Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots 250 savage or .257 Roberts

Made the plunge and bought a unfired 30.06 Ruger number 1 RSI made 15 years ago. Bought it with the idea of making a 6.5x55. Then I wandered into a 6.5x55 1A and bought it outright. Have decided therefore to go a different route with the RSI and rebarrel to a .250 Savage or a 257 Roberts. Use will be out of a tree stand for whitetails or as a walk up gun for coyotes/groundhogs. Accordingly am very undecided on the caliber choice. Talked to my barrel guy and he will do either, but commented that there's a lot more versatility with the Roberts and lots more factory ammo choices out there. Accordingly would appreciate forum comments on what might work the best. FWIW, I have a 257 Roberts already in a Remington Custom model 7 mannlicher (like Mannlichers). We (unless I change my mind) will go for an original contour barrel and use the existing sights/rib etc. I've already bought some Warne rings to replace the factory rings. Anyway, would like to hear thoughts on the two calibers.

PS. Scope will be a 2.5x8 power Leupold VXIII.

Either will work great for your purposes, but both factory loads and factory brass are much better in .257.

You can make very good .250 Savage brass pretty easily out of .22-250 cases, but in general the .257 is more hassle-free.

Just random thoughts from a mostly idle mind - but if it were me, I think I'd opt for the .250 Sav Ack. Imp. In a 20" barrel, there should be little, if any difference in perfomance with the "bob"... Anything the "Bob" can do with heavier bullets can be easily bested by the 6.5x55 that you already have... The up-side to the Imp is that you wouldn't have to trim cases as often.... But the down-side is you'd have to invest in custom dies... Only you can decide if it's worth it for your purposes... But if the "Cool" factor means anything to you, The "Imp" wins, hands down!

GH

While the .257 Roberts holds a very special place in my heart, and would probably be the "better" choice between the two, I'd go with the little .250 Savage for this project. The RSI is a classy rifle that just begs for the smaller cartridge IMO. You've already got the Roberts base covered with your M7, so you'd have the chance to round out your quarter-bore repertoire a little too.

As stated it's a personal thing. Between the two, in a #1 I'd go with a 257 Roberts.

Seems to me just a lot of work & $$'s for a rebarrel when you can buy a factory #1 in 257 Bob. I'd go with the 250 Savage. Plenty of brass around. I've only heard and seen 1 Ruger #1 in 250 Savage and it's on gunbroker for the starting price of $2600.00 for a custom built rifle. Just thinking out loud.





Ruger 77RSI Stainless 250 Savage Silver Leupold VX 3-9 Compact
Ruger 77RL (Ultralight) 20" 250 Savage Gloss VX-III 2.5-8

Ken

Great point about the factory RSI Ken.............and I'm full-tilt jealous over that little Ruger UL you've got! I can almost love the little RSI too, but stainless doesn't quiet get me there. In blue, I'd have at least two.

Lots of ideas. Did they ever make the Number 1 in .257 Roberts (or 250 Savage) in the RSI clothing? Your right, I don't want to do something that's already been done or that I can buy factory. Heck, I've already given some thought to just making a 6.5 Mannlicher Number 1. Don't think those are out there either.

PS. That custom Ruger 1 in .250 Savage has been on GB for a long time. I'm wondering if the same gun was in .257 Roberts would it be sold by now. Just more versatile from the Whitetail perspective IMO.

Nope. Just in the 1B and the recent 1A special runs.

if I was going to build a custom 1/4 bore (and was a reloader) i would go with the 250AI... its on the top of my list in terms of customs as soon as I get into reloading.

If you want to stay more classic cartridge (I understand)... either is great... i would lean toward the Bob but I own a half a dozen or more 99s in 250...

I have killed a lot of Michigan Whitetail deer with the 250-3000 Savage. It kills way out of its realm for such a small cartridge. Every year at deer camp I get the questions and befuddle looks from the younger members who "got to have a magnum to kill whitetail deer" crowd. It just quietly gets the job done. Also it is very accurate in a 1 in 10 twist barrel. I got some favorite loads for 85 grain, 100 grain and 117 grain that are one ragged hole shooters at 100 yards with Reloder 15. Good luck with your project.

300 Savage

Chasing speed is not my thing, as sometimes less is more...in terms of shooting comfort/recoil-blast, etc.

I want a 250 and/or 250AI someday, the Bob just does not turn my crank.....albeit a good one for a 1/4 bore.

Me - a 250 or 250 AI.....I was very disappointed Lipsey's promised a K1-A in 250-3000 and never came thru.....

There is a lot of merit in that statement.
I would buy a 1A 257 Roberts now while they are available, before I would build one.

Lipsey's falling thru on their 250s makes that decision easier w/a factory offering....of the Bob. No doubt it will duplicate the 250AI.

I can't argue springing for a factory Bob vs. building...cost wise.

I am of the opinion based on conversation with Lipsey's that the K1A will happen, and sooner rather than later. The runs of of several of the exclusives in the various calibers of the blue 1A last year has kind of got things backed up.

Guess that's the issue. You build a .250 Savage and they make a run next year in the 1A. Appears the only special run's not being made (so far) is the number 1's RSI models. Anyone know besides the .243, 270, 7x57 and 30.06 what other calibers they have made in a blue steel version. Seems like the RSI number 1 models are getting the short end of the stick.

I wish they would quit that!

Truly I believe that it WILL happen eventually....




Don't feel bad.... It usually happens to me... When I built a Custom #1 in 9.3x74R, they came out with it two years later... In the next couple of years, you can expect #1's in 8x57 Mauser, .338 Fed and 6.5x54. (Cuz I just did them... ) (6.5x54 MS isn't quite done as yet, but soon...)



Other than the four mentioned, I think perhaps a friend of mine once had an RSI in 7mm-08, but IIRC, someone had abbreviated the fore-end prior to his ownership.... but I could be wrong, memory not being what it once was...

GH

Dang, I'd leave it a .30-06.

Seems a great combo, the 6.5 for smaller stuff, the .30-06 for bigger game.

And buy the 1A 257Roberts just for kicks.