Magnum308 -
In January of 2004 I picked up a used.257 Roberts at a gun show. Long-action Ruger. I was just ready to leave the show and go buy a .25-06, but couldn’t pass on the price for the Roberts. At the time my only centerfire bolt rifle was a 7mm RM. It quickly became my favorite rifle and has remained so.
For loads I use WW +P brass and +P load data. My Ruger has a ridiculously long throat so I seat the bullets out as far as I can while still maintaining full case/bullet contact throughout the length of the neck. (I’ve often joked the bullets couldn’t touch the lands with a stick.) SAAMI +P pressures are only 50,000 CUP and 58,000 PSI so I routinely go over max loads. In short, I’m running neck and neck with Nosler’s published .257 Roberts AI loads and getting excellent case life and no signs of excess pressure. Bullets and powders are 75g V-MAX/H4895/3609fps, Barnes 100g TTSX/H4350/3175fps, Nosler 110g AB/H4350/3163fps, and Nosler 120g Partition//H4831SX/2904fps and Swift 120g A-Frame/H4831SC/2947fps.
As much as I like my Roberts, if I was buying today it would be a .25-06. Or I would get a 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI sporter-weight barrel to screw into an existing action, something to go with my heavy-barrel 6.5-06AI. The 6.5 bullet selection is far better than that for .25 caliber. I have a Savage action waiting for a new barrel. It already has a magnum bolt face so I’ll probably go 6.5PRC with it.
For my 6.5-06AI I purchase .25-06 brass and run it through the 6.5-06AI sizing die to expand the neck. Fireform loads have been extremely accurate using Hornady max data for the standard 6.5-06 with 140g A-MAX and H3831SC.
The Roberts proved to be a good choice and is not only my favorite but also that of my daughters. While I don’t regret the choice, it isn’t the way I would go today. But I’m not much for “traditional”.
