Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 257 Roberts Question

Gang, as for reloading the Roberts, I’m trying to think my way around case capacities, etc. I need some experienced input from y’all.
My current rifle is a SA 700 that’s been reworked. It’s plain old 257 R but it allows for fairly long seating depth to be just off the lands - 2.8125.
With H414/W760 I have unused case capacity when loading to manual specs. I see no reason not to use every bit of that capacity. My 257 AI was identical in every respect except shoulder angle, meaning increased capacity, and you could stuff quite a bit more powder in. Same bullets, brass, primers. Aside from not getting excessive powder compression, is there anything one would need to watch for ? Seems the key would be not to exceed 257 AI max loads which should be impossible given limited case capacity.
Pardon me if this seems a nitwit question but I’d rather ask…..

Are you talking case capacity of H2O?

Is your manual showing standard old Robert's loads or +P?

What weight bullets do you want to use?

100 and 117 gr

Have you thought about reaming it out to AI ???

For 100 grain bullets you can look to 6mm Rem data for matching powders. It's the same case with a smaller neck, so the bigger necked case will digest the same loads at lower pressure. You can work up with a chronograph to 6mm Rem speeds and you'll be in safe territory.

Just stick with loads in the book for a plain .257 Roberts with H4350. If that isn't good enough, try H4831.

Take a look at Nosler's +P load data

I load for the 257 Roberts, but I am not bumping up against its rev limiter. Hopefully Dirtfarmer will be along shortly, he wrings some impressive velocity out of his and tinkers a good bit.

Should outdo the 6mm by a little bit with like weight bullets.

That's what he said.

Thanks for the useful post.

My bad. I thought he said work to 6mm velocities, not above.

Mule Deer (John Barsness) has excellent and useful 257 Rob data, and I've found it to be spot-on in various Rob's.

Here's a google search engine you can use to find his posts on the subject:

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=016407629494559605640:xponie3lspc

As always, work up to these loads.



Ruger #1 26”

Nosler 100 NPT. 46.5gn H-4350, W.W. Super 160-164gn case, Fed 210m primer, 2.880 COAL. 3200fps + or – from 26” #1


Load data 257 Roberts Ruger 20”, Savage AXIS 24”

Nosler 115 NBT, 45gn Hybrid 100V, WW +P or RP 173gn case, Fed 210m primer, 2.885 COAL. 3100fps + or - from 24” AXIS II, 3050fps from 20” Hawkeye.

I have used Mule Deer’s load of 47.0 gr or Ramshot Hunter with Fed 210 primer and 100 gr TTSX with excellent accuracy and velocity. If you are needing way more than the 3,000 fps this load produces, I suggest a .257 Weatherby Magnum.

.257 Roberts Loads

Warning! Notes: Source: Handloader Issue #247 - June, 2007

Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.

Wt.........Bullet.............Powder Manufacturer....... Powder Charge.......Velocity (FPS)
100... Nosler Partition......Hodgdon H-4350..................48.0 ..................3,157

Remarks: 100-yard three-shot groups (inches): .78

As I noted above. Work up to this load. For me at sea level, it was 46.5 of H-4350 from a Ruger No.1B with a 26" barrel. Velocity 3,200fps.

As always, work up.............

.257 Roberts Reloading Data (Using Hornady Bullets)

Warning! Notes: This data was shot by Brian Pearce, Wolfe Publishing Company. Gun: Ruger Model 77R; barrel length: 22 inches; case: Winchester +P; primer: Winchester Large Rifle; bullet diameter: .257"; bullets: 100 GR SP, maximum COAL: 2.780"; maximum case length: 2.233"; trim to length: 2.223".


257 Roberts Load Data
Using Hornady reloading data with the 257 Roberts bullets

Be Alert: Publisher cannot be responsible for errors in published load data.

