Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 257 Roberts experience?

I just bought a 257 and getting ready to work up a load for KY whitetails. I need a bullet that will be good from up close out to 250yds or so. This is my first rodeo with the quarter bore. Im thinkin 100g partition or BT but I have a couple of flavors of 117g bullets. What are ya'll shootin in em and what are the results?

There's a lot of good 25 caliber bullets available that would meet your requirements. Either the 100 or 120 grain partitions, the 100-120 grain Speer, Hornady or Sierra offerings, even the good old Hornady 117 round nose would serve you well in the role you describe.

If I was only ever going to hunt deer the rest of my life and could have only one rifle with which to hunt them, I'd chose the 257 Roberts and a 100-120 grain bullet. I'd just chose the one my rifle shot the best.

I have a 250AI (which is pretty close to a roberts) and have pretty good luck with 100 BT's I would have to look it up to be sure, but RL-15 and 3100 fps seems to ring a bell.

The 100g BT seems to hold together and exit. I mostly try for the high shoulder shot and a DRT.

I mostly shoot 100 grain Partitions and 110 grain ABs at whitetails from my 257s and 257AIs. I am going to give the 80 grain Barnes TTSX a try as a means by which to bump up the velocity to 3300+/- fps. Folks that use them claim that they shoot flat, penetrate deep, and kill quickly from any angle.

Cool!

In very older days I used 47 grains of surplus 4831 with any ol' cup and core 100 grain bullet. Deer die.

More recently I've used the 120 grain partition, federal magnum primers, and 43 grains of H414. The last deer I shot with it was more or less head on. I shot it right under the chin, broke it's neck, the bullet exited out the back of the neck, went through a few inches of air, went back into the shoulder, and went right down the rib cage tumbling but cut every rib off. Total penetration was about 20 inches of bone and meat plus 3 layers of hide.

Of the .257s I've shot, there has been either a really clear like or really clear dislike for 100 grain bullets. If 100s work, awsome. If not, try 120.

Don't overlook the hornady 117 grain BTSP, 110 grain accubond, and 115 grain ballistic tip.

I've only used the 100 Hornady on deer, but every one I've pulled the trigger on have gone into my freezer with one shot apiece. Son-in-Law got one with the 115 Partition without drama. Cheezy got a couple with the 100 TSX and I've got some 100 BTs to try out some time. Doesn't seem to be any secrets, just put a decent bullet where it belongs.

My son uses the 117 grain spire points.

Ale81. I have used the 257 in Kentucky for several years and think you will be very pleased. I'm sure 100 gr bullets will be fine but you might as well use a 243. I have had excellent luck with both 120 gr corelokt and 117 gr. interlocks using H414 and pushing around 2800 fps. Furthest I've had a deer go is about 35 yds. Never caught a bullet.

Gotta love that Clark Co stump water.

That 100 grain Partition you mentioned should work very well.

I have twin Bob's that shoot the 115 grain Partition better than most bullets. There are no what if's or second guessing with that bullet.

43-44 grains H 4350, 2845 fps to 2860 fps.

I have used 100 and 117 Hornady interlock and the 100 ballistic tip and partition, all worked great. The 100 Hornady is probably my favorite but truth be told you would have a hard time finding any halfway appropriate bullet that wouldn't work well. That's one of the best things about the Bob.

I'm sure you will really like it

i have had very good luck with everything that i have fed my bob, from 100 grain Nosler bts to Hornady 117 ssts. with that said, i shoot the best groups with a 120 grain Sierra hpbt, but have yet to shoot a deer with the 120. See what your gun likes, and let it tell you. Enjoy the process! Paul

Started using the Roberts on varmints and deer back in the 70's. Have used a number of 100 gr bullets but most deer hunting has been done with hand loads and the 100,115,and 120 gr Partitions. They have all worked well.

Presently, I have a Kimber Select 257 and have been impressed with the factory 120 gr loads from federal and the 117 gr SST Hornady. Both shoot pretty well out to 300 yards, as far as I have tried it. I have never used the SST an an animal so really can't comment about it

I love the Better & Standard Bobs both:



100 gr Interlock @ 197 yds; bang-flop

That bullet is, IMHO, one which performs far beyond what it should. I am a tinkerer by nature but would not feel handicapped with only that bullet pushed by IMR-4350 out to 400.

In fall of '14 I took this dink w/ the same rifle (different accoutrements) at 75-ish yards (no LRF):



That one used the same load topped with a 90 gr GMX as these hogs, but he was shot from above quartering away and the (maybe 30 step) blood trail was one Ray Charles could follow.





These were both DRTs at 100-ish yards. I recovered this (40.4 gr, 45% weight retention) in the ham of the smaller head-shot one:



I don't think you can go wrong at the ranges you're talking with the 100 gr Interlock, Partition, Ballistic Tip, 110 Accubond, 115 Ballistic Tip, or 117 Interlock.

Good luck; I hope you'll show off photos here when you're successful!

Don't overthink this. A 100 grain Nosler BT will work great. It will give you velocity and energy enough for deer...

Yep.... or any 100 grain bullet for that matter!

100 grain bullet and the Bob is a match made in heaven. Btips, interlocks and partitions are deadly on deer, bear, coyotes, marmots, ground squirrels, feathered vermin ext, ext.... I tend to lean toward the 100 grain bullet in the bob. You wanna see pieces of coyote or marmot fly? Try the speer 100 grain bucket mouth hollow point.

Got 117 gr. pills loaded in mine right now. Last few years more than I realize looking now, family members other than me have done a good portion of the kill'n with the bob.

One of the finest white tail rifles ever invented. I have used the standard and the Improved version over much of my life. I would center my choices around the Nosler 110Accubond, 115gr Ballistic tip and the 117gr Hornady BTSP. powdr

Your going to love the Roberts! Its a little gentleman. Somewhere around 46 gr IMR 4350 and a 100 gr bullet should do it. I've used the 100 gr Sierra Gameking since the early nineties on whitetails and have the most number of in the track kills of any caliber I have used.

GreggH

I"d go 115/120 Partition and never look back. The Roberts does not offer much in the high-BC range, so roll with what performs on game. Those PT bullets offer good expansion on soft tissue, combined with enough mass and heavy construction to penetrate well and give nice exits, even on poor angles. They worked for me.

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