- Oct 30, 2004
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- 2,988
rjm158":3feqvo69 said:
Well let me put it this way. With your 24" tube (using RL22) does 3410 fps with a 110 gr AB appeal to you for less than $350.00?
257 Weatherby and 25-06: Opinions wanted
- Thread starter rjm158
- Start date
Well let me put it this way. With your 24" tube (using RL22) does 3410 fps with a 110 gr AB appeal to you for less than $350.00?
rjm158 said:Well, the decision was made but for an unexpected reason.
My wife's mother passed away 16 years ago, before I met my wife. Prior to her death, she gave my wife her wedding rings because she and my wife were very, very close. There isn't a time that a mention is made of her mother that my wife doesn't tear up.
She was showing me the rings because she had contacted a jewelry repair shop here about fixing them so she could wear them daily but the cost was more than she wanted to spend. I decided the money I was contemplating spending on the rifle would be better spent so that my wife can have her mom with her daily rather than me having another gun.
So, I truly appreciate you guys taking the time to reply and share your knowledge and experience. I will put the Weatherby on the back burner for the time being. It's not like I don't have rifles and, besides, I have a Whelen!
The "Dear" you pleased will pay dividends to you much longer than the "deer" you might have shot with the 257 Weatherby
However, food for thought if and when you decide to look at the Weatherby again. Since you already have two 25-06, take a look at the 270 Weatherby. I have both the 257 and 270 and like both, but the 270 will give you just a little more of a good thing. Small enough for deer, large enough for elk
Wincheringen
Handloader
- Jan 10, 2012
- 931
- 1
Any money you save on the rifle will be spent on brass for the Weatherby.
filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 1,926
- 1,208
I won't probably be saying anything you haven't already heard here but I guess I feel as does 35Whelen - if you need more than a .25-06 can give you, you likely need to step up to a .264 or a .270 magnum.
That being said, I have never met a fella who owned a .257 Bee that didn't love it. I never discourage buying more guns!
Let's get real, need doesn't enter into this equation. If we all had a .30-06, a 12 gauge and a .22 we would have everything we NEED.
Go for it, its a great deal!
Just my $0.02 -
Dale
That being said, I have never met a fella who owned a .257 Bee that didn't love it. I never discourage buying more guns!
Let's get real, need doesn't enter into this equation. If we all had a .30-06, a 12 gauge and a .22 we would have everything we NEED.
Go for it, its a great deal!
Just my $0.02 -
Dale
- Thread starter
- #26
rjm158
Handloader
- Oct 15, 2009
- 696
- 578
Guys, thanks so much for the kind words. It truly means something to see others can relate as well to something like this.
My wife doesn't care about the guns I buy. She shoots, hunts, has her CCW, shoots a bow, and has an appreciation for guns, hunting, and related things too. I don't have to sneak them into the house or use the "Oh, I've had that for a long time" phrase. I discuss purchases with her unless it's a spur of the moment/unplanned opportunity kind of thing.
When I saw the look on her face and in her eyes when she talked about the rings, the decision was a no brainer. If spending a few hundred dollars gives her some inner peace having her mom with her, so to speak, then it's worth every penny in my book. It may sound silly or dumb to some, but there are many times when I'm hunting that I feel my dad with me (he died of cancer in 2007). Maybe it is, but I know I feel better and more at ease sharing it with him so I'm not too worried about those who might scoff at me.
Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement. This is an example of how the people on this forum make it so great.
Ron
My wife doesn't care about the guns I buy. She shoots, hunts, has her CCW, shoots a bow, and has an appreciation for guns, hunting, and related things too. I don't have to sneak them into the house or use the "Oh, I've had that for a long time" phrase. I discuss purchases with her unless it's a spur of the moment/unplanned opportunity kind of thing.
When I saw the look on her face and in her eyes when she talked about the rings, the decision was a no brainer. If spending a few hundred dollars gives her some inner peace having her mom with her, so to speak, then it's worth every penny in my book. It may sound silly or dumb to some, but there are many times when I'm hunting that I feel my dad with me (he died of cancer in 2007). Maybe it is, but I know I feel better and more at ease sharing it with him so I'm not too worried about those who might scoff at me.
Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement. This is an example of how the people on this forum make it so great.
