Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 257 Roberts experience?

I used to use 117 gr RN Hornady and they are OK, but at close range they don't seem to open up unless you hit something solid. I was sitting at a campfire years later and another hunter said the same thing, so I doubt if it was a fluke.

That's because they're still used in factory loads for the .257 Weatherby, so have to be pretty stout. People who load them in the .25-35, because they're the only round-nose .25-caliber "deer" bullet available, are often really surprised at the lack of expansion.

They do work pretty well on lions (cougars) from a .25-35, but it's not that far to the top of even a tall pine tree. At ranges measured in feet as opposed to yards, they do expand.

I shot a big doe with 117gr Win Powerpoints and they were hell on her.

I'm rolling now. That's the funniest thing I've seen you post here. There may even be some truth to it too... Thanks for the laugh!!!!! ..

My 257 Roberts experience is positive but very limited, shot one doe at 200 yards with a 100 gr TTSX going 3150 fps using H-4350 in an old Ruger ultra light 257R, she was facing me downhill, the bullet center punched her neck and exited, re-entered her back at the ham area, exited again under her tail, obviously DRT.

Shot another doe and very nice 9pt buck with my new Montana 257R last fall, this load features the 100 gr TTSX powered to a full 3265 fps with Hodgdon's Hybrid 100 powder, the doe was on a hard quartering away shot at 40 yards, entered at last rib and exited off shoulder, DRT, the buck was broadsided at about 210 yards, center punched both shoulders, complete penetration, DRT.

I have always thought about the 120 gr Partitions in my Roberts, but damn, these TTSX's will be hard to leave.

Actually the 117 grain has worked well for me over the years in a 25-35. The Weatherby may not be going quite as fast...

I'm on my second .257 Roberts and my favourite bullet is the 100gn Hornady SP. I haven't shot a deer with it, as I always seem to have another rifle with me when a buck appears, but I have shot well over 100 pigs with both rifles. A couple of years ago I switched to the 100gn Scirocco. They are not the most accurate bullet in my rifle but I did shoot a feral billy goat at 40 metres quartering towards me and the Scirocco penetrated over 20 inches before exiting. The billy just crumpled on the spot. I've switched to the 100gn Ballistic Tip this season and will see how they go. They have been a hard bullet in my .250 Savage (20" brl) so I hope an extra 300fps muzzle velocity opens them up a little quicker. I'll save the Sciroccos for my .25-06. I may just go back to the 100gn Hornady after playing around for a few years.

Where can you find the 100gr Hornady?

110 accubonds, 115 Bergers 115 BT's are whitetail medicine

That right there is the question of the day!

I wish I'd have had the foresight concerning .223 projechiles that I did w/ thee gems !

I've used my Roberts as my go-to deer rifle for 6-7 years now. All I shoot are the 117 hornady interlocks or the 115 ballistic tips. I've shot many deer with it from 6 yards to 372yards. I switched from the Hornady Interlocks to the ballistic tips when It became clear that I was getting a lot of shots around the 300+ range. Those bullets could be interchangable with the way they act upon impact.

I also worked a 100 TTSX load up to MOA, but the heavier bullets grouped better, so I have been using them.

I inherited my grandfather's 722 with a custom stock a few years ago. Shot a doe broadside with it last November at about 15 yards, using the Nosler 110 grain Accubond factory load. The bullet hit a rib on the way in, cut the top of her heart and made a mess of the lungs, and exited. She ran about 75 yards and died.

It is not super accurate in my rifle, but it's what I had on hand. Groups run 1.5-2". The slower 117 Remington load shoots under an inch. That was what my grandfather used but I have only shot them at paper. I have handloaded varmint loads using the 85 grain Ballistic Tip that shot well too, but I wouldn't use them on deer.

Entrance wound:



Rifle:

444afic, That is a nice heirloom, enjoy it!

I have a tang safety Ruger in .257R and it's become a favorite of the whole family. My wife has made it clear it's hers to use first.

I used it for vermin shooting the 75gr Hornady HP and pushed with I4064 IIRC. It is phenominal on coyotes.

Deer have been dropped with many different loads and weights with little fan fair. I tried 100gr Nosler BT's when they were fairly new but wasn't impressed. I have not tried them since. I have however used 100, 117 gr Barnes X & XLC's and now 100gr TSX out of it. The 117gr Hornady sp work well, as did the 120gr HP when you could find them. I'm about out of 100gr X's, not that we shoot them much but use a few to verify zero, then one per animal. Then again that's pretty typical. Partitions are very good out of it as well. Mine seems to shoot 100's and 115's well, and 120's well enough.

Ruger rifles were commonly called the disposable rifle in Oz. Take them hunting and leave them as a gift to your host and it saved you bringing them home or having to clean them. They were 2/3's the price of a Model 70 in those days.

I myself just picked up a Ruger RL in a 257 roberts that was cherry. Has the feel of the Kimber at half the price. Hope it shoots as good as it handles. So, does anyone have any extra 257 brass laying around they would like to sell? Thanks, Daryl.

The 257 Roberts and the 100gr Hornady Interlock go together like ice cream and pie IMO, by far my favorite bullet in my Bob.
But, like someone else mentioned, they are hard as heck to find anymore.

Bill

I've got an ackley, it likes most everything but favors a 115-120gr bullet.

And twice as good as a POS M70