257 weatherby mag

varmint308

varmint308

New member
What do ya'll think about it? I know one of the cons will be high price of ammo, but what else other than that? It sounds like the perfect caliber to me for yotes, deer, and almost anything smaller than an elk. Please talk me out of it if you can. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BTW Trajectory is what I am mainly looking at.
 
You didn't say how much of shooting you will be doing, so it's hard to answer your question with out a question.
If you are some one that pulls the trigger 30~40 time/year, I say go for it. But, if you shoot 300~400/year, I would say .257 Roberts is a much better choice in the 1/4 bore. And if it was up to me, I would build a .257Roberts AI or 250 Savage AI over the WBY
 
They are great all around guns just like the 243. I own a 25-06 and the 115 Nosler BT has done very well for me on yotes and deer. I did load some 87g Sierra varminters that shot good for yotes but the accuracy was better in the Nosler's so I just started using them for both yotes and deer. You don't get that much vel or energy in the Weatherby over the 25-06 but if you want it buy it. My buddy owns one that is left handed and really likes it. Just remember the brass is about $1 a piece but its really good Norma brass so it lasts a long time. Plus you use more powder in the Weatherby than the 25-06.

You wont get a much flatter shooting gun then a 257bee.
 
A .257 WBY Mag is a great caliber! I had one in a Mark V Accumark. I got rid of it like an idiot....but I am currently in the market for a Mark V Ultra Lightweight. The lightest factory load you can get is an 87 gr Spire Point. They are moving on when they come out of the barrel too....about 3825 fps. The only down side I see to one would be fur damage....cause you will rip a yote a new one! But if you are not worried about that, it would be a good flat shooter. It should drop less at 500 yds than a .22-250. For deer, I always used the 115 gr Barnes-X. This was an awesome combo.....it really dropped them in their tracks! I have also been told the 100 gr. Spire Point is a great load. I have not tried them, but my friend says it's probably the most accurate factory load you can get for the .257. I would really compare the ballistics to the .257 Roberts and the .25-06 before I would consider either. Here's a link to Weatherby's ballistics. Pay no mind to the other caliber....you have to pick two to compare.

http://www.weatherby.com/products/ballistics.asp
 
The 257 WBY is a great caliber. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif I own one and so do my step dad, uncle, and four other friends. In fact it is my favorite caliber. I love studying ballistics and it doesn't get much better w/o going to some custom made job. Everyone I've ever seen or shot shoots incredible. I haven't found a factory offering that won't shoot 1 MOA from either my step dad's or my gun. My step dad and I started off using it as an all around gun, but it is definitely over kill for predators and varmints. Based on the threads here, I decided to add an AR-15 (223) to my arsenal and couldn't be happier. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif The 257 is now my deer/antelope gun. I think you should get the 257. Start off by using it for deer and coyotes, but don't be surprised if you end up buying a more "traditional" varmint caliber in the future. Just like someone said above, if you end up shooting it a lot, you'll get sick of spending over $40 per box of ammo to shoot coyotes. There is also little chance of actually seeing the impact of the shot through your scope with a magnum. Heavy barreled 223’s and 204’s are pretty nice for that, especially if you take it prairie dog hunting.
 
Take a look at the Vangaurd Sub MOA, they chamber it in the .257 mag. For the money its tough to beat. Im a big fan of the caliber, had a MK V for years but finally sold it in a moment of stupidity!

Guy
 
TW I recently got a 257 WBY in a trade. At first I was interested but not sure I wanted to play with such a large cartridge. After a few weeks I bought a box of ammo and mounted a scope. At the range I was suprised that it did not recoil bad at all. Even though I was working to conserve my ammo because, I still did not know if I was keeping the rifle or selling it, I managed to get the only groups (2) I fired to uner an inch with 3 shots.
To say I was pleased is a bit of an understatement.
I have not used it on a yote yet but I expect severe damage. You never really know for sure.
I hope we will see very soon......

