257 Weatherby Mag

[Don Taylor]

Anyone have experience with this little screamer,no not my wife, I just aquired one and plan to use it the end of this month on a wolf studying (specimen collecting) trip the end of this month and have never owned one. I did price brass and it runs higher than even my 300 ultra at about a 1.49 per case.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Great round.. I have used one for the last 28yrs. Hard to beat the accuracy and velocities of the factory loaded weatherby ammo but it can be done if you reload. I load mine with the 120 grain nosler partition with IMR 7828 up towards max specs. Every gun is different so start low and work up. Have also had good luck with Hodgdon 4831. The round flat out does a number on deer and would light those song dogs you will be hunting on fire. Try some factory at least for thr brass and you may be surprised. I would think the 115 gr ballistic tips would do a number on them if you will be shooting over 200yds but be careful as anything under that they are brutally explosive. The 120 gr partition is as good as an all around bullet you will find with much less meat and pelt damage. Good luck and enjoy it.

 

[stillkickin]

I have one also, it is fantastic! Weatherby has taken a step to make things more affordable and is offering a 100 grain loading that is available at Cabela's right now for $37.99 a box. Unprimed brass is almost the same price.

 

[BuzzH]

I've never shot one, but a good friend of mine has one and I saw the 257 in action for the first time this year.

Monty shot a total of 3 rounds from his 257 and killed 3 antelope.

I ranged his buck for him at 410 yards. He was shooting across a nice "wyoming breeze" of about 20 mphish. Monty made a great shot, doped the wind just right, and punched his buck right through the on shoulder, exited behind the far one.

I was impressed with the rifle...seems like a pretty good antelope/deer rifle, IMO.

You can see the entrance hole on the antelopes shoulder:

 

[Ridge Runner]

Hey Buzz.. Just out of curiosity what bullet is your friend shooting? I have picked up some of the 110gr Accubonds to load up and try. Sure like my performance with the partitions though but thought I would try the accubonds for blacktail.

 

[BuzzH]

He's a barnes tsx dude...perfect for antelope and small armored vehicles...

I always give him crap about shooting armor piercers.

 

[Ridge Runner]

LOL... Yeah I will stick with Partitions and give these Accubonds a try. Never been a big fan of Barnes.

 

[----]

I'd think that 110 accubond would be awesome out of a 257 or 25-06. I'd think that at those velocities, one could also benefit from a tsx, unless you know you're going to be shooting out there a ways.

 

[Carl]

I shoot a 100 gr TSX out of my 257 Weatherby, and it continues to impress me. Good performance on deer, antelope, elk, and bear, so far.

 

[rosco]

100 grain TTSX's are a wicked pill out of the 257 wby.

 

[Don Taylor]

I got some factory rounds and rough sighted the weatherby in, it shows very good potential. I got some 110 accubonds in the factory loads, also got some bullets and dies for this round. I wanted to try it on a coyote this weekend, saw two, one with a unloaded rifle, does not work, and the other I was watching come from 500yds, he just had to get by one guy.I normally will get shooting cause most guys cant hit a running coyote (hounds pushing) so I got down in the sticks and the damn guy hits him his second shot, damn, denied I believe the coyote was a quitter when he realized what he was faced with.

 

[danr55]

I load 69.5 gr of IMR 7828 with a FED 215 and a 120 gr. Partition bullet for about 3350 fps. and 1/2 inch groups. Like Buzz said. It's great for game and armoured vehicles.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

My .257 likes bullets over 100 gr for some reason. The 110 Gr Accubonds shoot just about the best, although 115 gr TSXs and 120 Partitions are about MOA or a touch under. The Accubonds over IMR-7828 or Ramshot Magnum are well under MOA. I can sight in high at 100 and hold on hair out to about 400 yards on decent-sized deer.

 

[Don Taylor]

Well after giving up on the factory loads as they were stringing hoizontal at 250 yds I lapped the bore on the weatherby. This cleaned up the stringing but the best I could do at 100 yds was an inch and a half. I bought some Nos partitions and some IMR 7828 and loaded up some. I used 67 grns of powder and then shot a 7/8 " inch group at 100 yds, 5 rounds.One thing I didnt realize till I did some research was that all weatherby rounds are free bored cartridges, this is not letting the bullet touch the lands with the finished leghnth. I put the calipers on the factory rounds and they miced 3.16 and my Nosler manual says oacl at 3.25 so I loaded up these at 3.24 and the gun shot alot better, has anyone played with overall cartridge legnth on this round and if so was your accuracy better with a longer legnth round. I feel the closer to the lands the better so the bullet doesnt have to jump the gap so much.

 

[danr55]

THe down side to the longer the better, especially with WBY rounds is that you play havoc with cartridge pressure and the resulting barrel oscilations. Load the round to 3.25 and leave it alone. Adjust your load capacity up and down in 1/2 grain increments until you find the sweet spot. Everything I load is loaded to 3.33 COL. I've also found that 69.5 gr. of 7828, while not being the max load, is perfect for my rifle. If you try to stretch to touch the lands in a WBY factory rifle, you better find some 170 grain, 257 bullets.

 

[sneakem]

Pretty fun round... I would second the 110 accubond, great bullet very accurate, pushes roughly at 3450fps. I plunk the gong pretty consistently at 800-1000 yards with it, although I haven't shot that far at animals, few dogs at 600ish, calf elk at 400... don't have to worry about drop that much at 400 and in... little recoil... don't know that its a hide saver, puts some pretty big holes in the yotes I've whacked...

Definitely my favorite gun I own......

 

[Don Taylor]

Well, I just got back from canada and the 257 is a wolf gun. I only saw one and the shot was about 75 yds offhand. The 120 partition performed great Ill have little sewing when I mount it up. I would post pics if I knew how or could email them to somone if they would post them for me.

 

[Ridge Runner]

heartofhunter. Congrats on the wolf and would love to see the pics. Were the 120's reloads or factory? You are going to love that cartridge believe me.

 

[Don Taylor]

Ridge Runner, the loads were handloads, 67grns IMR 7828. The last minute group printed around 7/8" at 100 yds. I will continue to play with different handloads but for a hunting rifle this is going to be hard to beat.

 

[noharleyyet]

Had one in a butt-ughly nose heavy Accumark. Awesome chambering.

...can't wait for Fin to get his new foo foo custom so's I can steal his 25 Roy 700. Randy, you'll accept a two party chack on an out of state band won't'cha?