Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 257 WBY - Real World Hunting Experiences

Hey Boys,

I am considering picking up a new rifle, and you know how it is, you go through a hundred different scenarios before you settle on a chambering.

Anyhow, I have been intrigued by the 257 Bee for some time now. As you know, a little time on Google and you will be able to find articles to justify any cartridge that has grabbed your fancy at that moment. What I would rather hear is real world experiences from those who have used this round, or have seen it used, on game consisting primarily of deer, moose, and the odd elk hunt thrown in. [color:"#FF0000"]Not at all interested in hearing about what other cartridge is similar or better. I just want real world experiences from those who have seen it in action.[/color]

Tell me your thoughts, good, bad or otherwise.

Thanks in advance,
sns2

i have a topic similar to your s a few posts down if you wanna check out some replies that i've received. i too am very interested in the 257 wby mag. good luck with your pursuit of this hotrod and i'll be checking this post too.
whitearrow

I hunt Antelope with my Bee... Flat shooter....100 gr bullets... Can't speak too highly of it... I would be comfortable shooting an Elk or Moose, although I'd use a heavier bullet... You won't regret your choice, as long as you do your part!!!

You won't go wrong with the 257wby. Taken several deer with mine. Only recovered one bullet to date. 150yd shot....trophy bonded bear claw that entered the front right shoulder and came to rest in the left hip joint. Pretty hard angle shot, that tore up all hell in its path.

I'd easily take the 257 as my only "go-to" rifle.. my two pennys

I have been using one sort of 257WBY or another continuously since about 1985 or so. The round is, with reasonable ammo, a deer death ray. It is the only round that I have seen swat down a running deer, full of adrenaline from being shot at by two other hunters, smacked to the ground RIGHT NOW with a chest shot while in mid stride, running full tilt.

The only reason I do not have one now is because I came into a gorgeous custom Len Brownell original rifle in 7mm Mashburn Super, and with 120gr TTSX's the performance is very similar to the 25 ROY.

Buy or build one then discard all of your other sub 30 cal big game rifles. You don't need them and you will never again reach for one. Maybe even all of your sub 33 caliber big game rifles.

The 257 Weatherby, in my experience, is capable of some pretty spectacular kills. I have shot only Whitetail and Hogs with mine, but all have simply fallen at the sound of the shot. Yes it's loud and burns lots of powder, but people don't buy a 257 Wby for efficiency....they buy it for performance capabilities. Hike a 115 Berger or Ballistic Tip along at 3400 fps and you've got a round that shoots flatter than a 220 Swift,but also hits harder and drifts less out to 500 yds than a 270 or 30-06. Pretty impressive. Does this really mean anything in regard to real world performance on game? Don't know. Sure can't hurt.

If you have the itch, I say scratch it. Also, as an aside, if you don't reload, Weatherby manufactures a cost minded factory load for the 257. It sells for appx $37.00 per box. Very reasonable. When you finish a box, sell the brass online for a buck a piece bringing your cost basis down to about $17.00 per box.

Dan, Tim, Allen and myself built five 257 Weatherbys around 7 years ago. We used a PT&G reamer with a shorter 1 1/2 degree throat and 3 groove SS lilja barrels. Bullet is 115 Berger VLD.

To date my rifle has taken 6 coues wt, one antelope and a javelina not to mention numerous jackrabbits.

Longest shot on coues was 525 yds. Bullet entered just behind on side shoulder and exited through the elbow of offside shoulder.

Two of those deer shot through the chest just dropped and didn't even twitch.

My friends have taken the following:

Dan�s: (he hunts Co) 4 mule deer and 6 elk

Allen: 5 coues wt 419yds,412yds,328yds and 276yds.

Tim: 5 coues unknown distances except this year�s at 237 yds

It has been my favorite round for the last 6 years or so. In fact most of my hunting buddies now hunt with the same caliber. I have killed a pile of critters with both a Vanguard and a custom Rem 700. My furthest shot has been on an antelope at 600 yards and my closest was a mule deer at about 80 yards. Same result. I have also seen multiple kill shots from other people using the round. Including elk. Every single one was a DRT kill using 100 gr TTSX or TSX. Yes it burns a lot of powder, but it is VERY fast and VERY flat shooting and if some one says that the speed factor is not a factor in taking game down.....well we will just have to agree to disagree. I have seen it too many times and I do drink the kool aid. SO, yes I am a big fan of the big .25 and its mild recoil. I will not be parting with mine. YMMV

.257 Weatherby 100gr TSX it works

Mine has killed stuff from Javelina and Coues deer (and elk) in Arizona to Nyala, babboon, mountain reedbok, Vaalie rhebok in Africa with no issues. Speed+good bullet (100 TTSX) + decent shot placement = dead. Quick!

My farther kill was a coues deer at 573 yards with a 115 VLD, my closest was a javelina at 120 yards. Remarkably, the javelina is the one that went the farthese out of all the above mentioned making it 50 yards before carwheeling backwards down the hill.

If bang-flop kills at amazing ranges bore you and you love punishing amounts of recoil, then stay away from this caliber!

Otherwise, I highly recommend it. It's my go-to rifle and the last caliber that will ever leave my safe.

Deadly on squirrels.

Sir,

not really much to add other than to re-iterate that the 257 Weatherby will kill stuff DRT.

Like a couple others, my experience is on Texas deer (130-175 lbs) and Texas hoglets (+/-250 lbs.), not on elk or moose.


I shoot the Weatherby accumark in 257 wby.

A 100 gr partition at 3,600 fps+ from a 257 wby is a fine combination. w/ 200 yd zero and .377 bc, bullet is .8" high at 100 yds. -4.6" @ 300 yds., -13.7 @ 400 yds. It kills hogs and deer DRT. Don't know if you reload, but 73 gr. of IMR 7828, 100 gr nosler partitions, fed 215m primers is my go to load.
GWB






The following caveats may or may not apply in your case......

I happen to prefer calibers between .264 and .366 for late evening and dense brush.

I label myself as a short range meat hunter. Muzzle velocities over 2800 fps at 100 yds. and less do a considerable amount of meat damage. I like to be able to eat right up to the bullet hole. Shoot a hog or deer at 120 yds. with a 100 gr. partition at 3,600 fps MV and one usually will experience jelly around the entry wound in an 8" to 12" circle.

Best

GWB