Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Finally making headway with the .257 Kimber

A few years ago, I bought a very interesting used rifle. Short action Model 70, with original factory carbine stamped barrel and what appears to be original walnut stock, and what appears to be the original factory engraved bolt with the matching last 4. the interesting part, chabered .257 Kimber (.257-.222 Rem Mag A.I.) and it came with dies. There was never a factory cartridge on that head size in 25 caliber, at least from what I can find. My problem has been that it is a 1-12 twist, so i have been shying away from heavier bullets and working in the 75-90 grain range with zero favorable results, best group being around 2 1/2 inches at 100. I figured before I sell it I would try something a little heavier, so I loaded up some 100 grain NBT's over IMR 4895, and took it out for what I thought would be my last time shooting it before I decided to sell it. the WORST group with this combination was about like the BEST groups had been before. best group with that combo was 1 1/4 at 100, and the rungs of my ladder were pretty far apart, so I think I can get it to do better. This rifle may just belong to my neice for her first deer hunt if I dont get greedy with it!

A number of years ago I built a 25-204 which is pretty much a clone of the 257 Kimber only there is no fireforming involved.
I use 257 Kimber load data form the Hodgdon book. Great little round duplicating 250 Savage factory ballistics. Layne Simpson did an article on the 257 Kimber and the factory Kimber rifle.

In fact I was just headed to the shop to load a bunch of 25-204's for an upcoming predator target match. 87gr Speer Hotcores make a nice deer round I also have a bunch of special run Sierra 90gr FB HP GK's and as always the 100gr Partition.

You might want to try some 80gr TTSX's in it also.

Its such a nice mild recoiling cartridge, really a kitten to shoot, I am hoping that I can make it into an adequate easter OR deer rifle.

There was a feller at the range with an Encore pistol in .25-.204 last Sunday, and I thought of this thread when I was talking to him. He called it something else (proprietary) but it was still a .204 case necked up to .25.

Either the coffee or the cigarettes were working on him, it wasn't shooting all that well for him that day.

Gary Reeder keeps Hornady die sets in stock for the 25-204. He chambers for it and calls it the 257 Raptor. Same cartridge. I just had a rifle built in 25-204 and I'm lovin' it. Shooting the 80 TTSX.

257 Kimber is in same class and it should be a fine deer-getter.

That's what the joker at the range had, he was wearing his Gary Reeder hat, too.

It makes a great deer cartridge, 100gr Partition at 2850fps took this WI whitetail in 2005.

Very nice. I have 100 rounds loaded up with 75 Vmax, 85 Ballistic Tip, and 80 TTSX. All with Big Game powder. Hope to get out Sunday and fling some through the chrono and possibly through an unsuspecting hog.

Give us a report on your findings with the Big Game. It sounds like it might be a little slow for those weights, I use H-335 on light bullets and H-4895 on the 100's. My velocities from a 22" barrel run 75's @ 3150fps, 85's @ 3000fps and 100's @ 2800fps. The 75gr V-Max and the 85gr NBT are the most accurate bullets in my barrel. I'll be shooting my 25-204 in a coyote hunting target(5 coyote targets set at various ranges 30-300 yrds timed) match next weekend