257bob vs 243

I feel 243's are just plain boring
ohmy.gif



.... as well as the 257's


But the 257 might be a touch more boringerrrrrrrrr
 
Exactly my point. The very vast majority will never shoot far enough to worry about any of this stuff. Speed, BC, SD, etc...they never come into play for 99% of folks! But so many guys get hung up on these things...
 
Anybody in this thread ever pulled a hair brained move and left their ammo at home on a long trip? Ever bought 257 Bob ammo at Walmart or any normal stop in desperation? Ever bought a rifle and found that none of the 6 bullets you had to choose from worked well and wished you had 25 options instead? I'm sure handloaded 257 STW rounds would take deer just fine, but at what amount of aggrevation over something that is on the shelf every day everywhere. Even the AI guys can shoot parent cartridges sufficiently in a pinch. One trip to Wally world and a free range stump and I'm in business with a common 243 or the likes and a hunt is salvaged. Don't get me wrong, I like different, but call it what it is. Even my somewhat common 7mm08 can be problematic and it ain't as rare as Bob ammo
wink.gif
.
 
Last edited:
It's all about energy! Which one has more? Simple as that.

Don't give me the "not enough to matter" argument either. If that were the case, we'd have five cartridges to choose from...not over 100.

243 is great but you CAN NOT state it has more energy. Can't...and sound reasonable. I know an entire voting community that makes faulty arguments (and win elections) but they don't take logic into account. Just because a cartridge is more commercially available/popular doesn't make it "more powerful".

Heck, the 6mm Rem is more powerful than the 243 but industry produces more rifles and more factory ammo for the 243 (Rem screwed up marketing the 6mm). The 240 Weatherby is the best .243 of all.

The "Bob" is more equipped to take bigger game; period dot.

But the 243's advantages make up for is small lack in quarter bore oomph. The 243 is offered by almost ALL rifle manufactures. It's offered in a short action w/out restrictions. Let me explain: 257 Roberts are also offered in short actions but you can't seat some bullets out as far as you'd like or they won't fit in the magazine.

You can buy 243 ammo in a gas station

You can borrow your friends 243

Just some thoughts--but given the choice of bullets/powder these days, I'll take "Bob".
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOREYAnybody in this thread ever pulled a hair brained move and left their ammo at home on a long trip? Ever bought 257 Bob ammo at Walmart or any normal stop in desperation? Ever bought a rifle and found that none of the 6 bullets you had to choose from worked well and wished you had 25 options instead? I'm sure handloaded 257 STW rounds would take deer just fine, but at what amount of aggrevation over something that is on the shelf every day everywhere. Even the AI guys can shoot parent cartridges sufficiently in a pinch. One trip to Wally world and a free range stump and I'm in business with a common 243 or the likes and a hunt is salvaged. Don't get me wrong, I like different, but call it what it is. Even my somewhat common 7mm08 can be problematic and it ain't as rare as Bob ammo
wink.gif
.

My primary weapon is a 223 WSSM. Always have 100+ when I leave the house.

However, if for some reason I forget my stuff...I AM SCREWED. I'll give you that.
 
Amazing! Second page and it hasn't been shut down yet. .257/.243, I like them all. Life would be pretty boring if there were only 1 or 2 calibers.

You guys can fight it out, I own a .25-06 and a .243, both have their uses for me.
 
The only thing boring about my 243 with 48 grains H1000 and 105 Bergers at 3200 FPS is the little tiny groups it produces at 100 yards.....Grin
I feel both are great rounds, however I feel with bullet and powder choices of these days makes the 243 better than ever IMO
Having the options of the 105-117 options if you have a rifle capable opens a lot of new territory and capability for the 243
 
Originally Posted By: Carcass CollectorsIt's all about energy! Which one has more? Simple as that.

Don't give me the "not enough to matter" argument either. If that were the case, we'd have five cartridges to choose from...not over 100.

243 is great but you CAN NOT state it has more energy. Can't...and sound reasonable. I know an entire voting community that makes faulty arguments (and win elections) but they don't take logic into account. Just because a cartridge is more commercially available/popular doesn't make it "more powerful".