Wt............Bullet.........Powder Manufacturer.........Powder Charge........ Velocity (FPS)
100...... Hornady SP.........Hodgdon H-414...................46.7.....................3147

Remarks: maximum load

the ladies and grand kids are all now using 257 Robert rifles ,just easier for all to have same cartridge and the 257 Roberts is a very fine cartridge i feel. i went to using Reloader 17 powder and 75 gr. Hammer Hunter bullets work good on game are accurate too with decent velocity and low recoil . enjoy your new to you rifle,Pete53

Thanks for all the good info. Ima look at Mule Deer’s load data today. The reason I’ve been using H414 instead if 4350 is that I have a bit of a supply of 414. I’m keeping the 4350 for my -06 needs. Only shop around is charging $70 a pound.

No problem sir. How many deer have you killed in the past 5 years?

Nothing wrong with 760/414, almost a ball equivalent to either of the 4350s.

Have used Ken Water's Pet Loads with good success. He did a review of the then new Winchester 70 Featherweight in .257 Roberts. I had ordered one in 1981 when they first came out, and was interested in his findings. I ended up using two of his loads: 100gn Sierra with 45gn of IMR4350, and 75gn Sierra with 40gn of IMR4064. The second load if far from max but is very accurate and easy to shoot.

You ever shot a deer with the 75gr? I'm gonna try it because a guy told me the Hornady 75gr. HP is deadly. I once shot one through a 1/2" soft steel plate.

No, used 100 gn. Defer to others with experience.

Wow!!

Damn. That is fast

Here is a quote from 20 years ago, but as always, start low and work up.

[quote=Mule Deer]I have had .257 handloads pressure-tested at a lab. If you push it up to "normal" .270 Winchester pressures (about 5000 psi beyond +P load) things speed up considerably. I have loaded for about 10-12 Bobs, but have pretty much settled on H4350 for big game loads, but a couple of Ramshot powders also do well.

With the 115 Nosler Partition. I generally load about 44 grains H4350. In the 23" custom barrel of my Ruger #1 this does right at 3000 fps. During testing I increased this to 49 grains before running into trouble. No extraction difficulties, but primers started leaking, and one blew.

Around 47 grains H4350 works great with 100-grainers. Look for at least 3150 fps in 22" barrels.

In my wife's New Ultra Light Arms Model 20 with a 24" barrel, the 120 Partition and 51 grains of Ramshot Magnum gets 2950. The same rifle groups even better with the 100-grain Barnes Triple Shock and 47 grains Ramshot Hunter for just a hair over 3200.

A fine varmint load is the 75 Hornady V-Max and enough R15 to get 3500+.

All these loads shoot into less than an inch for 3 shots at 100 yards, some much less. The V-Max will do .5 or less in many rifles.

Yeah, that is quick! Prolly need to knock a zero off of that.

I've loaded the 117 gr. bullets up to 2800 fps.. Very good results from my M70 FWT..

6.5 Creedmoor data.

> not everyone shoots bambies or a chit load of deer some of us wait for a bigger buck and/ or maybe just a doe ? someday when your older you will understand .why kill everything ? myself i probably seen around 100 + deer this hunting season 2023 and i finally towards the end of the archery season with 1 shot killed a decent buck with an arrow. Pete53

Thank you for the morning chuckle. I'm sorry, I've missed the monster deer he's killed.

No offense but if one is to opine on terminal results, they need to have seen some. 1 deer every 2-3 years is great. Congrats but it's not a pile of data about what happens when a bullet meets flesh compared to 10 deer in the same time period.

Before passing it down to a younger family member, I was loading 110gr Nosler AB to 3163fps with +P brass. Good brass life, excellent accuracy. H4350, CCI200. Better down range ballistics than any other load I tried from 75gr t0 120gr.

Same experience with the 110 gr. NAB. My current batch runs at 2,984 fps from a 24" barrel using H4350.

I'll be taking the current load this Spring and tweaking it for the 110 gr. ELD-X and see what happens.

i have been using my 257 Weatherby mag. with my handloads for around 25 years ,son for 15 years and a couple of good friend 25 years so we know terminal performance on our rifles ? really bring your rifle over i will show you what a 257 Weatherby mag. with a 100 gr. bullet can do with speeds of 3700 fps - 3800 fps for terminal performance and then i will show you some deer horns. >little deer die easier than a big buck will die if you have ever seen or shot a big buck . what you think and post is almost funny or should i say you have no ideal what a bigger cartridge does to deer when shot.

