Anyone else like these rifles?

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C & L

...I've been reading up on the .257 Roberts recently...sounds like an interesting cartridge...and I like Ruger...I'm interested in their new American Rifle...I wouldn't mind having a M77 Mk. II as I have read they are a true controlled round feed Mauser type action...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Mine is a Model 77 Mk II Ultralight in .308. Pictured here with a Red Label 12 gauge and a 10-22 with aftermarket heavy barrel and stock. When I go hunting I go ready to hunt anything. I've had that little .308 for 20 - 25 years and like it a lot.

Attached Images

Rugers RS.jpg (95.4 KB, 145 views)

The .257 Bob was a fun round to shoot.
For some reason it dissapeared from the scene.
Great round with no recoil and legal fordeer everywhere.

My FIL had a .257 that his dad had made up out of an unused surplus Mauser 98 action. This was back in the 1950s when you sent a check in and the surplus house mailed the receiver to your door. He is then sent the receiver off to a smith to mount the barrel. As the reciever wasn't numbered the smith called to ask what SN he wanted. He used his house number as the SN. When he got it back he stocked the barreled action with a premium stock. That .257 took many coyote. The rifle is still an accurate soft shooting rifle. My FIL gave it to my brother in law a few years ago when my FIL could no longer shoot it.

And my Father in Law still has his Ruger 77 in 22-250.

Model 77 in 257 Roberts is a great combo. I have had 3 different Roberts and have regrets for selling each one.

The first rifle I ever bought for myself was a tang safety, red rubber butt-pad M77 in 25-06. I still have it. I always wanted an Ultra Light in .250 Savage.
Your .257 Roberts splits the difference. It is a beaut. Congrats.

Yep can't beat the ultra light .250 savages. My 2 daughters and me all have a red butt-pad tang safety ultra light Ruger. If I had started putting notches on the stock for every deer I have killed with mine it would be a tooth pick by now.

Thanks for the comments. I bought the one pictured NIB in November of last year (2016). Serial number puts it as being made in mid to late 1980's...I forget which year without looking it up again.

I don't have reloading dies for it. I've only shot factory ammo in it. All 117 grain Hornady Superformance, Remington Core Lokt, Winchester Power Point.

I shot one doe deer with it last December...DRT

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C & L

The Roberts, like other .25s, is a great cartridge. My No. 1 in .25-06 is a soft-recoiling joy to shoot. Nice rifle you have there.

I have a set of .257 R reloading dies, just in case I get a deal on a rifle in that caliber. So far I haven't found one. Basically a necked-down 7mm Mauser, so forming .257 brass is a snap if necessary. I have used the .257 dies to neck-size and load a few rounds of .25-'06 for a friend. It works.

Personally I would choose a .270 Win any day over the Roberts, which really doen't have much of a niche to fill today.

That's a sweet looker,awesome Ruger rifle.

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Life is short,live it fully.

I bought 1st 77 that I saw when 1st out,270, still have it. Had
22/250, 257, 30/06, 7mg & 220V The 270 was bought in 60s
the other ones late 70s to mid 80s, 257 was a 1776-1976 model.
There was a big difference in fit & finish during this time. 257
is a good cartridge but the 243 put it out of business. Had a
Win 70fw and Rem 721 in 257 also.

I have the red butt ,tang safety m77 in 7 Remington magnum and I must say it is an exceptional rifle and will outshoot me with most loads I've tried.

Good cartridge!

Really nice rifle. Looks exactly like the .257 a friend of mine used on our deer hunts in south Georgia in the mid-1980's ..... right down to the Leupold scope.

Thanks for sharing the pic and congrats on finding a great older Ruger 77 in an iconic cartridge.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

I've fired a .257 Roberts and it is a pleasure to shoot. It's an ideal cartridge for whitetails. Enjoy.

The figure on that Red Label is gorgeous!

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NICK-SWCA-NRA BENEFACTOR LIFE

Unless it's changed, you could only buy RN ammo for .257, so if you want full potential, you need to handload with spitzer bullets of good construction, like the Nosler Partition. I think a .257 so loaded will kill elk in a suitable situation. For smaller game, it's excellent.