Heck, the 6mm Rem is more powerful than the 243 but industry produces more rifles and more factory ammo for the 243 (Rem screwed up marketing the 6mm). The 240 Weatherby is the best .243 of all.

The "Bob" is more equipped to take bigger game; period dot.

But the 243's advantages make up for is small lack in quarter bore oomph. The 243 is offered by almost ALL rifle manufactures. It's offered in a short action w/out restrictions. Let me explain: 257 Roberts are also offered in short actions but you can't seat some bullets out as far as you'd like or they won't fit in the magazine.

You can buy 243 ammo in a gas station

You can borrow your friends 243

Just some thoughts--but given the choice of bullets/powder these days, I'll take "Bob".


Better learn how ballistics work. I can state the 243 in some cases has more umph than the bob and it is factual not opinion. Federal factory ammo for the .257 is only offered using a 120gr nosler partition and the Federal factory .243 using the 100gr Sierra Game King has more energy after 300yds and holds that energy out to as far as those two will travel. It is also faster, flatter and drifts in the wind less. So if I am hunting speed goats out west I will be way better off with the 243. Same goes for handloaded ammo. Sorry but that is just how BC and better bullets work.
 
Last edited:
I feel like you need to step up to a 25-06 to get a noticable difference over the .243, the Bob is cool but they are pretty equal. I shot 85 grain gamekings last year out of my .243 at 3280, my buddies .257 BOB shoots 90 grain bullets at 3300ish. This is really a pretty pointless argument. But to each his own. 6mm does have a far superior bullet selection, but just the small increase in bore diameter will give a very slight improvement in muzzle velocity. Not enough that anything but a chrono will know the difference.
 
Having played with the 243 in the 1960s and having to spend too many hours searching for wounded deer due to poor bullet performance I lost all confidence in the .24 cal. I moved to the 250 Sav. and all problems ceased, but the by then they had had 60+ yrs to perfect the bullets for the quarter bore. I will say that at that time the 243s were the very newest kids on the block and there was very little experience by ammo makers with .24 cal bullets. From experience I've just can't get warm fuzzies about 24's for big game and leave them for predator hunting. I'm sure that the ammo makers have worked out the teething problem with bullets but it is kind of like getting a lemon car after that you are always suspect of that brand.

If you have a problem forgetting ammo you should be shooting a 243. I don't know of anyone that has forgotten their ammo.
 
Originally Posted By: AWSHaving played with the 243 in the 1960s and having to spend too many hours searching for wounded deer due to poor bullet performance

Jacketed soft points have existed a long time. They are still all you need in 243 to kill deer reliably, IME.

Not trying to start a fight, but this sounds more like poor bullet placement than poor bullet performance to me.

I have killed deer using many different brands of jacketed soft points via the 243. Also a 70gr NBT, and several other tougher bullets. They all killed deer with no tracking involved. Every time. Over and over.

That said, I must admit, I do like the TSXs very much in the smaller calibers. ESPECIALLY the 223. If you truly have your doubts on the 243 for deer, load up some 80-85gr X-bullets and ERASE them. They aren't your grand daddy's bullets and certainly aren't what you had bad luck with in the '60s.

You just may start liking the 243 again........
 
Originally Posted By: joedAmazing! Second page and it hasn't been shut down yet. .257/.243, I like them all. Life would be pretty boring if there were only 1 or 2 calibers.

You guys can fight it out, I own a .25-06 and a .243, both have their uses for me.

I agree, diversity is nice. Good debate and different view points are enjoyable as well and help a forum grow. A forum full of locked threads is useless to those looking for information to help them in their future ventures.
 
Originally Posted By: MNHNTROriginally Posted By: Carcass CollectorsIt's all about energy! Which one has more? Simple as that.

Don't give me the "not enough to matter" argument either. If that were the case, we'd have five cartridges to choose from...not over 100.

243 is great but you CAN NOT state it has more energy. Can't...and sound reasonable. I know an entire voting community that makes faulty arguments (and win elections) but they don't take logic into account. Just because a cartridge is more commercially available/popular doesn't make it "more powerful".

