Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Another .257 Roberts question.

I don't reload, BUT I'm going to start with the .257 Roberts to see if I can get more out of it.

I have decided on the 110 Accubond, IMR 4350, Nosler cases (because I have more than a few), CCI LR BR-2.

Ruger Hawkeye Ultra Light 20". COL with the 110AB to lands is 2.918 in my Ruger. Thinking of starting @ 2.905 COL, and Nosler has starting @ 39.0 to MAX 43.0gr With IMR 4350 and the 110.

Like I said, new to this. Any help is welcome.

Make sure that a COL of 2.905" will fit in the Ruger's magazine.

You will get other recommendations but when I had a Bob IMR4350 was my powder of choice for 115-120 gr. loads. That being said the only deer I shot with it was with 760. Both of them worked well.

Have to use 2.825 in my Model 70 OAL. H4831SC and RL22
work good in heavy bullets. IMR 4350 will be perfect using
110 Accubonds.

Any advise we can give it only speculation concerning your situation.

Best advise I can give to let the rifle tell you and learn to hear what it is telling you as you work your loads up.

From what you have listed you seem to be starting in the right place with the right mix of components. If anything; if the loads do not work out to your liking do not be shy to try a faster burn rate powder then 4350.

good luck and enjoy.

Only thing I could add is I have not had great luck getting the 110 A-Bond to shoot all that well in my 25's.If it doesn't shoot very well with them I would try a box of 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters.

Thanks for the help/advise. The Ruger is a long action, 2.905 OAL is no problem in the magazine.

308

Have two Ruger 257's in the house. I have the full size and son the UL. I use IMR 4350 in the full size,however, on a friends recommendation went to 4064 for the UL as it would not group well with the 4350. He had the same problem with his UL. The Sierra 100 gr is death on whitetails! You will not be disappointed with the performance of that bullet. Good luck with your project.

GreggH

This

My go to load is Sierra 100 gr. Pro Hunter with 39.0 gr. IMR 4064.

I also have a Ruger Hawkeye in the .257. The rifle is about 5 years old. When I first bought the rifle I started loading 110 AB with H4831 and the rifle shot very well. Last hunting season I got the rifle out to check zero because my daughter in law uses the rifle to hunt white tails. The rifle was just terrible. I could not get the rifle to shoot 110AB less than 5 inch groups at 100 yards. I was dumbfounded.
First thing was a full cleaning.
The stock had visibly warped, I replaced the stock with a Boyds laminate,glass bedded the action and the rifle would not shoot 110ABs. I went to 115 BT and that made no difference. I reworked loads up and down, in and out.
I finally tried 100 gr BT and the rifle started shooting again.
I put 10 shots into the size of a half dollar at 200 yards.
I don't know if the 110ABs changed or some kind of voodoo came over the rifle.
I tried H414, H4895 and H4831. By far the H4831 worked the best for me. Good luck with your rifle JW Semper Fi.

Warlock, I think someone hexed your rifle.

Back in the 80's when I owned a 257 the AB's didn't exist. Mostly I used 120 bullets with I483l powder. I figured if I was going to use a 25 caliber as opposed to a 243 then the heavier bullet was justified. Don't recall that the 100 grainers worked all that well in my M700 Classic.

Jim

I use h414 in mine. I quickly found loads for a 117 spbt, a100 gr. sp and a 90 gr hp loaded to 2800, 2900, and 3000 fps respectively. All group under 1" individually but the great thing is you can mix them and all shoot to the same poi and will group under 1.5 " which is pretty handy when you shoot deer and groundhogs with the same rifle.

Does anybody have a tried and true procedure for removing the hex on my 257? I was hoping if I sacrificed a coyote by calling it in and not taking it's life would return good karma to my favorite rifle. Thanks in advance JW Semper Fi

Loosen the action screws. Tighten the recoil lug ridiculously tight, tighten the back trigger guard screw pretty tight, and the front tigger guard screw snug enough to hold. It's a cheap fix if it works.


I have had the best luck with heavy's in my 257R, 117 interlocks and 115 ballistic tips with 43-43.5 grains of RL19.

When I loaded for the Bob, I used IMR-4350 with 100-grain bullets and IMR-4831 with bullets weighing 115, 117, and 120 grains.

I've never tried the 110-grain bullets.

So, after my initial loadings I am now waiting on a "Lyman scale check weight set".

Using the "Lee loader" reloading toll, "Lee safety powder scale" IMR 4350, CCI LR BR2, Nosler cases, and 110 Accubonds. OAL 2.873.

My results using a ProChrono Digital Chronograph at 15', 44 degrees, sunny with chrono shaded.

Four (4) factory Nosler Trophy Grade .257 110AB.
2830, 2754, 2836, 2783. 2800 average.

My reloads.
39.5 = 2433
40.5 = 2510
41.0 = 2544
41.5 = 2564
42.0 = 2619 this loading per Powley @ OAL 2.873 should be 2781.
42.5 = 2649
43.5 = 2688, 2699

Stopped there and waiting on the check weights. Not trying to set the world on fire, just get these Accubonds to 3000 out of my gun.

The scale did weigh 1 80gr TTSX dead on, 4 87gr Hot-Cor, 2 @ 87 and 2 @ 87.1

Todays reloads using Hogdens .257 Roberts IMR 4350 reload data. Hogden using IMR 4350 and 115 Nos. Partition states an OAL of 2.890.

My reloads have an OAL of 2.873. Ruger Hawkeye 20" barrel

3 factory Nosler .257 Roberts 110 Accubond.
2812, 2772, 2812.

Reloads.....
44.0 - 2715
44.5 - 2754, 2721, 2754
45.0 - 2801, 2775
45.5 - 2807, 2789.....(Hogden Max load @ 2866fps & 46,600 CUP)
46.0 - 2861
46.5 - 2879.....(This load in the Powley Pressure computer comes up as 46.700CUP, 54,000psi & 95% density)

No pressure signs that I can see, or in bolt lift, but I'm no expert either. All case heads factory and fired reloads are .468 as best I can measure. No stress signs on the brass or primers. Looks like the best I can do is duplicate the factory loadings.

Primers...top 20 are factory loads. Bottom 17 are my reloads, far right bottom two are 46.0 and 46.5 primers. Anyone see anything I'm missing? Words of advise.....

Another good powder to try with heavier bullets in the Bob is Ramshot Magnum. It's a very dense ball powder, and slower-burning than H4831 and RL-22, more like Retumbo and RL-25. It might be a little slow for 110's but works great with 120's.