The 257 Roberts

257Roberts

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Peterborough ON
While reading a variety of posts I am seeing a number of us are bringing up and talking about the bob. My question is how many of us own them and what do we use them for?
I presently have two, a BLR 227 series that I picked up at a gun show and a new Ruger 77MKII my wife bought me for my birthday last year. ( She had my help picking it out.)
I took my first deer last fall with the BLR, (I was a late starter when it came to deer hunting) and it has also taken ground hogs as well as shot at but not yet taken a coyote.
The day after I got the Ruger home it took 3 ground hogs and shot at 2 coyotes, it also has yet to finish a coyote. The Ruger has yet to digest a factory round. When I go to the range to try a new load in any of the other rifles I have, it seems natural that I take one of the Bobs along just to make sure it is still doing the thing it is suppose to do.
I wait in anticipation to see how many of you also like and use this classic cartridge, and what loads you are using.
If the post takes off I will list my loads.
257 Roberts
 
huntinstuff said:
Actually Im still trying to buy one. A Winchester 70 is my first choice. I hope the thread takes off
I'd like to have one cause it sounds cool.
 
Enjoy your 257s.I inherited a 257 from my father.He had it built in the early 60's on a Mexican Mauser action,Bishop stock and Douglas barrel.It has a Lyman receiver sight and a fine silver bead up front.I have the dies for it as well but I haven't shot the thing in many years.I don't recall the the loads he had worked up for it but I seem to recall he used a lot of 3031 and 4895.I'll try to locate his load data.It was a tack driver in its day as I recall.
 
I have a 700 MR long action with a 22" King bbl. I've shot it over 3300fps w/100gr bullets, but I don't run it that hard. 3100 is plenty. At those velocities, it's getting pretty close to 25/06. Pretty hard for a 243 to compete with that.

I've shot two deer with mine. Both were bang/flops. :dancingbanana:



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SuperCub said:
I have a 700 MR long action with a 22" King bbl. I've shot it over 3300fps w/100gr bullets, but I don't run it that hard. 3100 is plenty. At those velocities, it's getting pretty close to 25/06. Pretty hard for a 243 to compete with that.

I've shot two deer with mine. Both were bang/flops. :dancingbanana:



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Sounds like a nice light weight deer gun.
 
nice lil cartridge but tight fit in a short action (especially with spitzers - like how it should be loaded) and in a long action you might as well shoot a 25-06 :confused:
 
I had a Ruger for a while--it shot well with all weights of bullets but I wound up selling it. I found that I liked the 7x57 better for deer hunting and mostly use my .250 Savages for target/varmint work.

44Bore
 
I have a Model 70 push-feed. It's a Featherweight, and I LOOOOVE the way the stock feels; it's almost as "pointable" as a Model 94. I bought it primarily as a whitetail rifle, after wanting one for several years. I find the Bob much quieter and with noticeably less recoil than my .280, especially with Remington factory ammo, which is non-+P. My handloads really change the shooting dynamics; it feels more like a .270 than a .250 Savage, in my opinion.
The cartridge makes lots of sense, and I'm glad to have one in the stable. I think I'll appreciate it even more 20 years from now, if I start to get a bit older and more arthritic.
My only complaint has to do with my rifle, not the cartridge. The lightweight barrel heats up quickly, and though I've shot several 3/4 inch groups, I can't EVER shoot more than 3 shots. It's a very twitchy gun to shoot; it's free-floated but I should really glass-bed the action. I may also try a pressure pad up front but hopefully I won't need to.
 
todbartell said:
nice lil cartridge but tight fit in a short action (especially with spitzers - like how it should be loaded) and in a long action you might as well shoot a 25-06 :confused:

Or a 250 Savage AI in a short
 
Kilo Charlie said:
I have a Model 70 push-feed. It's a Featherweight, and I LOOOOVE the way the stock feels; it's almost as "pointable" as a Model 94. I bought it primarily as a whitetail rifle, after wanting one for several years. I find the Bob much quieter and with noticeably less recoil than my .280, especially with Remington factory ammo, which is non-+P. My handloads really change the shooting dynamics; it feels more like a .270 than a .250 Savage, in my opinion.
The cartridge makes lots of sense, and I'm glad to have one in the stable. I think I'll appreciate it even more 20 years from now, if I start to get a bit older and more arthritic.
My only complaint has to do with my rifle, not the cartridge. The lightweight barrel heats up quickly, and though I've shot several 3/4 inch groups, I can't EVER shoot more than 3 shots. It's a very twitchy gun to shoot; it's free-floated but I should really glass-bed the action. I may also try a pressure pad up front but hopefully I won't need to.
Your model 70 sounds like a piece of junk, you should sell it............to me.
 
todbartell said:
nice lil cartridge but tight fit in a short action (especially with spitzers - like how it should be loaded) and in a long action you might as well shoot a 25-06 :confused:

My thoughts exactly......
 
todbartell said:
nice lil cartridge but tight fit in a short action (especially with spitzers - like how it should be loaded) and in a long action you might as well shoot a 25-06 :confused:
With the LA the heavy bullets can be seated out to 3" COL w/o taking up too much room. I had the throat done long for this purpose.

I was more interested in having a Roberts than a very fast 25cal. If that was the case a 257Weatherby would better still the 25/06, desides 3300fps with a 100gr bullet is pretty much 25/06 speed anyways. :)


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todbartell said:
nice lil cartridge but tight fit in a short action (especially with spitzers - like how it should be loaded) and in a long action you might as well shoot a 25-06 :confused:

The 257 Roberts fits just fine in a 2.8" short action like a M77 or M700, providing the throat is cut to match. Which most are. Speaking from experience here. You seat a bullet at 3.0" in that case, then seat it 0.2 deeper to fit a 2.8" magazinie, you're not talking a meaningful difference. Invisible to the chronograph, but a huge deal in the minutae world of the internet.

It's a great cartridge, I've got two of the things. I've also got a 25-06, which doesn't give much more.
 
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I dont have one but I have hunted with a fellow who has one. I would love to ad a .257rob to the collection. I think it would be an even better backup/wifes deer rifle than the .243win is.
 
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