I have been pining for a gun chambered in .257 wby and I have heard mixed reviews from some of my reloading buddies and generally from my gun nut friends.

Can the 257 wby be just as accurate as say the 25-06 and if so what is the best factory rifle to buy this caliber in? The mark V only offers a 1.5" gurantee and in this day and age of modern rifles that just doesn't cut it. So what gives? Please enlighten me with all there is to know about the 257 wby chambering and I have an interest in it but I don't want to spring for a custom right now aslthough an ER shaw would be cheap enough.

anyway I am getting off track.

break it down. Freebore issues?? what?

my vangurd is tack driver.
100 gr tsx's over a very stout load of rldr 22.
shot it the other day just cuz.
1st round flyer from a scrubbed bore, then it's typical 3 shot group.

it's the left side target.

My .257 is a Mk V.

It will usually only do three-shot groups, of 1.5 to 2 inches, with Barnes 100 gr TSX bullets.




At 300 yards.

My Sub-MOA VG shoots like the left target.. same load, I bet..

that is good to hear from a MKV owner as I always hear about mkV's that just don't shoot. Always hear great things about the vanguard - Howas but with the accuracy guarantee on the MKV's being 1.5" @ 100 yards I am somewhat hesitant to add one to my collection. I know other manufacturers chamber for the 257 and that is a consideration especially now that Cooper is chambering for them. I have a few Coopers and they are fine accurate guns. Not sure which action they will be using but I'm sure I will like it.

Thanks for the feedback. I have my eye on a mkV that is priced right in 257 I may grab.

What stock is it equipped with?

In my experience, recent Weatherby rifles are extremely accurate. My own .257 Weatherby Vanguard Sporter (made before the Sub-MOA came out) will put three shots into 1/2 MOA at any range out to 400 yards.

I also have two other recent Weatherbys, a Mark V Ultra Lightweight in .240 Wby. and a Mark V Sporter in .270 Weatherby. Both are almost as accurate the .257.

its a deluxe with better figured wood than I have ever seen on any deluxe stock.

Is that in an injection molded stock?

Walnut, with rosewood forend tip.

My vanguard shoots great so far.
Haven't had a group above .75" at 100yards yet.
The only load I have messed with so far is 100gr balistic tip over Re22
Played with seating depth a bit and found a sweet spot.



TSX is next on the list to try.

A good walnut stock is nice. It's the injection molded synthetics that are often marginal.

A friend bought a Vanguard 257 that was so equipped, and it was an indifferent shooter. It was transformed into a tack driver by bedding it into a McMillan.

my ragged hole shooter is bedded in a butler creek stock.
go figure, a cheap stock and great groups.
sure made it feel a lot better than with the hump back syn stock.

That's a hit in the game of hit or miss. I have a 700 VTR in its as-issued "Tupperware" and it shoots great too. But I don't count on molded stocks to do so well.

I'd encourage you to consider the Vanguard 399 special or whatever it is now. Rework the trigger, add 100 Horns and R22 or 7828 and rock on.

Life is so easy..

Dober

Actually, I bet your freinds rifle improved more due to the change in barrel bedding than the basic stock itself.

I believe factory Weatherbys are set up with pressure points at the tip and many shoot better free floated.

Most modern injection molded Centerfire stocks are just fine for sporting stocks if bedded the same way one would a McMillain ,etc.

The problem is getting them into that state.

Relieve the pressure points and then you have to open it up for a bunch more clearance, and/or start bedding arrow shafts or whatever into the fore end to take out the flop.

My friend went McMillan, but there are less costly synthetic alternatives that I'd be inclined to use long before I'd spend much time and effort putting "chewing gum and baling wire" to an injection molded stock.

In your hands, probably not very accurate.

And that can be said for just about any factory stock- wood or synthetic.

Most newer injection molded stocks are engineered with crossribs inside the forend and are actually plenty stiff as is...

I've seen the cross ribs, and tried said stocks. Still not impressed. We'll just have to disagree on this.

ahhh, but a decent gap around the barrel has no impact on the float.
it may not look the greatest, but , it's a huntig rifle, not a queen.

as long as the action is bedded, and the bottom metal fits properly. the flimsy forearm should make no diff.
even with a bipod on, the float should be sufficient for any movement.

I have no safe queens, but I like my rigs to look good to me as well.

sure, i do too. but, a 1/8" more gap under the barrel makes no ugly gun.

hmmmm

Two from my 257s, a MKV Ultramark and a standard Vanguard, both with 100gr TTSXs:




Hope that covers it...

I have a Mark V in wood. Living in an extremely dry area the stock moved a good bit over a 2 yr period as it slowly dried down. Floated the barrel and eventually bedded both ends of the action and it's a damn fast nail driver. A great pronghorn unit. I'd certainly replace it if it was lost.

Naaa they aren't accurate....

"Match accurate"?

No.

Plenty accurate enough to kill schit WAY out there?

Yes.

You only have to decide whether it's more important to you to punch tiny groups in paper, or punch holes in critters.

The accuracy guarantee is a stock rifle, with FACTORY fodder.

Find out what Remington, Ruger, Winchester, etc., say is "good enough" for their rifles and the same... (hint: pie-plate @ 100 ish).

1.5" @ 100 with factory fodder, in a stock rifle, has a nasty habit of leading to FAR better with decent handloads and a tweaked trigger.

I agree, my vanguard tuperware SS was accurate before, and after I put it in wby's aftermarket stocks. My Rem Model 700 Stainless is also a tack driver.

