257Wby Called Me Out Of The Woods

[bullet]

I was so cold this morning and the wind changed and started blowing from the wrong direction. So I got up and went to the Wardens station (he is a friend of mind) and ask him what was the best place since there has been so much logging going on. He showed me three places and two are awesome, covered with sign and I will be hunting them this weekend. Also showed me a cut over that is about 610yds across and said he has seen bucks just now start moving the does and that my 257Wby would be perfect for that cut over. I sure hope this year gets better. This year to date I have only seen three does. So I thanked him and turned to go back hunting when at that moment my cell phone starting vibrating.

Yes, the gun shop called me and said my 257Wby had arrived. The 257Wby called me out of the woods. I went straight back to town and picked it up. I will be at the range in the morning shooting the reloads I have already made up and will know what pill to put in it for this weekend.

Here is the 257Wby Accumark and the Leupold VX-III 4.5-14X50mm

Will post results of tomorrow morning at the range to morrow afternoon.

 

[GB300wm]

Beautiful bullet. I would have come out also. The weather is bad here too. It will be windy tomorrow so I hope you get to shoot her and get some good groups. I'm sure that she will be a shooter. Let us know results.

 

[FOTIS]

Gorgeous! Congrats.

 

[bullet]

Beautiful bullet. I would have come out also. The weather is bad here too. It will be windy tomorrow so I hope you get to shoot her and get some good groups. I'm sure that she will be a shooter. Let us know results.

Yes GB300wm, I sure am looking forward to get the load right which to me is a blast and a whole lot of fun. It really lets you learn your rifle.

 

[bullet]

Gorgeous! Congrats.

Yeah POP, it sure is a good looking rifle. If it will shoot half as good as it looks that would be fine with me.

 

[JD338]

Very nice bullet.

I hope you hit pay dirt quick with a good load and shoot a nice buck this coming week end.

JD338

 

[bullet]

Very nice bullet.

I hope you hit pay dirt quick with a good load and shoot a nice buck this coming week end.

JD338

Thank you so much Jim for that kind thought. I sure hope you are right. I have till the 18th of Jan to get it done and I really like doing it. Sunday evening and Monday morning ought to be good days as I hunt one of the spots that my friend showed me today. Also this Friday might be interesting about 30 foot up in a tall yellow pine looking over a 600yd cut-over. Tomorrow morning early will tell what load I should be able to get away with hunting with the 257Wby. I am trying out five different 100gr loads.

 

[JD338]

bullet,

What are your planned loads? We need a picture.:wink:

JD338

 

[Desert Fox]

IMR 4831 and 115 grain Ballistic Tip. Not sure how many grains of powder. I shoot this rifle with that combo and it's very accurate. Another of Franks friend did the reloading. I talk Frank into using the TSX because I kind of worried about the velocity that the round can dished off. I'm worried that the BT won't be tough enough. I never got around to load it for him though.

 

[TScottW99]

Beautiful rifle!! Congrats and good luck this weekend!

 

[Guy Miner]

Yup, that's an Accumark alright! Cool. Good looking piece of gear and I hope it shoots as well as it looks!

We're going to need a range report here shortly you know... :grin:

 

[Greg Nolan]

If I were a buck I'd be "VERY WORRIED" :shock:
Good luck and have a Merry Christmas.
Greg

 

[bullet]

As I said I would, I went to the range this morning to get a load ready for hunting this weekend. Now that is really something to accomplish when you have only 6 loads using 6 different powders with the 100gr TSX and all 6 loads are 1% under max recommended by Barnes and at the same time guessing at the OAL 3.133" from past experience with the 257Wby. Plus doing all of this knowing I only have a 2 hour window with weather this morning to try and come up with an accurate load that is at least 3600fps or above so I can go hunting.

I used MRP, RL-25, RL-22, IMR7828, IMR4350 and H4831. Now all 6 loads were under 1.169" and MRP being the fastest at 3620fps and also the largest group. IMR4350 was to slow 3355fps but .968" and H4831 a little faster 3424fps and was .924". RL-25 was 3604fps and .845" but it's extreme spread was to great.

Here were the two that preformed the best:


First, IMR7828 was 3608fps with an extreme spread of 11fps and three shot group size was .427"

Second, RL-22 was also 3608fps with an extreme spread of 9fps and three shot group size was .414"

Well, all I have to do is pick one and then load them up and go shoot three to make sure scope is sighted in at 100yds.

 

[FOTIS]

Did I call that or what? :lol:


You got a shooter!
I foresee under 2.5" groups at 300 yards!

 

[bullet]

Did I call that or what? :lol:


You got a shooter!
I foresee under 2.5" groups at 300 yards!

Yes, I think you are right about the small groups at distance because of the small amount of extreme spread. Yes, I am happy and will work more with it this spring but now is hunting time.

 

[GB300wm]

Very good bullet. Them 257's are for sure shooters. Just pick a load, I don't believe you can go wrong at this point. We'll get out there and put one of them tsx's on a deer. Put your scope 0.8" high at 100 and that will give you a 200 yd. zero and 4.5" low at 300 and 13.5" low at 400. Now that's flat. That should work just fine on your powerline. Now you need to get a deer and the weather to cooperate. :grin:

 

[bullet]

Very good bullet. Them 257's are for sure shooters. Just pick a load, I don't believe you can go wrong at this point. We'll get out there and put one of them tsx's on a deer. Put your scope 0.8" high at 100 and that will give you a 200 yd. zero and 4.5" low at 300 and 13.5" low at 400. Now that's flat. That should work just fine on your powerline. Now you need to get a deer and the weather to cooperate. :grin:

Thanks GB300wm and no doubt we are going to nail one. I will be setting it at 2 1/2" high at 100 yards because if it moves in a cut-over, bean field, gasl line right-a-way or power line right-a-way I want him. One thing I forgot to mention with the weight of the Accumark I hardly felt any recoil. Could be I am use to 30-06, 300wby, 375Wby, 450 Marlin. :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[JD338]

If you shoot enough big bore, it kinda numbs ya. :lol:

JD338

 

[bullet]

I think you are right JD, I guess I was expecting it to let me know it was there and it didn't. What I find amazing is that I did not have time to work with the six different powders I just loaded to 1% below published Barnes data and the largest group was barely over and inch and the rest were under and inch. I will have to say after owning a Mark V Synthetic and a Mark V Custom 257 that the Accumark is in a class of it's own. When hunting season is over I will certainly tweak my load.

I will begin to work on a very accurate load and I will be trying H1000 but Retumbo I think would be to slow a burner with the 100gr bullet although I could be wrong. I will focus on RL-22, IMR7828, H1000. I believe my seating depth is fine. Will only neck size my brass and hope to tighten my groups with a little powder charge adjustment in 1/2 grain steps. But for now I will hunt with what I tried and because of a little luck ended up with acceptable hunting accuracy.

 

[JD338]

bullet,

Great to hear of such a successful range outing and finding a good load right off the bat. Sometimes we get lucky..... :grin:

I bet when you start working up loads in the spring, you will find a really good one! For now, load up and go kill a buck on the power line!!!

Good luck hunting this weekend.

Merry Christmas,

JD338