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Campfire Outfitter
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What would be the best all around.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Tracker
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.25 Souper (.25-308) would be a strong contender on a standard bolt face, .25 WSM/SAUM on a magnum. Plus .257 Roberts and the little .250 Savage are pretty good when it comes to killing things. Really it boils down to if you want factory or wildcat.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,168
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2005
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250AI if you don't mind the fireform. It will do what the Souper will, but give a lot more mag room. Use Laupua 22-250 brass.
The collection of taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this Republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. Coolidge
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,723
Campfire Tracker
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 354
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 354 |
I'm lucky enough to have 3.
.257Ackley
.25-06Rem
.25-06Ackley
All crazy accurate w/loads from 85gr.NBT's to 120gr.Partitions.All critter getters for sure.Your favorite all rounder will come down ta action lenth preferred,factory loads or a favorite Wild Cat reload.Most important get out n shoot em on targets or game,have fun...Your favorite ALL ROUNDER will make it's self clear every time ya pull the trigger!!! Remember it's ok to have more than one...two...three...ScottyO.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 354
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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ooops didnt read good enufff my bad...
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,003
Campfire Tracker
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.264 is real close to .257. Kinda the height of rifling as I recall. 25 WSSM is technically (very technically) the only US .25 of that sort that has ammunition available from one the major manufacturers. Browning made some excellent rifles, but you'll have trouble with brass life and procurement.
Living in a world of G17s and 700s, wishing for P7s and 202s
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,217
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,217 |
After having feeding issues with my Ruger in 250AI, I got a new barrel and reamed it for the 25 Souper, same performance with no feeding issues. The heaviest bullet that I regularly shoot in my short and super-short 0.257" bore rifles is the 110 grain AB, so COAL isn't an issue for me.
Unlike the 6.5 Creedmoor's COAL advantage over the 260 when loading long VLD bullets, there aren't any 0.257" VLD bullets that I aware of, so the 250AI's COAL advantage in a short action is theoretical, rather than actual.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 17,246
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 17,246 |
The fast twist 6mm and 6.5mm chamberings have stolen the thunder from the .25's as of late.
But, if it is to be .25cal, then my vote is 25-284. Still have one and 100gr E-Tips at 3,350fps still hurt critters. Mine is on a 700 and needed a follower swap from a SAUM to feed right. Slicked it right up.
Now with even more aplomb
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,217 |
.264 is real close to .257. Kinda the height of rifling as I recall. 25 WSSM is technically (very technically) the only US .25 of that sort that has ammunition available from one the major manufacturers. Browning made some excellent rifles, but you'll have trouble with brass life and procurement. I have shot a lot of 25 WSSM, most of it resized Federal 223 WSSM and 243 WSSM brass, without any particular case life problems. Some of the 25 WSSM cases for my 3 pdog rifles, shooting the 75 grain VMAX as 3,600+/- fps, have been loaded up to 8 times and are still going strong. I agree that WSSM brass is difficult to procure. Winchester/Olin still catalogs it, but it must to a seasonal run, but nobody knows what season they are being run in.
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
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I'm just at the beginning of even thinking about this.
The 25-08 was first in my mind, didn't know it had a name.
The idea is to build a quality rifle for Deer sized game and down.
Thanks for the suggestions.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,217
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2002
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If I was starting over and wasn't so heavily into .257" bore rifles, I think that I'd go with the 243, 243AI, or 6 Creed with a quicker twist barrel.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,168
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I would agree that if your going to shoot at range either the 6's or the 6.5's are a better choice. Just more good LR bullets.
My 250AI is a ruger MKII and I would say the COAL freedom turned out to be big advantage for me. I didn't specify any particular thoating when I had it built but shot from 80 grainers to the 115 VLD in mine and could get to the lands with even the berger and still run from the magazine. Though in the end I did 90% of the shooting with 100g BT seconds.
I like to run a Lee collet, Redding body die and a comp seater and with the 250AI, 2 of those will be custom dies with a wait. If you run one of the popular rounds you can get those dies off the shelf saving a bit of time and money.
The collection of taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this Republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. Coolidge
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,062
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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250AI if you don't mind the fireform. It will do what the Souper will, but give a lot more mag room. Use Laupua 22-250 brass. This one! 250AI, 85gr X bullet, @~3400.. I never actually had deer even take a step (0). Best par is you can still kill them with 100gr Winchester PowerPoints whilst fire forming. What not to love.
“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets credit.” R. Reagan
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Joined: May 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Oh 6.5lbs all up with 4 in it and very little recoil.
“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets credit.” R. Reagan
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Joined: Apr 2003
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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257 Roberts works fine in a short action...no fireforming required.
