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

Karl,
26" and you can cut it if you want. I know this was recommended in a previous post but thought I would comment. The whole idea behind the 257 Roy is velocity and more velocity. A 26" barrel will spit one out faster than a 24". Who knows how many fps but if the barrel is 24" to start with you will never know.
26" and don't look back IMO.
Dave

26 to keep the noise down a little. Or, go for 28. We fought the Spanish American War with the 30" Krag and the Germans used the 30" 1898 8x57 in WWII and sure, we all agreed that it was too long for combat but for hunting? The .280 Ross made all its publicity and speed (both probably excessive !!) with 28" and our ancestors got along fine even in the woods with 40" flintlock and percussion rifle barrels.

i have a 26 inch barrel on my 257wby and my buddy has a 24 inch vanguard his has a little more muzzel flash then mine but mine runs about 50 to 60 fps from his

Thank you for imput, I have always thought a 26 inch barrel was the way to go for me and everyones help has confirmed it.

Thank you

i have a 24 inch vanguard.
i am running a very hot load to some, but safe in mine and am knocking on the door of 3800 fps, with a 100 grain tsx.
(hole in black diamond is from my .260)

and it shoot like this 3 shot group, fired yesterday.




don't start guy's, i've heard it before, and i'm on my 3rd loading right now with the same brass.

oh, and it works great on antelope.

I think a 56 cm barrel would be just the berries. There are 2.2 cm in an inch, by the way...

If you can go oddball, why not go all the way?

Actually, it 2.54 cm to an inch. If you're going to go oddball, go all the way and do it right!

Ted

Aww, man! Now we gotta make it 60 cm, or it'll be a real slowpoke! And of course, Ted, you are correct. What was I thinkin'???

I found a 26" works very well in both the .25/06 and the .257 Weatherby.

The 24" found on the current Vangard rifles may not be ideal, but that $399 package Weatherby is running is exceptional value as most would agree that a good action is probably still worth more than that.

JW

I'm in this camp. Only reason I own one. Well, that and the "cool" cachet.....*grins*

Karl,
I have had rifle barrels of various lenghts between 19" and 26". This has left me with a sense of certainty that I do not want barrels longer than 24".

However, a 26" will have a bit more velocity and you can have it shortened and re crowned without much of a problem and small expense. So, you may want to start out with 26" and if you don't like it have it cut shorter.

The whole point of a 257 Wby is VELOCITY so why hamper it..go with a 26 inch barrel..

A 26 inch barrel handles as well as a 22 or 23 or 24 or 25, its a lot better on running shots btw....What earthly difference is a couple of ounces and I only know of one place where 4 inches might change anything! I think a lot of folks just make up their minds on these subjects and have never tried the other options, do that then make up you mind.

Seems a couple FPS won't matter either.

I remember one writer who wrote that 22" was too short and 24" was too long; hunting rifles had to be 23".

How do you feel about 28", even better?

IME one needs to take into account the weight/contour of the tube as well when talking things like this. I'd rather a short stout tube for running shots than a long skinny one...

Build it for balance and deal with the speed as it comes out is my way of thinking.

Dober

Agreed. Balance first, intended use second, velocity third. No 26" long actions for me, as I spend a fair amount of times in blinds.

I am waiting for Ruger to build a short 19" barrel 25 RCM with the speed of the wby

That would be one magical wand there sir...

Sounds like a project for Big Squeeze...

Dober