Opinions of 257 Roberts?

R

ruablond

New member
Thinking of trying this round in a Ruger Hawkeye? Some plinking, deer and antelope, occasionally smaller meat elk(don't want a huge tough bull) What do you think? I want to keep blast and recoil down....
 
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My number one rifle for hunting critters up to and including large mule deer is a Model 70 Featherweight in 257 Roberts. It is more in adequate. It's accurate, fast, and it can be had in light rifles (which I carry more then I shoot), without worrying about recoil,

The reason the 257 isn't as popular as some is marketing, it got beat out by the 243 by better marketing by Winchester. It's basically the same thing except you can get heavier bullets with the Roberts, but I don't see the need for them.

I use the 100 gr size bullets.

My only real problem is my youngest son and my granddaughter fight over my 257 Roberts and when we hunt together I get stuck with the 270 (in the same rifle).
 
a very good round. It was the 7mm mauser necked to .25, iirc. Good velocity and power, good bullet selection, decent availability, etc.

I'd like to point out that the 06 was necked effectively to 25 and sold well. the .257 was created. In spite of the .243 and 7mm-08, nobody ever bothered making a .25-08, since there were already GREAT 25 caliber rounds. .250 savage, .257 roberts, and the .25-06.
 
My 2 sons each have a 257AI, which is almost identical to loads you can do in a modern 257 Bob +P, since they were down loaded in the past for weaker actions. They have killed deer, lopes, elk and black bear using 115 NPT's, all were one shot kills and not much tracking except the elk, they put 2 into them right away, and only went about 30 yards. I would not hesitate to use it on any of the animals you mentioned. For elk and BB I would use 120gr NPT's but they told me not to mess with success, since I do the hand loading for them.
 
Yep, it's the very best cartridge for the AI treatment. No downside. Cheap to get done. Can still use factory ammo. Reloads with the AI shoulder can be bumped up a good 150 fps. Gets you within shouting distance of the 25-06. With less powder, less recoil, longer barrel life.

Great cartridge either way. I built a custom Mauser a couple years ago and that what we chambered it for. Turned out to be very easy to reload. Shoot deer, deer die. No big drama, no big mess. With all the fancy modern bullets we have, I'm sure you could get some super premium bullet that would let you use it for just about anything.

Gregg
 
The 257 Roberts is a great choice for deer and antelope. Low recoil, good ballistics and lots of bullet weight/type choices. If you pick your shots and use a well constructed bullet I would not hesitate to use it on elk either.
 
Good sub 400 yd caliber for what you are using it for. If you want a quarter bore to stretch out farther the 25-06 will do it. I prefer the 6.5s for what you are doing. The 260, 6.5CM, and 6.5-284 are better performers IMO.
 
I'd still prefer that it not be used on big elk, and so forth. It's not inadequate, by any means, but I'm one of the people who believe that it's better to use weapons at the high end of the useful range. I'm kind of a leper for thinking that.

The AI is a great thing, as the improved case is genuinely, seriously improved by tightening up the shoulder and taper.
 
Not a leper at all, briandg. I am right there with you. I see no point in pushing the upper limits of what a caliber can do... it's just asking for a bad situation, if you ask me. Just cause it can do the job doesn't mean it should.
 
I've had a Ruger Model 77 chambered in .257 Roberts since 1976. Never lost a whitetail with it and most shots left the deer on the ground where they stood. I've had my best luck with 120 grain bullets. An accurate, light-recoiling cartridge best suited for whitetails, mulies antelope and black bear. I also like this round for long range woodchuck hunting in windy conditions (though the ammo can be pricey and relatively hard to find at non-gun stores if you don't reload).
I would not feel under-gunned using the Roberts on elk with Nosler Partition bullets and shooting at a sensible range (200 yards or so and under) with a well-placed shot.
 
Should work just like you imagine, I have a buddy who kills a lot of game with the .257 Roberts. It is his favorite rifle to carry, and one of his most accurate to shoot. I went with the .25-06 when I got my first quaterbore and don't regret chosing it over the .257 Roberts, but I would have been happy with the Bob if I had went that direction. Right now I'm waiting on a .250 Savage to be done at the gunsmiths.
 
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