257 Roberts in strong modern rifles

[Hitzy]

I got into a new production Weatherby Vanguard .257wby last year for under $500. My first .25cal and it's quite a flat shooting, hard hitting round. Recoil is still mild as these are pretty beefy actions, but it does eat up more powder then the 25-06 or .257Bob. I don't think I'd ever part with this one...110gr pill at mach 3.1 and puts it where it's aimed.
I agree with build costs these days....just had a 9.3x62 put together on a 1942 DUV receiver. It was originally going to be a simple barrel swap on a commercial FN98 in 30'06 but my luck is not good, and when the barrel came off the Smith saw pretty substantial lug setback. This left me scrambling...do I sacrifice another FN98 rifle just for the receiver? I had a spare barreled receiver from Denmark, big heavy S&L target barrel in 6.5x55 on a K98 DUV reveiver. The FN bolt fit it pretty good so we used that. It's probably seen 10's of thousands of rounds as a Dane shooting club rifle, and been rebarrelled several times by the looks of the receiver being blasted and blued several times. But on the bright side, all that use has made it extra smooth, and because it's a surplus military receiver I'm not going to go crazy with a high polish blue pretty gun finish I was looking at doing with the commercial FN action.... so saved some money there.
This will be my ugly elephant tipper....the one that gets dragged out when something needs a large hole put through it lol

 

[Andy]

To me the 257 Roberts is just an underpowered 25-06, like the 7X57 is an underpowered 280 Rem.

That said, I hunt with a 7X57.

Sometimes nostalgia rules over sheer numbers.

 

[H4831]

Bearhunter, I'm surprised you haven't seen some of my posts about the 243. My newest in 243 Win calibre, is a Tikka T3 with walnut stock, is the sixth one I have owned, plus one I got for a son when he was about 12.
I was very active in the shooting world when Winchester put their name to the wildcat that Warren Page had designed by necking down the 308 to 6mm and called it the 243 Winchester. It came on the market with a great flair and all of the many shooting writers of the day gave it high praise. It was soon termed the best antelope calibre on the market and the shooters of the day used it for most all big game.
Remington didn't want to be left in the dust, so they quickly got the similar, but slightly larger competitor on the market, which was nothing more than the 257 Roberts necked from its .257 calibre to 6mm. However, they made the error of making a rifle twist designed for lighter bullets for varmits and by the time they changed that, along with the name, the W 243 had such a lead in popularity that the 6mm Remington never really caught on.
However, in the shooting world bigger is better always wins out. The wildcat 25-06 later emerged as a factory calibre on store shelves and took the glory away from the 243 Wincher.
But the 243 is as good as it ever was, a very flat shooting calibre, with a girly recoil in sporting weight rifles and it is still among the very best calibres for longer range, open country shooting for game of the deer and sheep size. I personally know of several moose killed with the 243, and with good bullets, like Nosler partition, I wouldn't hesitate to take it moose hunting.
I didn't get my first 243 until about 1970, when I had a custom 243 built on a military Mauser 98 action and a heavier barrel for use in a competitive shooting venue that was popular at the time. In a few years, as those matches dwindled, I sold it and got a 77, tang safety 243, which happened to be the least accurate of any of the six or seven 243 rifles I have owned.
I'm hoping the Tikka I now have will prove to be the most accurate, but so far that title has to go to the bolt action Marlin, that I can never remember the model number on. That rifle has now gone to a grand son, while I tune the Tikka, for eventual ownership of another family member.
So Bearhunter, there is the story of me and the 243 calibre rifle. And yes, it shares an even position with the 7-08 as being my very most favourite calibres.

 

[bearhunter]

Bruce, I have read your threads on the 243 Win. I just haven't seen anything on the 257 bores.

I can still remember the articles that were printed on the 243Win. One in particular was about a Polar Bear hunt and how well the cartridge/rifle did. If memory serves, it was an article in the American Rifleman from the NRA. There was definitely a stir over it all. Elmer Kieth was convinced it made a good Field Mouse rifle although a bit on the light side. That was his humorous side, which was pretty close to his serious side.

I have a lot of time for the 6mm bores. I am always surprised at how much they are capable of when compared to their larger counterparts. You won't hear me disagreeing with you on the 243Win capabilities.

 

[kamlooky]

Bearhunter, I'm surprised you haven't seen some of my posts about the 243. My newest in 243 Win calibre, is a Tikka T3 with walnut stock, is the sixth one I have owned, plus one I got for a son when he was about 12.
I was very active in the shooting world when Winchester put their name to the wildcat that Warren Page had designed by necking down the 308 to 6mm and called it the 243 Winchester. It came on the market with a great flair and all of the many shooting writers of the day gave it high praise. It was soon termed the best antelope calibre on the market and the shooters of the day used it for most all big game.
Remington didn't want to be left in the dust, so they quickly got the similar, but slightly larger competitor on the market, which was nothing more than the 257 Roberts necked from its .257 calibre to 6mm. However, they made the error of making a rifle twist designed for lighter bullets for varmits and by the time they changed that, along with the name, the W 243 had such a lead in popularity that the 6mm Remington never really caught on.
However, in the shooting world bigger is better always wins out. The wildcat 25-06 later emerged as a factory calibre on store shelves and took the glory away from the 243 Wincher.
But the 243 is as good as it ever was, a very flat shooting calibre, with a girly recoil in sporting weight rifles and it is still among the very best calibres for longer range, open country shooting for game of the deer and sheep size. I personally know of several moose killed with the 243, and with good bullets, like Nosler partition, I wouldn't hesitate to take it moose hunting.
I didn't get my first 243 until about 1970, when I had a custom 243 built on a military Mauser 98 action and a heavier barrel for use in a competitive shooting venue that was popular at the time. In a few years, as those matches dwindled, I sold it and got a 77, tang safety 243, which happened to be the least accurate of any of the six or seven 243 rifles I have owned.
I'm hoping the Tikka I now have will prove to be the most accurate, but so far that title has to go to the bolt action Marlin, that I can never remember the model number on. That rifle has now gone to a grand son, while I tune the Tikka, for eventual ownership of another family member.
So Bearhunter, there is the story of me and the 243 calibre rifle. And yes, it shares an even position with the 7-08 as being my very most favourite calibres.

Awl I could find wuzz a butt shawt awff'er Mr. H.
Maybe that Marlin izz a tad shy?
Can you recall the owwting?..........................When?.........................

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