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,832 Likes: 6
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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If I was starting over and wasn't so heavily into .257" bore rifles, I think that I'd go with the 243, 243AI, or 6 Creed with a quicker twist barrel. Mule Deer, a .257 guy if ever there was one, said a few days back that he couldn't really tell any difference in killing power between the .257 and .243. That''s good enough for me and since .243 brass and nifty bullets are in good supply and .25 not so much, I'll probably replace the .243 on long-term loan to my son with another .243. I would prefer a 6mm, but it's worse off than the .25s in the logistics department, and no factory rifles to boot.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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My wife has a dandy of a 250AI and she loves it. It will likely never Need a new barrel but maybe someday? If I were doing it over it would be 243 6creed 6x47 or the like.
Sometimes I wish I'd have done that but for her or me shooting some deer inside 3-400 it really doesn't matter. Plus that inside 3-400 is inside 150 most always so.....
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,170
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18,170 |
.25 Souper (.25-308) would be a strong contender on a standard bolt face, .25 WSM/SAUM on a magnum. Plus .257 Roberts and the little .250 Savage are pretty good when it comes to killing things. Really it boils down to if you want factory or wildcat. Yes Souper. Any SA. Easy to form brass. Awesome ballistics and plenty of killing power for whitetails.
Last edited by ringworm; 10/20/15.
TRUMP- GABBARD 2024
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,130
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Now the ol' Wrangler has been shooting .257 Roberts and its Ackley Improved version since rust was new. I began with a Ruger 77 Round Top when they first came out, and I saw one in the local guns shop. It was really a pretty little thing, a special limited run with iron sights. That rifle was very accurate, shot around an inch at 100 yards. Then I had it glass bedded and rechambered to the Ackley Improved version. With a Sierra or Hornady 75 grain HP bullet over 48 grains of H-380 I was astounded to find it shooting under .5" more like .35". It killed more ground squirrels than a hay mower. Then I sold it off.
Next came a Remington 700 Short Action .22-250 factory rifle that couldn't hit the broadside of a barn standing next to it. That abomination was rebarreled to .257 Ackley, and it continued the tradition for a few decades. Finally I had that particular action blue printed and precision barreled with a fancy custom barrel and it resides in my safe today after disappearing a few squirrels. I'd still use it, but some commissar decided we need lead free bullets to protect some ugly vultures they imported from South America, and now bullets are too expensive to hurl at squirrels.
Thing is, I'd use a new Remington Short Action from Brownell's as the basis for a custom rifle. The last, no third to the last, rifle I built used that very action. I built it in .22-250 Remington, .22-250 Ackley Improved and .308 Winchester, with three barrels (Pac-Nor) that use a Savage type barrel nut. Another barrel in .257 Roberts would be a piece of cake. Neat thing is that the BDL magazine allows use of all those cartridges interchangeably, and they also work in a Wyatt Outdoor detachable magazine. Would the Roberts work too, don't know and I'm too lazy to stop typing to find out, but a few really cheap OEM parts would make it work. Anyway, the Remington 700 S.A. is ideal for the .257 Roberts, even 117 and 120 grain Hornady factory ammo fits mine, and feeds like a hog in fermented corn.
Now there is one more action that is improbable, but inexpensive and accurate. The Remington 783 complete rifle can be found for less than an action - any action. I bought one in a long action, but they come in a short action also. Mine was chambered in .30-06. The 783 is Remington's answer to the Savage, it uses a Savage barrel nut to retain the barrel. Yes, it's exactly the same, uses the same Savage wrench. Anyway, I wanted a .25-06 Remington for some time, just to fiddle with. So I called Jim Briggs at Northland Shooters Supply http://northlandshooterssupply.com/ and ordered a Criterion 24" Heavy Sporter S.S. barrel in .25-06 Remington. (http://criterionbarrels.com/prefits/remington783) When it arrived I swapped it for the OEM .30-06 barrel in few minutes and, because .25-06 brass was unobtainable, formed a supply of .30-06 down and loaded them. The few loads I tried ran around one inch, and more testing should better that. There is no reason that the .257 Roberts wouldn't work in either the short or long action, my .257 Roberts Ackley cartridges fit the long magazine and function through it as does the .257 Roberts. If Criterion can cut a .257 Roberts chamber it would be an inexpensive way to have a swap barrel rifle. Otherwise Pac-Nor can make a Rem/Age barrel. Of course the original 783 factory chamber would have to be in a standard .473" diameter cartridge head size, such as the .22-250 or .308 Winchester.
Well, the possibilities are endless, and now I need some sleep. Until next time.
Last edited by WranglerJohn; 10/20/15.
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