Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 257 Roberts Turkey Loads?

The GMU I'll be elk & deer hunting in this year also has a fall turkey season that's open for rifles. I'm hoping to do some scouting/ turkey hunting during September, and I'm looking for any suggestions for loads for a 257 Roberts, particularly suggested bullets and target velocities. (I handload so plan to work something up this summer.)

Thanks,
Chris

Chris, I know guys who have hunted turkey for years with rifles.. I have killed most of my turkey with a rifle.. I never shot one with a .257 roberts, but have killed several with a .243.. My uncles killed them with ,300 Savages and .30-06's.. They mostly shot at the wing butts, or across the back. I used 100 grain deer loads in my .243 the others used what ever ammo the used for deer.. Just be aware of where the bullet will exit and stay clear of the breast..

You can purchase 85-86gr flat nose plain base cast bullets meant for then 25-20. I believe there is data for them in Lyman's "Cast Be Handbook" for the 257 R. I load them in my 25-204 and 250-3000 and use them for finisher loads no need to carry a 22LR handgun. Never hunted turkey with them but lots of rabbits and squirrels, it's like shooting a 22 Magwith solids. The larger diameter gives them a lot of knockdown with little meat damage and are quite quiet.

Chris, erich has an idea, but turkeys can be tough to kill, especially a big old gobbler.. When I was a kid, guys shot them will all kinds of rifles.. About a perfect rifle is a .222.. I would guess the problem with the flat nose bullet is going to be point of aim.. Up close it would not matter.. But at a distance, it would.. I am assuming you are also going to use the .257 to hunt deer/elk.. If it is a turkey only rifle then not a problem.. But I would still load a 100 or 117 grain bullet and use the back or wing butts as my aiming point..

Dear WyoCoyoteHunter and Erich,

Thanks for the suggestions. To be clear, this would be a turkey-only load for the 257 Roberts. Turkey season is September, my deer and elk tags are for the end of October. But at least this this way any scouting trips in September will be 'dual-purpose'. Also, I did see two turkeys there on the last day elk hunting last year in early November, so I know they're in the area.

I do have some 86gr jacketed flat-point bullets, and may look into some loads that would drive them ~2200 fps or so.

Thanks,
Chris

I have downloaded 90grn sierra's with 11 grn Reddot. It duplicates a 25-20 load, 1700fps or so.

If you can find some Lyman reloading data, I believe that is where I found that load.

I have worked up .257 loads with IMR4895 and the 75-grain Speer flat-nose jacketed bullet that got around 2000 fps, and shot right at point of aim at 100 yards with the bull-power deer load sighted-in a couple inches high. They worked great, not shooting up much meat and putting turkeys down quickly--and are also very different in appearance than deer loads.

The exact velocity isn't important, and in any rifle the powder charge would probably have to be manipulated a little to get the point of impact right. A good starting point is around 25 grains of powder.

Thanks - that will give me a general idea where to start. Since I won't be using the 257 for anything else this fall I can also re-zero the scope as needed, but can see the appeal of a load that hits to the same point of aim as the full power loads.

Chris