P.S. Now on deer I can say that with only 16 shots fired it works as good as anything else. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

547812_61_full.jpg
 
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I studied this scenario last year and thought the .257 was for me...Ended up with a Christian Arms Carbon Barrel .257 on a Mark V action...I LOVE the gun...Shot an antelope and a big whitetail with it this year with excellent results...The antelope was quartering towards me at 185 yards...The 115 grain ballistic tip made him look like he was struck by lightning...The whitetail was 335 yards walking...The 110 grain Accubond hit him in the lungs...He kicked back his legs, jumped a fence and went down...This thing groups with anything I feed it, whether it's reloads (110 gr. Accubond with 73 gr. of RL 25) or any of the factory loads...This has become my go to gun on deer sized game...On the open prairie you never know whether that shot is going to be 75 yards or 400 yards...Not much holdover on the latter with the .257...I am going to try it on Caribou next year...Also thought about loading up some 75 grainers for Coyotes...afraid the fur buyer might frown upon that though...
 
I certainly love my Mark V .257 Wby! I think it makes fast (literally!) work of deer and I am going to use it on Elk with 120 grain Partitions. My next load that I'm going to work up is a 75 grain Vmax bullet for varmints that should tickle the 4000 fps mark! I don't have any trouble shooting MOA with factory ammo either! One thing I would tell you, is that I would NOT get the Vanguard in 257 Wby because it only comes in a 24" barrel and to really see the extra benefit of the 257 Wby over the 25-06 (particularly with factory ammo) you need the additional 2" of barrel. Big cost difference betweeen those two models, and the Vanguard is a good gun. I have the Howa equivelent in 300 WM, and my BIL has a Vangaurd in .30-06 that will shoot 1" groups at 200 yds and he shot a nice buck in Kansas this fall at 282 yards. Here's a pic of the buck I took in Kansas with my .257 Wby (I have taken my last 4 bucks in Kansas with my 257 Wby).

100_0191a.jpg
 
The .25-06 Remington makes more sense to me (great as the Roy is). I seriously doubt that you give up much in the way of USABLE range with the Remington and it is less expensive, softer in report and easier on barrels. To my way of thinking, it's the best of the .25's. The .25-06 works great in a 24" barrel---the Roy really needs a 26" barrel to do it full justice (and remember, if you bought a Roy, chances are you bought it for the speed anyways).
 
257 is one bad boy and the only Weatherby I would own. Was the cal of choice when shooting big speed goats in the Red Desert. Only bad point is hard on brass and you know the cost thing. Another way to go would be a 25-06 AI
 
Thanks guys, now I will definately have to buy one! As for the more "traditional" callibers, I already have an AR in 204 and 2 22-250's, and a 243, so I am needing something with a little more punch anyway...the 5" drop at 300 yards is what really turned me on!...I shouldn't have asked about cuz now all I will be thinking about is how to gather the funds!
 
I've always wanted a 257 Weatherby for no other reason than I've wanted one. No practical reason at all. But then who ever could defend "reason" in the purchase of a rifle?

Maybe next year.
 
Anyone ever looked at the .257 Ferguson Hot Tamale??? This is taken from a website that discusses this cartridge. It is a 7mm STW necked to .257. I'm sure that it is hell on a barrel and all of the other downers that you get with a super hot cartridge, but if you are just looking for performance...


zeroed at 350 yards. With a muzzle velocity of 4,060 fps, my 100-grain, all-copper J-36 bullet (manufactured by Lost River Ballistic Technologies Inc.) with a ballistic coefficient of .532, registered as follows:
+ 1.89 inches at 100 yards
+ 3.15 inches at 200 yards
+ 1.78 inches at 300 yards
Dead-on at 350 yards
- 2.58 inches at 400 yards
- 10.27 inches at 500 yards.


Here is the website with the full article FYI. Just food for thought, I like to push the envelope every now and then. If your going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear!


http://www.2joutfitters.com/STWrifle.htm
 
I have had a few 257's and 25-06's and I disagree on the 24" barrel 257. My Vanguard shoots 110AB's at 3450 and 100gr factory SP's at 3600. You can't do that in a 25-06 or the AI version. I reallllllyyyyy like all 25's and almost wish my VG didn't shoot so well as I would like to build another but it shoots the 110's under 3/4" with boring consistency. I will buy a 257 deluxe someday. I had a like new Lazermark and foolishly sold it. It shot 100grs only about 50fps faster but shot LIGHTS out. I think BigMo decided to shoot his after I prodded him a little. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Dave
 


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