I've owned a lot of 257 Roberts rifles, still have 11 of them, and while I like it, it has been primarily a reloader's cartridge for close to 50 years. When I was a kid, Winchester/Olin cataloged 3 bullet weights and styles of 257 Roberts factory ammo that made it a more flexible varmint and medium game cartridge. I have long followed the road less traveled when it comes to cartridges. While I think that the 257 Roberts is a nice little cartridge, looking at it with a critical eye, I see it as a more expensive and less practical way to get the same approximate level of performance as the common as dirt .243 Winchester.
Agree on the Roberts being a reloader's round, but to me, they're all reloader's rounds...
Just off the shelf performance, the 6.5 CM may be an even better choice than the .243, which is a good choice. I'm sure that'll send howls up all around, but just looking objectivly at what's on the dealer's shelf and how those rounds shoot at the range, perform in the field, it's not rocket science. That profile, IMO, is what made the Creed what it is.
