Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .257 Weatherby, 26" barrel or 24"?

I am going to have a Winchester Pre-64 M/70 .264 re-barreled to .257 Wby.

I will put it in a Echols McMillan Edge stock, hoping to make a lightweight rifle.

I am thinking with a Leupold 4.5-14 scope,

Should I get a 26 inch or 24 inch barrel?

26" will maximixe velocity, 24" is more convenient. At 22" the 257 Weatherby is not much more than a 25-06. Your call.

I had a 24" WBY MK V in 257 WBY. I was not impressed. Do the 26". djs is right, you'll have a loud 25-06 otherwise.

25

I'd build for balance and see where the length sorts it self out. If there's a question I'd opt for longer as one can always chop it later.

Side note, I once took a 26" (257 Bee) down to 23" for giggles and lost something like 93 fps total.

Bottom line, I doubt there's day in and day out 100 fps diff at max tween a 24 and a 26"...

Dober

I have a Vanguard, 24" barrel. Pushing 100 TSX's at 3491, .5 gr under max. 3478 with 100 Hornandy's, .5 under max as well. Max load with 100 Partitions goes 3490. 110 AB's at max went 3407.

I don't think it makes as much difference as the .25-06 fans would have you believe. Since you are going custom, why not split the difference and go with a 25-inch barrel, just because you can? I had a 21-inch barrel put on my MRC .358 Win...

A 25" would suit me fine if building. 3,550fps isn't a problem with my 24" Vanguard and RL22/100gr bullets.

I get 3650 fps with a 100TSX and a 25" barrel

also I'd opt for a 3.5x10 instead of the 4x14

It depends what you want it for; 24" min.

26

16 1/2"

I went with the 4.1 contour Broughton at 26" on mine. It's a Rem.
700 in a High Tech stock with a Bushnell 6500 2.5-16X42 in Talley
Lt Wt's. Comes in at 9#3 oz and will shoot 100TTSX's at 3700 into consistent 1/2" groups. Treated the barrel to UltraBoreCoat when new and get no fouling at these velocities, GOTTA LOVE THAT!

I shoot a 26" Lilja #6 fluted 1-10" on a Sako...like the little extra speed and muzzle blast is 2" farther away as well.

My 24" Vanguard Sub MOA will get a little over 3,600fps with 73.0 grs of RL22 and 100gr TSX, a friend of mine is getting the same results with his Vanguard. Layne Simpson wrote a great article on the .257 and said there was very little difference in velocity from a 24" vs a 26". Found the article below;

In Praise of the .257 Weatherby by Layne Simpson

weatherby factory 100 grainers clocked over 3550 from my 24 in Vanguard on WGM's chrono.....I think they claim 3600 in the catalog from a 26 inch.

I'd build for balance anywhere between 24 and 26 and not lose a lick of sleep over it.

I went 24 in a #2 PacNor. I can push 100TSX at 3650fps with ease running R22 and moly. My most accurate load is 72gr of IMR7828 at 3550ish.

I'll put all 3 of my 257 WBY against any 25-06 fan. 2 are 24" inch SUB MOA Vanguards and I get a nice little .300 group from one and about .340 out of the other. I'm loading Max Barnes specs for the 100gr. TSX and get within 10 fps either way of their max load.

I just aquired a New Rem 700 LTD LSS in a 26" and dont know what it will do yet.

Kevin