Best all around load .257 Roberts

[filmjunkie4ever]

I have shot the .25-06 a ton. Literally to the point of wearing out a barrel. But I have never yet tripped the trigger on a .257 Bob. My Remington 700 is going to be rebarreled as soon as I can get it to the smith.

So, cognoscenti, bless me with thy knowledge. What pray tell is the best all around bullet for use in the .257? Coyotes, chucks, deer, antelope and maybe the occasional cow elk will be on the menu.

Also I have tons of Varget and IMR4350 for propellant.

 

[JD338]

The 115 gr BT is your huckleberry!

JD338

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Was wondering how running a 100 grain Speer Hot-Core/ 100 grain Partition combo would work? Use the Speer for most stuff, switch to the Partition when I need more penetration?

 

[gerry]

Do you have a 257 Roberts already or are you getting your 25-06 rebarreled to it?

 

[Bruce Mc]

My first load for that Bob was a 117gr Sierra gameking with 48grs of H-4831 @ 2975 fps. Killed my biggest south Texas buck with it. A bunch of coyotes and Javelinas went down too.

 

[JD338]

Was wondering how running a 100 grain Speer Hot-Core/ 100 grain Partition combo would work? Use the Speer for most stuff, switch to the Partition when I need more penetration?

That will work but the 115 gr bullets retain more energy down range plus they buck the wind better.

JD338

 

[Slimfinn]

I havent loaded for the bob but I did get some 115 and 120PTs from sps a few years ago that were shaped for it.
Looking now Nosler is showing some 100grPT seconds that I think would get a good choice for what you're looking to shoot except maybe the elk, tho the Hot-Cor are still half the price and will kill just as well.
JD is right on the 115's too

 

[PJGunner]

I haven't done very much with the .257 Robt. for reasons of health.

I have two rifles chambered to the Robt., a Ruger #1B and a Winchester M70 Featherweight. The Ruger came with 6 boxes of Norma factory ammo which apparently has been discontinued. I shot the Ruger just enough to know it likes that Norma ammo giving nickel sized groups on average. I still have five full boxes of that ammo plus 6 left over rounds from the first box I shot ammo from. All 6 boxes had the same lot number.

I've only done limited work with the M70 FWT which so far has proved to be a big disappointment. I've tried 100 gr. Sierras, both PH and GK versions and the 100 and 120 gr. Barnes TSX and 120 gr. Speer hot core IIRC. It's been over four years since the wreck and I'm still not able to get to the range and set up to shoot. he best I've gotten from anything tried was three inches and that was from one of the Sierra IIRC. I have thought that if I could get out to shoot I'd take those 6 left over Norma's and try for two three shot groups, preferably over the chronograph. That way, if they shot decent groups I'd have an idea as to what level velocity might work in that rifle. If those show otherwise, I'll either trade it off for something of maybe have it rebored to 7x57 with a proper 1 in 8.4' twist. My current 7x57 M70 FWY has I believe a 1 in 10" or mybe 1 in 9.5" twist. I've never found out from Winchester and those numbers are what I get when trying to find out.

That M70 Has been rather frustrating as I find it to be a very pleasant rifle to shoot.
Paul B.

 

[Divernhunter]

I have done a lot of work with my 257R. I prefer 120gr Swift A-Frame or Nosler PAR if you cannot find the swift bullets. Also the 80gr TTSX bullets work well. For squirrels and other small game a cup-n-core 87gr will do and be much cheaper.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Do you have a 257 Roberts already or are you getting your 25-06 rebarreled to it?

Getting my .25-06 rebarreled. Unless one of you fellas wants to buy me a Remington 700 Classic or Winchester Model 70 for Christmas!

 

[gerry]

Getting my .25-06 rebarreled. Unless one of you fellas wants to buy me a Remington 700 Classic or Winchester Model 70 for Christmas!

Maybe we can find one of those for you! You might be able to find a custom gun for a good price too.

If you do get a new barrel a fast twist would be worth considering. A 257 Roberts has more case capacity than the 25 Creedmoor and would give you lots of options. More high B.C. bullets are coming out every year and you can still run the normal 257 bullets.

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

Maybe we can find one of those for you! You might be able to find a custom gun for a good price too.

If you do get a new barrel a fast twist would be worth considering. A 257 Roberts has more case capacity than the 25 Creedmoor and would give you lots of options. More high B.C. bullets are coming out every year and you can still run the normal 257 bullets.

