Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 257 Roberts or 243 Winchester in the Montana

.243 is so easy and fun to shoot. But if it were me, I'd get the Roberts to be different.

The recoil is not noticibly different from the .243 and since you're going to reload, it won't matter much anyway for bullets.

I will say 308 since people are suggesting 7-08 and thats NOT what you asked about.

If its your gun only and you plan on reloading... go 257.

If you plan on handing it down to your kid that may not be a rifle looney or interested in reloading... then 243.

The 7-08 suggestion isnt bad because it lets you handle larger game.

I own a 708 and 308 and cant tell the recoil difference so I lean towards 308 because I am not a reloader (yet).

The ammunition shortage made finding 7-08 ammo a challenge and my father in law had a hard time finding ammo for his 257 roberts.

243

Better fit to short action.

Wider variety of bullets available, particularly low drag designs.

Better brass available.

The better types of dies are available in the lowest price tier for their type.

Lot of good suggestions.

You just gotta get into reloading if not already there. Too much difference with what can be accomplished. And, it's enjoyable.

The .243 is a good one for the non-reloader, as is the .308.

I'm partial to the .257R over the .243. I don't see .243 loads pushing 100 gr. bullets at 3,250+ FPS...

For the .257R to really shine, I'm thinking a 3" box mag. That's an expensive proposition, converting a SA, or one can go LA. I know there's wasted space in the longer box, but I'd rather have the room than not.

IMO,

DF

When in doubt, go big. Of your choices my preference would be the Bob. I have an 84M in 308 and it is a dandy rifle and has been used up to zebra. The 7-08 would be a fine choice also.
Don't have any experience with the 260 and the my experience with the 243 was long ago and bad because of the bullets available at the time.

We have both in our house as well. They both work for deer fine, but the .257R is a favorite that gets passed around.

As previously pointed out, it does better out of a standard length action where COAL can be a bit longer.

Not my first choice but it'll work on an elk if need be.

I love the .243 but I would be tempted to get the Roberts in that gun.

I would opt for the 243 if you are sticking to deer with this gun. The .243 has a great selection of bullets available to the reloader and a plethora of factory ammo available until you get your reloading bench and supplies set up and become proficient. That being said the .257 115 gr Nosler Partition is good enough to build a gun around!

Mine is a .257 Roberts.

I don't see a real strong practical reason to choose one over the other and what reasons there are seem to mostly offset.

Unless you want Nosler, .257 factory ammo and reloading brass is pretty scarce. Mine likes 120 grain partitions and 110 grain accubonds ... haven't seen either in months. So far it shows no love for 100 or 115 grain partitions.

With those bullets it is, IMHO, fractionally more effective than the .243, however, I don't work in fractions, if I need more than a .243 will do I'm not stopping at .257 caliber, I'm going for a .270 with 150s, a 7mm with 160s, a .30 with 165s or 180s .. etc.

I've seen a little bit of WW .243 brass lately but 6 months ago it was nearly as hard to come by as .257 brass.

It is possible the .257 will have a little more barrel life. Doesn't matter. Barrel life in a rifle bought to hunt game, not shoot varmints or paper, is measured in lifetimes. A non-factor.

You might consider .260 or 7mm-08 if you can find one. Both have been discontinued in the Montana. You might find one on a shelf somewhere, otherwise it's a "build" proposition. If you are going to build, you might also want to think about a .22-250 std or AI with a fast twist. Its a notion that's been percolating in the back o' my cobweb collection for a while.

Tom

The thread title says hunting in Montana. Who can hunt in MT without eventually trying for an elk? The 7mm-08 is a good all purpose caliber that will do an elk nicely.

^^^ ... and is also no longer offered in the Kimber Montana which the OP said he was going to buy. Just in case you forgot.

Ah, the Kimber Montana. I though he was talking about hunting in MT. Sorry about that.

No worries. You had the answer right. Kimber is who done forked it up. What the heck are they thinking? That's the LAST cartridge they should have discontinued.

Wow! That is the exact same load I use in my Ruger 1976 "Year of American Liberty"! Like yours, that load shoots fantastic in my rifle!

To me the 257 comes into the equation as a better cartridge because of the availability of 115-120gr bullets. The .25 caliber hole is bigger, even though just slightly and the recoil is a wash. A good modern 257 w/24in barrel and 120gr Partition is right on the heels of a good 270W. powdr

I could say "great minds", etc.

But, that load was given to me by gunner500. It worked out exactly like he said it would, even the velocity. That boy is lot smarter than he looks, for sure...

DF

Powdr, that is a valid point but also goes to show that you might as well just get a 270 and be done with it...grin



Dirtfarmer, not too shabby!


I would prefer your TTSX Roberts combo for jump shooting deer.

For sub 450 yard 'calm' shooting I think the 243 is still a decent choice. Perfect truck gun.


Re-bedded my 243 Montana on Sunday, re-zero'd it early this morning before the wind came up.

Last 3 shots(420 yards, dirt/bipod/rear bag), not bad for a little POS lightweight factory rifle...grin


2.5-8x36 VX3 w/B&C that is left on 8x 99% of the time.

You missed the tape measure.

Its a kimber...what do you expect?

I've killed elk with my 243, anything bigger than that you'll want more than a 243 or 257.

243 is way more common, components are easier to come by, and I've found often bullets are cheaper with more deals. mainly shooters proshop since mine loves the 95 NBT.
heck I picked up 1k of the 70gr 6mm varmigeddon bullets 2 weeks ago for $106 AND got a free hat. try buying 1000 257 bullets that cheap (that aren't cast)