Ron
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,381
- 1,012
Bbear":21sjppa7 said:
+1 Exactly. As much as we like/ enjoy our rifles there is no greater value than the respect of your wife. If we are lucky it is returned in spades. When the time is right, check out a 25 WSM. Its basically a 270 WSM necked down to .25. I think it was a pet of Layne Simpson. To me its the WSM Winchester should have made. OR the 25-06. Shot my first deer w/ one of those, nothing wrong with that either! All the best. CL
Happy Wife, Happy Life! You did good my friend. Our Ladys are so Special...from time to time we need to really treat them to something Special, and you did! P.S. I still suggest you have one of those 25-06s converted to .257 Weatherby...will cost you around $250. Send it out here to my gunsmith ( Nightowls 801 964 6846, ask for Ray) He can do a fantastic job for you!
Divernhunter
Handloader
- Apr 1, 2009
- 812
- 171
I have both a 25-06 and a 257W. I like both and have taken animals with both. I am glad I have both. I now tend to shoot the 257W more.
G'Day Fella's,
RJM158, I currently own 2 x .25-06 rifles also.
One in a 30+year old Remington 700 and the other, a couple of year old Kimber Montana.
I'm very happy with both rifles but the 700's barrel has seen better days, thats why I bought the Kimber!
When I get a chance, I will rebarrel the 700 to .257 Weatherby (I already have a new MADDCO 26" barrel), I just need to find the time!!!
They are both great cartridges, though the .257 W-by is just something else!
It is still one of the flattest shooting cartridges, out to 500meters!!!
Hope that helps
Doh!
Homer
RJM158, I currently own 2 x .25-06 rifles also.
One in a 30+year old Remington 700 and the other, a couple of year old Kimber Montana.
I'm very happy with both rifles but the 700's barrel has seen better days, thats why I bought the Kimber!
When I get a chance, I will rebarrel the 700 to .257 Weatherby (I already have a new MADDCO 26" barrel), I just need to find the time!!!
They are both great cartridges, though the .257 W-by is just something else!
It is still one of the flattest shooting cartridges, out to 500meters!!!
Hope that helps
Doh!
Homer
35 Whelen
Handloader
- Dec 22, 2011
- 2,237
- 512
Another way to look at the differences between Magnum and Standard calibers is one you don't hear used as a comparison very often. This was the reason I originally decided they were just not a good option for me anymore. I owned a 300 Win Mag in a pre A bolt model, Browning, when scoped it weighed nearly 10 lbs and had a 26" barrel.
I ran some numbers one time using the figures of my 30/06 loads with a 165gr Nosler Solid Base at 2950 and a standard box of 300WM at 3100 to see what 150fps really was worth down range. From memory it came out to show that the 06 hit at 260 yds with a velocity of 2400fps were is the 300WM arrived at 320 yds at the same 2400fps, hence hitting with exactly the same ft lbs of energy and thus being exactly equal in performance with the exception the 300WM was doing it 60 yards further out. So from that prospective I decided to rethink how often the extra 60 yards was worth it to me to lug around a ten pound gun to get it.
What I found out was for my style of hunting at that time , about 90% of the time I could get the 50 yards closer and then I had the 300 Mag, without the recoil or the long barrel or the weight.
If one is hunting in a bean field situation were carrying the weapon is not a problem, and extending the range could make a difference then of course ANY advantage is good. But in this case,as Wild Gene suggests, to gain a 100 ft lbs of energy really seams to be fairly minor, considering all the offsets to get it ???
Or again if super long range was the objective , and you could never get closer?? Then simply because of the availability of .257 bullets , vs what is out there for .264 bullets?? It still looks like the best bang for the buck is either the .264 WM or a 6.5/06, once you go past 400 yards the difference in BC on the bullets, becomes a pretty big issue? Considering the new .264 caliber, 142gr ABLR; is boasting a BC of .720 can ANYTHING follow that act????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6APMqMkikk
I ran some numbers one time using the figures of my 30/06 loads with a 165gr Nosler Solid Base at 2950 and a standard box of 300WM at 3100 to see what 150fps really was worth down range. From memory it came out to show that the 06 hit at 260 yds with a velocity of 2400fps were is the 300WM arrived at 320 yds at the same 2400fps, hence hitting with exactly the same ft lbs of energy and thus being exactly equal in performance with the exception the 300WM was doing it 60 yards further out. So from that prospective I decided to rethink how often the extra 60 yards was worth it to me to lug around a ten pound gun to get it.
