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

I love the Bob a lot. Had an AI’d Bob now I wish I’d not have sold that. It performed like a .25-06.

I now have a 6.5-06 which, due to an erroneous ROT claim on GB, it won’t shoot anything heavier than a 100 GR so it’s essentially a .25-06 and running TTSXs at full throttle it’s a KILLER!

So yeah I’ll side with Tom’s lame rifle loonie idea that they’re both awesome.

I just built a 25-06 in the way I always wanted.

2506 AI
26" Benchmark Barrel
1:7 twist
on a gorgeous #1 Action





Before after Cream of wheat treatment

That looks pretty wicked Fotis!

I'm hoping the 130 grain class Blackjack bullets and Hammer Bullets will be liked at 3100 fps or so

I know this is an old post but thought I’d see if any opinions have changed.
For me I’m a 1/4 bore fanatic.
I have 3 25wssm, 25/06, and my favorite Sako custom 25/06 AI, and a 257 bee that I’m quickly taking a liking to.
I shoot 115bt in the 25 wssm, 110 accubombs in both 25/06 and 100 gr ttsx in the bee. They all have their nitch. I would be comfortable shoot at whatever distance I needed to but the little wssm is handy for shorter range while the ackley is built just right for all around. The weatherby is 26” barreled and works perfect for hunting off the ground over bean fields.
I have bought and tried many different rifles through the years but always make my way back to the 25s

Kimber Roberts worked a few weeks ago for me. 256 yards. 100 grain Interlock.

If you handload and want max efficiency and a short action, the 250AI is extremely hard to beat.

80ttsx at 3565fps and 115vld and 2950fps is crazy impressive with such light recoil. Of course you can do the same with a 25-06 but with more powder, more recoil and long action.

A bud and I had rifles built at the same time by a local gunsmith. His a .25 Souper on a M700 SA, and mine .257 Bob on a M77 LA. We hunted the hell out of those rifles on Mulies and Pronghorn.
Another bud and I would hunt Black Bear together with our .25's - his a 25-06. This is where a 300lb BB is a big bear.

These days the .257 Bob is my dedicated Pronghorn getter using 110 gr. NABs exclusively.

Ran a Rem 700 25-06 back in the 70's with the 120 Sierra SPBT. Killed a smallish mule deer with a Texas heart shot which exited the chest. As a youngster, I moved on and sold the rifle. Didn't get my first 257 Roberts until about 10 yrs back when I was looking to build a super wood stocked custom rifle; caliber undecided, though I had a list of 1/2 dozen possible candidates. Talked to a gent on the East coast who had a Pre '64 M70 action for sale. He asked what it was for. Ended up selling me his recent acquisition he commissioned Glen Morovitz of South Dakota. A mis-communication in the LOP when placing the order is what caused the sale to me. It took a bit of experimentation but have figured out how to get it to shoot. It's a "fair weather" rifle; sunshine and snow but no rain! I've taken does and cows. My son and step son have both taken their first deer with it. It will be the last rifle I ever sell. In fact, it's going to my son when i'm gone.





Several years later I picked up a Kimber for more foul weather use. I really enjoy both rifles. Getting ready to run another reload series with our new Barnes Bullets 101 gr LRX and IMR 4451.

Any of these 25s with today's powders & bullets kill way above their size! I still prefer the shape of the 40 deg Roberts over the original, love a 25-06 for all around and nothing beats a 257 Wby for "point and shoot" out to 350 or so...it "seemed" to me!

I’ve had several 25-06’s, never a Roberts, never say never. You all are making me want one.

Nothin's better for Hill Country hunting!

I like both of them.

And yeah, the .257 is a handloaders cartridge, but in reality the 25-06 is too...
Not an issue with me as I've been loading since I was in high school

What cartridge can a guy use and not wanna load for?

I’ve got two Robs - a 77mk II that is super hard to get shooting well & a M70 XTR FWT that digests everything like it was accidentally supposed to shoot under 1”. I guess that’s the story of the Roberts & the guns that were factory chambered for it.

Like someone said the .257’s of any stripe kill better than they should - surprisingly so.

I had my Model 70 FWT rebarreled to .257AI. It was pretty finicky so I had it rebarreled again to .25-06.

Not much difference in velocity, less work to form, and the .25-06 seems less fussy although my best groups so far have been 100 GR bullets.

I think my .257 AI barrel was a lemon but not upset that I now have a .25-06 on my featherweight.

I also have a Ruger 77 Mark II that shoots the 120 Speer BTSP very well.

I picked up a Ruger Tanger the other day in .25-06. Trying to figure out how to justify keeping a third one around. Maybe load it with light bullets and use it as a dedicated rock chuck rifle???

I think my 6mm-06 is superior ballistically due to bullet options but doubt I will ever be without a 1/4 bore. I just like them.

I’ve had 5 each .257 Roberts, a 722, 2 M70 XTRs, a Savage 110, and a M77. All sold or traded except the M77 which I still have. They were all good shooters. The 77 I still have shoots near cloverleaf groups at 100 yards if I’m having a good day.

Here's my .257 Roberts, a Ruger #1-A, that I bought thru Lipsey's. It took some work to get her to shoot, but it is now a 1 MOA shooter with Barnes TTSX bullets and H 100V powder. It's 22" barrel and short action makes for a very compact, easy to carry firearm for when I don't need a long-range rifle, like meat-hunting for whitetails and fallow deer in timber. Recoil feels very light and manageable, and the addition of a Jard trigger was a huge improvement in the factory trigger pull.

Don't have a problem with either as I have both. Looking at the ammo shelves today at stores the normal guy would conclude he needs a 223 and 308. Haven't seen any factory 243,257, and 25-06 ammo for sale in a STORE for over a year. Mb

I currently have a 257 AI on a tang safety M77, which was also a pain to get shooting good. Went through a lot of bullet/powder combos but finally got a load with the 115 NP between 1/2-3/4 groups with imr4831 and a little better with Barnes 100 TTSX and RL-22.

Also have a 25-06 M70 in a MPI stock that'll do 1/4" with the 100 TTSX and RL22.

Just put in an order for a 25 bbl to become a 25-06 on a Springfield 1903, and I'm being very tempted to order a 250 Savage bbl for my M70 Lightweight, that is currently a 243, and I'm also ordering a standard 257 Bob bbl for a VZ.24 I picked up a few months ago.

25's are for the loonies!

Even though your's is an AI and my custom is a standard Bob, it too is finicky. like yours it like the 115 NP/PT....IMR 4831 combo. it was the first combination i was finally able to get to shoot in this rifle.

Alan