For varmint shooters and coyote hunters, the Hornady 75-grain V-MAX is explosive and accurate. Its perfect for deer, pronghorn, and even elk hunting. Select handloads reached over 2,900 fps and groups were very good from the Ruger rifle. It appears that some rifles chambered in .257 Roberts can be very picky about bullet weight/configuration. The only watch-point for the Hawkeyes in .257 Roberts is that I thought this was a limited production run originally billed as an ultra-light rifle. The early Roberts exceeded velocities of the .250 Savage by roughly 200 fps. But if you are willing to put in the extra effort, the rewards are definitely worth it. Hornady offers a variety of .25-caliber varmint and big-game hunting bullets that are ideal for the .257 Roberts. As a reminder, changing components will change the dynamics of a given load. In addition to a smaller neck, the wildcat had a shallower 15-degree shoulder angle and a slightly shorter case. This is a standard 100 grain .243 Winchester factory load at a MV of 2960 f.p.s. Thats tough to answer. using so-called +P brass. The .257 Roberts is one of those cartridges that has a storied history in cartridge development. The best evidence of this is recent legislation. I dont know how many years my dad has left, so I want him to have the best I can afford that fits his needs, Zellers said. Just remember that at those distances, even the smallest mistake can mean missing your target entirely. Magnum primers are not needed
lbs. Nosler Partition bullet, BC .391, MV 2700 f.p.s. The .257 Roberts uses the same caliber bullets as .250 Savage or the more powerful .25-06 Remington. In
Evaluating the killing power of a hunting bullet must be a more sophisticated exercise than simply comparing the muzzle velocities of different cartridge/load combinations. Performance of modern .257 Roberts factory loads. Less than a decade later, the Niedner Rifle Company
The effective killing range numbers for these two loads suggest that they are equal. Load #3 features a 120 grain bullet, the heaviest hunting bullet loaded in the Roberts. load detailed above is a very strong one. This was 1346 ft. lbs. So far, Boddington's Dakota .257 Roberts produces its best groups with Remington 100-grain round-nose Core-Lokt, not the most ideal hunting load for a flat-shooting cartridge. lbs., MPBR = 300 yards (Zero at 255 yards). If (and only if) that is the case then the barrel is short (20") and the contour is very thin*. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. (22 inch bbl. The .257 Roberts has (finally) been updated to piezoelectric pressure measurements, with standard pressure loads listed at 54,000 psi while +P loads are listed at 58,000 psi. Model 30 bolt action. Chuck Hawks reports that a 100-grain .257 exiting the barrel at 3,000 fps produces only 9.3 ft-lbs. This comparability can be applied not only to different loads for a particular cartridge, but also can be extended to comparisons of different cartridges. With modern, high-BC bullets, thats also enough juice for whitetail and mule deer hunts at almost any practical distance. in the past. For comparison, the .30-06 has a MAP of 60,000 psi. I full-length size all the cases, not just the
Basic components for the .257 Roberts are generally easy to find. In discussions about the Roberts, the one theme I seem to hear repeatedly is that this classic is too slow. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Select loads reached over 3,400 fps. According to Johnny Falk, in a letter dated in the last quarter of 1980,
Noted gun and cartridge experimenter - Dr. Franklin Mann - was indeed a very important part of the .25-caliber concept. (Ret.) Using the same 100-grain Ballistic Tip bullet, 50.0 grains of Hodgdon SUPERFORMANCE powder recorded 3,176 fps for a 276-fps advantage! of recoil with a 7.5-pound rifle. .257 Roberts: Propellant: Accurate 2700, Accurate 3100, Accurate 4350, Alliant Reloder-16, . As a matter of note,
from a 24 inch barrel. Barrel rifling diameter, from which calibers derive their designations, is 0.250 in or 6.35 mm. Some hunters may find that the 257 Roberts cartridge is an ideal round for medium to large game, while others may prefer a different caliber for these purposes. For this project, I explored many I did not have the opportunity to try
Pretty pathetic, but I traded it off when it would only do two inches with numerous bullets. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. The sizing
