I think a 3” action would be ideal for several rounds, including the Roberts. 3.4” is a bit long, 2.8” a bit tight. Choosing between LA and SA, I’ll go LA. I did and like it.
3,300 fps, 25-06 with 100’s, my Roberts goes 3,266 fps with 100’s. It really likes the TTSX, a killing bullet at that speed. No complaints from me, hogs or WT’s. What’s not to like.
DF
My latest .257 Roberts is built on an FN Mauser commercial action, with the typical 3.35" magazine for .30-06 length cartridges. It was originally intended for a fancy walnut stock, but that plan got canned when the stockmaker passed away.
The project was initiated by another old friend, who arranged to get the barreled action done--with the caveat that I chose a cartridge that I'd use for most of my big game hunting. (Already had a custom walnut-stocked 6.5x55 on another FN action, so chose the .257.) That guy passed away too during the middle of the project....
Eventually decided I'd like a somewhat lighter, more rugged .257 than my grandmother's 722--which I did not want to beat up. So fitted and finished one of Mark Bansner's High Tech synthetic stocks. The barrel is a slim cut-rifled 23" from Classic Barrel & Gunworks. Haven't had time to work up some handloads, but have fired it with a couple made up for other .257s, which indicated it will shoot pretty well.
Got 3250 with 100-grain Partitions from Grandma's rifle way back when, by pushing the maximum listed IMR4350 powder charges a couple grains--and there's plenty of pressure-room to do that with the Roberts. Interestingly, the Partitions shot VERY well, though as the throat wore somewhat in the 1000+ rounds Eileen and I put through rifle, they don't do so well anymore. But it does shoot 100-grain Ballistic Tips and TTSX's just about as well as it used to shoot Partitions, using IMR4451, so that's OK.
