.257 Roberts again...maybe.

[Blkram]

The Remington shoots Winchester factory ammo into 1" groups. Still working on a load with the 110 gr AB...getting less 1" groups but not seeing the velocity expected yet.

Susan's No. 1 shoots both the Winchester and Remington ammo into 1" groups for her. She is really happy with it and cannot wait to harvest game with it!

The little RSI just got here (acquired off GunBroker and imported into Canada; not an inexpensive transition but worth it for a bucket list rifle!). I will be ordering a Leupold VX3 in 2.5-8x36 in covert gray to mount on it. I hope the colour will match well with the stainless, as I have never found a silver scope that does. To be honest I have never cared for the stainless scopes and have never owned one. Thinking of the 115 gr Partition for this rifle.

 

[sask boy]

Those are beautiful rifles Gil thank you for letting us have a look .

Blessings,
Dan

 

[cloverleaf]

Preacher- send a PM to of 257 Ackley of this forum. He is kinda big into the long range stuff these days but I know he has all kinds of experience with the 257 Ackley, and he is a very knowledgeable reloader. Nice rifle. Hope it shoots well. CL

 

[preacher]

[ They were all the same action just different magazine boxes. .

So, if this rifle has the short cartridge box, all I would have to do is get a standard cartridge box ( i.e. 270/30-06) so I can seat my bullets our further? This is also assuming, at this point, that it has a longer throat to begin with. I'm just wondering as I will use whatever the throat calls for anyhow, no plans to ream or lengthen anything at this point. I found some Nosler Trophy 257 Roberts +P with the 110 AccuBond locally. Hopefully whoever had this rifle reamed out they turned the barrel in a turn before reaming so it has a crush fit with factory ammo. If not, no biggy, I'll just seat some Sierra 117 Pro Hunters out to jam into the lead and fireform that way. I don't mind fireforming if I am not having to do a 100 at a time!

 

[preacher]

Picked up the rifle today, whoever had it before set it up right. It has a very long throat, ( a sierra 117 touches the lands at 3.10") fortunately it was set up with the long magazine box/follower. I will drop it off at my smiths on Monday, have him check it all out, etc. It has serial number 218 xxxxxxx so it is a 1952 model. Looks good for 65yrs old!

 

[truck driver]

If you don't like it let me know. :grin:

 

[SJB358]

Very nice Jim. That sounds like a beauty!

 

[preacher]

If you don't like it let me know. :grin:

So far, the only thing I "know" I don't like about it is that cow catcher grip cap! It has High rings, so I'm guessing the original guy shot varmints and that grip cap helped him pull the stock into his shoulder pocket? My smith will make me another one, more inline with a Classical look. The rifle has been bedded, and the third screw (forearm) was removed/can see bedding in the hole. I just hope the barreled action isn't "glued" to the stock, ha. Even that would be OK if it shoots good! The butt plate is a thin hard rubber, all gnarly, I think I want a nicer pad on it, just for looks. The trigger has some creep, almost a 2 stage, but breaks clean. It feels like it could be smoothed up some, I don't care for creep...It looks like the original trigger, after church today I'll see if I can disassemble the stock/action and have a look see. The bore/throat really looks swell with the naked eye...no way am I having it bore scoped...that can "ruin" a man to see what's in there! ha
OTOH, The Whelen from TD is "Pristine" and the trigger is "perfect"....so happy!

 

[truck driver]

If you don't like it let me know. :grin:

So far, the only thing I "know" I don't like about it is that cow catcher grip cap! It has High rings, so I'm guessing the original guy shot varmints and that grip cap helped him pull the stock into his shoulder pocket? My smith will make me another one, more inline with a Classical look. The rifle has been bedded, and the third screw (forearm) was removed/can see bedding in the hole. I just hope the barreled action isn't "glued" to the stock, ha. Even that would be OK if it shoots good! The butt plate is a thin hard rubber, all gnarly, I think I want a nicer pad on it, just for looks. The trigger has some creep, almost a 2 stage, but breaks clean. It feels like it could be smoothed up some, I don't care for creep...It looks like the original trigger, after church today I'll see if I can disassemble the stock/action and have a look see. The bore/throat really looks swell with the naked eye...no way am I having it bore scoped...that can "ruin" a man to see what's in there! ha
OTOH, The Whelen from TD is "Pristine" and the trigger is "perfect"....so happy!

