Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 257 WBY - Real World Hunting Experiences

Hey Boys,

I am considering picking up a new rifle, and you know how it is, you go through a hundred different scenarios before you settle on a chambering.

Anyhow, I have been intrigued by the 257 Wby for some time now. As you know, a little time on Google and you will be able to find articles to justify any cartridge that has grabbed your fancy at that moment. What I would rather hear is real world experiences from those who have used this round, or have seen it used, on game consisting primarily of deer, moose, and the odd elk hunt thrown in. [color:"#FF0000"]Not at all interested in hearing about what other cartridge is similar or better. I just want real world experiences from those who have seen it in action.[/color]

Tell me your thoughts, good, bad or otherwise.

Thanks in advance,
sns2

your topic says 257WBy but your question is for a 257 Bee which is it?

My deer hunting partner shoots a 257 wby and his last three deer have been one shot DRT. Of course my 25-06 has done the same thing but it is not a wby.

I wanted one until I realized I could have a very similar cartridge with a better bullet selection and cheaper brass in the 264 Win Mag. Killed several elk, deer and antelope with mine. Was my only rifle for about 2 or 3 years.

But you didn't want to hear that, did you?

Corrected:)

I've had two .257 Weatherbys and have fooled around with a couple of others. Still have one. They're usually very accurate, whether factory or custom rifles.

With 100-grain bullets they shoot very flat at conventional ranges, in fact both of mine have shot flatter than any ballistic program I've tried says they will. When sighted-in 2" high at 100 with 100-grain TSX's at 3550 fps, my first .257 Weatherby still placed the bullets an inch high at 300 yards, and about 5-6" low at 400. This was at western elevations, but was still considerably flatter than it was supposed to shoot.
With heavier bullets they're plenty for most elk hunting; one of my hunting partners last fall killed a good 6x6 bull with one 120-grain Nosler Partition just behind the shoulder. Oh, and it exited too. With any bullet weight the cartridge knocks the snot out of deer and pronghorn.

My first one was a Weatherby Vanguard (Sporter model with walnut stock), made several years before they started offering the Sub-MOA model, and it would put three shots into 1/2 MOA out to 400 yards. Eventually I got a New Ultra Light Arms Model 28 built in .257 Weatherby, and it's just as accurate but at 6-3/4 pounds with scope weighs almost two pounds less than the Vanguard.

It's easy to make cases out of 7mm Remington Magnum brass, but the Norma-made Weatherby brass is so good I rarely bother.

Mine is a Mark V with a Mc Millan stock, and I've fooled with 2 others for friends.I've killed quite a few deer and a few hogs with it.With a 3X9 Swarovski, it is a little heavy to tote all day afoot, but there's nothing better for West Texas M D hunting from a jeep.

I intended to shoot the "little blue pills"[100 gr. moly coated] from Barnes, but the rifle had other ideas. That was before the XXX came out and I'll bet it would shoot them.

The 120 gr. NP and 68 gr. of IMR 7828 chronos 3450 in my rifle and shoots into 1 moa.

As far as "why not the 264 win mag", I can ask "why not the 270 Wby"?

I've got one of them, too.

[and 130 gr.XXX work real good in it]

What Mule Deer said +1

Stay Classy! Di#k!

As a rifle looney, I'm always looking for a reason to buy a new rifle..[as you might guess, I'm rifle "poor" now] This an honest question and not to start a diatribe...is a .257 whby shooting 120gr bullets better than a 7mm Rem Mag shooting 120gr bullets @ 3500fps. All opinions welcome.

I've owned 3 Weatherby MK V .257's

My most spectacular kill was a Blaktail buck at about 300 yards.

I was shooting an 87 grain bullet at 3800 FPS.

Broke a rib going in, blew up the heart, broke the off side sholder bone.

There was blood clear up between the backstrap and hide.

The hydrostatic shock was amazing. Most damage I've ever seen.

Virgil B.

Not hard at all. But, if I was choosing conventional brass to turn into .257 Wby. brass, I'd go with .264 Win Mag over 7mm RM. I've used both, but with the 6.5 neck, there's less sizing, less chance of getting thick necks. And the savings are pretty good, turning fifty cent cases into buck fifty proprietary brass. But, the Wby/Norma stuff is of excellent quality. I did hear, however, that Wby. brass may be a bit softer than W/W and other non-Wby. brass and maybe their primer pockets don't last quite as long. Can't prove that from personal experience, just hearsay.

Nit picking, for sure...

But, that's what Loonies do...

IMHO.

DF

DF,

Well, I'll nitpick back some! First, I've never found 7mm Magnum necks to get too thick when sizing down to .25, plus it's usually more easily available than .264 brass.

Second, the last batch of Winchester .264 brass I bought (for my .264) was sorted for neck thickness consistency of .001" or less. The rejection rate was much higher than I've usually experienced with Winchester brass, around 40%. The Norma .257 Weatherby brass I have has a rejection rate close to zero doing the same test.

So the economy of using other brass depends to some extent on how willing you are to shoot sub-standard brass.

Thanks, John.

Good points.

One nit picker to another...

It's the most impressive killer of deer sized animals and hogs I've ever experienced. With either the 100gr Hornady factory load or my TTSX handloads, not a sigle animal-EVER has taken a step. All shoulder shots and I talking over sixty head of game.

My camp mate has taken a few deer, including a big buck of the camp 10 pt., with the 100 gr. Hornady. It does drop them right now style.

The only time my .257 Weatherbys didn't drop some deer or pronghorn either on the spot or within a few feet was when a 100 TSX apparently didn't open. The buck pronghorn was hit right in the crease at the rear of the shoulder at 250 yards--and went about 250 yards before falling, with a very small hole through both lungs.

That was before the Tipped TSX, and my NULA shoots the 100 TTSX into little tiny groups, which solved the problem.

Lately I've been using 120 Partitions in the NULA, just to see what they'll do, and they knock the snot out of deer and pronghorn too. If I draw a cow elk tag for this fall just might use the NULA, since I already know the 120 Partition works on 6-point bulls.

John: Along those lines I came across a couple of boxes of the old 117gr Hornady RN stuff. Tried it on two deer and one hog, same shot placement and they all ran a bit before dropping. Speed kills baby!

No problem killing deer/hogs with my 25-06 so a faster 25 has to be better right

Just got my backcountry two months ago so I am new to the 257 Weatherby, alot of my hunting is in lead free zones but have found that it likes Nosler's 100 gr. Etips. I picked eTips because on paper they have a better BC than T-TSX and I can find them cheaper

I love the 257 Wby. Everyone should have one. I got a nice pronghorn last year at just over 320 yards, DRT. It's nice to aim on hair that far and not have to worry about messing with turrets, reticle holdovers, etc.

I have a NULA in 257 Wby on order... should be done in Aug., knock on wood.

Eric