Heck, the 6mm Rem is more powerful than the 243 but industry produces more rifles and more factory ammo for the 243 (Rem screwed up marketing the 6mm). The 240 Weatherby is the best .243 of all.

The "Bob" is more equipped to take bigger game; period dot.

But the 243's advantages make up for is small lack in quarter bore oomph. The 243 is offered by almost ALL rifle manufactures. It's offered in a short action w/out restrictions. Let me explain: 257 Roberts are also offered in short actions but you can't seat some bullets out as far as you'd like or they won't fit in the magazine.

You can buy 243 ammo in a gas station

You can borrow your friends 243

Just some thoughts--but given the choice of bullets/powder these days, I'll take "Bob".


Better learn how ballistics work. I can state the 243 in some cases has more umph than the bob and it is factual not opinion. Federal factory ammo for the .257 is only offered using a 120gr nosler partition and the Federal factory .243 using the 100gr Sierra Game King has more energy after 300yds and holds that energy out to as far as those two will travel. It is also faster, flatter and drifts in the wind less. So if I am hunting speed goats out west I will be way better off with the 243. Same goes for handloaded ammo. Sorry but that is just how BC and better bullets work.

Hmmm...but a 257 Roberts has more energy when the same bullets are used...100 gr partition in both, and the Bob out paced it. You have a limited understanding of ballistics...

Just for the record, I like both cartridges here. Happen to own a 243 win, and have loaded for a few friends Bobs. I like my 243 for the wide range of bullets that can be shot in a factory barrel.

I don't have a. Bob, yet, I'm waiting until I find a good and clean classic m77 or m700 in one. Just for an itch scratcher, that's about it.
 
All the deer were recovered but one due to a snow storm. One had 100gr Federals pencil through with out opening, just a hole through an artery and took a very long time to die and the other with an 80gr bullet broke up on a rib and only pieces of bullet and bone made it into the chest cavity. The first one never lost one drop of blood the second only when the deer got enough blood in it's lungs to start coughing it up. Both were found dead but they went a long way before dieing thankfully there was enough snow to follow tracks.

The third, (the only lost one) 100gr Federal lost 2 drops of blood about 50yrds from the place it was hit and after a long search heavy snow covered any sign of a trail.

117gr RN or 100gr Silvertip never failed to leave at least a decent blood trail.

I use 100gr NBT's in my 25-204 and it is a great little deer rifle 100gr at 2850fps. Just seems to me that the quarter bore just has something a little extra about it.
 
Last edited:
You have to compare a 257 on a bigger case to the 6mm on a smaller case to achieve any kind of favorable results.

Compare same bullet weights with same cartridge case and the .257 ain't winnin' that battle.

The 6.5mm kicks it's a$$ even more.........
 
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunYou have to compare a 257 on a bigger case to the 6mm on a smaller case to achieve any kind of favorable results.

Compare same bullet weights with same cartridge case and the .257 ain't winnin' that battle.

The 6.5mm kicks it's a$$ even more.........

Exactly the case. A 25 Souper vs 243 Win....it's easy to see the outcome. But the OP insists that the Roberts, with more case capacity, can not push bullets harder.

If you completely level the playing field, the 6mm stuff wins. But for someone to say that the extra capacity won't push a similar bullet faster. That is just as foolish...

I agree with Ken, though...I'll keep my 6s 6.5s and 7s.
 
I'm no hater of 25s and 270s, just not a fan. Some use them to great effect, and that's all good with me.

Given the same shot placement, with bullets of similar weights, pretty hard to tell difference between a 6-06 or 25-06. Or a 270 Win vs. a 280 Rem, IMO.

BUT, if given the choice, I'll take the 6-06 and 280 all day over the other 2
shocked.gif
grin.gif


 
Mnhunter One thing you forget is that all load data for the 257 is cut way down to make sure that the loads will be safe to use in all the 257's even the ones made in the early 1900's if they are loaded to equal pressures for modern firearms the 257 is a lot stronger and faster than the 243.
 
I sold my 243 Win for a 257 Roberts.
115 gr PT's is a solid performer.
The 110 gr AB at just under 3000 fps is impressive too.

JD338
 
Back
Top