BT bullet, BC .459, MV 2700 f.p.s. However, due to its own merit and with the introduction of +P ammunition, demand for the .257 began to return during the 1980s, and most rifle manufacturers started offering it as a standard cartridge. (All three of the .257 Roberts loads have KPS = 15 ranges that are longer than their MPBR distances.). of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. For these reasons, factory load velocities from the test rifle cannot be referenced or compared with the accompanying handloading data. Basically, he necked down the 7x57mm Mauser case to take .257 inch diameter (standard .25 caliber) bullets. the cartridge at this time was used only in bolt, single-shot and pump
I surmise that development of the +P cartridge variant was an attempt to boost performance of the cartridge to velocity levels that would look better against the fast .243s. Ive also heard that it was because pre-1898 Mauser surplus rifles were the basis for early custom rifles firing the wildcat version, and they were perceived as weaker platforms. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. (The explanation of these indexes is abbreviated here, but is more fully discussed in the Appendix.). Mikey Hartman, Lt. Col. Its been understandably eclipsed by more effective modern cartridges, but its Goldilocks combination of attributes should earn it a spot in gun safes of hunters for years to come. I read down the energy column of the table until I came to the energy value closest to 1339 ft. lbs. (22 inch barrel). Other discontinued firearms from Ruger and Winchester can still be found new in the box, but those are getting rarer. If youre looking for an all-around hunting rifle that wont break the bank, the 257 Roberts is a great option. in. Beyond that, the trajectory of the bullet starts to drop off sharply, making it more difficult to hit your target. The only difference is that the 257 Roberts+P has a slightly higher pressure limit. However there are many people who have had less than good results with Ruger barrels. It offers slightly higher velocity and energy than the standard 257 Roberts cartridge. The most accurate Roberts I ever had, and sold like a fool, was a Browning Blr. High Praise for the .257 Roberts in.) With MAP limits pegged at 52,000 CUP, 7000 CUP higher than the Roberts, they threw smaller diameter, lighter weight bullets at higher velocities. following year. All handloads were developed using Winchester +P cases, which due to their thicker case wall construction have less capacity than standard pressure cases. The resulting MPBR (265 yards) gave me an unambiguous measure of the practical range of the load. The 257 Roberts is a great little cartridge and with the 110 gr. Phil Sharpe seemed to favor the .257 Roberts and IMR-4064 powder with a
Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. produces 11 ft.-lbs. I also noted the zero distance of the load. maybe. The .257 Roberts was announced in 1928 as a wildcat based on the 7mm Mauser case. What is the twist of your friend's 257 Roberts? Using deer and similar size game as an example, some popular cartridges, such as the .270 Winchester and .308 Winchester, are so powerful that there is no question that they will dependably fell Class 2 game out to their MPBR range or beyond. This load produces 1232 ft. lbs. The bullet also expands well, so it will cause a lot of internal damage to the deer. load of 41.0 grains under a 100-grain bullet, and I tried it with a
They are tougher than older 117- to 120-grain bullets and can penetrate as deeply while having a higher launch velocity. For those who hunt in open country where longer shots are expected, the relatively new Hornady 110-grain ELD-X (with a G1 B.C. Otherwise, hunters hoping to help resurrect the .257 must reload their own ammunition and look in the used or custom-built market for a firearm. ", "The Long Ranger is as accurate and reloader friendly as a bolt action, faster for repeat shots and the absence of a bolt handle sticking out of one side makes it more comfortable to carry, in the hand or slung over either shoulder. Using the Hodgdon online Data Center, with 100-grain bullets across 12 propellants used in both cartridges, the Roberts averaged 140 fps (less than 5 percent) slower than the .25-06. However, in thumbing through my notes from many years ago, factory loads generally run between 50 and 100 fps slower than claimed