Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Tell me about the 257 Weatherby...

Kind of curious about this cartridge. I have an Win 70 Classic magnum action that needs a makeover. I am covered on the larger calibers. About my only gap is something that shoots really flat. A 270Win using 130gr at 3100fps is as fast/flat as I get right now. Any weaknesses, hard to get good loads, etc? Is brass a PITA to find? I only reload so factory ammo is not an issue.

RH

I shoot one in a Vangaurd, 24" barrel and still get 3500 fps with 100 grain bullets. Load development was pretty easy, it shoots TSX, Interlocks, Partitions and AB's very well. The worst load is the Partition and it goes right at an inch. I buy Norma brass from Cabelas in the 50 count box, so it doesnt hurt as much when you checkout. Some on here make their own brass, I think they use 7mm Rem Mag as the parent case. Have it rebarreled. I wanted a 257 Wby forever, wish I wouldnt have waited so long to scratch that itch.

I had Pac Nor build two customs with the 10" twist and three groove barrels with a reamer with zero freebore. I got three shot groups with the bullets touching using about any 100g Bullet at 3800 fps+.

A gunsmith in San Diego gave me the idea when we were hunting with his built on a Mauser. It is really hard to comprehend just how flat shooting a 100g Bullet is at 3800+ fps with the extreme accuracy.

I know of 4 other guys that has used Pac Nor build them the same type of custom and they all are extremely accurate and fast.

Norma brass is soft. If you can find any PMC brass, it will last indefinately. I neck size till the forth or fifth firing, then full length size. So far, I have 12 firings on a case before the primer pockets get loose.

I killed two does with mine on a powerline at 325 yards with 100g Nosler Ballistic Tips. The first was shot and a total bang flop. A few minutes later, a second doe walks out and starts licking the first doe, bang flop right on top of the first! With a muzzle break on the rifle, I actually saw the water vapor fly off the deer...the rifle barely moved from recoil.

The 257 was Roy Weatherby's favorite cartridge...nuff said!

Get one,smile and never look back.....brass isn't hard to find but it's not cheap

keith-

3800+ is hauling. How long of a tube on yours?
Mine has really never been pushed - 3640 was about as high as I've gone. Just under 3600 is where it's found bliss.

Lots on here can tell you more, I wanted one forever but always talked myself out of it..."don't need a magnum, brass is to spendy blah blah blah"...finally picked one up and wish I would have done it years ago. Loaded some TSX's and AB's both shoot scary accurate and it's fun to shoot. Didn't have any problem finding Weatherby brass at the Sportsmans Warehouse, Bass Pro had the dies. That 25 cal AB was the first thing I've shot at a deer other than a 7-08 or an arrow in many many moons...bang flop

Go for it, you won't be sorry. Keep it 8lbs or less, free-bore is fine, but please don't try to run 100gr bullets at 3800fps unless you have a 30" barrel.

Brass is easy yet spendy and reloading is straight forward. If you go with a 26" barrel, expect 85 grainers at around 3800, 100 grainers at around 3600, 110's at 35'ish, 115's at 34'ish, and 120's at 3300.

Most guys here recomend the 100gr TSX with a stiff load of RL-22 but don't overlook the bonded bullets either. I currently shoot the 110 Accubond at 3450fps (25" barrel)out of mine and I'm working with the 100gr Scirocco now. With it's higher B.C. and abilty to be pushed faster, it should be superior to most anything else.

I've taken 9 deer and 4 coyotes thus far with my 257 Bee and all were D.O.T.S. As I related to someone else earlier today, my 11 year old son says that my rifle does'nt just kill deer it burns them down.....classic!

X-VERMINATOR

i just got one about 4months ago and it is easy to load for easy to get claim velocity and 7mm mag brass one pass through the sizer die and u have brass yeah i say get it u wont regret it

Nice cal, very user friendly and yet very capable!

I'd go 25", I'd think for the most part once you hit 3600 with the 100's you'll be pretty much topped out.

7828 is the powder I used the most back when I ran one, but most seem to use R22 and JB likes one of the Ramshots in his.

Nice round, but keep it what it is and don't try to make it what it aint.

I run a 6/06 and a 7 Mashburn Super so for me the round doesn't hold as much appeal anymo but dats just me.

Dober

It's an awesome cartridge. To get the most from it, do like Keith did and have a reamer made. Although we use PMC brass which is very strong, the reamer is spec'd with shorter chamber length so's to use 7Mag brass, minimal neck clearance, and NO freebore. After hearing his results I had to have one built. With 29"Hart barrel, 100's are doing 4010. Trajectory is very flat. In this barrel the 100gr Bal Tip is only so-so accurate, but all three Sierra 100's shoot 1/4". That btsp at 4000 just explodes a rockchuck.

Sounds like you guys like your 257s. What about twist? 10 or 12? I plan to shoot 100gr and up. Certainly the TSX is in the cards along with the AB. I'm thinking a 26" Douglas #2 or 3 contour would be about right.

RH

I love mine for sure! I just picked up another and am ready to wring it out a little. I get my 100 TTSX's at about 3575 around 1/2".

Can't deny its merits, but it's a bit much for any of my needs. As fond as I am of the quarter bore, I guess I should have one. Inside 400-500 yards, what is it going to do that a 25-06 or its AI version isn't capable of? That's not rhetorical; I'm curious to know too. Kinda pricey to feed as well (not that it should matter to me the way money burns a hole in my pocket! )

Wish I would have picked one up 10 years ago. One flat shootin' S.O.B. with not much recoil. It does burn quite a lot of powder for the speed but you only live once........YMMV.

Love Mine!!

Even with long barrels the velocities you zero freebore guys quote make me think you're running freebore type powder charges in them.

OCC,

It probably isn't that much different than a 25-06AI but I don't have a .473 LA to put one in. I only have a .532.

RH

With good bullets like the TSX capable of handling high impact velocities, I can't think of a better open country round than the 257 Wby or it's ilk like the 264 WM. I got one a couple months ago and haven't had the chance to fine tune a load but I'm running the 110 gr Accubond at 3500 fps with IMR 7828 out of a 26" Ultra Lightweight. My brass started out as virgin Winchester 7mm Rem Mag, worked great.

24" vanguard here.







need i say more ? !

IMO yes, because it isn't typical. You've left out all of the conversation you, I and others had when when you first posted that.