I am starting to look at getting my first quarter bore rifle. I am going to get either the 25-06 or 257WBY. Those two are the ones I have narrowed it down to. More than likely I will get the Vanguard Sporter in 257 or a 25-06 in a Ruger Hawkeye. I have already started to buy some bullets, so I am stockpiling some Noslers, that should work for either one. The caliber isn't really filling any niche I need filling. I have a 243 on the small side and a 270WSM on top side and a few up above that one. I just want a .257 rifle. It probably won't get used for much more than deer or maybe a chance bear. I know they are both kinda one in the same, other than most loads put the WBY about 200FPS faster, cases are a little more expensive, but they are Norma cases, so I think that is a wash. 50 cases lasts me quite awhile once I find the load I like. Anyhow, just wanted to hear your guys' thoughts on these two. Scotty
Pro's vs Cons 257WBY vs 25-06
- Thread starter SJB358
- Start date
Scotty,
Lets talk bullets in the 75-90 grain class--- the 25-06 only beats the 243 by a few hundred fps..... and the 243 slugs at the same weight will have a better BC. But the 110-120 grain bullets make the 25-06 worth it, kinda
The wby only broadens this spectrum, filling the empty spot between 243win and 270wsm a little better than the 25-06.
If you HAVE to have a quarter bore, and you SWEAR you'll shoot bullets less than 90 grains, then the 25-06 would do everything you ever asked it to! BUT, your 243 would be right on its tail, AND I know you bought 120 PT'S!!!! SOOOOOO BUY THE WBY!!!! and keep your eye out for some 110 AB's too
Or..... get the ruger and make a 25-06AI
Lets talk bullets in the 75-90 grain class--- the 25-06 only beats the 243 by a few hundred fps..... and the 243 slugs at the same weight will have a better BC. But the 110-120 grain bullets make the 25-06 worth it, kinda
The wby only broadens this spectrum, filling the empty spot between 243win and 270wsm a little better than the 25-06.
If you HAVE to have a quarter bore, and you SWEAR you'll shoot bullets less than 90 grains, then the 25-06 would do everything you ever asked it to! BUT, your 243 would be right on its tail, AND I know you bought 120 PT'S!!!! SOOOOOO BUY THE WBY!!!! and keep your eye out for some 110 AB's too
Or..... get the ruger and make a 25-06AI
- Thread starter
- #3
Chet, you are right, I am a heavier bullet shooter. I tend to shoot towards the heavier end of the bullet scale for whatever caliber I am loading for. So far I have some 100gr ETIPS, and some 120gr PT's. Your thinking is pretty close to what I am thinking also. Keep em coming. Scotty
I as do many others own both. I got the bee second and now I wonder if that was a smart choice. no doubt it is a heck of a rifle but looking back I should have got a 270wsm but that's another story.
if you are just going to get a vanguard buy the 25.06 in the ruger. with the advent of new powders like retumbo and rl17 you really don't need to burn 20 more grains of powder to shoot lazer beams. just last weekend I shot a 5 shot cloverleaf with 100 gr btip and averaged 3500 fps usin rl17 in my 700 classic.
maybe I am jaded because I have had so many little quirky problems being somewhat new to loading and then shoosing what I see as a finicky round. or maybe I expected too much from the rifle.
if you are just going to get a vanguard buy the 25.06 in the ruger. with the advent of new powders like retumbo and rl17 you really don't need to burn 20 more grains of powder to shoot lazer beams. just last weekend I shot a 5 shot cloverleaf with 100 gr btip and averaged 3500 fps usin rl17 in my 700 classic.
maybe I am jaded because I have had so many little quirky problems being somewhat new to loading and then shoosing what I see as a finicky round. or maybe I expected too much from the rifle.
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- #7
Yeah, I really never thought much of the 25's either, but some folks like Guy Miner, JD338, and 257 Ackley, and RM2506 really like theirs and they seemed to be mighty impressed with them. Seems like I am missing out and you know how that goes. It happened with the 45-70 and I pushed it off as long as I could, and then couldn't take it anymore. I am in the same boat now. I find myself looking them over pretty often. Scotty
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,502
- 6,506
Hoo, boy. You got the disease bad. There ain't no cure except to fill your gun safe with multiple calibres (at least one of each).
REDGREEN
Handloader
- Mar 30, 2006
- 276
- 1
The 25 06 will do all that you ask of it, and more. IMO. a 243 is a varmit rifle. The 257 Weatherby is a fantastic offering. It is also a barrel burner. A buddy is on his 3rd barrel, and is going to change to a 300 winmag. The new barrel has baout 800 rounds through it, and is already showing micro fractures just ahead of the chamber. He's tired of the agrivation of having to replace a barrel after 1000 rounds. 25 06 is a winner hands down.
I have both. Shot a few caribou with the Wby, it works well as I'm sure the 25/06 would as well
If money is no object I'd get the Wby.
