Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 257 ROBERTS vs.308 WIN for whitetail only hunting

This resounding vote for the 257 gives me confidence. I have two but have yet to take a deer with that cartridge. I've cut back on my deer rifles to play with handguns and just have the 257s and my 30-06. The 308 just never turned my crank.

I've killed several deer with my .257, and dad has killed a pile more with his, from 30 yards to 200+. No issues. I have yet to bloody my Kimber .308 and plan on it this year. I have all the confidence in the world in it, I just don't get worked up on the .308 for some reason.

Going off on a slight sidebar�

For years a LH Model 700 BDL .30-06 with a Leupold 4x or 3-9 was my go to for everything. I liked the stock fit, rifle balance, everything. Things come and go and I found myself without one, although owning four other .30-06�s. Kept thinking I ought to just go back to my ol� bread and butter 700 BDL �06.

But I have a LH M700 BDL in .308, and when I look at it I think � what does an �06 really do that I can�t do with the .308? Before the newer bullets the 180 Nosler Partition at 2750 fps was what I used for everything, now a TSX 150 at 2850 or, if I want to go �heavy�, a TSX 165 at 2700 will do the exact same thing � same or slightly better trajectory out to 300, hits as hard and the .308 kicks less.

Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled thread.

Getting older and less recoil proof, and having a nice .250 AI (aka Shorter Bob) to play with, I�d vote for the .257 Roberts. It kicks even less than a 308.

If your aspiring to be considered a rifle loony,your failing.You need atleast one of everything(but not neccessarily forever) and sometimes 2 or 3 of rifles chambered for the same cart is not excessive. Your question is comparing apples to oranges, you need both they are not the same. If you doubt this? Do you just drink one brand or style of beer? See I told you so. Repent your personal stinginess sins and go forth and stimulate the economy.Last I heard you can't take it with and you sure don't need people at your funeral saying he was a cheap bastard "only left one rifle" my 2 cts worth. Magnum Man

The deer ain't gonna know the difference, so go with whichever makes you happy. Mine'd probably be the .257, but in a classic, not Montana; nice walnut is one of the requirements for my "cool factor". It just don't seem right to put a .257 Roberts or .250 Savage in a synthetic stock.

I've had several .308s in different flavors..liked most of them.
BUT..I've been pondering this very thing for QUITE some time...and as of now am getting all my $$chitt together to have RedNeck rebarrel my model 70 ttttoooooooo....257 Roberts.
Rite after I get my stock from McMillan.

I have a montana in 308 and a select classic in 257. I find myself shooting the bob way more. I don't know why as it doesn't shoot quite as well as the 308. Both kill deer very well.

Been thinkin' along those same lines myself. What contour barrel and what flavor of stock are you going with?

Either one, pick the one you lean towards the most. I've killed deer with both, I couldn't tell a difference (dead is dead), and as someone posted above, "the deer won't know the difference".

Jim..going to stay with factory contour, in a PacNor. Stock will be the Featherwight style McMillan offers but with the Edge Technology (graphite) for my Long Action 70.

.256 gibbs magnum///??? If your a real rifle nut! I know where you can snag a mannlicher stocked specimen!

Bob.

Of the two mentioned, I'd go Rbts.

If given my choice, then it'd be a quick twist 243 AI..grin

Dober

.358.

What was the question again?

Thinking back on the last dozen whitetails I've shot, the ones that collapsed in the shortest order were taken with 120gr Partitions from a .257 Roberts. I think the Bob and the .260 are perfect for trim, little deer rifles.

Of the two cals. mentioned I lean toward the Three Hundred and Eight Winchester.

Lapua brass....Scenar bullets.

Scenar, I like your sig line.... I thought luck was opportunity meeting a prepared mind

It's about way more than whacking whitetails, as both do a great job of putting venison in the freezer. It's the "cool factor" and other non-tangeables that can't be described, only experienced. Go with that warm fuzzy feeling. And one will probably light one's fire more than the other. That's the one...!

Easy choice...

DF

I have a Kimber in both calibers, the major difference when you shoot a deer is that the 308 kicks more.