What I found out was for my style of hunting at that time , about 90% of the time I could get the 50 yards closer and then I had the 300 Mag, without the recoil or the long barrel or the weight.
If one is hunting in a bean field situation were carrying the weapon is not a problem, and extending the range could make a difference then of course ANY advantage is good. But in this case,as Wild Gene suggests, to gain a 100 ft lbs of energy really seams to be fairly minor, considering all the offsets to get it ???
Or again if super long range was the objective , and you could never get closer?? Then simply because of the availability of .257 bullets , vs what is out there for .264 bullets?? It still looks like the best bang for the buck is either the .264 WM or a 6.5/06, once you go past 400 yards the difference in BC on the bullets, becomes a pretty big issue? Considering the new .264 caliber, 142gr ABLR; is boasting a BC of .720 can ANYTHING follow that act????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6APMqMkikk
- Thread starter
- #33
rjm158
Handloader
- Oct 15, 2009
- 696
- 578
Whelen, I agree and understand what you're saying but, like others on here, I like to experiment with new calibers, bullets, etc. I already own and have killed deer with my 264 Win Mag and in later years have started trying to use a different untried caliber each year. This past season I used a 7mm-08 which, although it is used by many forum members, was a caliber I hadn't killed a deer with previously.
As an update/side note, I picked up the wife's ring yesterday and surprised her with it last night. She didn't know it was completed yet and the folks at the jewelry store were going to call me to aid in this but I called them first to check. Neither of us had asked them to do this but they knew how much the ring meant to her, too, so they wanted it to be extra special when she got it.
Seeing her reaction confirmed that I made the right decision. If I end up with a 257 later so be it, but if I don't I'm 100% content with the course of things now. I'm fairly certain my 25-06's will continue to put deer on the ground with alacrity and, if all else fails, I'll drag out the Whelen!!!
Ron
As an update/side note, I picked up the wife's ring yesterday and surprised her with it last night. She didn't know it was completed yet and the folks at the jewelry store were going to call me to aid in this but I called them first to check. Neither of us had asked them to do this but they knew how much the ring meant to her, too, so they wanted it to be extra special when she got it.
Seeing her reaction confirmed that I made the right decision. If I end up with a 257 later so be it, but if I don't I'm 100% content with the course of things now. I'm fairly certain my 25-06's will continue to put deer on the ground with alacrity and, if all else fails, I'll drag out the Whelen!!!
Ron
Horsethief
Handloader
- Jul 5, 2012
- 346
- 5
I had a Enfield action 25-06 with a 26" barrel that made within 12 ft/ sec of my S2 257 Wby (24" barrel) with each firing a 120gn bullet. Max book loads in the 25-06 were with IMR-4831 and the Weatherby used H-1000. Best of all, both loads made 3-shot groups less than an inch wide.
I didn't do much load experimenting with other bullet weights but the 25-06 loved 117gn Hornady BTSPs over RL-19 and 115gn Nosler BTs over H-4831. The Weatherby does exceptionally good with IMR-4350, H-4350, H-4831, Superformance, RL-19, RL-22 with 100-120 grain bullets.
With two basic equals in accuracy and the Weatherby being faster, I sold the 25-06 to a buddy who wanted one for pronghorn and deer. I think the heavier weight of the 25-06 and its 26" barrel were big things my buddy wanted.
Loaded up with what your 25-06 Rem or 257 Roy likes, you can't go wrong. It's a matter of getting the bullet into the right place.
I didn't do much load experimenting with other bullet weights but the 25-06 loved 117gn Hornady BTSPs over RL-19 and 115gn Nosler BTs over H-4831. The Weatherby does exceptionally good with IMR-4350, H-4350, H-4831, Superformance, RL-19, RL-22 with 100-120 grain bullets.
With two basic equals in accuracy and the Weatherby being faster, I sold the 25-06 to a buddy who wanted one for pronghorn and deer. I think the heavier weight of the 25-06 and its 26" barrel were big things my buddy wanted.
Loaded up with what your 25-06 Rem or 257 Roy likes, you can't go wrong. It's a matter of getting the bullet into the right place.