Up here a box of 257 Wby runs ~ $75 compared to $28 for 25/06.
With the ability to make Wby brass from 264/7 Mag brass the argument fails about high brass cost.
If money is no object I'd get the Wby.
Up here a box of 257 Wby runs ~ $75 compared to $28 for 25/06.
With the ability to make Wby brass from 264/7 Mag brass the argument fails about high brass cost.
- Thread starter
- #13
Good points fellers. I like them all. Very well sounded ideas. NITIS, I appreciate your thoughts, cause I know you are living it all right now. Still, it will come down to impulse a little when I do pull the trigger. I like them both. Plus, I don't have a WBY chambered rifle, yet! Scotty
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,418
- 1,092
I'll complicate things for ya.... 25-06 and 257 Wby are both over bore, so as long as you are committed to burning a lot of powder you might want to look at a .25 Pronghorn. Thats a 270WSM necked down. If I recall correctly that puts you right in the neighborhood of the Bee.
If you want to get really efficient, then have somthing chambered in 250 Ackley improved. It is the round that showed the greatest percentage of velocity improvement of all the Ackleys. That will do anything the 243 will do and with the 110 grain BT I think the BC gets close to the 243. If my 250 Savage didnt shoot so well I would have it Ackley'd in a flash.
As you can tell Im a .25 fan. All that said you can but 25-06 off the shelf at wally world if you get in a pinch. It will do all you need with a propper bang....find some partitions or AB's for the Bee and go efelant hunting.... :lol: CL
25-06 and 257 Wby are both over bore, so as long as you are committed to burning a lot of powder you might want to look at a .25 Pronghorn. Thats a 270WSM necked down. If I recall correctly that puts you right in the neighborhood of the Bee. If you want to get really efficient, then have somthing chambered in 250 Ackley improved. It is the round that showed the greatest percentage of velocity improvement of all the Ackleys. That will do anything the 243 will do and with the 110 grain BT I think the BC gets close to the 243. If my 250 Savage didnt shoot so well I would have it Ackley'd in a flash.
As you can tell Im a .25 fan.
All that said you can but 25-06 off the shelf at wally world if you get in a pinch. It will do all you need with a propper bang....find some partitions or AB's for the Bee and go efelant hunting.... :lol: CLremingtonman_25_06
Handloader
- Nov 17, 2005
- 2,806
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I like the 25-06 myself. Yah its 200fps slower then the WBY, but that only equates to about another 100 yards less in maximum killing range in all reality. I have shot quite a few animals with my 25-06s over the years including coyotes, antelope, muleys, whitetails, black bear, and elk. A LOT of those animals, Id say 75% were taken from 300-600 yards with 115g nbts or 117g sgk's at 3100-3200fps. A high shoulder shot always did the drick and dropped them on the spot. Few took 2 shots, but not very many...
For what you want it for, deer I"m assuming, the 25-06 with a 115g nbt at 3200fps will dump muleys and whitetails to 700, the 257 wby will get you out to 800 with same bullet at 3400fps. So really unless you plan on shooting past 600 yards or more quite often, there is no need for the WBY in my opinion.
The 243 is not even in the same ballpark as a 25-06 for coyotes either. Lets see a 243 push a 75g vmax at 3800fps, not happening. The only way a 243 will shoot flatter then a 25-06/75g vmax is sticking a 55-60g bullet in the 243 at 3800-4000fps. Yes the BC is a little better on the 75g 6mm bullet, but the 400fps increase in MV with the 25-06 will still easily keep up or beat it out to 500-600 yards, which is about as far as you should be shooting with those light bullets anyways.
I always thought I would have to have a 257 WM one day, but in all reality, I couldn't ask anything more from the 25-06 on animals out to a pretty fair distance. The 257 is a little more costly to operate in terms of price of brass and powder consumption, which also leads to a lot shorter throat and or barrel life as well. For someone who shoots a lot, that was something I heavily considered.
It didn't take long for me to get hooked on the 25-06...If I could only have 1 caliber/rifle for the lower 48 (heaven forbid), a 25-06 would definately be in my top 3 choices, thats how much I like the 25-06 and have confidence in the rounds ablility when the shooter does his part with a good bullet. From pdogs with 75g vmaxs at 3800fps, to 100g nbt's at 3400fps for speed goats, 115g nbt's at 3200fps for deer, and 110g AB or 115g-120g Partition for elk and bear, its a round that will cover it all with ease to a fair distance on all the above critters. Its really an impressive cartridge in the field, more so then paper charts give it credit. Only beef I have with quarterbores are there BC's, not the greatest but there is a few good bullets out there now.
The 257 WM is an impressive cartridge as well, its just in my opinion, the 25-06 will kill any deer deader then dead can be just as good as the 257 WM will out to any reasonable range a quarterbore should be shooting deer at. If you wanna shoot em further then 600-700 yards, then move up in bullet diameter and BC, like a 6.5mm or 7mm of some sort, once again, just my opinion.
