257 STW What Happened To It???

6mm06

6mm06

Well-known member
Several years ago, after the 7mm STW became popular (the magazines were full of articles about it), another cartridge was developed called the 25 STW or 257 STW. I saw ONE article on that cartridge in Shooting Times, and that was it. I never saw another. Perhaps there were more articles written that I didn't see, but it seems the 257 STW just seems to have vanished.

What happened to this cartridge? Was it practical, or just too much case and powder for the 25 caliber? Were there problems with it? Just curious if anyone knows anything more about this cartridge. It is rare to hear it mentioned anymore.

Good Shooting.
 
From what little I heard about it, it was a barrel burner of the first order! It looks like a really cool round that didn't catch on real well. I think the .257 Weatherby gives most people enough 25 cal performance to be happy..
 
I've had a 7mm Stw since 97 and have thought about building a 6.5 STW ever since. The 25 would be on wicked cartridge but, I will stay with the 25-06. I have heard very little about any of the STW stuff since the Ultra and wsm's flooded the market. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
They were a writers cartridge at the time but did not seem to offer much more than what was out there after all the hype was over. Same will be with the WSSM and WSM
 
A buddy of mine had one built. Screwed on a 29" Shilen.
Couldnt get the velocities from his that Shooting times was getting in the magazine.
We shot it over my chronograph with the 100 grain Nosler BT's. Burned up a hell of alot more powder than my 25-06 Sendero and wasnt really that much faster when you consider how much powder he was forcing down that little .257 tube.
I wouldnt waste my time on one.
 
Like most have indicated, a little too much of a good thing!
I researched it for a while & it was a case of deminishing returns to me at least. If I wanted more than the 257 Wea.
speed I would look at the 257-300WM. It offers velocities
within 100-150FPS of the STW(with same length tube) with alot less powder. What it offers over the Wea. is a much less expensive case that can be used in a std. action length, the STW has to be in a Rem or other 375 length action. It will have a little less barrel life than the
Wea. but it will do alot better than the STW.

The only way to get good use out of the STW case is to use a custom 28-30" FAST TWIST tube with custom bullets. If I were to do that I would go to the 257 Allen Mag. This round was designed as a concept, to be used with a fast twist barrel & 156 Gr. Wildcat Bullets(yea, 156 Gr.) The case is the 338RUM , the barrels are usually Lilja 1-8 twist & with
this bullet you can get 3,450 or so with a trajectory that trumps any 25 cal with light bullets & you are good to go for groundhogs to Big Bucks at LONG range. This makes more sense to me than a 257STW!!!

Currently my 25cal. needs are met with my 25-06AI & 125Gr. Wildcat ULD bullets.
 
Heck.....us dumb old hillbillies are still shooting a plain jane old 25/06......51.0 gr IMR 4064 and a 75 Vmax for yotes ....nearing 3800 in one of my 25's and about 3720 in another...kinda' reminds me of the 30/06, nothing spectacular, doesn't blow all the leaves of the trees for miles.....won't even make it rain or anything, just effectively gets the job done, every time, in a very unspectacular way.

I know I can't shoot like a lot of ya'll, but in field conditions even the lowley old 25/06 shoots better, flatter, and further than I can hold.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

Just my .02


Joe
 
Well, I guess that pretty much says it. I was just curious about that cartridge. It was here one day and gone the next, with practically no writings after. Made me wonder what the heck happened. Since I really didn't know, I thought I'd ask my P.M friends.

I agree with a lot of you about the 25-06. That is my favorite cartridge, super accurate, and all I need for those long distance shots on Wyoming antelope. I've used mine with a lot of success, and on deer and turkey as well.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Good Shooting.
 
Joe, I guess at times I am a hi-tech hillbilly redneck, or brownneck i guess, but it doesn't mean I am smarter because
I have an AI & stuff, only means I carry more crap around. Good shooting!!

Yes the std. 25-06 is great, I guess I got bored for a little while.
 
Yep. The standard .25-06 is still best! I went through a time last summer that I wanted to get a FAST .25 cal. I looked at the STW and decided it was too much hassle! The .257 Roy might get the nod except I don't have the time to reload that I once did and I'm not payin' $40 for a box of ammo!

I still have not replaced the .25-06 I had years ago..I think there's part of me that knows if I did all my other rifles would sit in the safe and collect dust! Too many toys I guess! I do miss it though... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Another wildcat 25 you might consider is a 25-7mm Rem. It is a 7mm Remington mag or .264 Win mag case necked down to 25.
The same performance as the 257 Weatherby but the brass is alot cheaper than 257 Weatherby brass.
One gunsmith I know said to use the 257 Weatherby reloading data to start with.
If I was going to build a hot 25 caliber wildcat this would be it. Ron
 
A lot of times somthing is on the drawing boards and even into the teating stages and some writer or other gets wind and tryes to get the ball rolling so he can be the one who "discovered it" But then somthing happens testing shows it just didn't have what was expected, or like in the case of the Maximums from a few years ago it has some major flaws. Or maybe it makes it to production, but it just don't generate any interest, then marketing dumps it, and the catridge and firearms chambered for it quietly die out.
As far as the RUM's and WSM's I do not think they all will have that problem, although the RUM's are slowing a bit the WSM and WSSM's are not. IMHO
 
I have the 257 and 6.5 stw both shoot really well a pic of the 257 below thats a .250 bullseye
 

Attachments

  • 20250423_134234.jpg
    20250423_134234.jpg
    210.8 KB · Views: 55
I went the other way and have abandoned my 250-3000s and 257 Roberts for a 25-204. 100gr NPs at 2850 fps takes care of my 25 cal. needs.
 
AWS said:
I went the other way and have abandoned my 250-3000s and 257 Roberts for a 25-204. 100gr NPs at 2850 fps takes care of my 25 cal. needs.
Click to expand...
I have all my small fast caliber covered ill be shooting the 135 berger vld hunting in this one about 3300 fps o get 3200 in my 257 weatherby thx!
 
I'm not saying the 6.5 stw and the 257 stw are the very very best and the only but its what I like there are several rounds that will sent a 25 and a 6.5 caliber bullet down a 26 inch tube just as fast and just as accurate I've been doing this along time but I will never match the knowledge of this forum. I would say one thing about the long stw cases they do not have the recoil and bolt thrust and they absorb the chamber pressure better than the shorter newer present cases i just like them happy shooting!
 
vanders said:
I'm not saying the 6.5 stw and the 257 stw are the very very best and the only but its what I like there are several rounds that will sent a 25 and a 6.5 caliber bullet down a 26 inch tube just as fast and just as accurate I've been doing this along time but I will never match the knowledge of this forum. I would say one thing about the long stw cases they do not have the recoil and bolt thrust and they absorb the chamber pressure better than the shorter newer present cases i just like them happy shooting!
Click to expand...
138 atip 135 berger 134 hornady 131 sierra 3260 fps average 110 hornady as fast as you want all 257 stw.
 

Attachments

  • 20250506_125128.jpg
    20250506_125128.jpg
    136.2 KB · Views: 115
Back
Top