- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,949
- 10,893
I'll give you an assist with load development for a 257 Roberts and 115 gr BT's.
Townsend Whelen’s Best Cartridges List
- Thread starter filmjunkie4ever
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 2,094
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That is absolutely a winning combo JD, tell us please, what is the recipe?
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,949
- 10,893
This load was worked up using quick load data and is safe in my rifle. You will need bto work up for another rifle. Note that my rifle is a Remington 700 Classic long/magnum action which allows for a much longer coal.
257 Roberts ++P
115 gr BT
49.0 grs RL22
Nosler case
Federal GM210M primer
COAL 2.900"
MV 3136 fps
ES 18
SD 9
Group is 0.383" c/c
JD338
- Thread starter
- #24
filmjunkie4ever
Handloader
- May 4, 2011
- 2,094
- 1,805
Wowza that is smoking! That's .25-06 hot-loaded velocity and it still shoots amazing too!
No worries about the workup etc. I currently am one of the sad sacks that doesn't own a .257 Roberts.
No worries about the workup etc. I currently am one of the sad sacks that doesn't own a .257 Roberts.
That is smoking, JD! I'm getting 3100 fps average with my 24" 25-06 with that bullet and RL26. Very accurate as well.
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,949
- 10,893
One of our favorite Marines helped me with the load development using RL22 and a COAL of 2.900" which allows for more case capacity.
Case life is pretty good too!
JD338
Case life is pretty good too!
JD338
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
- 5,341
- 6,369
Gotta give that a try, think thats faster then my 100 grain Ballistic tips out of my Roberts.
RL338
Handloader
- Mar 23, 2017
- 3,781
- 6,493
The secret must be the ++P
longrangehunter
Handloader
- Jun 19, 2011
- 1,570
- 201
I realize this is an older thread, and love seeing the individual cartridges for the different game animals! But I realized that I seemed to just hunt with whatever was working really well for me at the time, and used that exclusively until I moved onto something else to hunt with after a few years or in some cases even longer…. Or the complete opposite and it was a one and done thing…… Like the Browning 243 BLR that I took a Northern WT Buck at 20’ feet with 100 grain Partitions in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Superior that I was tracking. I grunted him in from his bedding spot behind a lot of deadfall during a snowstorm right out in front of me. It was one of my all time favorite memories hunting and taking game at such close quarters that is always so satisfying when it comes together.
My Winchester M70 .264WM was a do anything weapon at one point in my life for a long time. Various 35 Whelen’s until I found the best shooting one at Big Bear in Montana on a ‘89 Mauser FN in a nice wood stock that eventually went into a HighTech synthetic stock.
My Jarrett Remington 700 280 Ackley Improved did everything well when I was doing the justice it deserved and not messing up the stalk!
Another one was an Ultimate One Bansner 8.59 Galaxy that saw a lot of different territory for a long stretch of time until I felt I didn’t want to rely on finding that brass go extinct.
Which today I feel is super important that there’s a good number of suppliers who manufacture brass for a cartridge design.
Which is why I decided that if I wanted another hunting rifle I’d build a 25/7PRC just because of the great brass out there, and it not just fading away at least for the time being. And who doesn’t love a fast 25 cal. in a lightweight rifle that won’t beat you to death trying to do what it’s supposed to do.
What’s kinda odd is the only gun that I still use since I was old enough to hold a gun is a Remington 870 WingMaster 16 ga. when I was nine years old. The 870 Magnum 12 ga. I bought years later at Kmart I still use too, and see no reason to replace either.
The 16 ga. took a Tom Turkey
today since I thought why not use it!?! It’s still a favorite for a lighter weight gun to carry around, it’s not like taking a Turkey at close range needs a Magnum round to get the job done!
HECK, if it was up to me I’d rather shoot it in the head with my .22 pistol if I could use it for that purpose! Unfortunately the F&G thinks most people need a shotgun for hunting small game, like rabbits, when a .22 rifle is well worth the extra enjoyment of success in taking such game.
My Winchester M70 .264WM was a do anything weapon at one point in my life for a long time. Various 35 Whelen’s until I found the best shooting one at Big Bear in Montana on a ‘89 Mauser FN in a nice wood stock that eventually went into a HighTech synthetic stock.
My Jarrett Remington 700 280 Ackley Improved did everything well when I was doing the justice it deserved and not messing up the stalk!
Another one was an Ultimate One Bansner 8.59 Galaxy that saw a lot of different territory for a long stretch of time until I felt I didn’t want to rely on finding that brass go extinct.
Which today I feel is super important that there’s a good number of suppliers who manufacture brass for a cartridge design.
Which is why I decided that if I wanted another hunting rifle I’d build a 25/7PRC just because of the great brass out there, and it not just fading away at least for the time being. And who doesn’t love a fast 25 cal. in a lightweight rifle that won’t beat you to death trying to do what it’s supposed to do.
