Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 Roberts whats the attraction

Got one, guy gave me a bag of new Remington brass and some once fired stuff and bullets. Im looking at the rifle and components and im thinking to myself what in the world would i use this for or use it on. I kinda dont get it. Ive used a 308win a lot and cant really find a role where the 257 might be advantageous or hold some reason to use it. My location is out west but is not open country but rather timbered logging country and brush. Hardly the place where the deer and antelope play. Last year i had a large Bighorn ram living 40 yards from my door but im not a sheep hunter and he wasnt susposed to be living there. Same with mtn goats.

Anyway i was wondering what folks use them for since the 308 win is usually far more common, hucks heavier missles as does the 270. Not saying its bad or junk. I just dont get it.

Morning!

Practical reasons: The .257 is an effective smallbore that would surprise you in its ability to kill out of its small size. The 115gr Partitions kill like a .270 130gr at least I can’t tell any difference except recoil is lighter. In today’s high BC world, the .257 is lagging behind the .243 bore in terms of slippery bullets but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a shorter range cartridge. Pretty efficient with both powder & bullets as well. Same parent case as the 6mm Rem & 7mm Mauser so it’s a mid length cartridge holding a bit more powder than the true short action .308 based rounds.

Romantic reason: The .257 Robert’s has a great story of development and harkens back to a simpler time in our country when rifles were looked at differently and owning a dual-purpose rifle (varmints & deer etc) was attractive because financially many were only able to own one rifle.

* I’m not a gun writer so take my opinion with several grains of salt. I’m sure MuleDeer will chime in - he’s spent a lifetime with the .25’s and can offer a much more in-depth response than I ever could.

Tim

]We had a discussion about the 257 Roberts not too long ago:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...mier-deer-round-at-one-time#Post15158658


Quoting from my response:

Being a fan of the 25’s I have used the 257 Roberts a good bit (since 93). It kills deer as neatly as you can ask. The little rifle just pops and deer just lay down. The Roberts is a gentleman you will like if you give it a try.
I know someone will chime in about high BC bullets and all that, but the Roberts is about killing game. I have not missed an opportunity because I wasn’t shooting a .700 G7. I would happily hunt most of North American game with one.
GreggH

There really is no reason to own one. You can send it to me.

Love mine. It’s a custom small ring Mexican Mauser with a Douglas XX grade barrel. It’s the connection with the past that’s a nice bonus in my eyes. She was given to me by a man that was like a second father to me as he was dying from cancer. We buried him two days before deer season opened and there was no doubt I would honor him by taking her out that opening morning. I knew I’d take a buck...there was zero doubt in my head. Fifteen minutes on the stand and I found myself gutting a nice buck with misty eyes. It never happens like that in my little world.

The rifle has turned out to be a peculiar little demon. Every deer I’ve ever shot with it has fell right there...two feet to the ground. By my records I’ve taken almost two hundred deer with it. Every one with a Nosler 100 grain partition driven with 42 grains of IMR-4350 and a WLR primer...that’s all she likes, but she loves that load. 1/2” groups at 100 yards every time. My best buck with that rifle went 240 pounds and scored 142” as an 8 pointer.

Let's get right down to it. I'll argue that the vast majority of what we all own will do 98% of what and how we hunt. To exclude .22 CFs, I have in hunting rifles.

.257 Roberts
6.5x55
.270
7-08
.275 Rigby
.300 Savage
.30-06
.300 H&H

I think I could easily pick up any of them and go hunt virtually anything in North America and do just fine. Now, some are lighter and some are heavier, some are single shot, some are levers, most are bolts, some are scoped and some not, those that are scoped vary in scopes. Don't get me started on why I own more than one of some of these calibers! Really it's more the platform than the cartridge, especially as a hand-loader with access to so many bullet types.

Now I know that I have just put the renewal of my rifle looney membership card in jeopardy with that statement but to reply to "why a .257 Roberts", why not! It has a neat history, a wide range of bullets and powders that work and it comes in a full range of interesting rifles as it's been a factory loaded round for 87 years! Glory in the "because I want one" freedom we have as Americans to engage in "full bore linear looneydom" to twist a phrase from the late Patrick F. McManus.

You're right, there's really no need for any of these various chamberings and calibers. Let's just all get a .30-30 and be done with it.

Mild recoil, great deer rifle, many cartridges do as well or better. I have had two, both are gone, a .308 is far better. There are also several short 7mm"s that will do the same or better.,

The Roberts is a pure joy to shoot...bottom line. 117g Sierra and a 120g speer btsp just hammer deer.

I purchased a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 7mm-08 this year and I am going to put a lightweight Leupold scope on it and use it for all of my hunting. Okay, at least that is my plan for right now. Not sure what I am going to do with the 243, 257, 270, 280, 308, 30-06, 32, 325, 338.

It’s just a pleasant round to shoot, I like shooting the 75 grain Vmax for yotes and such and the 100 grain partition for deer.

Not this again!

I see a lot of gaps there. We need to work on that for you.

Just that fresh Hell we've been anticipating!

If you want to sell, send me a PM. I'm looking for a 257 since someone has pried mine out of my fingers.

I like old Mausers, found one in .257 R, why not? 'everybody says ya gotta have one'.... it has features I like, Greener safety, DST's, lever floorplate release, and so on. Developed an accurate load for it easy peasy.
But, there it sits. And sits. Maybe I'll get it re-bored.

Why do I suspect you have a .300 Sherwood to sell?

I need something in between my 310 cadet and my 32/20.

Sold it already. Ammo can't be found on the 24Hour Classifieds, so what good is it?