Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .257: Roberts or AI

I guess to be honest, the cool factor or having something unique is the biggest draw for me to the AI, although the .257 Roberts has a real element of that anyway. I think that is why I am struggling between the two. If I were really concerned about velocity I would go with the .25/06. I also know the .243 is easier to find factory ammo for, but I doubt this rifle will shoot a lot of factory stuff anyway. I don't have anything against the .243 - I once borrowed one from my uncle and killed a deer with it, and it performed just fine, although I guess a small deer broadside at 25 yards isn't a huge test - but I like the ability to go up to the 120 grain bullet if I choose because I will mostly be after deer.

All this may be irrelevant, however, because I know where there is a new model 70 FW and I am probably going to do like CowboyTim and put it up for my little boy when is ready for it in 2 or 3 more years. Well, by put it up I mean, make sure it is ready. I still like the idea of a LH Roberts for me, but if I get the Winchester I will have to put building this rifle on hold a little while. I like the idea a lot of a .257 Roberts for a boy to deer hunt with. I can go to the heavier bullets if I like and if he falls in love with the rifle, he will have to start handloading at some point. Just doing what I can to push the kid toward being a rifle looney!

That's my feeling too. I'd have NO problem AI'ing a .243Win, since it's got zero cool factor in stock form, but looks pretty slick after being "fixed." The Roberts is a great old round as-is, and so is the .25-06.....................so I have both, and didn't Ackley either of 'em.

I love the look of the 257AI. The standard Bob is a workhorse and I won't likely be without one. the 243 is undeniably effective, but the slump in its shoulder is unattractive to me... and when you have a 6-250 you don't need one anyway:



6mm-250, 243 Win, 257 AI, 257 Roy

i have a .257 Ackley on a Sako and figured i might as well do a .250 Savage Ackley just because on a #1

ML

FWIW, I have a 257AI ULA, an early one made in 86. I bought it at an auction for a good price, probably because it is an AI and the price reflected that...something to consider. This particular rifle does not feed the fat AI case very well, but does feed regular Bob cases all day long, would have had the feeding corrected but if this barrel ever wears out its going to be a Roberts.

IMO the AI appeal wears off quickly when you consider the extra work required to get good AI brass and the velocities that the regular Bob can get.

I haven't ever understood this argument?

I love to shoot water-filled recyclables as a way to familiarize myself with new rifles. I found 2 dusty boxes of 75 gr Speer 25-20 RN bullets my 'smith had marked CHEAP and loaded em w/ a max (for parent cartridge) charge of IMR-4895 and went shooting! Once I had 200 formed cases I knew I'd be set for a decade or so?

Extra work? Dang if that is extra work I'll join a coountry club, buy plaid pants and golf clubs and throw in the towel on this rifle loony stuff!

YMMV...

Me neither. You gotta wonder what people are thinking when they say that. Find the most accurate load just like with any other cartridge and go shoot. Kill stuff with more speed than the parent cartridge, and get a formed case while doing it. No extra work.

Also the "cool factor??" What nonsense. It's just ammunition......for shooting, not for showing to everyone.

Having something cool or unique is nonsense? Understand that I didn't mean cool in terms of it makes me cool only that having something different to shoot is cool to me. I would say that if lots of us weren't after something we think is cool, there would only be about a dozen or so cartridges in use and this forum would not exist!

I killed my first deer in 1949...with a .257 Roberts..killed a lot of stuff since...257 still kills em'

What John said.

But since it is your rifle and you have to live with it, you should cut the chamber you want.

I currently have both style of the 257 Roberts, 13 Bobs and 3 Better Bobs. My 1st was a tang safety Ruger 77R that I bought when I was stationed at Fort Riley, KS, back in 1981-84. It worked fine as a standard 257 and still works fine as a 257AI, although it doesn't see much action these days. When I put my last 257 together, a 700 CDL-SF in a McM McM Hunter, I opted to leave it as a standard Bob. If I feel the need for more speed in a .257" bore rifle, I could shoot 25 WSSMs, 25-284s, or 25-06s.

8 of my 13 Bobs are SAs and since the heaviest bullets that I shoot from them are 110 grain ABs, the SA vs. LA argument isn't a critical factor for me.

Cool is subjective. In long action .264" bore rifles I like the 256 Newton even though it is slightly slower and much more of a PITA to form cases than is the 6.5-06, but I think that the Newton is just cooler than the generic/practical 6.5-06.

Regarding the 250AI. I had a SA tang safety 77 RSI in 250AI that I never could get to feed, so I rebarreled it to 25 Souper. The Souper feeds smoothly and reliably time after time.

I use a 250 Sav, 257 Roberts, and a 25-06. The 25-06 is the best, as I can download to the performance level of the 250 and 257 and the 257 AI. One granddaughter now uses the 250, and will soon be using the 257 Rbts. I have found the 250 to be marginal on some shots on deer, but the 257 and the 25-06 work perfectly, especially with bonded core bullets.
RF

It'll cost 150 bucks and some shipping to have a standard Roberts punched to ai.
Not bad to not have to trim brass.