Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 25-06 and 257 Roberts

I expected the 25-06 to really be popular but it just didn't happen. The 257 gets far more interest here on the 'Fire but I am sure the number of 25-06's out there far exceeds the number of 257 rifles. I have owned three 25-06 rifles 2 were Remington 700 BDL's and one was a custom Mauser. All shot MOA with a number of loads. I sold all three because for what I hunt the 270 offers a bit more overall. I have a 257 presently, a Ruger 77 that took a lot of fooling around with to get it to shoot MOA and that is with only a couple of bullets. I own three 270 rifles and all three easily shoot MOA with a number of different bullets. This said I found the 25-06 to be an excellent flat shooting deer rifle and a jackrabbit destroyer. But there are a number of less loud varmint guns on hand and the 25-06 didn't do anything on deer I couldn't do with a 270. So they went down the road. The 25-06 probably couldn't beat the 243/6MM as a combination deer/coyote round and being a long action round the rifles weighed just as much as your average 270 or 30-06. I'm thinking the market for combination deer/varmint rifles is getting smaller because we all have varmint rifles, deer rifles and rifles that can do both elk and deer. I would build another 257 before I would build a 25-06 though I still have dies for both.

I love the .257 Roberts. Mild recoil and I run 100 gr bullets at just over 3000fps with excellent accuracy. Very lethal on deer and pronghorn.
Like you, I have owned .25-06's. Can't say anything negative about them either, but if I want to go "bigger" than the .257 Roberts, I have an arsenal of .270's, .280's and .30-06's to choose from. Never really saw any reason to keep the .25-06's.
That being said, if I were limited to just one rifle, the .25-06 would receive strong consideration.
Both my kids started on the .257 Roberts.

WB

The basic difference is that you can push a 117 grain or 120 grain bullet in the .25-06 to about the same velocity as a 100 grain bullet in the .257 Roberts. For overall use, however, on deer-sized game the .257 is plenty adequate.

I had a ruger 77 in 257 I bought new. it shot awful! i had a sako model 75 new in the box in 25-06 I rebuilt a transmission for a gunsmith friend of mine on a trade. it was great! the biggest whitetail doe i have ever seen here in SC I killed her with it using 120gr. sierra BTHP gameking and a full charge of H4831 that doe had to be 150lbs! that is huge for here, they run about 90-110lbs,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The 257 Roberts is popular on sites like this because it has a "cool factor" and rifle looneys mostly load their own ammo and are able to tailor a load, or loads, that shoots good groups in his/her rifles. It isn't popular among average hunter/shooter because factory rifles and ammo are both fairly uncommon in most places.

I've been shooting the 257 Roberts for over 50 years in both standard and AI formats. I currently have 11 standards and 2 AIs. It is a good cartridge if you reload, not so much if you depend on factory ammo, I have come to the conclusion that the 243 will do almost anything that a person would buy a 257 Roberts for and do it easier and at a lower cost.

Being a 257 and 257AI guy, I didn't get my first 25-06 until later in life, but now like it pretty well. I like the 25 WSSM more than any of the other .257" bore cartridges because I like the Winchester/USRA 70 WSSMs, speed in a handier size rifle.

I have used and liked the .250 Savage, .257 Roberts and .25-06. My primary interest in the .25 calibers is a deer / antelope rifle used on the great plains. For that the .25-06 is clearly superior for my needs. I don't own a .250 or .257 any more. I found my one .257 Roberts ( a Model 70 Win. FWT push feed) very fussy to load for, and only a couple bullets would shoot well. 2800 fps with 120's was uninspiring but deadly at reasonable ranges. The three .250's that I owned, 2 Savage 99's and a Ruger 77 were hampered by case capacity / bullet speed and /or twist rate and bullet weight that they would shoot. The .25-06 accurately delivers a 100 -120 grain bullet at speeds that don't require hold over at the ranges I choose to hunt. Perfect. My Sako AV 25-06 isn't leaving my hands any time soon.

.257 for short or intermediate-length actions and .25/06 for long ones would be my choice if I ever go down that road again. Performance on deer should be pretty much a wash between the two. .25/06 can do .257 ballistics in “second gear”.

Everything I've ever hit with 25-06 has went straight down. No fuss and brass is everywhere. The Roberts has a unique name but I've never messed with it...preferring 6 creed/6.5 creed in short action.

That about sums it up for me too; .257 Rob is an intermediate length action cartridge, so fewer rifles put there that are “perfect” and need to customize is there. On the other hand they can function acceptably through a short such as the Kimber 84M.

Long is 06 and there are lots of good factory rifles available in that fine cartridge so less need to go custom.

I have both of them and other 25’. The Roberts has given me more in the track kills than any other round. It just seems perfect for SC deer.
GreggH

I have had several .25-06s and still have the last.. I use it some but it used to be one of my 3 top choices.. Had one .257 Roberts.. It was a dog and went down the road.. If I had it today, I wouldn't sell it I would give it away to someone I didn't like..

Especially in the AI version.. That. I recall that the original Roberts rounds were pretty anemic - 117gr bullets limited to something around 2400 fps.. I don't remember why it was done at the time.. Modern ammo and books show 117s at more like 3000 or a hair over... (24" barrel)..

I have a M70 FWT in .257 that I dearly love.. It's just so comfortable to shoot and to carry.. It would be one of the very last rifles I'd sell.

😂😂

I’ve liked the .25’s since my first BDL 25-06 from way back in the 1900’s (as my kids say )
Still own a Pre’64 Model 70 .257 Roberts, Kimber Montana.257 Rob and a Rem700 Classic in .250 Savage.
I’m always on the lookout for a lightweight 25-06 Kimber or Rem Mtn rifle.


Kimber Montana Bob collecting meat-

Fine place to die.

I have a 25-06 in a 700 and a 257 Rob AI. For some reason I can’t explain I love the 257 Rob AI more than the 25-06. I think my Roberts is a little more accurate. Velocity is pretty close to the same, less than a 100fps difference between them. I don’t think the deer notice 🤷🏼‍♂️.

Have both had better luck with 25-06's than bobs.the 25-06 is great on antelope and deer with 120 's while 100 gr bullets are better in the bob imho. My 1st 2 Bob's were short action and won't go there again the last a m77RL has a 3.1 box and is fine. Low recoil easy to shoot well. MB

I'm keeping my Roberts because it was such a pain to dial in. I mean if I were to sell it I would have to put it back the way it was when I got it so the next guy could burn 3-400 rounds figuring it out. I have a goodly number of bullets it shoots well in the 115 to 120 grain range. Plus so far it has been a one shot killer every time though one deer ran a ways (100 yards). I might someday put a new longer barrel on it but as long as it keeps shooting like it is it will stay like it is.

Never owned a 257 Roberts.. but I like old school stuff the best...

but I have a lot of brass around here, that is stamped 257 Roberts on the bottom....

I use it to make 6.5 x 57 rounds... my favorite cartridge...

and then there is the 6mm Remington....my second favorite cartridge...

both on long actions... where they are kinda like the same concept the Creedmoor is...

if I was 20 years younger, and could fill a wish list....it would include a Model 54 in 250 Savage or 257 Roberts...or a Model 30 S Rem.

old stuff that worked long ago, has a cool factor a lot more so than the latest greatest cartridge on the month club...

Love that picture....feels like simpler times...

and I miss back east forest scenes...hunting or hiking in them...