I forgot to mention that I have also been shooting a NULA Model 28 in .257 Weatherby for a while now. It shoots into around 3/4" inch with the best loads--at 200 yards. Pretty good for a 6-3/4 pound rifle.

By the way, re. Wby's accuracy guarantees... the old Vanguard was 1.5 in. All of the new models will have a sub-MOA guarantee with factory ammo.

My original Vanguard .257, which began life with the tupperware stock, was sub-MOA out of the box. I installed a Timney trigger and a Fiberguard stock, and it remains one of my all-time favorite rifles.

If I'm not mistaken, that 1 & 1/2 inch group is the worst that Weatherby guarantees from the factory and thats with factory ammo. Most are well under that 1 & 1/2 inch guaranteed maximum.

I have a 1995 Weatherby Mark V Weathermark in .257 Weatherby. It's one of the near to last Mark V's manufacured in Japan with the weathermark tupperware stock without the fancy high comb the Weatherbys are noted for. Here is the test target that came with the rifle from the factory, 3 shot group with factory ammo and I measured it with my caliper at .584 so I think 1 & 1/2 inches is the worst that leaves the factory.




I know an inch & 1/2 is not average, as I have 3 of those Weathermark Mark V's from Japan, the 257, a 270 Weatherby magnum and a 30-06 and the worst of the 3 factory targets with factory ammo still measures just a hair under an inch.

And there is princess Lee.... Your time is coming son....

In my opinion, the best thing that can be done to a tupperware stock is to Piller bed it.

I get consistent groups in the .3s with my Mark V and Weatherby's now-discontinued 115-grain Barnes X load. Luckily I have about 25 boxes of it.

What bullets must one use for deer with this cartridge? I say must because when I had a 6-284 some bullets would disintegrate on the way to the target. Also my experience with the 6-284 was that Berger VLD bullets did not like to be driven fast for best accuracy. So I am guessing one would want to use Ballistic Tips, Accubonds or Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets. Any other high BC bullets that would stand up to 3600 fps accurately?

Thanks for all the info. A 257 wby is definitely in my future. Most likely I will buy one of the new Coopers chambered for this round.

I have to get my new ER Shaw in 6X284 on order first and the 257 will be next.

Oh man, I hope that's not true on the Bergers, I shoot them in my 308 and my 6.5-284. Granted neither are fast cartridges but I get 1/4" groups out of both of my rifles with them.

I'm building a custom 257 Weatherby right now and have 100 TTSX, 110 Accubond and 115 Bergers on order for load development. I'm really hoping the Bergers shoot well out of it.

Specs on the build:

Stiller TAC 300 Action
McMillan BDL stock, pillar bedded and skim bedded
Kreiger #6 Sporter contour barrel, fluted, 26"
Jewell Trigger
Leupold VX-7 4.5-18 x 56 optics

I'm in the midst of working up loads for my Rem 700 CDL SF. All I did was remove the speed bumps, bed the entire receiver and adjust the trigger to 3 pounds.

The below TSX load has a lot of promise. This is only the first group. I'll now load up nine more rounds and shoot three more groups to see if it was a fluke or it is actually that good.


(The 3 black dots are from 375H&H shots.)

RH

I think you are there!

Himmelrr, how long is your barrel? Does your chamber have the typical long Weatherby throat? Thanks, Rufous.

The scare on the bergers is mostly, that I"m aware of, totally fixed. I ran into same with 64 bergers in 223.... but in a fast twist that took em apart.

Berger looked hard at the complaints and last I know, all had been addressed.

Jeff

Long throats do not kill accuracy typically( unless we are talking BR accuracy) its SLOPPY DIMENSIONED throats, regardless of length, that kill accuracy.

It is a 26" barrel with the standard long throat. It is a factory Remmy 700 other than the mods I mentioned above.

RH

You guys are making me feel good.I picked up a Vanguard a couple weeks ago.Now Im waiting for a Boyds Classic in walnut.It came with the green syn.Got ammo coming also.I hate waiting.

That vanguard green stock.... shoots under MOA easy at 100.... Dunno why ya want to switch to a wood but that is your choice.

I've never understood the facination with shooting 100 gr. bullets in the 257 Wby .My Mark V Fibermark shoots the 120 gr. NP into MOA or better groups , and [more importantly IMHO] after bedding in the factory stock , the first shot from a cold, fouled barrel is in the group .

This is with a load of IMR 7828 right out of the Nosler book .68 gr. gets me right at 3400 fps .

For years, the 120 gr. NP was my 'go-to' bullet in the .257 Wby. It took a large number of critters, very handily.

I settled on the 100 gr. TSX primarily because of its greatly improved accuracy over the NP, in my rifle. As for performance on game, I can't see any difference- the last head of game to fall to the TSX was a cow elk, at 300 yards. The flattened trajectory of the TSX, at 3700 fps, is a bonus. Sighted in at 2" high at 100 yds, it is zeroed at 300, and less than 7" low at 400.

That's FLAT!!!!!

I havent seen a berger that liked to go fast yet.SMK's,amax and scenars dont seem to care as much.

John,

How do you like that .240? What velocitys are you getting. always had a interest just never got around to getting one.

Thanks,

Lefty C

I just like the looks of wood but if it shoots really well I may put up with the green.Maybe this week end I will find out.

MD,

I have the same exact rifle and it performs about like yours......love it!

LC

One more Vanguard that shoots one hole at 100 yards.If I dont let the barrel cool between shots it will string them up and left.

One can also place one straight into a Medalist. Great option IMO.