Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 257 Weatherby Mag - BEST LOADS !

Hi Guys Please share your 257 Weatherby mag BEST LOADS - any you have from 70 gr -120 gr-ers . Thks


Cheers RJ

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71.3gr of either MRP or RL-22, 100TTSX, F-215 primers

73 gr r25 & 100 ttsx

68 r 22 & 110 nab

Some of my favorites:
-73g of 7828, 75g of R25, or 71g of R22 under 100TTSXs.
-73g of R25 under 115VLDs

The above is with 215GM and Wby/Norma brass, which is around 30ish g lighter than std Remchester(hence thinner/more capacity). With Remchester 7RM or 264WM brass I usually end up about a grain off of the above.

MV from my current two 257Wby rigs are 3700 +/- with the 100TTSXs and 3450-3500 with the VLDs. Absolute lazers.

70.5-72.5 of RL-25 and either a 115 BST or VLD. Every 257 I've owned produced the best accuracy and most velocity with RL-25 and 115 gr bullets. Also, 73.0 of H-1000 and a 110 AB has been extremely accurate in my current 257.

69 gr Rl22 215M 110 AB

Out of my Fibermark 3520 fps and about 1/2" at 100.

70 gr RL-22, Norma brass, Fed LRM, 100 gr ETip; fantastic one-hole accuracy and 3575 fps from my 24" Vangard.

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I have used this load for years. 70.0 grains IMR 7828 and a Sierra 117 grain flat base Pro Hunter. Very accurate in my rifle. I have some Berger 115 VLD Hunting bullets I want to try soon. I will start with 7828 then move on to RL25 or similar.

72g of RL22 and 100gr TSX.

I use a 115 grain partition with 67 grains of Reloader 22. Very accurate in my old Kleinguenther.

My friends and I have a total of five 257 Roy semi customs. All have 3 groove lilja SS barrels. Two are #5 profile and three are #3 profile. A Pacific Tool and Gauge reamer was used with Dave's special leade angle and freebore which is different than the original weatherby specs. Two rifles use a .125" jump the other three use .070" jump to lands. All rifles are using RL-25 with moly coated 115 Berger VLDs, Norma brass and Fed 215 match primers.

Work up to max load listed for 115 BT shown in Nosler loading manual which is 72 grs. The Berger VLD with is minimal bearing surface can work with more powder than the BT. Add moly and you can go even higher.

The rifles had different length barrels: One 24", two 26" and two 28" barrels. Velocities ranged from 3575 for the short barrel, 3625 or so for the 26" and 3650 or so for the 28" barrels. Remember all used moly coated Berger VLD bullets.


Some of the rifles were able go to 74 grs. The 74 gr loads were worked up in 85 degree temps. Outstanding accuracy in all these rifles.

For what it is worth your results may vary due to a different chamber, not using moly, number of grooves in barrel and mixing components.

I just rebarreled the 257 Roy as the barrel is worn out at round count 1100. Began using RL-33 with 115 Berger VLD. 27 1/2" Lilja three groove, moly coated 115 VLD, Fed 215 primer, Norma brass. 83 gr of RL-33 for velocity of 3680 fps @ 70 degrees. (Magneto speed tested) Drop chart testing verified chrono readings out to 550 yds. Used Berger's BC: G7 .247

Please work up your load starting around 77 gr of RL-33 to see how your rifle responds.

My Weatherby loves the Barnes 100TTSX with the 7828 SSSC at around 3600fps.It didnt like the cutting edge.
It is one of the most fun guns to shoot that I have!
Used it in Montana on mule deer the end of October and was super impressed!!One shot at 75 yards on a 4x4 in the neck and a 650 yard shot on a doe and both dead right there!My dad and his buddy were in awe with that little rifle.
Here is the pictures of bullet performance on the longer shot.
Entrance-

Inside entrance-

Exit-

.257 Wby. 115 Berger, 71.2 gr. RL-25, shot around 1/2", sometimes better.

DF

Bringing this back to life since I just acquired a 257 Wby Vangurad Sub-MOA (this is a Vanguard I model not the newer Vanguard II).....any one using any of the newer powders RL 23 or RL 26? Maybe IMR 7977? I do have some H 1000 on hand but will need to buy some powders to experimwent with. I plan to force feed it 100 gr TTSX bullets and if it refuses plan to try 110 Accubombs and 120 A-frames.

