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

Neat, guns and trophy.

Thanks for sharing.

DF

Round oak. Don’t you have any big deer there to try your bob out on. And DD ! Needing is not a reason not to buy something. Common people. Edk

"257 Roberts what's the attraction"

Low recoil. Nostalgia.

shinbone,

I think theoldpinecricker is pretty nostalgic. He keeps mentioning heavier bullets as being superior for deer hunting, which is a good indication that he's still wandering around in the past.

Or he prefers a cheaper, alternative method. There is no need for copper or partitioned bullets. There are options.

In short, he can use what he wants.

I filled my doe tag once with a cast bullet from out of a .257 Roberts. A case of walking out the back door into the woods and realizing as the sun was coming up, and a deer was sneaking past me, that the ammo I managed to grab was a fist full of cast loads I had been playing with in that full-stock M1952 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. Soft cast 100 grain RN bullets at around 1600 fps will definitely do the job. Not a dramatic kill, but she expired within seconds and maybe 50 feet from where I hit her.

Or he has no idea how well cup-and-cores can work in smaller-caliber cartridges. Instead he assumed they won't work as well.

Dunno how many deer and antelope I've killed with cup-and-cores not only with the .257 Roberts but the .220 Swift, .243 Winchester .250 Savage and .25-06. Could look it up in my hunting notes, but am sure its close to 100.

People tend to waaaaay over-think this stuff.

Yes, almost everyone. Use what makes you happy. Use cast. Use C and C. Use partitions. I realize boards like this would disappear if people stopped posting, but the winter blahs and grumpiness are exacerbated by COVID and your election.

Time for everyone to relax and take a few breaths.

The "right" 25-06 came along for me when I shipped an early 2000s Model 70 classic featherweight to "Redneck", in 2009, and he sent it back with a PacNor .25 barrel on it.
First 3 shots at 100 with the 75 VMax covered with a dime, and change due...

I recall him asking if I wanted the 30-06 barrel back.
Nah...I'm good....

I believe you`re asking the question bass-ackwards...cense the 1920s, why have we needed all thoes that followed?

Dam right you should have married her!

Nostalgia. There are better choices with similar recoil.

Ouch! But then I loved the good ole days. I like at least 120 grains. Back when TTSX's didn't exist heavier was better. It was almost all you had.

rickt300,

Apparently you don't have much experience with any other so-called "premium" bullets than TTSXs. They're great bullets--Eileen and I have killed some game every year since they appeared--but I have used a bunch of other bullets that penetrate more than sufficiently on big game from 100-pound animals like pronghorn to 800-1500 pound animals from elk to moose and buffalo. But have shot lengthwise through pronghorn bucks with 120-grain 6.5mm Nosler Ballistic Tips. Won't mention the cartridge because too many here would throw a schidt-fit.

Might also mention that I started using Nosler Partitions back when they were still lathe-turned. The two I first used (because I had so few rifles back then) were the 130-grain .270 and 200-grain Partition. Never recovered any, on game up through elk.

Too heavy for me to carry anymore...

My Kimber MT 257 is just right for that purpose, but it's U G L Y !

I dont know about nostalgia but i dont target deer specifically most times. To me they are mostly incidental if elk season overlaps. As i mentioned earlier, at the moment i dont live where the deer and antelope play but in timbered country. Specifically i spend most time in N Idaho, the Selway, and NW Montana. Sometimes i go north for moose, sometimes ive been in the Crazies, the Beartooths and that region of Montana.

I like heavier bullets but im also a big 338, 348, 358, 375 fanboy. Id probably love the 9.3 too if i had one. But these things are my very favorite. They have some real punch and useful range.

I also like stuff that represents a great deal of usefulness and is cost effective. Thats what ive come to find in 308win and 180gr bullets. Ive also recently aquired for the first time a 270win and jave found a great deal of very affordable factory ammo and also bullet components. I dont know why it took this long to recognize that but finally i did. I cant wait to use it. It makes more sense than a 257 Roberts in that theres a good deal of crossover in weights that are close and the economy and availibity of the 270 is really good. Even now.

Ive nothing against my 257 Roberts. I may be nostalgic because i do love the 348win. But really im not a cool kid and just wonder why a 257 is so revered. I think im finding out it more of a club or "me too" thing but thats alright and nothing wrong with it if it floats ones boat or dingy or yacht.

I like the Partitions a lot but there was a time when bullet weight meant a lot more than it does now. I feel many bullets including some cup n cores have improved greatly since 40 years ago. I still have some lathe turned Noslers in 30 caliber. I used some of the 150 gr. 308's year before last. Think I have a full box of 200 grain old style Partitions. Back in the 70's and 80's I used 150 grain bullets in my 270 and 180's in my 30-06 because both rifles did double duty on elk and deer. I guess I am nostalgic for the era when I used the heavier bullets most, I used Partitions then when I could get them. Or Speer Hotcors when I couldn't. Now having just at least one rifle in all the major bore diameters up to .358 I play with lots of different bullets. For do it all deer hunting using cup and core bullets I still like at least 120 grain bullets. I will use lighter bullets though depending on how and where I am hunting. If recoil isn't a problem the heavies can still work just fine. My 260 is loaded with 100 gr. Partitions right now pushed to an easy 3200 fps. Works pretty good and I can't think of anything I wouldn't use that load for that I would a 120 gr. Bullet. Soon as I accept reality I am going to pick one bore diameter and use it for all my big game hunting and two for coyotes. Thinking about that I realize the impossibility of it......

Right! ..... Deer are not that big or hard to kill.

I always used Hornady 100gr SPs in my 257 w/o any troubles but may have to switch soon when they run out.

Last Wednesday I found a box of them on a table at a flea market for $11.. Will try em when the brass loaded with 100 gr. Ballistic tips is empty.