Short barrel 257

J

jackpine

New member
Looking to rebarrel a mauser in a 25 caliber cartridge. If one is using a shorter barrel is there any advantage to 257 Roberts over 250 savage?
 
IMO, none that would prove significant. The 257 Roberts uses the same basic case with the same basic shape as the 7x57 so it might feed through an unmodified mauser action ever so slightly better, but then again maybe not.
 
.257 Roberts ammo is still fairly readily available. The .250 is not. Hornady ammo or brass only from Midway. No ammo at all from Graf's. Hornady brass only.
Anyway, knew a guy years ago who swore by a heavy barreled, 20", .257. Don't recall what rifle.
The important part is the length of the action. Your Mauser is a long action. The Roberts(2.223" case length) uses a long action. The Savage(1.912" case length) a short. Going with the Savage will require a spacer in the mag. Not really insurmountable, but the lack of ammo/brass will be.
 
Even in a shorter barrel the .257 Roberts will give you higher velocities than the .250 Savage. That said I'm a .250 Savage nut, and wouldn't stop a guy from going that route. Luckily Midway isn't the only place to find Ammo. Plus there is a lot of .250 Savage brass to be had out there, every major manufacturer makes it, it just has a 22- in front of it. You can even get Lapua brass for it if your hear so desires!
 
For rebarreling a Mauser, the 257 Roberts has the advantage. It will fit the magazine and feed better than the 250 Savage will.
 
the .257 roberts hands down, the roberts is not loaded very hot in factory loads. i get over 3000 fps with a 117gr hornady in a remington 722. eastbank.
 
I have a 20" 257 Rbts Mauser action carbine. The 257 fits the mag and feeds perfectly which the shorter more tapered 250 may not. Hands down the Roberts is the way to go.
 
Why one would do a 20" barreled 257 is beyond me, but the Roberts would have the greater velocity.

And contrary to T. O'Heir, the original Mauser action is an intermediate length action.
Short action being the 308 family, Standard (sometimes called long) action is the 30-06 family.

As for readily available casings,
I use 7mmx57 casings and size to 257 Roberts as the Mauser casings are plentiful and inexpensive.
 
I like short barreled rifles. My 260 has a 20 inch Brux barrel. It's a Tikka T3 Lite in Stainless, and it's a joy to carry and easy to handle. And...super accurate. The 257 Roberts is close to the 260, and the 257 AI is almost identical, with 120 gr bullets. I'd take the 257 over the 250, and I'd probably AI it.
 
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