Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game .257 Weatherby culling results.

I was asked to post some results of a recent deer cull hunt we did in Southern Australia, so here goes. There were 2 shooters, 3 calibers and 7 bullets used, and 500 animals taken, mostly fallow does and red hinds.we were expected to differenciate between male and female hornless yearlings too. Bear in mind that a hunt conducted to help control population may be lacking in some of the comforting niceities, and there is next to nothing pretty about it. On the other hand, its a lot of shooting. we averaged about 35 a day apiece.

So anyways here's the Readers Digest condensed version.

I was using a completely stock but very accurate Weatherby Lazerguard in .257 Weatherby as a main gun. The base load that I brought with me was the 115 grain NBT loaded with IMR 7828. The air-line limit of 5 Kilograms allowed 170 rounds. Three other loads were assembled in camp on a hand press, namely the 110 Accubond, 100 grain Swift Scirroco and finally the 80 TTSX all using ADI powders which as many of you know produces the Hodgdons powders we use over here. Ranges varied from zero to 700 yards, with most somewhere around the middle.

The 115 grain NBT is a bit sturdier than people give it credit for. It was a fast killer of the little fallows which are about pronghorn sized, and entirely adequite for the red hinds which ranges from the size of small whitetail for yearlings on the low end to some that would pass for a really nice cow elk. Exits were routine and DRTs likewise routine. I believe that the 100 grain would have been the perfect match for the fallows.They are pretty small.

Next in line is the 110 Accubond. It was surprisingly close to the NBT in performance, perhaps a little slower on rib hits on the little fallows and good on the reds. Exits could be expected. Shoulders were better than ribs. This H1000 load ( A2217) didn't survive the American to Australian translation well, and I was reluctant to shoot it much past 500. It also started showing pressure signs even when I backed it off a couple. These things happen.

The Swift proved to be a pretty tough bullet. If you just got lungs on the fallows you could count on a run even if it wasn't a long one, shoulders were much better. The bullet came into its own on the reds. Getting twofers on purpose with it became a bit of a game when my driver/guide/spotter/identifier/friend asked for them. Picking the right animal out of the herd and not killing the one behind it or in front can be frustrating, but sometimes two you want will line up. He was also prone to asking for random head shots, sometimes for no particular reason. What can I say, he's an Aussie. They do that.

The wheels fell off with the TTSXs. I was at least hopeful that the 3950 fps velocity would compensate for the copper bullets but that didn't prove to be the case.If you ever have a pressing need for something to die somewhere else this is your bullet. Practically everything that wasn't spined or brained ran, and many that fell to the shot got up an ran. you can't hear them hit, and most animals didn't even look hit. When we weren't looking for cripples we were getting the dogs to look for them. finding blood was a fantasy. We went out lamping one night (just once) with a another guide and a neighbouring property owner who is in the deer business as well as we could have some witnesses. Comments there were pretty damning. My favorite was "they shouldn't be allowed to sell those foooooking things".

So there you have it. I was predicting that the results would come in in a fastest killing order as presented. Softest to hardest, which also translated to least penetrating to most penetrating. It hasn't completely escaped my notice that the order is also heaviest to lightest, and slowest to fastest but they aren't that far apart except for the 80 grain outlier.

Amazing to me how radically different bullets perform for different people. My son has shot quite a bit with the 80gr TTSX in a 25-06. Even a brown bear. Total penetration and mostly DRT.

I have only watched about 30-35 Accubonds used and have yet to see a pass-through, even on smallish stuff. Watched a Kodiak bear take four 270gr Accubonds in the ribs from a 375H&H... all were caught.

A lot more questions than answers...

Interesting stuff. Sounds like quite the testing ground.

Awesome write up. The Accubond, NBT and Swift are three of my favorites in my 25-06. Sounds like all three are worked pretty well. Thanks again for taking the time to write it up.

Nice write up with actual results. Good info to have, thanks.

I can't imagine shooting 500 animals. Something so fun could turn into a job with numbers that high.

Speaking of questions, when did they start making a 270 grain Accubond?

I'm guessing he meant the 260 gr .375" Accubond which has worked out nicely for me.

Thanks for the detailed write-up on the culling efforts! That had to be interesting, to say the least. The 115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip has become my favorite .25-06 bullet. Mostly I use it for mule deer & pronghorn antelope, with the odd coyote thrown in now and again. Accurate and very lethal.

I'm a bit envious of all the shooting experience you got on that trip!

Regards, Guy

I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, that's for sure. First off, cut it in half because my partner shot the other half. Still, its a lot of shooting, killing and recoil because its day after day relentlessly. I did a 14 day one once, ending up with 390 animals of which 112 were water buffalo. Since the 2nd week was all .458 Win Mag there were times when I would wonder if I was having fun or not.

Model70Guy,

That is some interesting info. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Size/attitude of the animals being shot? Hasn't your son been primarily shooting things like moose, caribou, and bears in the shoulders?

I will say that the culling report has a very similar nuance to what would be expected from the NZ website that reports all of his bullet experiences/expectations.

Basically, a soft-fronted tough-butted heavy-for-caliber C+C bullet started at 3000 or more kills ungulates very well. Everything else becomes a compromise from that ideal.

I'd be curious to hear your load with the 80 ttsx? You chronographed these loads?

I've shot and seen shot a decent pile of whitetail does and pronghorn antelope with 80 grain TTSXs from a 257 Roberts AI, and even more with the 80 grain TSX from the 270 at 3800-3900 fps. The results were essentially the opposite of what you described. Animals were very dead, very quickly.

My error... they were actually 300gr Accubonds in a vanilla H&H.

Cannot say any one aiming point... brown bear was twice through the heart broadside, once from each side. Bear made about 150 yards, dead bear running. At that point it twirled in place, absolutely painting a huge circle, then died and rolled another hundred yards.

He has also used CNS, shoulders, and frontal chest shots on deer, moose, caribou, mountain goat, etc...

Barnes bullets are a funny subject. People that shoot them and don't like them really don't like them. People that shoot them and like them really really like them and are very sensitive about any negative that surrounds them. Almost like talking bad about their mothers.

I'm in the group that shot them on one Africa trip and was wondering why they were for sale to begin with..

Thanks for taking the time for the write up.

Todd

And you let him shoot a big bear with an 80 grain bullet? Isn't that like letting a kid play on an LA freeway?! Haha

72 grain of H4831, or 2213. I can get the same results with old 7828. That's a smidge over Barnes data. The loads were all chronographed in Canada, those loaded in camp in Australia weren't.

Not really a stunt and he is an adult, so he got to choose. The bear was not really much more than a monster black bear for size... 150 yards broadside and unaware.

Wow, how is it things have stayed rather civil, on topic and not on the 5th page already?

Ive seen other .257cal Barnes X threads drift to people telling how much they then hated the .270win because J. O'Connors rifle
would only group 1.5" moa with Noslers... and that he didn't deserve to be a popular well read gun author because of it.....

Great write up, thanks for the field report.

More importantly, how can I get a job do this too.

I am ALSO from Saskatchewan - that should count for something??:)