All the posts I see on the campfire about the .257 Roberts have made me think about getting one. I mostly hunt mule deer and elk and occasionally antelope. I hope to do more antelope hunting in the future. A .257 Roberts would give me a lighter recoiling rifle for deer size game (I mostly use 7mm's and .30's) and I could use it for coyotes as well.

What are the best options in factory rifles that don't cost an arm and a leg? I would like to keep the cost under a thousand. It looks like the Winchester M70 and Ruger Hawkeye are the most economical current offerings. From what I have read it sounds like the M70's are more likely to be accurate than the Rugers. Is this true? I currently use mostly Remington 700 rifles (except for my .338 and .375) as they have tended to shoot well for me. I guess I could look for a used Remington 700 as another option.

I would like to hear opinions from those with some experience with these rifles.

Thanks,
bowmanh

I wouldnt mind having a Remington M722 in 257R, should be able
to find one for less than a grand.

I have had a 700 classic in the past and currently a ruger 77. Both are very nice rifles but my 77 has had the stock reworked to a much slimmer profile I really have come to appreciate. Actually one of the nicest factory Roberts around is the 700 in mountain rifle dress. That would probably be what I would look for a and probably be less than $1000

Last summer a local hardware store got in an order of Ruger Hawkeyes in various calibers and I purchased a Roberts. It was one of those situations that I really didn't need it but wanted it. There were three 77 "tangers" in that cartridge back home in the safe.

Worked up loads and it shot very well, but it wasn't clunky enough for me and I missed the tang safety. Someday I will get a wild hair and sell it.

Maybe a good used 77 tang safety would be an option for you.

Wayne

My M70 FWT is dang accurate. That would be my choice from what is available.

My left hand Savage from their custom shop is very accurate. And it will meet your price list easily.

Why does money always have to be an obstacle?

Had a 700 Classic and loved it. But it had a 24" barrel and was built on a long action.

If cheap were a requirement, I'd find a Ruger bolt new or old and be done with it.

Remington made a stainless mountain rifle in 257 on a short action, but not sure how hard to find they would be.

Of course, Rem also made a std blue/wood mountain rifle that would be a gem if you could score one.

I actually would prefer a 24" barrel. Does the long action have any disadvantages other than slightly increased length and weight?

I believe it to be unnecessary. Others think it's a requirement for the Roberts round. I've shot tons of 257 and 257AI rounds loaded to 2.825", and never felt undergunned. But I don't shoot any bullets over 100 grains.

I can't find any love for 24" barrels for standard calibers.

I bought a 257 Classic when they came out. Kept it for a while and then sold it without ever firing it To me, it was just too long and heavy for a 257.

There are some Cabelas Anniversary models on sale and going down in price. These are super grades with nice metal and wood. There are many Win FWT from their Special edition of 2012 that are still available. I have one of the Ruger models and one of the 2012 models and consider myself well satisfied.

Exactly.

The Rem are somewhat heavy and long. Wins not so much.

+1 on the M-70 Featherweight.
I love mine.

On the Ruger website it says the Hawkeye's in .257 weigh 8 lbs. That's a pound or so heavier than my Rem 700's w/ 24" barrels. Do they really weigh that much?

A bit over your price but too close not to mention... Kimber 84 Select... Uh baby... Then Win FW, then Ruger Hawkeye.

Just can't like the 700 for Intermediate cartridges... .

I have one in a 77.

The rifle shoots great and is fine to me.

I just need a McMillan for it.]


I might go chubbowitz over a SA 257 BYOB, but its at its best with 100 grs of bullet, so all the varmint gibberish goes over my head.

I just bought a 700 Mountain Rifle in 270 and had it rebarreled. Later put a TI take-off stock on it. Couldn't be happier with it.

.

There is always the lipsey run of ruger #1As. Very cool and I would 2nd the kimber

Nice 722's can be found pretty easily for $600 +/- sometimes less; classic.

Ive owned PF M70 featherweights, a M77 Hawkeye, a M77 MKII, and M77 MKII Ultralights.

The hawkeye and standard MK II M77's were heavy, but decently balanced.

The Ultralight M77 are great if you you can one with the right piece of walnut, some are butt heavy.

The M70 PF I had was a great gun, balance, fit and finish, etc. The only thing I disliked was it was a Long Action which I prefer, but a short magazine box. Easily fixed, but irked me.

If the new FN featherweights are Long Action/Long Magazine, I get one of those if I were in the market for a .257 Roberts. I'd also look at Kimber, However there favored stock design doesnt do it for me.

I own 2 classics & don't find them too heavy, they are accurate rifles.

I have owned a M700 Stainless, got rid of it because I couldn't get it to shoot.

I have owned 2 m700 wood stock 257 mountain rifles, neither would shoot that well because they are short action/magazine but throated for for the long action/magazine so you get 1/8" of free bore.

I have owned a bunch of custiom on different actions but have kept only 1, by John Lewis on a long action.

