Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 257 Roberts project

Well,lets petition the government and get a $1,000,000 grant and study to see how it happens.

Those 4350 loads are quite a bit stouter than what Nosler calls max. How did you arrive at that charge?

I'll get you the specific source when I get home after work.

Generally, I've read articles and studied data. One article showed groups shrinking as loads were increased to +P levels and that seems to be the case here. As you know, most published .257R data is moderate pressure. With a strong action, +P loads are safe and accurate. I have no problems exceeding 45K psi with good brass and "three rings of steel"...

It seems to work, brass showing no sign of excessive pressure.

DF

I saw your load recommended by another member of the Campfire. My load has been 40.1 grains of 4350. It turns their lights out quick. It penetrates well too. I used Nosler data. I know it has become more conservative over the years. I don't have a chrono, so I wonder what my velocity is out of a 20" barrel.

A good chrono is kinda like a Hawkeye bore scope. Once you have one, you don't want to not have one...

DF

Paul,

I checked my notes. That load was mentioned in previous posts and represents an accumulation of articles and data.

The concept that +P loads group tighter than std. loads, almost across the board, came from work by R. H. VanDenburg, Jr. In JB's fine New Zealand article, field testing VLD's, .257R/115 VLD's were tested at 2,900 fps, which is in same ball park with this load.

In another article, JB published a load of 45 gr. H-4350 with the 115 NPT. That same load was given to me by the previous owner who said it worked well for him in this gun. It does, just not as well as the 115 NBT load.

I've seen it written that because the .257R was the parent round of the 6mm Rem, it should be able to operate at similar pressure limits in a strong gun. And, of course that would be .257R +P.

I'm going to see what IMR-4451 will do with this bullet, as it's pretty close to the 4350's and I have a can.

DF

On bolt guns I have become very good at boresighting by the removing the bolt method. It's become a point of pride. But I absolutely get your point. A chrono is in my future even though I am very "recreational" in my handloading pursuits.

Thanks for the info. I'd really like to know what speed my loads are running. I almost hate to change as this load has been so lights out for me and others I have loaded for. It's accurate enough for the maximum hunting ranges in which I use it. My new Creedmoor will handle any longer range work I may get into.

40.1 gr. H-4350 with a 115 gr. bullet should be running around 2,650 fps out of a 20" bbl, based on Load Data info.

I'm a good bore sighter, too. Can just about put one on the paper at 100 yds.

The Hawkeye borescope lets you look at the bore with a 90* mirror, seeing exactly what the rifling looks like, if there's throat erosion, if there's carbon build up or fouling, if there's pitting, etc.

DF

That's about the velocity I was expecting.

And it's about 1/10th the price..

I won't work up loads w/o a chrono - period..

Thats actually about the velocity I have seen with old Remington 117 gr factory round nose bullets. The Roberts can be heated up quite a bit over those velocities with todays powders....actually anything from IMR 4831, RL22,and others will do it as well.

Most all of mine have had 22" barrels but there has been a 24" or two tossed in along the way as well.

The best published velocities I have seen for 115-120 Roberts loads is with Ramshot Big Game and Hunter. They label them +P loads. 2900 FPS out of a 24" barrel. I'd expect 2750-2800 out of mine.

Hope it works for you DF, a sample of only three deer, one with the big 9pt mentioned earlier in the Roberts at 3265, and two other deer in my 25-06 AI with the little buzzsaw leaving the muzzle at 3550, that bullet does have a definite attitude on deer at those speeds inside 200 yards so far.

I wouldn't hesitate 400 with a good field rest.

I have 50 Nosler +P cases on order. Not cheap!

In a strong action, I don't see a problem running +P loads with std. brass. I want to weigh these +P cases and std. cases.

On another note, I've been using a Lee FL sizer, producing rounds with too much runout. I was able to straighten them somewhat with the Tru Tool and a Sinclair concentricity gauge.

I have a Lee Collet sizer on order. I'm thinking about taking that sorry Lee FL die, grinding out the neck, removing the decapping stem, turning it into a shoulder set back die. It should be able to do that if I can get the neck ground large enough to clear the case neck.

Will report. That would be cheaper than buying a Redding Body Die. When using a neck sizing die, you need a body die to occasionally set the shoulder back for easy bolt closure.

The Lee Collet neck sizer produces some of the most concentric ammo I've ever loaded, and I do have some fancy comp type dies.

DF

What seater are you using?

I use the Lee seater, which has worked pretty well with other rounds.

I checked case concentricity with the Sinclair, indicator on the neck following FL sizing and they weren't that true. I think the die oversizes the case neck and the expander pulls pretty hard coming out.

I believe the Collet neck sizer will correct this situation and don't think the seater is the problem.

But, it won't take long to find out...

DF

I've found Lee seaters hit or miss. If they'd raise the price two bucks and make them consistently right I'd like them better.

Well,dang. I just ordered one in 257. Hope it's a "hit", not a "miss".

Well, the only way I could get a Collet Neck Sizer, ASAP, was to order a set. The price on Ebay was about like ordering just the die from a dealer, which probably would have been a B.O.

So, I'll now have two seaters, will check them out and use the better one. Hopefully one will be "good"...

DF