.257 wby mag suitable for moose/elk?

I do know that a 115tsx will exit and break the off shoulder of a big farm land moose. I do also know that 100gr ttsx will kill cow elk very dead when launched from a 257wby.

If you want one get one they flat work on stopping hearts.
 
Thanks guys. I'm goin to order a handloading kit here this week so I can start handloading too. Once I get started I will probably end up buying a 257 wby. Seems like a deadly round that will work awesome on anything I need it too! Anyone have any handloading tips for the 257 bee they wanna share?
 
Pick up some new or cheap once fired 7mm rem mag brass, one pass through your die and you have 257 wby brass, I use this brass for target practice, working up loads and shooting a deer last fall haha

I'm shooting 110gr accubonds pushed by a stout load of RL 22.
 
hunter-4-life said:
Thanks guys. I'm goin to order a handloading kit here this week so I can start handloading too. Once I get started I will probably end up buying a 257 wby. Seems like a deadly round that will work awesome on anything I need it too! Anyone have any handloading tips for the 257 bee they wanna share?
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Our house load for the .257 is 69 grains of IMR4831 and a few different 100 grain bullets including the TSX. That one would be an excellent choice for moose and elk. The 80 Grain TTSX doesn't seem to stay in elk and is knocking on 4000 fps. The partition and A-frame are always good choices, and the 4831s, 7828, and RL22 are go-to powders.

You can neck down new 7mm Rem or .264 Win Mag brass in one pass, or just buy a couple or three boxes of the cheapest Weatherby brand spire point ammo for 40 bucks a box and save the brass. 40-60 brass will last a long time because this stuff is as tough as nails. Seat your bullets as long as you can and still get a full calibers worth of neck holding onto the bullet. You'll never get within a mile of the lands.

Shoot your groups very slowly as going bang,bang,bang is going cold, hot, branding iron.
 
Thanks for the info Dogleg. What is your overall cartridge length for these loads? Like how do I know when I'm too long or not long enough? I'm still new to the whole handloading
 
OAL is a different game when loading Weatherby rounds because the usual techiques of seating to or a certain distance from the lands goes out the window on a free-bored cartridge.

My load for the 100 grain Ballistic Tip is 3.333 (All 3s, easy to remember) and that is a combination of seating the bottom of the bearing surface flush with the base of the neck and partly because that's pretty much as long as the magazine will take. Without checking, I think my 100 grain TSX load is wherever it ended up when the seating die is set for the NBT. My 80 Grain TTSX load is 3.160 which is right at the top groove of the bullet and gives as much grip as possible on the neck. Seating to the groove would allow crimping if wanted, though I never have. Actually seating any bullet with a canular to it would be as good a place as any to start.

Most reloading manuals suggest seating them as long as the mag will take and gives good feeding. It isn't an exact science, but I like lots of neck tension.
 
hunter-4-life said:
What do you guys figure? Is the 257 Roy suitable for moose/elk? I've always had a thing for the 257 and am thinking it's time to scratch the itch again! I would use it for coyotes to mulies, and the odd moose or elk in there (every 4-5 years). I know it's flatter, faster and hits harder then a 270 but I'm just concerned that the light weight bullets of the 257 will be a little too light. What's your guys opinions?

I will start handloading in the next year or so probably
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Barnes TTSX or Nosler Partition are exactly the kind of bullets you should be shooting from a .257 Wby Mag for moose and elk.
 
hunter-4-life said:
And those bullets will still work well on a whitetail? I was thinking a 100 gr ttsx for everything or should i go a 115-120?
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They will work on deer, but a lot slower than a softer bullet. We killed a pile of deer CWDing and my kid figured out from observation what worked fast and what worked slow before he turned 13.

If you really want one load for everything the Partition is worth a look. Its been taking care of things for 60-70 years in factory ammo and is bound to work for a few more.
 
Dogleg said:
They will work on deer, but a lot slower than a softer bullet. We killed a pile of deer CWDing and my kid figured out from observation what worked fast and what worked slow before he turned 13.

If you really want one load for everything the Partition is worth a look. Its been taking care of things for 60-70 years in factory ammo and is bound to work for a few more.
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I'd stick with a premium bullet like the Nosler. I tried shooting 100 gr Sierra Gamekings out of mine, accurate as all get out, with the much lauded 'bang flop' but they make hamburger out of the entire chest cavity. Had to toss a lot more lead peppered meat than I would've liked.
 
That one was a 100 grain NBT. The shot was quartering sharply away and this is the entrance side. Because of the angle and 75 yard shot there's a bit more damage than normal. He went from running to sliding on his chin in short order.

No .257 'bee thread is complete without the "child's play" photo. Kids quite a bit older now,but I doubt if he will ever quit using that gun.



 
kennymo said:
That sounds like a heck of a tale...if you'd care to elaborate?
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A buddy was a new hunter. Bought himself a Husky .30/06... I set him up on a large swamp with a good bottle neck where the moose liked to cross... I told him to get ready because he had a good chance...he later confessed that he didn't really think he would see anything. He had never seen a moose in the wild and his brother in law had hunted moose for 20 years and never shot one. I had helped him sight in his rifle and confirmed that he was a good shot. Unbeknownst to me he had brought only one loaded magazine with him... sure enough a nice fat young cow came out at the crossing... at 100 yards he emptied the gun... the cow finally dropped on the last shot... he was so excited and flustered that he ran "through" the swamp to get to the cow... he arrived at the cow soaked and wet and covered in mud... but when he reached her, the cow reared up and lashed at him, holding an empty gun and in a panic he hauled up and slammed the cow over the head with the barrel. As it turned out that was the only bullet to hit the cow, he had shot her through both front knees... when I arrived to collect him at lunch, I found him sitting on a very dead cow with a big grin and holding a pile of splinters that used to be a pretty nice Husky... he hit the cow so hard that she dropped without a quiver... the blow bent the barrel and action beyond repair. We had another tag, but I told him there was no way I was loaning him a rifle! ;)
 
I dont know what to make of 224 posts and only 1 positive feedback. Did you buy a 257 Weatherby on the EE.

So many firearms can do multiple weights of game and multiple purposes. Would the 257 kill a Moose or Elk certainly, a 375 H & H could also be a sheep rifle. Neither the ideal purpose they are designed for. Projectiles have come a long ways since the Roy was born. I would still use a different caliber, in a pinch at moderate range, with premium projectile, and in the hands of a good shot...no problem.

Truly though isnt the 257 Roy the premier small plains game, pronghorn, deer in a bean field rifle.
 
The .257 was Roy's Weatherby's favorite. Its a sure bet that he could use anything he wanted; and he used to kill more on one safari than most would in a busy lifetime. Still; the .257 was his favorite. What's that telling you?
 
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