velocities when fired from the 22-inch barrel of the Ruger M77R. This accuracy situtation with the Bob has me reconsidering doing this. To begin the ballistic analysis of the loads, I used the point blank range calculator at www.shooterscalcualtor.com to calculate a +/- 3 inch maximum point blank range (MPBR) for the load. The final form of the .25 Roberts was only slightly changed from the 7mm Mauser. inches. .257 Load #1: Nosler Custom, 115 gr. To find this range, I generated a trajectory table for the load, using 5 yard range increments. It is also noteworthy that monolithic bullets heavier than 100 grains, such as the Barnes 115-grain Triple Shock X-Bullet, will require barrels with a faster twist than the standard 1:10 that is standard on most guns chambered in .257. to me several months later and was used successfully on antelope the
Everyone likes to try various powders in their loads for testing. The 257 Roberts is a reliable cartridge that is known for its accuracy and versatility. New factory rifle options are even more limited. Regardless, it remains popular today and is an excellent choice for hunters. Note that the EKR of the .243 Win. After that, all cases are checked for length, and if
Winchester still kept an interest in the .257 Roberts by introducing a
looking up reference material, I found that in the Complete Guide to Handloading,
That could correct chamber issues? Buy Lyman Neck Expander M Die for 25-06 Rem & 257 Roberts NEW! Says no matter what hes' bought, shoots about 3 inch groups at 100 yards. The .257 Roberts remains a very popular rifle/cartridge combination for hunters throughout the country. lbs. Back off you will probably get better accuracy, a 257 is not a speed demon by any means. I considered writing this article as an actual poemsomething like John Keats Ode to a Grecian Urn, but with more pizazz and less skill. cartridge. The 257 Roberts has a relatively flat trajectory and produces very little recoil. I rest my case that the .257 Roberts is the more powerful of the two cartridges for hunting deer and similar Class 2 game. they do not come in around 2.223 inches, they are trimmed back to meet
The .257 Roberts is a low recoiling, mild powered cartridge. For handloaders who want to throw powder charges, spherical powders meter beautifully. First on the list was IMR-3031 with lighter bullets. The preceding history/background is necessary to understand the distinction between the original .257 Roberts cartridge and its later variant called the ".257 Roberts +P." Hornady 117-grain Spire Point bullets loaded over 42.0 grains of H-4350
grains for a velocity of around 3,400 fps. I concluded that the HITS system is useful only for the purpose of verifying the size/type of game for which a given cartridge and load is best suited. Hornady may offer the cheapest factory option in their Superformance line, which you can find for a more reasonable $54 per box. During the 1980s, Winchester developed a .257 Roberts +P load that featured thicker case walls and was loaded to a maximum average pressure of 50,000 CUP, which bumped the velocity of the 117-grain bullet to 2,780 fps. I feel this even more strongly after making a detailed examination of the performance and capabilities of the cartridge. The EKR of the load above is at the MPBR range (265 yards), because the KPS value of 15.9 at 265 yards is greater than the baseline KPS of 15 and I never recommend shooting at a game animal beyond the MPBR of the cartridge and load. In a short action, it has the potential for a suitable youth rifle but without care towards optimizing hand loads, can lack the power with many 117 to 120 grain loads to be of any great advantage over the more common .243. In discussions about the Roberts, the one theme I
Loaded with 87 grain and lighter bullets, it serves well for dispatching large varmints and small predators. Select powders gave excellent overall performance with heavier bullet weights. Despite the .257s ardent following, theres a reason its not as commonly chambered as other cartridges. The attributes credited to the Long Ranger check many boxes regarding the desirable features of a deer rifle. You can get a box of the Federal load mentioned above for $100. Brian used a Ruger M77R with a 22-inch barrel and Swarovski 3-9x 36mm variable scope to develop handloads for the .257 Roberts. 117 gr round nose seated to near the rifleing. 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