Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 257 weatherby bullet choice

I've been reading here for a long time and decided to make an account so I could ask a few questions.

I recently acquired a 257 weatherby that I plan on using for antelope and mule deer out to 500 yards. I want to start load development soon and am trying to decide which bullet I want to use. 

I'm leaning towards 100 grain bullets at around 3500 fps. For those of you who have experience with this cartridge, should I use a premium bullet ( barnes, scirocco II, partition ect.) Or will any of the cheaper bullets work just as well?

I have imr 7828ssc, reloder 26, h4831 and ramshot magnum. I plan on starting with magnum, but will listen to any recommendations there as well.

I've had several 257s. Both vanguard and mkv. 100gr ttsx or 110 accubonds. Pick the one that shoots best and good to go.

Mine loves the 100 TTSX, and I am knocking on 3700 fps, so sighted in at 285 yards, I can hold hair out to 400 yards.

100 grain TTSX and the mic has been dropped

Cheap bullets and the 257Wby don't mix well. I started mine out on factory 100gr SPs, the cheapest factory ammo available. They worked fine as long as the shots were out at distance, say 250yds and beyond. Killed like lightning. They showed their weakness when a deer stepped out at 40-50yds and the bullet exploded on impact on a broadside shot. I got the deer, but it took a long tracking job and another finishing shot. Extreme velocity is the enemy of cheap bullets, and that's the whole purpose in using the 257Wby. 100gr TTSX and RL22 is the standand load for the 257.

I have used 117 grain Sierra Pro Hunters for years and years. I drive them with 70 grs. of 7828. This load was listed in the American Hunter magazine by IMR in the early eighties when this powder became available. My testing I could not get the same bullet in boat tail to shoot for anything but the flat base works well. IMHO boat tail bullets in Weatherby's are best given a wide berth.

The TTSX may penetrate well but IMO the BC is not that great for longer shots. Antelope hunts typically have some pretty good breezes.

My personal favorite is Berger's 115 VLD. Second choice would be the 110 accubond. Both have higher BCs.

I crunched some numbers using Nosler's load data with fastest listed velocity for each bullet

4000 ft 59 degrees scope height 1.6" 10 mph crosswind

100 TTSX @ 3500 fps 14.1" drift at 500 yds. energy 1425 ft/lb
110 Accubond @ 3480 fps 11.5" drift " " energy 1676 ft/lb
115 VLD @ 3433 fps 9.8" drift " " energy 1855 ft/lb

In my experience the 115 VLD will yield more velocity that 3433 fps that Nosler lists, using RL-25 or RL-33 due to less bearing surface than the 115 Ballistic tip or partition.

emtyhopper,

I load the Barnes 100 gr. TTSX for my .257 Wby. Mk. V.
72.0 gr. of RL22 gives a MV of 3700 fps, and sub-moa accuracy. Performance on deer, antelope, elk is outstanding.

I’ve owned three .257 Weatherbys, a MkV, an Accumark and a custom Ruger No.1. The first two shot best with the (now out of production) Hornady 120 HP. Designed for large cases and big game, it shot very well (aggs well under 1 moa) and performed great on deer and caribou out to ~400 yards with max loads of 7828 for ~3350 fps. In spite of armchair hunters who would decry its relatively low BC (0.358) it performed extremely well when actually hunting. IMO the reason for its great performance (moa and expansion/penetration) was the long full-diameter shank.

I used to like the 100-grain bullets in the big .257, but considerable experience using the 120s changed my mind. When choosing a bullet I would spend less time agonizing over ballistics tables and worry more about great game performance...regardless of the bullet’s BC or popularity. Long range and the resulting lower bullet velocities will challenge bullet expansion with some designs.


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Well I AM one to agonize over BC when I hunt coues wt and antelope. Now if I shot those coues at just a few hundred yards then it wouldn't matter. Typical coues wt hunting has the bigger bucks at least 1/4 mile away and usually there is some wind. Wind is the one variable that is best dealt with using high BC bullets for those longer shots. Drop is easily compensated for with rangefinder and a reliable scope.

........ one of the armchair agonizers

i been shooting 257 Weather Mags around 15 years all with custom barrels Remingtons,Winchesters,Weatherby`s mark 5s and Ruger # 1`s my favorites are the #1`s. all have shot very well out to 500 yards . the 2 best bullets i prefer are Nosler partition 100 gr. and Swift A-Frame 100 grain have worked great on deer and antelope. the deer we shoot in northern Minnesota are big too up to 180- 250 lbs. dressed. you will enjoy using this cartridge 257 W.Mag.the one thing i would add to your rifle is a bi-pod for those long shots. good luck,Pete53

110 Accubonds

Well I took my rifle to the range this morning and shot 3 different factory loads through it. 100gr. SP, 110gr. Accubond and 120 gr. Partitions. It shot the 100gr. SP the best out of the 3 with a 1" group (100 yards)

The rifle is a vanguard S2 with a walnut stock that I bought used, but it looks brand new. It came with a Nikon monarch 3 4-16x50 and 5 boxes of factory ammo for a really good price.

I believe I'm going to start load development with a 100 grain barnes ttsx and Ramshot Magnum. After this morning I have decided I'm going to wait until this fall to start. 85° with 90% humidity is no fun, and neither is waiting 5 to 10 minutes between shots for the barrel to somewhat cool down.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.

your rifles barrel twist might like 100 grain bullets better,i use Reloader 22 powder and i also hate hot muggy weather too for shooting

That's a good place to be..

AFAIK, all Vanguards had the later quick twist rate so that “shouldn’t “ be the reason. I have used a lot of RL22 in my .257s and had good results, but IMR7828 shot the 120s better.

BTW, here it’s currently 82* with 20% humidity.....


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True but they come apart like a bomb, sometimes too soon. I've used them and I personally was not impressed. I like the 100 TTSX and the 100 Accubond at 3500 fps or so

The only thing that didn’t impress me about the 257 was barrel life. I’ve had several and I like to shoot. Mine spent a lot of time at the gunsmith getting a new barrel. Hasbeen

The five of us have used the 115 VLD in the 257 W for close to a decade. Impact velocities run from 3300 fps to 2600 fps. None of the bullets have come apart violently. Many exited. To date animals taken with NO issues:

26 coues wt
6 elk
4 mule deer
2 antelope
2 javelina