What’s kinda odd is the only gun that I still use since I was old enough to hold a gun is a Remington 870 WingMaster 16 ga. when I was nine years old. The 870 Magnum 12 ga. I bought years later at Kmart I still use too, and see no reason to replace either.
The 16 ga. took a Tom Turkey
today since I thought why not use it!?! It’s still a favorite for a lighter weight gun to carry around, it’s not like taking a Turkey at close range needs a Magnum round to get the job done! HECK, if it was up to me I’d rather shoot it in the head with my .22 pistol if I could use it for that purpose! Unfortunately the F&G thinks most people need a shotgun for hunting small game, like rabbits, when a .22 rifle is well worth the extra enjoyment of success in taking such game.
wvbuckbuster
Handloader
- Nov 5, 2015
- 2,891
- 2,968
Thought that looked like a purple 16ga shell with the picture of your turkey. I had asked. Like the 16ga.
Best All-around - .30-06 Springfield
Best Whitetail Deer -7x57
Best Mule Deer - 280
Best Elk - 300 RUM
Best Moose - 338-06 Ackley Improved
Best Grizzy/BB - .348 Winchester
Best Black Bear - 35 Whelen
Best Antelope - 257 Ackley Improved
Best Sheep/Mountain Goat - 280
Best Caribou - 280
Best Whitetail Deer -7x57
Best Mule Deer - 280
Best Elk - 300 RUM
Best Moose - 338-06 Ackley Improved
Best Grizzy/BB - .348 Winchester
Best Black Bear - 35 Whelen
Best Antelope - 257 Ackley Improved
Best Sheep/Mountain Goat - 280
Best Caribou - 280
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,949
- 10,893
That'll work. Nice shooting!
JD338
JD338
I'll admit I've killed the most game (deer) with the 30-06. The .308 is probably in second place. Only one antelope to my name and was with the .270 although there are a few deer to the .270's credit. On elk, one 30-06, one .300 Win. Mag. and six with the .35 Whelen.
The two cartridges I was doing work with before the car wreck sidelined me were the .257 Roberts and the 7x57. I'd acquired the 7x57 first so most load work up has been done for hunting load. The .257 though came too late before the crack up so not much was done with that one. I have two rifles in .257 Roberts, a Ruger #1B and a Winchester m70 Featherweight. The #1B came with six boxes of Norma factory ammo which I guess is no longer made. I could find any info on Norma's site. I shot up all but six rounds from one box of that Norma ammo to get a feel of how that #1 likes to be handled from the bench. I'll just add that it shot groups at mostly one inch or slightly less. I have that six left over rounds that I'd like to try in the Featherweight. So far it hasn't done well using handloads. In fact it [lain just doesn't shoot worth a damn. I've tried 100 and 120 gr. cup and cores and the 100 gr. TSX bullet and just get patterns. I did trie the 120 gr.TSX as well but figured that the twist rate in the M70 and that bullet wouldn't get along. I was right, they didn't get along. My son in law has the exact same M70 Featherweight and I did his load work up using the 100 gr. TSX over IIRC, H4350. He gets sub MOA with the load and my rifle hates it. I would like to find a load for that rifle but I don't know.
Lately I've been giving some thought to selling off most of my guns. Probably keep the single shots and a few favored bolt actions and handguns and just use the two Featherweights for my main deer and elk rifles. I have fairly decent load for the 7x57 running the Nosler 150 gr. Partition. The load is a bit too warm to shoot during out summers but probably will work just fine at the freezing to below freezing temps I've hunted at.
Paul B.
The two cartridges I was doing work with before the car wreck sidelined me were the .257 Roberts and the 7x57. I'd acquired the 7x57 first so most load work up has been done for hunting load. The .257 though came too late before the crack up so not much was done with that one. I have two rifles in .257 Roberts, a Ruger #1B and a Winchester m70 Featherweight. The #1B came with six boxes of Norma factory ammo which I guess is no longer made. I could find any info on Norma's site. I shot up all but six rounds from one box of that Norma ammo to get a feel of how that #1 likes to be handled from the bench. I'll just add that it shot groups at mostly one inch or slightly less. I have that six left over rounds that I'd like to try in the Featherweight. So far it hasn't done well using handloads. In fact it [lain just doesn't shoot worth a damn. I've tried 100 and 120 gr. cup and cores and the 100 gr. TSX bullet and just get patterns. I did trie the 120 gr.TSX as well but figured that the twist rate in the M70 and that bullet wouldn't get along. I was right, they didn't get along. My son in law has the exact same M70 Featherweight and I did his load work up using the 100 gr. TSX over IIRC, H4350. He gets sub MOA with the load and my rifle hates it. I would like to find a load for that rifle but I don't know.
Lately I've been giving some thought to selling off most of my guns. Probably keep the single shots and a few favored bolt actions and handguns and just use the two Featherweights for my main deer and elk rifles. I have fairly decent load for the 7x57 running the Nosler 150 gr. Partition. The load is a bit too warm to shoot during out summers but probably will work just fine at the freezing to below freezing temps I've hunted at.
Paul B.