What killed off the .257 was low powered RN factory ammo and the appearance of the 6 mms, hyped a lot by Warren Page at, Field & Stream.

Jack O'Connor liked the .257, but he handloaded for the caliber.

I wouldn't buy a .257 as my primary hunting rifle, but as a luxury item for the right circumstances, it's fine.

I am sort of in the middle with the 77's. Some shot OK some of the stainless barrels took over 250 rounds to wear the high spots off and group decently. The 7mm Mausers have a bad reputation in that gun for 3 MOA accuracy.
I do like the Bob, in it's of pre and post WW2 it was considered a good Elk cartridge in the west for youth and those who packed a light rifle. I think it is at it's best with 117 gr bullets but should be death on coyotes with 87 gr also. Enjoy your gun.

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Front sight and squeeze

My first real rifle purchase was a M-77 in .25-06, red butt pad, 24 in. bbl. with the tang safety. Decent rifle but never grouped like I thought it could, but it accounted for its share of white-tails, all DRT. My gripe with the M-77 was the spring-loaded plunger ejector. Mine filled with rusty, oily crud after a few years and quit working, a bad thing for a controlled round feed bolt gun if the owner values that feature. Easy enough to remedy, but I always thought that plunger pushing on the case head was not helping accuracy. Remington 700 actions have the same feature and are the basis extreme accuracy platforms, so it's a minor nit. M-77's are great, but I like my Win. M-70's better, even at greater $$. Gave my M-77 to a family member who continues to whack white-tails with it. Don't know how you could do better than .257 R or .25-06 for white-tails unless you hunt in deep bushes.

Midway Shooters Supply carries several factory loads for .257 Roberts. All not available at all times of course.

Hornady (1):
117 grn SST

Double Tap (3):
120 grn partition, 110 grn Nosler, 110 grn Barnes TTSX

Nosler (3):
115 grn Balistic Tip, 100 grain Partition, 110 grain Accubond

Norma (1):
100 grn soft point

HSM (1):
115 grn Berger BTHP

Winchester (1):
117 grn Power Point

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C & L

I'll probably hunt with the Ruger a few times this year just for the fun of it but not because it is my primary bolt action hunting rifle.

.30-06


.30-06


.243


.30-06


.308


.30-06


.30-40 Krag


.35 Whelen


.300 Win Mag


.270

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C & L

In 1990, while on my honeymoon and driving through the Adirondacks, Town of Speculator, I saw a house with a big sign in the front that said guns for sale. I stopped and picked up a 99% Model 77 in 257 Roberts for $295. Shoots great and still have it, and the wife too.

I have two .257 Roberts. One is a Rem. Mod 722 that was customized into a Mannlicher stock with a Leupold 1.75-6X scope. The other is a Kimber M84 Classic in the same caliber with a Leupold 2-7X . Both are great guns and a super caliber. I have been told the Ruger made a Mod. 77 in .267 Roberts in the International stock but I have never found one that was for sale. Still looking!

I have the Ruger Model 77 Mark 2 in 300 Winchester Magnum, with a 3/9 scope on it. Like new condition.
It is for sale if anyone is interested.
Just too old now to use it.

Hey Cocked & Locked and others,

Now there's a rifle I can relate to !!
I've had my M77 in .257 Roberts for nearly 40 years. Mine is the so called "round top" receiver version that uses regular commercial scope mounts / rings instead of the proprietary Ruger rings. I have a Weaver K6 on it - same vintage as the rifle. I like the old Weaver blued steel scopes. Also has factory iron sights.

Just a good old rifle /cartridge combination. Would be one of the last I would ever sell. I shoot factory and hand loads in it. Not a tack driver - typical 5 shot groups are 1.5" - 1.75 " at 100 yds.

Best Regards

C&L, I really like your collection of hunting rifles.....especially the Remington 700 Classic in .35 Whelen. That's another great cartridge that doesn't get enough credit.

Thanks for sharing the pics of some great hunting rifles.

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

I'm sure you had some sort of justification, I just can't imagine what it could be! I have three-Ruger M77 LIberty Model, Remington 722, and a pre-64 Winchester M70. Each one is special in it's own way, and I could not bear to part with any of them and will buy more when I can.

