Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 257 wby and elk?

It's just me having a little fun. Retained weight doesn't directly tell you anything other than how much of the original weight of the bullet was retained.

Some folks treat retained weight as an end in itself, when it's how well a bullet kills that matters. An FMJ slipped through the lungs will most likely retain all of its weight, but it's pretty certain an easy expanding bullet that sheds 40% of its weight on its way through will kill better.

Doc's on the money.

K thats what I was thinking.
Thanks
BBJ

100 TTSX is good enough.

You also got to remember that vld's do best usually under 3200 fps.

The .257 Wby or even the 257 Robts is a good elk rifle if you keep your shots limited to broadside shots only...

To my mind an elk rifle is one that will penetrate in one side and out the other from any angle and the .257s won't do that.

I have used both the 25-35 and 250 savage on elk and they are killers with broadside shots at limited range and the 257 Wby will add to that range but don't take a racking shot with it or you will have a heck of a tracking job on your hands, and very little blood.

I'll stay with my .338 Win. and 300 gr. Woodleighs, for elk and take whatever shot is presented..It works better IMO. I may see one bull in a season of hunting since the wolves got here and I can't pass up a bull in hopes of seeing another.

Does a 100 grain TSX entering the left ham and stopping in front of the right shoulder qualify as a raking shot? The retained weight was over eighty grains. There was no tracking.

Now as much as I loved reading about the .257-Wby when I was a young sprout, I never had that kind of cash to lay down on the counter. Roy Weatherby killed a lot of things with his .257-Wby and got a half moon scar for his efforts killing an elk once upon a hunt.

However, I soon learned that elk, especially mature bull elk are more animal than a .257-Wby needs to be drawing down on through the scope. I once killed an elk with my 25/06 but I was presented with a picture perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards, using a premium 120 grain bullet. I won't go that route ever again, the MAN upstairs gave me a break.

I have to agree with that senior member from Idaho on elk calibers! The .338 Win mag with a good 250 or 300 grain bullet will certainly let shots ring home from all angles and penetrate very deep. It is simply an excellent rock solid caliber for all elk species.

Guys,
I started this thread looking for load data that would make the 257 Roy a once in awhile elk rifle.I have no dout that it would kill a elk dead.I know there are more "strickly" elk rifles out there.I have a safe full of them(300 Ultra,300 Wby,338 Ultra,338 win,375 Ruger,45-70,416 rem mag) just to name a few.
I realy don't like raking shots on elk(waste meat and could loose animal also)of the 20+ elk I have killed I have never taken a raking shot.I would much prefer a neck or 1/4 away and braodside the best.I have always been a beliver in heavy for caliber bullets and good clean shots.
So now we have that out of the way.
I thank everyone for their informative info and please keep it coming.
Thanks
BBJ

Why would you shoot a bullet at large game, if you knew it had certain shot angle and penetration limitations? shoot partitions or A-Frames, 'nuff said.

Why would you shoot one in the rear end? It's along ways from the heart.
BBJ

It grieves me to disagree with a guy with whom I mostly always agree,and this is not directed at you Mathman; you just happen to be the one that said it this time.

But IMO this is myth...the comparison to the FMJ is really not a fair one because the FMJ does not expand to a large frontal area.A bullet that does not fragment,stays in one piece,and expands to a broad frontal area, striking shoulders,heavy bones, or angled through the chest at high velocity is utterly devastating, creates enormous damage,and has a broader performance window than than thosethat lose a lot of weight,and fragment.The weight retention is a "red herring", merely a means for telling you that the bullet maintained its' integrity so that it could continue its' path throught he animal,doing enormous damage along the way. The weight retention is not an end unto itself.But I have seen 165 Bitterroots driven at 3200+ turn an elk's chest cavity to soup,and still have the muscle to smash the offside shoulder bones.No fragmenting bullet could do as much damage;they'd have run out of steam halfway through.

Ballistic tips have a great reputation for killing light game. I do not think this has anything to do with the fragmentation;rather,they expand to a broad frontal area in the narrow chest cavity of light game;it's the frontal area of the bullet,not the fragments that does the major, lethal damage IMO. The fragments are secondary in lethal effect,and if a BT stayed in one piece, it would do as well,kill as quickly.I can't get my head around the notion that tiny shards of guilding metal and antimony cores flying randomly carry as much lethal effect as a broadly expanded bullet.

The reason many believe the fragmentation does the killing is because there are only a handful of bullets available that will expand to a large frontal area,and still retain in excess of 90% of their weight.With brittle jackets and cores,it's all many have seen used.

I agree completely with Ringman that the poster should stick to something that retains more weight,expands,yet holds together.The Nosler would be good,and possibly the GS, Barnes,Aframe,heavy for caliber Accubond,etc,would be better and all would be preferable to the berger in 25 caliber for use on elk size game IMO.And they will kill the deer sized stuff with impunity.Fragmented performance is a throwback in bullet performance to what was abandoned 50 years ago.

Thanks BobinNH
I ordered some TTSX 100 gr and some Nosler PT 115 gr.
Thanks all
BBJ