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!
Ruger 77 .257 Roberts
- Thread starter Cocked & Locked
- Start date
.257 Roberts
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
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
model70hunter
Member
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.
Frank237
Absent Comrade
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.
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.
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Great cartridge and platform.....saw one in 280 last week .....very tempting.
Another rifle in 243 won out though.
Another rifle in 243 won out though.
keith44spl
Member
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.
.
model70hunter
Member
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 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.
hivel37
US Veteran
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.
Texas Star
US Veteran
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?
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keith44spl
Member
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'
.
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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crsides
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
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
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Charlie
model70hunter
Member
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.
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jtcarm
Member
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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.
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Retired LTC USAR
US Veteran
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.
ggibson511960
Member
Lost Deer?
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.
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.
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