Those Ruger 77's are very classic rifles, and the .257 Roberts is a great caliber. I had to wait 31 years to get mine. Right after I got out of the Army, my Dad and I visited his hometown in Frankfort, Ky, and I got to see where he grew up, went to school, his father's Dentist office, etc. We also visited his closest friend, who was a shooter par excellance. I asked if there was a chance we might go groundhog hunting, as I'd read all about it but never gotten to go.

He took us to a couple of farms where he knew the owners and had permission to hunt, and the rifle he brought with us was a then-new Winchester XTR Model 70 FWT in .257 Roberts. We saw a few g-hogs, but they were too close to the tops of hills to shoot safely. Still, it was a great time, and that rifle/caliber earned a place on my "someday" list.

My first bolt-action deer rifle (except the Arisaka my Dad brought back from Japan) was a 7x57 Model 70 XTR FWT, and it was a match made in heaven! I had the trigger tuned to a smooth 1.5 lbs, and I hunted deer quite a bit with excellent results, and also shot it extensively in Highpower Rifle silhouette.

Time passed, and eventually, I encountered a fellow who'd found a handsome 70 XTR FWT in .257 Roberts -- still unfired, with the hand tags on it! It cost quite a bit more than the one I'd bought in the 80's, but I was delighted -- finally, my grail gun had come home!

This was during the O'ba ma -induced component shortage, and the only brass I could find was PRVI Partizan 7x57, which I weight-sorted and necked down to .257. Works like a champ!! I've used a 100 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at 3000 fps to take several deer, and it works beautifully, without excessive meat damage.

I also worked up a varmint load with the Sierra 70 gr. Blitzking at 3400 fps. Believe it or not, in initial testing at 300 yards, it fired these 3-shot groups consecutively: 1.0", 1.1", and 1.3"!! It thinks it's a benchrest rifle!! I got to hunt Prairie Dogs out west with it, and at 250 yards, I was lining up on a plump dawg when another one stepped immediately behind him. The trigger broke, and I clearly saw in the scope that one exploded to the left, and the other exploded to the right!! A 2-fer!! This is not the first .257 Roberts M70 XTR FWT that I've encountered that was far more accurate than one would think they had a right to be!!

It's a great caliber, fun to shoot, versatile and very effective. I highly recommend it for a "someday" project when a nice one pops up on your radar!!

John

I see a 257 Roberts rifle for sale occasionally but have always passed due to having nice .223’s and .243’s. I am going to have to pick up the next nice one I see!

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Possum—The other white meat!

Hello again C&L

Really like the looks of that 30-40 Krag - classic. I once had my mitts on a really nice Sedgley '03 Springfield that looked like that. I let it slip away…..(moron ! )

Regards

I have two of the Mk. 1 models as well as a Browning A Bolt, two Winchester Model 70's a Number and Montana Rifle Co. all in .257 Roberts. Very good cartridge.

I own an RL model. So light and easy to carry. I shot a 400 lb black bear in 1987 with it. Fabulously accurate. I have done some reloads, but I used Remington 117 gr Core-Lokt for the bear. This is a great round for game up to and including bear. Larger game requires accurate placement

That some reason was the 243 Winchester. Perhaps getting cheap military 308 brass to neck down was another reason for reloaders.

I've never owned a 257, never found many for sale, cheap.

I found a 24" HART barrel , that was cut to fit the exact contour of a Pre 64 M-70 sporter , marked ".257 Roberts". We took off my old .30-06 barrel and lo and behold...headspace was fine and it matched my stock channel exactly.

First round downrange ,we found out it had been chambered in the .257 Roberts ACKLEY IMPROVED 40° at some point. I found some AI dies and loaded rds for it. It is way faster than a std Roberts, nearly .25-06 velocity. Very accurate with 100 to 120 gr Noslers.

Shot a cow elk a few years back and a few deer. Worked just fine.

Took a rifle I was not using and turned it into one I enjoy using. The standard Roberts or the AI are both pleasant to shoot, yet perform fine on appropriate game.

Great cartridge and platform.....saw one in 280 last week .....very tempting.
Another rifle in 243 won out though.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

I have a 1B in 257.nice shooting rifle

TS,
Yes sir, it had changed, maybe a couple or three decades ago......




