Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight in .257 Roberts

hey everyone, i have just been passed down a Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight in .257 Roberts from my "uncle" that passed away. he use to reload and i currently dont.


ammo is very limited in Australia for this calibre. has anyone tried 117gr core lokts in this rifle?

if so, how did they go?




Thank you and happy hunting / shooting

I have always liked core lokts for deer. If those are available, I would get one or two boxes and see how your rifle likes them. If they shoot well, you could pick up a few more while you are looking for other brands.

thanks very much Deer man

You very, very lucky dog... (drool)

X2

Those were great looking rifles. I can’t think of a better chambering for one than .257 Roberts.

I shoot 120 Speers in mine without any issues.

I did use the 117gr core lokts, they were round nose. I wasn’t impressed with how they performed on deer but they were very accurate.

I saw a WW 257 Rbts in better than I expected condition the other day in a out of the way Dealer's shop at what seems a decent price. Back in the earlier days than my current 79 years old, I hunted with one as my only decent shooter way back in the '70's and wondered what ya'll would compare the 257 Rbts cartridge in umm one of these in todays hunting performance in ....ummm like a 308 or 7-08?

I was reloading in those days and usually made meat if I could get closer than 200 yards with no heavy brush to deflect the bullet, but still prefer my 270's in open country.
Ron

Mine shoots exceptionally well with 117gr Sierra BTSP. I’ve never tried the corelokts, or any factory ammo in it, but mine didn’t much care for the lighter 100gr bullets when I was doing load workup. I need to get it out and kill a deer with it this year, it’s too pretty to leave at home all the time!

I have one that I picked up at a gun show, the XTR Featherweight. Nice rifle but so far I haven'y gotten any better that 1.25 to 1.75" groups depending on the bullet/ Bullets are the 100 gr. Sierra Game king, 120 gr. Speer Hot core and the 100 gr. Barnes TSX. I'd really like to with the 120 gr. Speer but at least so far, it's the worst in that rifle. I think what I'm going to do is load up a batch with the powder that gave the best speed with that bullet and seat the bullet as far out as the gun will allow. Shoot three shots and see what I get. Then, using my Lyman 310 tong tool seat the next three a bit deeper and compare results. Just keep doing that and hope I find a sweet spot. Probably try that with the other bullets as well.
PJ

Cartridges assembled straight? Action bedded?

That is all very important. I'd also make sure the barrel is completely free floating as well. All the way to the front of the receiver. That XTR should easily shoot 1 moa for 3 shots. Mechanicals have to be squared away first though. Good mounts and rings, as well as proven scope. Good luck to the OP, that is a very cool rifle.

Your ".257 Roberts" XTR Featherweight was part of a limited production run in the 1981-82 early era of the transition from Olin owned "Winchester Repeating Arms" to a licensee under production name of "U.S. Repeating Arms" (USRA). They're termed "Transition Models" reflecting that fact. That edition included the considerably less common "7mm Mauser" Chambering. I do believe this Model in such less common chamberings of .257 & 7mm have some accentuated value from contemporary mainstream-chambered, Model 70 rifles.
Tooting my own horn shamelessly... Pix of my 7mm below in Sn G1552xxx.

Congrats on your very nice edition rifle!
Best!
John