Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How many reloads are you getting with your .257 Weatherby Mag?

Just like I'd never use a long-barreled, single-shot in 257 Wby to shoot 60 yards in a tamarack swamp.

I got 6x from my original lot of new 80 WBY cases before parting ways with the rifle (a swell custom on a 700 action).

Well, after all the input, most good, I went and bought a no go primer pocket gauge since I felt that the go gauge was a little loose.

The no go gauge does not enter the pocket. I also tested to see if I could push a primer in by hand, and could not. This was all done with 4x fired brass.

I pulled my rifle out of the dumpster this morning along with the brass.

Thanks for the entertainment. BTW, my Bartlein barrel does have the "Weatherby Chamber".

I've got some PMC brass that has been loaded 9 times but I never get over 5 or 6 loads on Norma or Weatherby brass. My brother uses RWS 7 mm Mag brass in his 257 bee it ends up a little shorter than factory loads but lasts like my old PMC brass.

That PMC is very good brass, unfortunately no longer available. Years ago Keith - on here - had several different headstamps hardness tested. The PMC came out hardest by something like 4 or 5 pts on the Rockwell scale. It's real good stuff. Mine .257 was chambered with that 0 freebore reamer cut 050" shorter to work with 7mag or 264 brass. But I've always used PMC. Rel 22 with a Sierra 100 just shy of the lands are at 3982 and 4010 out of a 29" Hart 12twist. Accuracy is about 1/4". Awesome cartridge/gun.

Not long after Nosler introduced their brass I bought some from SPS in two different cartridges.

Moderate loads produced ejector marks. Minimum loads produced ejector marks. Once fired cases I could sometimes start a primer into the pocket with my fingers. The ejector on my M700’s would shave so much brass it would jam the ejector plunger. Beating the bolt against the tire of my truck would sometimes pop the ejector loose, otherwise when I got home I would have to remove the plunger and spring to clean the brass shavings out.

A friend of mine looked at the brass and said “If I didn’t know better this looks like Norma brass”. A light bulb went on—I had tried Norma brass a couple times decades ago with similar results.

A phone call to SPS got nowhere. A phone call to Nosler and they conceded “Most of our brass is being made by Norma”.

I can’t speak for current production Nosler brass, but Norma brass and my experience with NormaNosler brass really is one step short of silly putty.

Nosler is allegedly making their own brass these days, but I’m afraid to try it……..

That PMC is very good brass, unfortunately no longer available. Years ago Keith - on here - had several different headstamps hardness tested. The PMC came out hardest by something like 4 or 5 pts on the Rockwell scale. It's real good stuff. Mine .257 was chambered with that 0 freebore reamer cut 050" shorter to work with 7mag or 264 brass. But I've always used PMC. Rel 22 with a Sierra 100 just shy of the lands are at 3982 and 4010 out of a 29" Hart 12twist. Accuracy is about 1/4". Awesome cartridge/gun.