Why this is my favourite deer rifle. A warm fuzzy story!

SuperCub

SuperCub

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SJ / NB
You all have heard me brag about this rifle before. Nothing special really, just a 700 long action BDL action re-barreled by Bevan King in 257Roberts in a mountain rifle contour bedded in a plane jane TI take-off stock. This rifle is the most consistent rifle I have ever owned with the added bonus of being quite accurate. I'm sure there are lots of rifles like this out there, but this one never disappoints this owner.

I recently sent the stock out to Bill Leeper to replace the crummy/sticky factory pad. In the mean time I removed the scope and mounts off. Gun was stripped bare for cleaning. In preparation for a trip to the deer camp next week, I screwed it all together today and ran out to the range.

Three shots .......... DONE!

This is why rifles like this become our favourites and others, sometimes nicer ones, stay home.

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Gun are kind of like women, the pretty ones are nice to look at and play with, but it's the dependable low maintenance ones you keep forever, that kind of beauty doesn't fade.
 
Paid about $65 difference and traded in a P14 sporter for a .257 Roberts in a Remington 722 short action back when they brought in the .275 maximum for varmint hunting in S. ON. That was about 50 years ago and it is still one of the most accurate rifles I have owned. It will be going to the deer camp again this year. I did modify that @#$%^& safety so the action can be cycled with the safety on and adjust the trigger so it is nice and light.
 
I see why you use IMR-4831, being the best book value for velocity with acceptable pressures (and you have avoided a compressed load), but why the magnum primer? I shoot a .257 Roberts as well (in a Ruger M-77 Mk II), but see no mention/need for a magnum primer in the literature. I have good luck with H-380 BTW...with standard primers. Nice groups at your end.
 
woodlotowner said:
I see why you use IMR-4831, being the best book value for velocity with acceptable pressures (and you have avoided a compressed load), but why the magnum primer? I shoot a .257 Roberts as well (in a Ruger M-77 Mk II), but see no mention/need for a magnum primer in the literature.
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Several different primers were tried out during load development including std rifle. I knew the magnums were not required, but they do shoot very well, ALL the time and it's a slow powder so I went with them.
 
How does the .257 perform on deer? I owned one years ago but never shot a deer with it and foolishly parted with it as I had no time for varmint hunting. Tempted to get another for deer.
 
SuperCub said:
Several different primers were tried out during load development including std rifle. I knew the magnums were not required, but they do shoot very well, ALL the time and it's a slow powder so I went with them.
Click to expand...

Will give your load a try, SuperCub, probably not until spring now, and will chronograph the rounds. I will start with a reduced load in my rifle just in case. :)
 
bushwhacker said:
Paid about $65 difference and traded in a P14 sporter for a .257 Roberts in a Remington 722 short action back when they brought in the .275 maximum for varmint hunting in S. ON. That was about 50 years ago and it is still one of the most accurate rifles I have owned.
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Nice classic rifle and money well spent!
 
awesome, I have a old 308 mauser that does the same, my grandpa's old rifle, i have a browning abolt action and have thinking about the 257 roberts for my next project
 
woodlotowner said:
I see why you use IMR-4831, being the best book value for velocity with acceptable pressures (and you have avoided a compressed load), but why the magnum primer? I shoot a .257 Roberts as well (in a Ruger M-77 Mk II), but see no mention/need for a magnum primer in the literature. I have good luck with H-380 BTW...with standard primers. Nice groups at your end.
Click to expand...

I always use magnum primers with IMR 4831 myself, as I've had unreliable ignition with it using standard LRP, particularly if I'm using a compressed load.
 
SuperCub said:
You all have heard me brag about this rifle before. Nothing special really, just a 700 long action BDL action re-barreled by Bevan King in 257Roberts in a mountain rifle contour bedded in a plane jane TI take-off stock. This rifle is the most consistent rifle I have ever owned with the added bonus of being quite accurate. I'm sure there are lots of rifles like this out there, but this one never disappoints this owner.

I recently sent the stock out to Bill Leeper to replace the crummy/sticky factory pad. In the mean time I removed the scope and mounts off. Gun was stripped bare for cleaning. In preparation for a trip to the deer camp next week, I screwed it all together today and ran out to the range.

Three shots .......... DONE!

This is why rifles like this become our favourites and others, sometimes nicer ones, stay home.

012.jpg

019-3.jpg
Click to expand...

Paul; My Roberts is just like that with Reloder 22 and the 120 Partition. Very reliable, and a real deer killer, too.
I even shot a hapless moose with mine one day when I had it in hand and a legal bull appeared at 80 yards, lol.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Petersen's had a very good article last year that surprisingly placed the .257 as one of the top deer calibers. The thing that stood out in my mind was that this wasn't the usual hunting mag drivel filled with writer's bias or what ever is hot on the market, but rather was a straight forward presentation of data from a hunting guide's journal. He had been guiding for in excess of 60 years and kept a journal on every hunt which included info on cartridge, caliber, distance of shot, how many shots, recovery distance, etc. After looking at trends and averages, the .257 came out on top.
 
Eagleye said:
Paul; My Roberts is just like that with Reloder 22 and the 120 Partition. Very reliable, and a real deer killer, too.
I even shot a hapless moose with mine one day when I had it in hand and a legal bull appeared at 80 yards, lol.
Regards, Eagleye.
Click to expand...
I'd shoot a moose with that load!

I also have a couple hundred Hornady 120gr HPs on the heap. I bought them about the same time I was trying the 100s so never did get to try them. They don't get a lot of press, but do seem to get good reviews from those who do use them.
 
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