I did get a 1-9” twist, so its a bit faster but this will be a “set and forget” scoped rifle. Not planning to shoot the distances where high bc bullets really matter.

 

[JD338]

I have a Remington M700 Classic in 257 Roberts. It's a Long/Magnum action so I'm seating bullets to a COAL of 2.900". This allows me to get some impressive velocity out of the Roberts case.

JD338

 

[Bruce Mc]

Going along with what JD posted. The camber on the 700 classic is cut with a bit more freebore so the round can be loaded to a longer length.

 

[grry10]

I had a Remington model 722 in 257R. It shot very well with 100 gr NBT and 43.5 gr IMR4350 but would not group 120 gr. I've since hade it rechambered to 257 Ackley Improved and am able to get acceptable groups now with the 120s. This group was shot with the 100 gr load and the buck was taken with that load at 188 yards.

 

[larry82052]

I have shot the .25-06 a ton. Literally to the point of wearing out a barrel. But I have never yet tripped the trigger on a .257 Bob. My Remington 700 is going to be rebarreled as soon as I can get it to the smith.

So, cognoscenti, bless me with thy knowledge. What pray tell is the best all around bullet for use in the .257? Coyotes, chucks, deer, antelope and maybe the occasional cow elk will be on the menu.

Also I have tons of Varget and IMR4350 for propellant.

Beautiful Rifle, yeah i have always loved the 257 Roberts and i to shot a 25-06 all my life and took deer! They are a great caliber i think!! Larry Gene

 

[Hunter26]

The 257 Roberts is one of my absolute favorites! I shot my first deer and hogs with a Rem 700 Classic in that caliber and still have the rifle. My dad loaded 100gr BT's for me back then. I also bought a 15" Encore pistol barrel in 257 Roberts and have killed deer with it using the 110gr AccuBond and 115gr Partition. Both did well and when using Hybrid 100V and the 115 gr Partition, I was getting some very impressive velocity with a book load out of the short barreled Encore. I bought a whole bunch of 115gr PT blems a few years ago. Haven't tried that load in the rifle yet though. I keep thinking about doing an AI chamber but they both shoot so well I haven't bothered. Here's a big doe I got with the Encore and a 110gr AB and Varget at 130 yards. Thinking about it now, I've never killed a single animal in either gun with anything other than a Nosler bullet. Both my guns have shot a lot of deer with 100gr & 115 gr BT's, 110gr AB's & 100gr & 115gr Partitions. I stick with the 110gr AB & 115gr Partitions, though I just found two boxes of 110gr Hornady Interbonds.

 

[Blkram]

I was planning on working with the 110 gr AB and 115 gr BT in my 257 Roberts...but have sold the rifle (Ruger No.1 RSI)...hope to have a lefty one day, with a longer barrel.

 

[DrMike]

I have a grand selection of bullets that I intended to use to work up a load for my 257 Roberts. However, I sold the rifle a month ago. Now, I need to sell the bullets and brass since I likely won't replace the rifle. It wasn't because the rifle was flawed (it was a Remington Special Edition with a 24 inch barrel) or because the cartridge was inadequate. The 257 Roberts is a fine cartridge that is seriously under-rated. It should be far more popular than it is. I found the cartridge to be capable of performing well above expectations, digesting a wide spectrum of loads to flawlessly deliver game.

 

[PJGunner]

I have a Remington M700 Classic in 257 Roberts. It's a Long/Magnum action so I'm seating bullets to a COAL of 2.900". This allows me to get some impressive velocity out of the Roberts case.

JD338

I have the Winchester Featherweight push feeder for the 1980s and it too has the long action. However, Big W in all their wisdom placed a block in the magazine so I can't seat bullets out all that much. I have the same action/rifle in 7x57 Mauser and it too has the magazine blocked to the "proper" length. FWIW.I use 7-08 data to load the 7x57 and 6MM Remington data for the .257 Robt. That makes both cartridges horses of a different color and is perfectly safe in modern rifles. I still need to find an accurate load from the .257 but the 7x57 does anywhere from less than .50" to about .80" depending on which bullet I'm using. Currently it's the 150 gr. Nosler Partition which hovers around .50" on average depending on condition and the jerk behind the trigger.
Paul B.