Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 WBY or 300 Win Mag as the all around western rifle?

I have a WBY in 257, and am looking at a Basners Ultimate (older model with 700 action and basnser's stoock).

I have THOUSANDS of 30 cal bullets, mostly in 165 or 168 grain (TTSX, Berger 168 VLDs, etc)

Which, in your opinions, is the better western big game round?

I have a 375 H&H for the big bears, so this is for elk, deer, 'lopes, 'bou, moose, etc.

If you like the 300 WM, what loads do you recommend with 168 grain bullets?

David,

I much prefer the 300 to a 257. I've used a 300 Wby for many years, a German made that I bought new in 1969.

I also used a 25-270 I.C.L Juenke/Saturn custom rifle I bought from Vern Juenke in the early 1970s. His developments were parallel with Weatherby's and they bore many similarities. It approaches the 257 Wby with a 270 case as a basis. The rifle was a tack-driver but limited to lighter bullets.

The 30 caliber has far too many advantages and flexibility, while the .257 can let you down on bigger game. If you choose the 257, get a fast pitch barrel for use with the heaviest of the 257 bullets...and you have gained nothing, IMO.

Easy the 300 Win

300 Win 168 TSX
Win case
CCI 250 primer
80gr Reloader 22

Both. The 257 for reaching out on the smaller side (deer -), and 300 for the larger side (elk +).

btt

Either...along with about 25 other cartridges.

Dennis

I'm with 1minute, you NEED both.

(How could you stand living in such wide-open windy country without having the Roy in your safe? )

"this is for elk, deer, 'lopes, 'bou, moose, etc."

If you stopped at elk I'd say stick with the .257. Elk and moose would be better served with a .30 caliber bullet. And of course a .30 caliber bullet will work just fine on deer and antelope, so if you can only have one gun, make it .30 caliber. I have a .257 Weatherby that I use for antelope and deer, and a .300 Winchester Magnum that I use for everything larger.

.270 Weatherby is the most overlooked caliber in that range.

But there's lots of good calibers that arguably fit tha description of all around wester rifle..

200 grain bullets is what really makes the 300 Weatherby shine.

.257 Wby. Use the .375 on moose and elk.

It sounds like you already have a .257 weatherby, and are thinking of trading it on a basners in 300 win?
I think I would keep your .257 and buy a less expensive 300.
Or for me , a 30,06. But the 300 is a good round too.
But with the .257 a 300 or a 30,06 and your .375, you will never need another rifle.
You might want another rifle but you will not need one.
I'm sure the basners is a fine rifle, but most of the factory stuff out there these days shoot real well.
If you want a 30 cal save awhile and get one. the new model 70s are beautifull rifles. At about 800.00.
But for 550 I would be quite happy with a ruger hawkeye.
...tj3006

Easy choice... 300 win mag, if you can shoot it well.If you can't I'd go to something smaller,but the 257 Weatherby would not make my short list.There are a lot of better cartridges between 25 and 30 caliber,IMHO.

When you say all around western rifle,that clearly says 300 win mag to me.

With todays bullets, that 257 is capable of taking anything in the US. Having said that, I still like the 30 cal., it simply gives you a little more "edge."

The Basners is $2500, but there is the new weatherby Vanguard Back Country in a B&C stock in 300 WBY for $899. 6 3/4 lbs, 24" tube.....

http://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/vanguard/back_country

decisions, decisions....

I have found the .257 Weatherby to be a fine choice for most western hunting. It will do fine on the meat elk most of actually hunt, instead of the big bull at the wrong angle that always gets mentioned in these discussions. And that is precisely what a .375 will work on, perhaps better than a .300 magnum.

The same applies to moose hunting. A typical Shiras moose isn't any bigger than an elk, and easier to kill. If you're going after a really big bull somewhere, a .375 will certainly do the job.

For the all-around western hunting that most of us do, from pronghorn to mule deer to meat elk, the .257 Weatherby is a fine round. It also a very fine caribou cartridge, if one of them happens to feel western.

Thanks John.

I think you just saved my shoulder and me a bunch or money.

You're welcome!

I'm certainly not anti-.300 magnum. I've hunted quite a bit with most of the .300s, both in North America and Africa, and own two at the moment (a .300 H&H and .300 Weatherby). But as all-around rifles they leave something to be desired, mostly because of recoil, something most of us like less the older we get. These days I find the .300's rather specialized tools, instead of an all-around rifle. This is partly because I've used a lot of lighter chamberings in recent years and found they worked fine.

The .257 Weatherby is one of these. It is simply a great round.

Why don't you just sell those thousands of .30 caliber bullets?

From the sound of things, you're a former High Power target shooter. You should be able to find a ready market for them.