI necked down, cheap Lapua brass.

 

[SJB358]

A 25-06, 270, 280, and 30-06 are all basically the same so a donor in any of those will work in a Remington and I would assume the same for Browning and Sako. Another option would be the 6.5x55 AI necked down, cheap Lapua brass.

Cheap and great brass. With the use of a false shoulder for firing forming it may be a touch short but I don’t see it being a big problem if you stay in front of carbon build up.

 

[Cneelk]

I think of it everyday, looking for a rum action lefty to build a 375 rum, don’t really need 1 but want 1. She buys shoes, purses, clothes and enough make up to decorate the rodeo clowns for the next 10 years in Vegas so I’ll just keep looking for parts for my build.

 

[Blkram]

A 25-06, 270, 280, and 30-06 are all basically the same so a donor in any of those will work in a Remington and I would assume the same for Browning and Sako. Another option would be the 6.5x55 AI necked down, cheap Lapua brass.

While that is interesting, I like the ol' Swede as is...and I have a PRC for that extra couple hundred feet of velocity...and am just having fun exploring the quarterbore some more!

 

[Blkram]

Cheap and great brass. With the use of a false shoulder for firing forming it may be a touch short but I don’t see it being a big problem if you stay in front of carbon build up.

Looking forward to some other brass makers to provide some good 257 AI brass for this project...so it may take a year or more make this one come together. (I hope ADG or Petersen are listening!)
But I am not in a rush, and I will have the new 25 CM to keep mee preoccupied!