Lol - 257 mag - terminal results while the cartridge in question is a 257 Roberts compared to 6mm. Again - 1 deer over 2 years is not more data than 10 deer over 2 years. The more deer you shoot, the better data set on terminal ballistics. If you're shooting a deer every 2-3 years, congrats, in 25 you got 10. Crop damage permits call that "Tuesday".

I suppose one might call this "small" compared to your deer - it was only 230 lbs dressed, on the butcher's scale. "Big deer up north" right?

OP- How does your manual compare to the on-line data from Hodgdon?

Nosler on-line only showing 760 with the 115 grain stuff.

Again, even though there are mountains of Roberts data, one can still look to the 6.5 Creedmoor data for newer powders.

I'll not explain how a 250Ai and 257 Roberts are the same, nor how a 6.5 CM is just about the same as a 250Ai with a slightly less steep shoulder. Nor will I mention H2o capacities. I'll leave all that up to 'experts' in tights.

I killed way more and bigger blacktail than you when I was in Kodiak.

You've left out something that can work to the detriment of someone looking to 6.5 Creedmoor data.

Ok? You're the last person ANYONE should go to for hunting/shooting/reloading advice. Prove me wrong.

Show me your biggest blacktail.

Let us pray,


Oh Lord, please do not let LBP see this demand.

I have had great luck with H4350 and 100 grain Hornady Interlock in my .257 Rbts

lol

The blacktail has never been a creature I have chosen or desired to hunt or harvest.

Kodiak blacktail venison is the best game meat I have ever had in my live. If you are willing to put in the work to get to where they are, they aren't particularly challenging. They are nowhere near as wary or skittish as whitetail.

The Savannah blacktail is a different animal completely. I see hundreds daily.

I run 414 out of my Roberts with 100 grain SGK. Good accuracy, but only loaded to around 2950 fps which is a little fast for that bullet IMO. Effective on deer, but more meat damage than I care for. Have had a couple of pigs get away from me with that load, but probably more due to shot placement than bullet performance I would imagine.

Either way, that’s a Hodgdon load and I see no reason to look for any more velocity for my purposes. I did shoot a mature 8 point this fall at 330 yards and that bullet was more than enough at that distance.

One thing I do find peculiar is that Hodgdon only lists a 1 grain difference when using 414 in the Roberts with a 100 grain bullet. While working up loads, I did note that my velocities were in par with their data, and I did start to see signs of pressure as I neared the book max. I am shooting a Kimber though, so I don’t have the added case capacity as stated by the OP.

My take: The standard Roberts data shows rather low pressures. By the time you use enough of an old school ball powder like H414 to make a starting load with decent ignition characteristics there's not much room left under the pressure ceiling.

I have been shooting a model 70 257 Roberts with 24 Inch barrel. I started out with IMR 4350 and 117gr Nosler Partitons, the load came with the used rifle. I checked the load and it was about 2825FPS, in my winchester model 70. So I moved on to RL22,and Norma MRP. Changed to 115gr Nosler Partitions at 2.840 OAL. Mostly winchester cases. I got about 3129FPS. MRP gave the best accuracy. Tryed RL23 because it was temperature stable 110gr Accubonds CCI 250 primers, Win cases and 2.840 OAL. got 3120 SD. of 7.8. RL26 gave 3130 FPS using the 115gr Nosler Partitions. 8.9SD. Actually I can get a little more using the RL26,s. My model 70 was made in 1951.

This is the perfect size blacktail!!!

Here's how I run my 22" bbl'd 257 SA Rob:

100 NBT / 2.820" OAL / RP Brass / Fed 210M / 44.5 gr H4350 / 3,060 fps

Not the fastest, but the most accurate in my rifle. Last group loaded above was .320"