Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .257 Bob, .300 Win Mag., & 8x57js

I there ANYTHING in North America that can't be covered by that combination? The .257 is an M70 FW with a 4x Weaver Classic, the .300 is a 26" barreled ER Shaw Mk.VII in a Savage 114 stock, Timney Trigger and a Burris FF-II 3-9x40, the 8x57 is a VZ-24 in a McMillan with a 4x Weaver Classic.

I've got a 10/22 for small stuff.

I'd want more scope and power for groundhog hunting. 243, 25-06 or 260????
3-9 is too small for me at 400+ yds.

The .300 does it all.. The .257 would be ok for light stuff... Never had much success with that caliber, but the .25-06 was my choice.. My third choice was the .22-250..

I personally could hunt the rest of my life with just the 257 Roberts, but why limit yourself when there are many other options to choose from. I also like the 300 mag to play with. I just loaded the 130 gr Barnes TTSX with 82 gr's Rel 19 in my 300 Mag and it grouped them right at 3/4 inch at 100 yards , sighted in 2.5 inch high at 100 and will use it some this coming season on a doe or two. You could get by very easy for everything with your two choices of rifle cal.

................................Nope! You are fine.......But for some added fun and spice from the bench and for them really big deer in Wisc, a 338 and a 375 will also add some extra shoulder stimulation to your range sessions..................LOL

Sometimes I wonder if people even read the original question before they answer. Yes your 3 rifles can cover everything you would ever want to hunt in North America from the smallest deer to grizzly and moose, close or far. I would consider a bit more magnification on the 257 but that's just me.

I'd say you are covered just fine, although purely from a "ability" stand point, I don't think there is anything the 8x57 will do that the 300WM won't out do it, including recoil!

Unless you are going after the great bears, the .257 and 8mm will tide you over. I have to go well out of my way to find a colony rodent to shoot, so I have no need for a heavy varmint set up. My caliber choices are a bit different, but the belted cartridges are gone.

Best,

Jack

No, Silly...you need many more rifles.

I hunted with a FXII 4x on my 257R last year and thought that more magnification would be good where I hunt. Switched to a VXIII 2.5-8.

There are a bunch of brown bears in eastern Europe that are cleanly taken with the 8x57 and it would work just as well here, there are lots heavy 8mm bullets that can do the job. The 220 Partition in a 300 magnum is a common load used here for grizzly. I like that the is a bit of overlap between the 3 cartridges so you can have a good back up no matter what you would be hunting.

I also have to say that the 8x57 is one very versatile cartridge, bullets from 125 gr cup and core to premium 250 gr bullets can cover a lot of different hunting. Always thought it was a neat round.

If you're trying to narrow it down why not dump the .300 also? Seems like the 8 can do anything it can do at least species-wise.

The Bob and 300 win mag have all your bases covered. The 8X57 covers the really cool factor and could eliminate both the 257 Bob and 300 win mag if it wanted to with 125 grain bullets or 200's ☺

Trystan

Edited to add I just noticed others already said pretty much what I was thinking. Seriously, one 8X57 is all you really.

I think he needs at least a dozen more calibers.

I came to the same conclusion...I just really like the other 2. There are a couple circumstances where the other 2 would be better choices. Stuff smaller than deer but a little big for the Ruger and I'll grab the .257, if shots over 300 yards are likely, I'll take the .300(of course if weather is bad, the parked 8x57 would get the nod over either of the blues rifles).

Have not tried 125's, but my favorite load is a 200gr Hot-Cor over 53gr of CFE223...VERY nice hole puncher.

I'd not be without a .223. Mine gets used on everythhing from crows, to woodchucks, coyotes and deer.

Nope, that covers the bases. 3 guns will do it all.................. and so will one

The fact is you don't need the 257 or the 8MM!

A 300 with a good 150 grain load, a 180 grain load and a 220 grain load covers all game, from small deer up to bison.
I believe one 30-06 will do all for everything too.

But why would we want to do that? It would be boring.

My rifles go from 22 LR to a 404 Jeffery with many in between. I enjoy shooting them all, and I do so all year long.

I only enjoy hunting with a rifle when I am hunting with it. The rest of the time I like rifles for the shooting, even when I am done hunting.

So one gun is OK for hunting, but to me, it's no where near enough for enjoyment.

My three center fires for big game are the 257 R, 300 WM, but my last is the Ruger .44 mag semi auto carbine.

There's not much left on the table performance wise.

I have other center fire's, but those three have been with me the longest, and were picked as "keepers" over a decade ago.

Unless you are leaving the lower 48...

I'd keep the Roberts, if nothing else, its a Featherweight...

And the CZ due to it being the old school cool factor..

and the 300 Win Mag, would be awfully dusty at my place...

and as mentioned above.. the caliber I shoot the most.. is the 223..

even far more than any 22 long rifle or 17 HMR...