Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best factory .257 Roberts?

Ive owned PF M70 featherweights, a M77 Hawkeye, a M77 MKII, and M77 MKII Ultralights.

The hawkeye and standard MK II M77's were heavy, but decently balanced.

The Ultralight M77 are great if you you can one with the right piece of walnut, some are butt heavy.

The M70 PF I had was a great gun, balance, fit and finish, etc. The only thing I disliked was it was a Long Action which I prefer, but a short magazine box. Easily fixed, but irked me.

If the new FN featherweights are Long Action/Long Magazine, I get one of those if I were in the market for a .257 Roberts. I'd also look at Kimber, However there favored stock design doesnt do it for me.

I own 2 classics & don't find them too heavy, they are accurate rifles.

I have owned a M700 Stainless, got rid of it because I couldn't get it to shoot.

I have owned 2 m700 wood stock 257 mountain rifles, neither would shoot that well because they are short action/magazine but throated for for the long action/magazine so you get 1/8" of free bore.

I have owned a bunch of custiom on different actions but have kept only 1, by John Lewis on a long action.

I went thru this whole "which .257 bob factory rifle" thing and ended up with the recent FN Fwt example. I'm very pleased with it. I think the current Ruger Hawkeye is gonna be a good choice too, but if I could only have one the nod would go to the M70.

I have a Kimber Select,it is really a fine rifle and shoots great. It has a short action,a pretty stock and is very light but well balanced.

The only that comes close in my opinion would be the M700 Mountain Rifle.

Everything else is a little heavier,and a guy might as well have a 25-06 in a long action rifle.

A friend of mine had a Ruger 77 Ultralight, I liked it a lot, but the bolt handle was on the wrong side so I didn't buy it when he decided to sell it. If I were right-handed I'd have really wanted it - the story of my life.

A long action really isn't that much heavier to make a huge difference. My MR 257R is a long action in a TI and is only 7lbs even with a 2.5x8 in Talley LWs. A similar SA rifle I have here is only 3 oz lighter.

Saying that, I am going to a lighter 25cal in a 250AI. I will be a S/S Model Seven in a Edge. I should see quite a bit weight saving over the LA with that one and have equal results. Bbl will be a PacNor 1:9". I'm going to Maine on sat to pick it up.

I have a bunch of rifles chambered in 257 Bob, 13 currently, and if limited to factory specs rifles, the choice would come down to either the Remington 700 Classic or the 700 CDL-SF. The Bob that I shoot the most is a 700 CDL-SF parts gun in a McM McM Hunter.

I have a couple of Ruger 77s, both tang safety and Mark IIs, but no Hawkeyes. The Rugers were built on LAs, while the Remingtons were built on SAs.

I haven't owned a Winchester 70 FWT chambered for the Bob for many years, but do have several chambered for the short, fat, Bob, AKA the 25 WSSM.

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like there are several good options available.

One thing about the Roberts is that you will never meet someone who owns one who does not like it a LOT!

As a dedicated deer rifle, it's perfect.

IMHO the Bob belongs in an intermediate length Mauser action.

Once you go custom you'll be hooked. Best keep yer distance !

agreed as usual.

bowmanh- you gotta PM

Well........yea.........but I figured Kimber was out of his price range. I have a Montana 257 that shoots...........very good.

FWIW A Ruger American would be cool in 257....

My Rem 722 likes factory Hornady Custom 117gr ammo...this was shot using an old Leupold M8 6x:





Bottom rifle, of course. It's not glamorous, it's not ultralight, but it's light enough and gets the job done!

What's a sighter?

First shot from a cold barrel to see where the gun is printing on the target.

From this one, I believe I used 4 clicks up, 6 clicks to the right and shot the group.

How about just a plain and simple .257 Roberts, a Ruger Number One.

God Bless,

Steve

That's a byoot Steve!

Rick