Glad your happy with the Whelen it's a good one. I may end up doing what I had originally planned and put a custom barrel on mine. I'm impressed with the cartridge but still just so so with the barrel performance if the M700 barrel had been longer it would still be mine. :grin:

 

[preacher]

22" is the shortest I can use in a bolt gun. The only short rifles I ever cared about are Mod 94/336s, etc. A bolt gun just feels too butt heavy/barrel whippy for me. For some reason, I have hard time accurately shooting very light/short rifles, i.e. I had one of the first Ruger Ultralights (308), 20" barrel I think? Anyhow, up close, it was fast and deadly. I set a 2 liter coke bottle with water in it at 200yds. I leaned against my jeep ( like I would if I was in the deer lease and saw one, etc.) I had a 1x4 on it, could see it fine, missed it for 4 shots! I couldn't believe it. I let it cool, got down in a sitting/tight sling position and "missed it again"! ha I traded that thing off. I had a super light Match Grade Arms Mod 700 in 340W. I could shoot it pretty good, but it killed two pricy scopes. Had it rebarreled to 338 WM, only shot 185 XLCs...it was OK, but both those barrels were 24". I've had a couple Mountain Rifles ( 30-06) that were hard to shoot well, 22" bbls too. I found that a Sporter weight ( like the Classic/Win FWT/ Mod 70 standard) I can tolerate a 22" bbl. but really like how a 24" feels to me. I'm 6'2" ( I used to be 6'3"" until I began having surgeries! ha) and a longer barrel just feels better in my hands. My first trip to South Africa was an identical to this Classic 35 Whelen ( I only had a Decelerator pad and the rifle reamed to the Ackley, only difference) and a Leupold 1.5x5 (same one I still have) it was a gem, and I never shot anything over 150 yds with it. I have my Norma mag now for my kitty wumpus thumper ( safely, ha) and I am leaving this a standard. Plenty, way plenty, makes me happy!

 

[preacher]

Well, I unscrewed the action screws but couldn't wiggle it free. I didn't want to force or spring anything so I'll my smith fool with it. he may have to take a wood mallet to it. It would be nice if he could get to the trigger to adjust/smooth it, even if he can't it will pass. I pulled a few of the 110AB and loaded some Sierra 117PH to 3.40 ( they tough at 3.10) and then crimped them to get some pull on ignition. I had marked the neck/shoulder area and chambered but it left no marks. Didn't feel like a crush fit either, so will just seat the bullets out for a jam fit. Just for grins, does anyone know or ever read what kind of accuracy the 1952 guys "expected" from a bedded/ handloaded 257 Roberts/Imporved back then? I'm thinking the 1" group was still considered very desirable. I know from a couple sources that the average 30-06 sporter with good loads back then was around 1.5". I hope to get no worse than 1.25" out of this ol phart!

 

[truck driver]

If you have a chest freezer you place the rifle in the freezer for 24hr and a tap on the heal turned upside down should free the stock unless it is in the bedding compound is in the crevasses. and then it will be an ordeal to remove and a new stock will be needed.

 

[preacher]

Well, if it comes down to it, I don't mind getting another stock. I really want to see what this thing can do. I wish Hornady still sold their old 120gr Hollow Point like I used in '82. It was a long bullet with a lot of shank. I think I have enough shank ( almost a caliber) in the neck and with the crimp it should pop the shoulder out good. ( I hope).

 

[truck driver]

Thinking maybe you should do a chamber cast before you shoot it. Hard to tell what chamber it is if you can't get a crush on the case when chambering a factory round. Or just do the pistol powder and cream of wheat with and wax plug, put a little foil over the powder to keep it separated from the filler.

 

[preacher]

My smith has the headspace gauges, he is gonna check it all out. I always do a "jam fit" with a seated out bullet on the few Improveds I've had that wouldn't crush fit. I used the new "Grip N Pull" to pull the 110ABS, works very well, only slight marking on the jacket...much better than my "poor boy pliers" method, ha.

 

[truck driver]

Just weighed some virgin Win 257 brass and it was right at 160grs I don't know the H2O cap since I never weighed any for that.

 

[SJB358]

You might also try putting a small false shoulder on it Jim. Then you could likely shoot some light loads to get nicely formed cases.

Good luck getting the stock off. For me, I would want around MOA out of the rifle. As long as it isn't bent you shouldn't have much trouble.

 

[preacher]

Yep, I'd love it to shoot well, but I am not gonna put unrealistic expectations on it, at least just yet, ha. Now, if it has to be put in another stock, well, I may as well have it Blueprinted, pillar bedded, etc at the same time. "Then" I will crack the whip at it, "make that baby perform", ha.

 

[truck driver]

Yep, I'd love it to shoot well, but I am not gonna put unrealistic expectations on it, at least just yet, ha. Now, if it has to be put in another stock, well, I may as well have it Blueprinted, pillar bedded, etc at the same time. "Then" I will crack the whip at it, "make that baby perform", ha.

If your going to have to put a new stock on it get B&C Medalist and don't look back. The one I have put the 35/AI in it's place :lol:

 

[preacher]

I have often considered that "Medalist". Does it have a more "opened grip"? Would you consider it a "slim" stock of more "stocky/thick kind"? I am a sucker ( might I say "anal"?) about a slim stock with a rounded bottom. Love those Classics and FWTS!