25-06 punched out to 257 Weatherby
- Thread starter pwillie
- Start date
You do whatever makes you happy.
IMO,the 25-06 is already overbore .That means you can't utilize all the powder space you have.
I suppose in theory if you look at the books,you see you can get a bit more from the Wby,but not that much.
Aside from the gunsmith bill,which includes modifying the boltface,etc for a belted case,and making sure it all feeds.Are you going to shoot factory,or load?Add dies,brass,etc.Price them.
You are going from a fairly common brass and ammo,to an exotic.
Now,exactly what is it you can do with a .257 Wby that you cannot do with a 25-06?
Dreaming is fun,isn't it? Getting it done can cost a lot of money.You could spend that shooting your 25-06.
The skill you gain might make your 25-06 better than the 257 Wby.
IMO,the 25-06 is already overbore .That means you can't utilize all the powder space you have.
I suppose in theory if you look at the books,you see you can get a bit more from the Wby,but not that much.
Aside from the gunsmith bill,which includes modifying the boltface,etc for a belted case,and making sure it all feeds.Are you going to shoot factory,or load?Add dies,brass,etc.Price them.
You are going from a fairly common brass and ammo,to an exotic.
Now,exactly what is it you can do with a .257 Wby that you cannot do with a 25-06?
Dreaming is fun,isn't it? Getting it done can cost a lot of money.You could spend that shooting your 25-06.
The skill you gain might make your 25-06 better than the 257 Wby.
Concur. It can be done, but the cost of the conversion might not be satisfying. If you want to get a little more out of your .25-06, you might consider the Ackley Improved. No mods to the bolt face or feed lips, and the chamber will still shoot factory ammo if necessary. I personally don't see the utility, but lots of folks like Ackley chambers.
steveNChunter
New member
I agree with PawPaw. If you're going to change anything with your .25-06, making it an Ackley Improved would make alot more sense than .257 weatherby. Even as an AI you're not gaining much. You will spend alot more buying ammo or loading for the weatherby, and will not gain enough ballistically to ever tell the difference. The .25-06 is already close enough to perfect as it is IMO. Its fun to play around with ideas and possibilities in your head though. If you're in love with the .257 wby just buy another rifle already chambered in it and you will have 2 good quarterbores for about the same money it would have taken to make your '06 into a weatherby.
What kind of rifle is your .25-06? Whats the barrel length and twist rate?
What kind of rifle is your .25-06? Whats the barrel length and twist rate?
jim in anchorage
Inactive
I hate this. OP wants a .257 Weatherby. How can you gun guys not understand this? A .257 Weatherby, not a .257 Roberts improved or a blown out 25-06 or any other practical, sensible boring solution.
I get this all the time when I mention converting my .375 to .378."Oh no it kicks too hard!" "Brass costs too much!" "Convert to .375 improved-way easier."
No I want a .378 Weatherby. Don't care how hard it kicks, how much powder it burns or what brass costs. That's what I want.
To OP-the .257 was designed with standard [30-06] actions in mind. Cake walk rechamber. Open bolt face, quick work on the feed rails, rechamber and done. Go for it, have fun, don't listen to these Studebaker driving old ladies.
Course maybe I am not the best to ask. I am also the only person I know that owns a .223WSSM
.
I get this all the time when I mention converting my .375 to .378."Oh no it kicks too hard!" "Brass costs too much!" "Convert to .375 improved-way easier."
No I want a .378 Weatherby. Don't care how hard it kicks, how much powder it burns or what brass costs. That's what I want.
To OP-the .257 was designed with standard [30-06] actions in mind. Cake walk rechamber. Open bolt face, quick work on the feed rails, rechamber and done. Go for it, have fun, don't listen to these Studebaker driving old ladies.
Course maybe I am not the best to ask. I am also the only person I know that owns a .223WSSM
.
jim in anchorage
Inactive
Destroying? Explain.
jim in anchorage said:
Your point is well-taken, Jim, but he did ask. And, the answer is that it can be done, it just might be more economical to do something else. No one's telling him that he shouldn't do it, nor that he shouldn't buy a .257 Weatherby.
Sure, it could be done, and if her really wants it, there's no reason not to do it. But, he did ask if anyone had done it, and the inferred question was how hard or expensive it might be.
If you want a .378 Weatherby, by all means, get a .378 Weatherby.
jim in anchorage
Inactive
I think before this thread go's any further we need the OP to weigh in with what he wants. Just a can it be done question, or here's what I have and what would it take to do this?
I just don't like the "if you want a .257, buy a 257" answers. It's like when I ask about making my mini 14 more accurate and I get a flood of "trade it for a AR" replies. That's not what I asked
I just don't like the "if you want a .257, buy a 257" answers. It's like when I ask about making my mini 14 more accurate and I get a flood of "trade it for a AR" replies. That's not what I asked
Sure, it can be done...
But consider the cost/benefit.
#1)The .25-06 is already over bore, with all but the the slowest powders. The .257 Wby is even worse in the respect.
#2) Weatherby barrels are freebored, and normally 26". This plus the large case capacity is what gives them their velocity advantage. You could convert your .25-06, spend the time and money, and wind up with a rifle that might not even have a 100fps velocity advantage over what you started with.
#3) The converted rifle might not shoot as accurately as what you have right now. The work is going to change the harmonics of the gun, and while you may be able to find a load that shoots as well, or better than what you have now, there is no guarantee.