Good luck in your decision.
For what you want it for, deer I"m assuming, the 25-06 with a 115g nbt at 3200fps will dump muleys and whitetails to 700, the 257 wby will get you out to 800 with same bullet at 3400fps. So really unless you plan on shooting past 600 yards or more quite often, there is no need for the WBY in my opinion.
The 243 is not even in the same ballpark as a 25-06 for coyotes either. Lets see a 243 push a 75g vmax at 3800fps, not happening. The only way a 243 will shoot flatter then a 25-06/75g vmax is sticking a 55-60g bullet in the 243 at 3800-4000fps. Yes the BC is a little better on the 75g 6mm bullet, but the 400fps increase in MV with the 25-06 will still easily keep up or beat it out to 500-600 yards, which is about as far as you should be shooting with those light bullets anyways.
I always thought I would have to have a 257 WM one day, but in all reality, I couldn't ask anything more from the 25-06 on animals out to a pretty fair distance. The 257 is a little more costly to operate in terms of price of brass and powder consumption, which also leads to a lot shorter throat and or barrel life as well. For someone who shoots a lot, that was something I heavily considered.
It didn't take long for me to get hooked on the 25-06...If I could only have 1 caliber/rifle for the lower 48 (heaven forbid), a 25-06 would definately be in my top 3 choices, thats how much I like the 25-06 and have confidence in the rounds ablility when the shooter does his part with a good bullet. From pdogs with 75g vmaxs at 3800fps, to 100g nbt's at 3400fps for speed goats, 115g nbt's at 3200fps for deer, and 110g AB or 115g-120g Partition for elk and bear, its a round that will cover it all with ease to a fair distance on all the above critters. Its really an impressive cartridge in the field, more so then paper charts give it credit. Only beef I have with quarterbores are there BC's, not the greatest but there is a few good bullets out there now.
The 257 WM is an impressive cartridge as well, its just in my opinion, the 25-06 will kill any deer deader then dead can be just as good as the 257 WM will out to any reasonable range a quarterbore should be shooting deer at. If you wanna shoot em further then 600-700 yards, then move up in bullet diameter and BC, like a 6.5mm or 7mm of some sort, once again, just my opinion.
Good luck in your decision.
- Thread starter
- #16
RM2506 and CL, thanks for those points. Both are well taken. I wished I could get all three of them! I am still keeping it between the 25-06 and Wby right now. Price of cases and powder really doesn't bother me too much. I don't shoot hundreds of rounds at a time through the rifles, more like 20 at a spell. I would work up a load for whatever rifle I got then just practice with it, and mainly hunt with it! The 257 Roberts isn't out of the picture either, but again, I think I need to shoulder a few rifles and see what I like. I am thinking I want a 4.5x14 Leupold on either of them, I have already kinda decided that. That could change, but I doubt it. Scotty
beretzs":ln0j3xnz said:
Scotty, I'm not a fan of the 25 cal but I do load for my varmit partner 25-06. Acouple years ago got the itch for a 25 cal so looking at what work with my style of shooting so settled on a 257Wby. I build the rifle that took care of the itch after I fired it then gave it to my nephew. That 257Wby a good caliber IMHO. Good luck
- Thread starter
- #18
Powerstroke
Handloader
- Feb 24, 2006
- 1,800
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I've also never been much of a quarter bore fan - My long time hunting buddy has shot a 25-06 for years, and I've watched him put numerous elk on the ground with it.
With that said - :grin: I was in sportsmans a little over a year ago now I believe, and found the SPS .257 Bee on the shelf for the same price as the standard SPS's - yep, purchased on the spot!
I have to say, this is fast becoming one of my favorite rounds. It shoots the 110 A-bonds very well, as well as the 115 VLD's.
I just had the Smith finish pillar bedding it into a new Remington laminated stock, and will probably use it Nov on by Bull Elk hunt.......
Good luck with that decision :wink:
With that said - :grin: I was in sportsmans a little over a year ago now I believe, and found the SPS .257 Bee on the shelf for the same price as the standard SPS's - yep, purchased on the spot!
I have to say, this is fast becoming one of my favorite rounds. It shoots the 110 A-bonds very well, as well as the 115 VLD's.
I just had the Smith finish pillar bedding it into a new Remington laminated stock, and will probably use it Nov on by Bull Elk hunt.......
Good luck with that decision :wink:
- Thread starter
- #20
Here is a good question for you all. I already have a Weatherby Vanguard in my safe. It is a 7mm Rem Mag, and is a decent enough rifle, but since I already have a M70 in the same caliber, what would your thoughts be on rebarreling it to a 26" tube for 257WBY? Seems like it could be done cheaper than buying a new rifle and I was thinking of turning it into a 358 Norma anyhow. Has anyone here rebarreled a Vanguard? It shoots okay, but two 7mm's are one two many really, as I like the M70 more anyhow. Scotty
