Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 Roberts Help

I have a Winchester M70 Featherweight in .257 Bob. Does anyone know what the twist rate is? Seems it won't shoot 120 gr. bullets worth a damn.
Paul B.

Quite sure they are 1-10. Have you tried a shorter bullet (like a 100 hornady or ballistic tip). I have had a couple 25-06 that had a decided preference for 100 grain bullets.

Paul: Although, I haven't measured the twist, I believe that it is 10".

I have a 257 XTR FWT (from the 80s, and a Shot Show Special 257 M70 FWT from 2012), they both consistently put 120gr Speer Deep Curls into less than MOA. I don't think twist is your problem.

Longer than standard COAL, in a LA 700.

Paul -

You should have a 1-10" twist in that Winchester if it's a factory barrel. However, actual twist may deviate a bit from nominal twist. 1-10" is pretty close to the edge for 120s especially if you are shooting boat tails which are longer. Shilen, for instance, recommends 1-9" for 120s, otherwise 1-10" ... although I've had at least 10 .25 caliber rifles with 1-10" twists without any problems specific to 120s.

If you are shooting boat tails now, I'd try switching to flat based 120s. Doesn't sound like your situation, but if you were having problems with the 115 grain X bullet, I'd suggest going to a cup and core because it will be shorter for the same weight.

I would try finding something that works around 100 grains even if that's not what you want to use in the long run just to be sure the gun is capable of shooting anything, any weight, as well as you want. Then, once success has been proven possible, work back towards heavier bullets. Don't overlook the Hornady 117 grain BTSP and the Nosler 115 grain partition if you can't find happiness with 120s. Nothing you shoot will know the difference.

Tom

Nosler ballistic tips

You can try a number of different powders, bullets, etc... Or you can just load a 100gr TSX or TTSX over 46gr of H4350 and never look back. I've killed probably 15 whitetails along with other critters over the last several years. Had 2 WT that left the spot of impact, the longest run was around 30 yards. All others were DRT. I do center punch shoulders, so that anchors them. But they also expire quickly. That's a Mule Deer pet load I picked up here years ago. Have seen no reason to do anything different.

H-4350 is a classic, H100V is faster with the 100 TTSX. It's not as temp stable as H-4350, but if one isn't hunting in extreme temp environments, the newer powder has the performance edge. Both are accurate IME.

DF

DF,

Thanks for the information. I'm working from a 4 pounder of H4350 I bought a few years back. I've yet to burn it up. At the current pace it may go bad before I burn it all. LOL But I'm making note of the H100V for future reference. It almost seems like a mute point though since my rifle loves the current load so much. It's 3100'ish at the muzzle (if memory serves) and roughly 5/8 to 3/4 inch groups. Hard for me to stray from it. I'll definitely try the blue-tipped bullets eventually, but I got another 100 or so TSX to run through first.

Thanks for the information for myself and everyone else as well.

David Walker

It's been reported that the TTSX opens better than the TSX, especially in smaller calibers.

That H-4350 may age better that we will. I have 60+ yr. old H-4831 that shoots great, no brown dust, smells like new powder. It actually shoots better groups than some of the new stuff.

DF

Your load seems lethal -- and so it proved. A lung shot that nicks the liver is a bit far back and in my experience a bit slower to take effect than one up front. As you know, heart-shot game often sprints, and a fast animal on flat ground can cover 150 yards in very short order. It seems to me a 100-grain Sierra at 2800 fps has plenty of what you need to humanely kill pronghorns and deer at reasonable ranges. Perhaps it needs another chance..... WvZ

In my Custom Ruger 1 257 Roberts I haven't found any load using 100 to 120 grain bullets that did not harvest Coues Deer, Pronghorn, Javelina and Coyotes with commendable rapidity. Currently I load the 120 Speer in front of 48 Grains of IMR 4831, Federal 210 primers, Remington cases. Group size at 100 yards? Very acceptable but probably would cause many to think I used the old M14 pencil if I displayed the targets.

My Winchester model 70 likes 115gr Nosler Partitions better than any of the 117gr or 120gr bullets. RL23 and RL26 and MRP will get you in the 3100fps range. Also RL17. with 110gr Accubonds or 115gr
Nosler partitions. Also very accurate.

The Hornady 117 gr round nose seems to shoot sub-MOA in many .25 caliber rifles even though the bullet is not the first choice of many .25 cal rifle shooters. At most ranges deer are shot the lack of BC is never an issue.

try switching bullets and powders. My Roberts likes IMR 4350 and the 110gr NAB. Very accurate and no animal has taken more than two steps.

I always used 100gr Speer HotCors in my .257 Roberts and was never disappointed. I also used 4350 as the powder. It was one of the easiest calibers I ever loaded for and the rifle and I both loved it. The deer didn't. I sold it to my favorite neighbor kid and he shoots the s**t out of stuff with it still.

Two weeks ago out in the sage brush:

2) Sighted 257 Roberts Arisaka in at 200 yards.
1" 3 shot group at 200 yards
100 gr nosler ballistic tip 46 gr IMR-4451 2.963" OAL jammed into the lands
63.4 kpsi 3231 fps Quickload
2926 fps chrono
2936
2911
Pressure on primers looks very high

3) 250 Savage Savage 12
1" 3 shot group at 200 yards
100 gr Nos Bal Tip 39 gr CFE223, 2.550" OAL
62.5 kpsi 3154 fps Quickload
3115 fps chrono
3197
3253

I did not use either rifle. I shot 5 animals with the 7mmRemMag 140gr accubond long range bullets at 3450 fps.... it was doing better at long range.

As for factory loads I think you are pretty lucky if the Hornady Superformance 117 gr. SST load will shoot well in your rifle. In mine it was terrible 7-9 inches at 100 yards. I used some Pendleton loads bought from Graf's and they were 3-31/2 inch groups with one inexplicable group under 2 inches. Both loadings were too hot for my rifle and it has a pretty long throat. But I could get more than adequate accuracy with reloads using H380, WC852 and AA4350 and 117 to 120 grain bullets. In fact looking around I have my doubts there are any decent factory loads out there for the Roberts.

Ya just never know I have a picky 257. The only reload I’ve found that it likes is an 80TTSX, and I’ve tried a lot of bullets and powders. . Last week the LGS had a clearance on 117 gr core Lokts. I bought a few boxes, mostly for the brass First group in my picky 257 was under an inch.

Does Remington still make that loading?