I went thru this whole "which .257 bob factory rifle" thing and ended up with the recent FN Fwt example. I'm very pleased with it. I think the current Ruger Hawkeye is gonna be a good choice too, but if I could only have one the nod would go to the M70.

I have a Kimber Select,it is really a fine rifle and shoots great. It has a short action,a pretty stock and is very light but well balanced.

The only that comes close in my opinion would be the M700 Mountain Rifle.

Everything else is a little heavier,and a guy might as well have a 25-06 in a long action rifle.

A friend of mine had a Ruger 77 Ultralight, I liked it a lot, but the bolt handle was on the wrong side so I didn't buy it when he decided to sell it. If I were right-handed I'd have really wanted it - the story of my life.

A long action really isn't that much heavier to make a huge difference. My MR 257R is a long action in a TI and is only 7lbs even with a 2.5x8 in Talley LWs. A similar SA rifle I have here is only 3 oz lighter.

Saying that, I am going to a lighter 25cal in a 250AI. I will be a S/S Model Seven in a Edge. I should see quite a bit weight saving over the LA with that one and have equal results. Bbl will be a PacNor 1:9". I'm going to Maine on sat to pick it up.

I have a bunch of rifles chambered in 257 Bob, 13 currently, and if limited to factory specs rifles, the choice would come down to either the Remington 700 Classic or the 700 CDL-SF. The Bob that I shoot the most is a 700 CDL-SF parts gun in a McM McM Hunter.

I have a couple of Ruger 77s, both tang safety and Mark IIs, but no Hawkeyes. The Rugers were built on LAs, while the Remingtons were built on SAs.

I haven't owned a Winchester 70 FWT chambered for the Bob for many years, but do have several chambered for the short, fat, Bob, AKA the 25 WSSM.

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like there are several good options available.

One thing about the Roberts is that you will never meet someone who owns one who does not like it a LOT!

As a dedicated deer rifle, it's perfect.

IMHO the Bob belongs in an intermediate length Mauser action.

Once you go custom you'll be hooked. Best keep yer distance !

agreed as usual.

bowmanh- you gotta PM

Well........yea.........but I figured Kimber was out of his price range. I have a Montana 257 that shoots...........very good.

FWIW A Ruger American would be cool in 257....

My Rem 722 likes factory Hornady Custom 117gr ammo...this was shot using an old Leupold M8 6x:





Bottom rifle, of course. It's not glamorous, it's not ultralight, but it's light enough and gets the job done!

What's a sighter?

First shot from a cold barrel to see where the gun is printing on the target.

From this one, I believe I used 4 clicks up, 6 clicks to the right and shot the group.

How about just a plain and simple .257 Roberts, a Ruger Number One.

God Bless,

Steve

That's a byoot Steve!

Rick

I've have Remington 700, 722 Ruger #1, 77 Winchester pre-64 70, post 70 featherweight.

But my Kimber Montana is the best of the lot it will out shoot the rest and is a pleasure to carry all day. There is no reason for a Bob to weigh 8 pounds.

The only way the Kimber could be better if it was a 3" action.

In 2001 I bought a Ruger MKII in 257 Roberts and I've been very happy with it; the only change was to add a Timney trigger and go shooting/hunting.

Purchasing that rifle in 257 Roberts was an impulse buy as I was out looking for the same rifle in 6.5x55 after reading MD's article about the 6.5x55 and his results with the MKII.
The beautiful wood drew me in and the chambering set the hook.

The new FWT's are built on a long action, and the magazine is not blocked. Mine is very accurate, too.

Thanks, good info. Ive seen them for $730 around here, very tempting.

+1

Mexican Mauser (FN) action, 23-inch Krieger barrel and Rimrock stock. Weighs 7 lbs 8 oz as it sits:

For a nice looking rifle that isn't pricey keep an eye out for a push feed model 70 featherweight

Those are getting pretty pricey. Still sorry I sold mine.

Here's a BEAUTY of a .257, maybe a little over budget though

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=343701398





Wonder what it will go for?

sold some things and came up with the money, bought a ruger hawkeye in .257 used, got a pretty good deal i think.

going to find out firsthand how a factory Bob does.

Start with 100gr Hornadys and IMR 4831.

i have 100 grain hornady bullets. and powder on hand is varget, imr4895, hunter, and h4350.

Try 46.0 H4350. You can add a grain or two in most rifles, but if a .257 won't shoot with 46.0 H4350 the rifle needs some tuning.

In many .257's 47.0 Hunter also works very well.

will do sir. did the trigger spring mod you mentioned about clipping a coil off the spring. big difference, thank you.

in your experience do the m77 hawkeyes seem to need free floating?

also, i have 87 grain sierras and 75 grain vmaxes for varmints, which would you recommend?

In my experience all Ruger bolt actions tend to shoot more accurately with the barrel free-floated, though sometimes they shoot quite well with the standard factory tip-pressure.

