Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 Roberts questions

I picked up a Custom 257 Roberts at a Gun Show.It is based on a AII action with a Cut rifled 10 twist barrel.Whose??I do not know.I only bought it because of the knock out Walnut stock.So what I was wondering what bullet to use.I do not want to try a bazzilion different manufactures and weights.I would be happy with a 100 grain???What powder seems to work best.How come brass is so hard to come by?Thanks ahead Huntz

I've had good luck with just about any 100-grain bullet, but the 1-010 twist is plenty for any .25 caliber bullet made. My three favorite bullets in the .257 these days are probably the 100-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 100-grain Barnes TTSX and 115-grain Nosler Partition, partly because all three tend to shoot well in most rifles.

I have no idea why "mainstream" .257 Roberts brass is so scarce, but both Jamison and Nosler cases are pretty common on Internet sites. I've had good luck with both brands. For an all-around powder any of the 4350's is good, including Accurate 4350, along with IMR4451, which is sort of a double-based 4350.

Thanks MD.

I like the 110 grain AB pretty well, rugged and sleek.

If I was able to get the 110 AccuBond to shoot as well as any of the three bullets listed in my post, in any of my .25 caliber rifles, there's no doubt it would be a favorite too. But so far that hasn't happened. Dunno why. Maybe I have a bad batch....

Kind of like my inability to get the 125 grain 6.5mm Partitions to shoot good groups.

The 110 grain ABs shoot good groups in my Marlin XS7/Savage 110 parts gun and Remington 700 CDL-SF, but those are the only 257 Roberts rifles that I've been shooting these days. Both rifles also shoot good groups with my favorite "establish a base line" .257" bullet, the 75 grain VMax.

I got hooked on the 110 grain AB when I was shooting the 25 WSSM.

I just got 50 pieces of Nosler last week from Grafs and Son. I was a little surprised that they are marked +P so I figure I should readdress my loads if the brass is heavier and see how it goes.

The 110 AB has been a great bullet for me in two rifles, an MRC and a P64 M70. I do need to play with the Barnes again but I could never get them to shoot well in the MRC that I have had for several years and both rifles like the Accubond but I still have .25 hanging around in TSX and TTSX. Suppose that's why we're loonies.

I have a couple of boxes of 80 grain TTSX that I've been meaning to try, but it seems as though my "Honey Do" list never gets smaller!

I have a custom Mexican Mauser 257 and during load work-up, no matter the bullet, it always came back to IMR-4350 powder being preferred by a significant margain.

I finally settled on a 100 grain Partition behind good, but not hot, charge of 4350. I get groups under an inch with this rifle, with the majority of the three shot groups hovering around 1/2".

Every deer I've taken with this rifle (75+) has hit the ground and not taken a single step. It's a charmed little rifle. My biggest taken with this rifle was an 8 pointer scoring 140 even and dressing at 242#.

I hope you enjoy your 257 as much as I've enjoyed mine!

Interesting that your "establish a base line" is the 75 grain VMax, mine is the Sierra 90 grain HPBT, not only for the Roberts, but for all 25 calibers I have owned.

My 257 Roberts likes 115 gr. NBT over IMR 4350, great deer load.

That sounds like a great hunting rifle..

That would be my 2nd or 3rd choice, either the 75 grain Sierra HP or the 90 grain Sierra BTHP. I just shoot more 75 grain VMax than all other .257" bullets, so I have more of them on the shelf.

The common old garden variety 100gr Hornady IL is a terrific bullet for deer, antelope etc size critters and the 75gr V Max covers smaller stuff. One of the 4350's covers just about everything for loads you need

The Bob is a wonderful, versatile round and the rifles they reside in are usually light and well balanced. If there is a more accommodating general purpose caliber I am not aware of it.

My 257 is the Ack Imp and i use IMR 4831 but IMR or Hod 4350 would probably be your best place to start. My go to bullet in the 257 is the Nosler 100 gr Partition.

I've had outstanding results from Ramshot Hunter in my .257 Ackley Improved as well as in my son's standard .257 Rob; both with 100 gr bullets. Same goes for IMR-4350 (100s & heavier), H-4831 (115s & heavier), H-380 (75s), and Ramshot Big Game (75s).

As has been mentioned, the now discontinued but still around 100 gr Interlock is a great bullet. NBT of the same weight also. I have grown fond of the 90 gr GMX over a stout load of RS-Hunter sparked by a magnum primer.

I just got a new Roberts and nearly broke down and purchased Prvi Partisan 7x57 brass through Graf's to neck down for it before grabbing a couple UBER EXPENSIVE boxes of Noz instead. Have yet to decide if that was a good choice or not...

Good luck w/ the new rifle; it sounds like a great one!

A couple of questions, what's the AII mag length and if you don't know the barrel I.D., how do you know it has cut rifling?

My favorite .257R load is the 100 TTSX over 47 gr. H100V at 3,250 fps. As gunner says, that load is a real buzz saw.

The reason I asked about the mag length, my Roberts is on a LA M700 and this load is slightly longer than spec.

Here's a link. http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10163944/6

DF

My .257 Roberts likes IMR 4064 with 100gr. bullets, if you're having a hard time finding brass form some out of what was the parent case 7x57.

2.800 mag length.I know because I have worked for a cut rifled barrel manufacturer.One of a half dozen in SE Wi.

Gotcha...

Pictures?

DF