So, the cons are cost, potential change (loss) of accuracy, and minimal velocity gain (possible).
On the other hand, things might go just right and you could wind up with an accurate rifle with a significant (meaning usable) velocity increase. Its a roll of the dice which way, and how far things will go. Your gun, your money, your choice.
Myself, I would just buy a rifle already made in the Wby round, but that's just me.
But consider the cost/benefit.
#1)The .25-06 is already over bore, with all but the the slowest powders. The .257 Wby is even worse in the respect.
#2) Weatherby barrels are freebored, and normally 26". This plus the large case capacity is what gives them their velocity advantage. You could convert your .25-06, spend the time and money, and wind up with a rifle that might not even have a 100fps velocity advantage over what you started with.
#3) The converted rifle might not shoot as accurately as what you have right now. The work is going to change the harmonics of the gun, and while you may be able to find a load that shoots as well, or better than what you have now, there is no guarantee.
So, the cons are cost, potential change (loss) of accuracy, and minimal velocity gain (possible).
On the other hand, things might go just right and you could wind up with an accurate rifle with a significant (meaning usable) velocity increase. Its a roll of the dice which way, and how far things will go. Your gun, your money, your choice.
Myself, I would just buy a rifle already made in the Wby round, but that's just me.
steveNChunter
New member
I beat around the bush in my first post so Ill be more blunt in this one. You are better off with the .25-06 you already have than if you could make it a .257 wby. for free. There. I said it.
Can it be done? Yes anything can be done for the right price.
Should it be done? NO
Now if you will excuse me, Ive gotta hop in my Studebaker and get down the road. Im late for the bingo tournament
Can it be done? Yes anything can be done for the right price.
Should it be done? NO
Now if you will excuse me, Ive gotta hop in my Studebaker and get down the road. Im late for the bingo tournament
shootniron
New member
More opinion...
To the OP, just go buy a .257WM Vanguard for not much more than a conversion would cost...and I would be willing to bet that you would think it was money well spent. The .257WM is the rock star of the 25cals.
steveNChunter
New member
I actually suggested that idea in my first post.
I have nothing against the .257, its a fine caliber. If you want it, by all means have one. This po' boy just cant justify the cost of ammo for it.
I did begin my reply with "You do whatever makes you happy"
Studebakers are extremely cool.Wish I had about a 47-48-49 coupe..
Accurize a Mini-14?You do whatever makes you happy.
Studebaker!I'm going to look on Craigslist just to see whats out there,but I doubt I can afford one.Those things are valuable.
Studebakers are extremely cool.Wish I had about a 47-48-49 coupe..
Accurize a Mini-14?You do whatever makes you happy.
Studebaker!I'm going to look on Craigslist just to see whats out there,but I doubt I can afford one.Those things are valuable.
steveNChunter
New member
BINGO!
reynolds357
New member
Buy a Vanguard 2 .257 Wby. I paid $425 for mine with one of the decent stocks on it. In my opinion, if I did anything to a .25-06 it would be to make it an Ackley. The cost of anything else weighted against the cost of the V2 does not really justify the conversion unless it is just something you want. In my opinion, the .257 WBY is a much flatter cartridge than the .25-06. I have both. You can make the WBY scream.
I had a customer propose this same thing a couple of years ago. Yes, it can be done.
As others have pointed out, it does involve a lot of other work, and that runs the cost up to the point where you can almost buy a Weatherby and trade the 25-06 towards it to reduce the cost even further. Barrel ($450ish), open the bolt face ($100-ish), open the feed rails ($50-ish), reblue ($100), guesstimate about 200 fps extra velocity at best (check the ballistics tables). Compare that to trading and buying a new Weatherby ($1200 for the Weatherby and maybe $300ish trade-in).
So you may ask, "what did his customer decide to do?" Good question! We barreled the rifle in 6mm-06 with a 1:7" barrel and loaded up 115 gr Bergers that launched at 3400 fps, faster and flatter than the 25-06. Totally different direction, but it works.
As others have pointed out, it does involve a lot of other work, and that runs the cost up to the point where you can almost buy a Weatherby and trade the 25-06 towards it to reduce the cost even further. Barrel ($450ish), open the bolt face ($100-ish), open the feed rails ($50-ish), reblue ($100), guesstimate about 200 fps extra velocity at best (check the ballistics tables). Compare that to trading and buying a new Weatherby ($1200 for the Weatherby and maybe $300ish trade-in).
So you may ask, "what did his customer decide to do?" Good question! We barreled the rifle in 6mm-06 with a 1:7" barrel and loaded up 115 gr Bergers that launched at 3400 fps, faster and flatter than the 25-06. Totally different direction, but it works.
Considering the price of a Vanguard, it's more economical to just buy a 257 Wby but the Vanguard 257 only has a 24" barrel.
To the OP, I'll tell him flat out that a 24" 257 Wby is disappointing. You need the 26" barrel to make the 257 significantly faster than a 25/06. I have both and have shot both over a Chrony and can honestly say there's not all that much difference between the two cartridges in a 24" barrel.
To the OP, I'll tell him flat out that a 24" 257 Wby is disappointing. You need the 26" barrel to make the 257 significantly faster than a 25/06. I have both and have shot both over a Chrony and can honestly say there's not all that much difference between the two cartridges in a 24" barrel.