Both of the varmint bullets you have are very accurate. The Sierra doesn't expand nearly as violently, but drifts less in the wind. The 75 V-Max will both lift and scatter small varmints, and craters in bigger ones.

I've had excellent luck with both Varget and 4895 with varmint loads in the .257.

i built my wife a custom mauser in .257 and with this addition, i can stock one caliber bullet and share

...until my looniness causes me to buy lots more guns again

Which, in my experience, won't take long!

When Eileen and I were first married (30 years ago this coming October) we had two rifles, a .257 and .30-06, both with 4x scopes, and loaded them with three powders, IMR4895, IMR4350 and H4831. Amazingly enough, we still managed to kill everything we hunted, to the point where we had to put a cinderblock on the top of our 15-cubic-foot chest freezer so the dang thing would stay closed at the end of each hunting season.

LOL!

Happiness is a full freezer.....................

following in your footsteps i hope lol

i am just hoping to sneak out of ohio to hunt so i can use it for deer.

Dayum. A soulmate, a couple good shootin rifles fueled by a few good powders, a good country that supports game, and a stuffed freezer.

You sir are livin the dream and have much to be grateful for!

My wife and I had 14 this past Friday and while our freezer is currently empty our house is stuffed (5 healthy kids)!

Life is indeed good...

Oh yeah... And my new custom Bob (thanks mjbgalt) is at Mahovsky's getting Metalife coating and is expected back within a month or so!

shoot, efw. you're living MY dream. living in a "normal" state that allows you to use a rifle and has a real deer season, not just a freakin week.

just left my press. 20 rounds ready to go, 43 to 46 grains of H4350 with a hornady 100 grain spire point.

The 100gn Hornady is a great bullet in the Roberts (and my .250 savage as well). I'm loading the 100gn Scirocco at the moment just to try someting different, but when they are all used up I'll go back to the 100gn Hornady bullet.

It would almost be a sin NOT to buy a Classic Caliber like the .257 Bob in a Winchester M. 70 Featherweight! Just Sayin

Best factory Roberts today....Thats easy.

Kimber Montana if you are a SS/syn guy;or a Kimber 84 Select if you are a wood/blue person.

There's a nice looking ruger UL77 in the classifieds

What amazes me about the 100 grain Hornady SP is that it is such a good bullet in the .250 Savage, .257 Roberts, AND it comes highly recommended for the .257 Weatherby Magnum.

I have some trouble wrapping my mind around that, but I loaded about 75 rounds for my Vanguard and will more than likely try to bump off some whitetails this fall with it.

I'm stocked up on them. I like the bullet and wouldn't be skeerd to shoot any game with it from what I've heard.

Too bad they don't make these in 257Roberts. 250 Savage would be cool as well, but they are available in 25/06.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-mountain-ss.aspx

By the way, $6825. Unreal
Oh yeah,plus shipping $40

Obviously some people have money they just want to throw around! $6825 for a 60 year old gun that isn't in the best of shape. Anybody who is impressed by this doesn't impress me. Just my .02.

Jim

I am not impressed, Fools and their money...

Gorgeous rifle but $6825???

Wow.

You could build a heckofa nice custom for that.

Yes to my surprise at the time, I found that IMR4831 does very well in the Roberts.Back then the standard load manual advice was for faster powders and the loads for the cartridge did not give much data for the slower powders.I did work up with IMR 4831,which was pretty new then,and found it shot well.

This was a 3 inch chamber and when I got around to checking velocity I found I was doing about 3150 from a 22 inch barrel with the 100 gr bullet.In a 24 inch barrel I have seen this load give 3200 fps with little sweat.

I got a bigger surpise when I worked up to about 50 gr (IIRC;use caution),and found that the 87 gr Sierra was doing a bit over 3300 fps.I used that load a lot on many eastern woodchucks in a Ruger tang safety M77 with the 3 inch throat,and it was good,just like Mule Deer says.

Also spot on regarding the 75 Sierra HP which was a bomb and cut chucks in half so badly I stopped using them.I loaded those with 4064 but can't recall the precise charge,but the load was a bomb.

The Roberts does well with slow powders because as I recall its case capacity to bore diameter is similar to a 270 Winchester or 280 Remington;its really a miniature version of either of those two rounds.

That pretty much mirrors my results in a 22" bbl.

I have had Ruger 77's (2) & 3 Browning lever actIons, the Rugers shot well enough but the Brownings have all shot exceptional, they have been a bit picky about case trimming, but wow did they shoot. Gotta throw in the Rem mod 30 that my daughter won't let me even look at now that she seems to think it belongs to her, but that one was rescued at a gun show in Missoula about 20 years ago from a guy with a drill press & no brain, took about a handful of little bitty filler screws & extensive careful finishing, she loves it. Haunt pawn shops & gun shows till you find one the anticipation is its own reward.
MC
Ps the only one that is still mine is a Browning.