Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters RUGER no like .257 cal?

RUGER doesn't chamber 25-06 or 257 Roberts in their model 77 or American lines as regular chamberings. Any opinions as to why they don't ?

Typically, businesses stop production on what doesn't sell and keeps what does. Weird, I know.

Only rifle looneys buy the 257 Roberts, so a short/limited run every couple of years takes care of that market.

The lack of a 25-06 seems odd, since their major competitor, the Savage Axis is offered in 25-06. When Marlin was making the X guns, they chambered the 25-06 in the XL7 and the one that I bought from a member here has proven to be a good shooter. So good that the people that I've loaned it to want to borrow it again. Why buy when you can borrow?

Probably because they don't sell as well as the other chamberings.

I'm a little surprised they still don't chamber the .25-06, and even more surprised their website doesn't list it in ANY of their bolt-actions. It's one of the standards in most bolt-actions from other companies.

The lack of the .257 Roberts is less surprising. Various companies offer .257's from time to time, but after sales to a few enthusiasts not many people buy them. It's one of my favorites, but mostly for sentimental reasons. In reality it doesn't do anything the .243 Winchester doesn't, and factory loads aren't available in every Wal-Mart or rural convenience store. And a large part of RAR popularity is due to people who want a basic rifle they can buy factory ammo for, just about anywhere.

Oddly, the 257 Bob is among the last calibers I would want to part with. I like it much better than my 243 Win.

I see LH 25-06 Hawkeyes ( stainless & blue) on Gunbroker as I write this. I'm staring at my LH Mod 77 25-06. It's a good shooter. In recent past, I've seen many LH stainless 25-06 Hawkeyes for sale on the various auction sites. I don't really see a shortage.
just my.02

Since the 70's Ruger has built more rifles in 257 roberts
than any other gun manufacturer. Models include the 77R, 77ST and 77RS models.


Doc

Which is one of the points of the thread so far: There's no reason for Ruger to continue chambering certain cartridges when there are already enough used rifles (whether Rugers or others) in a chambering to meet demand.

This is exactly why Savage has looked at producing the Savage 99 again more than once since it was discontinued. Even before the 99 was changed somewhat to make modern manufacturing easier, over a million had been made. Add to that the "post-mil" 99's and there are already enough used 99's around to satisfy the remaining market demand, which shrinks every year.

One of the the problems with firearms, as opposed to stuff like dishwashers and pickup trucks, is they don't wear out very quickly. And when they do, most are relatively easily and affordably fixed, whether the fix is a new trigger or barrel.

As a result, firearms manufacturers eventually end up competing with their own products. Even left-handed .25-06's.

I just learned that Ruger is making a non-cataloged run of 25-06s in the American Rifle Predator for higher volume stocking dealers.

One of Ruger's Number Ones this year is a .257 Weatherby, FWIW

A tweaked Ruger Ultralight in 250 AI from a number of years ago.

Really - for real? I was told that those 25-06 RAR Predators were only made as prizes for Ruger sales contests. A friend of mine that's a salesman at a LGS won one last year and so far as resisted all my efforts to pry it out of his hands.

Back in the late '70s, Ruger was the only company chambering the .250 Savage, too. Ruger has been, if anything, more friendly to the .25s than most makers.

Back then, there was a gunshop in the Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, NC, that had a whole rack of .250 and .300 Savages, along with LOTS of other neat stuff. I shoulda bought the whole danged rackfull.

Ruger has made some excellent choices for the loonies, I hope we all appreciate that.

I think the real reason is that Stick advised them that there are no good bullets for any .257 cal.

I don't know that they are a "prize" for individual salespeople, rather an option for retailers with high sales volumes. IOW, if the shop sells a target number of Rugers, they can buy these limited production, non-cataloged, configurations and, if they want to, raise the price because they are a non-cataloged item.

There is currently one on Gunbroker with a $450 "Buy Now" price, auction #518503027, from a retailer in northern Arkansas.

Maybe the various 6.5s are stealing the .25s' thunder, like the 6s did in the '50s.

Mule Deer, I think you once remarked that the .260 made a pretty good .257 Roberts.

The American Predator in 25-06 was a 4R award for Sales persons for selling Rugers for the June-Septemebr time frame last year and this year. I got a 25-06 last year and getting a 260 Remington American Predator this year. Neither is a standard catalog offering. Oh, neither will be for sale.

Ruger gave you firearms?

Yes this is true.