I've used the 257 Roberts for forty years.
First a pre-64 Model 70, a Remington 700, a Ruger ultra lite 77 and lastly a Kimber in 257..........
Great all round sm/mid range caliber/cartridge.

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Personal opinion on why the 257 performs better the the 25 06 on deer. No I have not used premium bullets only factory 120 gr on the 4 25 06 rifles I've owned. I lost at least one deer with the 25 06. I saw the bullet strike just behind the shoulder and this id's dead deer for all other calibers I have used.

I feel the 257 at slightly less velocity pent rates before going to pieces where the 25 05 goes to pieces on ribs.

I've taken well over 100 deer. I've used many calibers, none failed like the 25 06, the fares went from 25 to 300 yards.

For v some I guess it works great, I won lime to try a 257 Roberts and a 257 Weatherby with rifling that will stabilize 120 gr premium bullets.

When I had a Wby collection one was a German MKV in 257. It had the old twist and would only shoot the 117 gr round nose. I did not know until I loaded 120 gr Spitzer that they would tumble at w5 and we're lucky to hit paper at q00 yards.

Needless to say I was heart broken and it was the 1st one I sold when I sold my collection.

Some day I'll find a cheap Rem, Win, fn chambered for a magnum round and will have it rebarreled.

Back to your 257, it is a beautiful gun.

I killed my last buck with rifle like the OP's. Now my go-to is 7 x 57 K98 Venezuelan. Still have a Model 70 Carbine in .250 Savage, little bro to .257 Rob.

Many years ago, there was a magazine called, Safari. The principal writer was a guy named Wally Taber, who liked Weatherbys.

He told me the .257 Weatherby was his favorite caliber, but don't know the rifling twist on his. Said it killed all out of proportion to the bullet size. I was very young and didn't think to ask about bullets. He probably had Noslers.

He shot some African game with it that I'd want to use a .375 H&H on.

The .257 aside, why did you sell your Weatherbys?

I like the newer Ruger CF rifles as well....Shooting a .204 Ruger quite a bit.

My small caliber rifle line up kinda goes like this...

The .204 Ruger with the 39 gr. BlitzKing.

Then the 257 Roberts with loads ranging from a 70 grain varmint handload & up to 115 gr CT Silver Tip.

When I need a lit'l more than the 257 Rob. I reach for another good one.

The .264 Winchester. Only .007 larger in diameter, with the AccuBond Long Range bullets sporting
those high BC and higher velocities for way over yonder shootin'

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I had a ruger 77 ultra light, in 257 roberts years ago. Beautiful rifle. Hunted with it a few times, but never connected. My pre 64 win rebarreled to 25-06 won out on most trips.
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Charlie

I had several collections, m 70 pre 64 win, some model 12s and lots of pistols I had bought for right prices knowing I would sell them when I retired.

They became a farm tractor and imements, stock trailer and more. I kept some of each.

Ps. I used to subscribe to Safari.

Same here, but mines a .270 (yawn)

The full-length stock .250 is a beauty. Too bad they're long-gone.

I vastly prefer the tang safety to the 3-position.

I have a Remington chambered in 257 Roberts that my Father purchased back in the 50's for my Mother, but she never took up shooting/hunting. What I used to kill my first deer with.

Any deer sized animal hit with a post 1920 vintage .25 caliber bullet is going to die, whether it's a .257 Roberts, .25-06 or .257 Weatherby. If they're running when hit (adrenaline) or not hit close enough to the spine, they will run off, but leave a gosh awful blood trail, especially if a fast stepping .25 did the deed. I have shot a few with a .25-06 and haven't found a deer big enough to stop a 117 gr. non-premium bullet shot sideways. Lots of stuff flies out the other side with the bullet. I suppose a very light bullet could crater a wound on an entry side rib, but the shattered bits would bleed the animal out. If all this were not true then bowhunters would never kill a thing, and .243's/6 MM's with lighter, faster bullets would have a hard time.

You could lose a deer shot with anything if unlucky or a bullet is badly placed, but accurate, soft recoiling, medium and high velocity 6 mm's and .25's are more than enough for whitetails.