I've posted this before- just consistent, repeatable accuracy from my .257 Wby. Mk.V., with 72.0 gr. of RL22 and Barnes 100 gr. TTSX. A proven killer on all sizes of big game for me, from antelope to elk.

I have a Cooper on order, is it possible to get a 24inch up to 4000 fps? Also is it possible to make loads for me? I do not reload and i do not have a place to reload. Really inpressed with everyones loads and shooting.

IMO only a handful of centerfire cartridges will get a bullet to or past 4000 fps and they usually are handloaded

It looks like a 25 cal 75 gr sierra blitz king could get to 3900 fps but doubt a 24" barrel is used. Not sure if that bullet could handle the strain, might come apart. As for making loads either learn or pay dearly for a custom load that gets close to 4000 fps..

IMO you are better off buying ammo with 100-120 gr bullets for your 257 Weatherby if you don't reload.

I'll add to the redundancy - 70gr R22 / 100TSX.

Lyman 48 lists a load of 73.0 grains of H-4831 under a 75-grain Sierra giving 4048 fps.
Sierra listed 70.5 grains of IMR4350 under their 75-grain HP giving 4000 fps. I assume their bullet is good for that velocity since they provide data up to 4000 fps. Of course the true Sierra max load is somewhere above this - but we don’t know if it’s 4001 fps or 4099 fps.

Both used 26” barrels, the former load would likely be close in a 24” barrel. That said, there is nothing a 75-grain hollowpoint will do at 4000 fps that it won’t do at 3900 fps. It’s just a number, albeit a cool one.


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my 257 Weatherby Mag. rifles like Reloader 22, you are going to like this old speed cartridge.

My current Accumark shoots very well with 69.0 grains of IMR7828 under the old Hornady 120 HP, a bullet specifically designed for big case .25s. Velocity is 3342 fps and the last four groups I fired (not cherry picked) averaged 0.67. Sadly this bullet is out of production, but it does almost as well with 120 Speers..

72 gr. re22
100 gr. TSX or TTSX
CCI 250 primers
3700 FPS

Work up in your gun as always. This is a stiff load.

RE-22 under 110 AB's.

IMR-4831 under a 100 TTSX.

Both worked great in my Backcountry.

Pick your flavor and slay critters.

I've was given a Weatherby Vanguard in .257 Weatherby Magnum by a very good old mentor and friend recently. Looking for loads online, I stumbled upon this old thread. Loaded up two three shot groups worth of ammunition and hit the range. First load I loaded pretty conservatively. The second load....Hanco, I went off of this I think I'll be going with the 67gr. of RE-22, 115gr. Nosler Ballistic Silvertips, 3223 fps.

That’ll work!

THIS

If the temperatures you hunt in don't vary from the 20s to maybe 80, then RL-22 works fine. Which is true of most of today's smokeless rifle powders.

But have found more temperature-resistant powders perform more consistently beyond those parameters, especially H1000 and Ramshot Magnum.

Working with 100 gn Nosler E-Tip (FN Mauser with a 26" Pac-Nor barrel):
H1000 gave the best results closely followed by Magnum, N560 and Reloder 26. All gave high velocity and tight groups.
LRT was good but gave slightly lower velocity than Magnum.
69 gn of StaBall HD made amazingly small groups at 3275 fps and deserves more development.

I offered information in this thread several years ago in 2016, page 2.

Since then I acquired a new 22" tikka takeoff barrel in 25-06 for $75. I just had to use my 257 Roy reamer when I discovered it was the same thread size as a post 64 model 70 in my collection. Shortened the shank a bit and opened up the chamber.

Previous Roys I posted about were all 3 groove Liljas. The Tikka is a 6 groove so I now know the reamer's custom specifications works accurately with at least one other groove configuration.

Results: Model 70 257 Weatherby, 22” new tikka barrel Berger 115 VLD
68 gr of SCC IMR 7828 fed 215 match velocity 3280 ave
60 degrees

Thinking of trying RL-33 for grins to see how it compares to the longer 27 1/2" barrel.

after looking thru the Berger reloading book about the 257 Weatherby mag. i trIed Reloader 25 and my groups were even better with this powder over Reloader 22 ,i have also started using Hammer Hunter 103 gr. bullets that do group better with than Barne`s bullets for me in my 10 twist Brux barrels and my 8 Twist Brux barrel . I have only killed 3 big game animals last fall with this combo but plan on using Reloader 25 and 103 gr. Hammer Hunter bullets again this fall 2023. good luck with you combo choice,Pete53

https://imgur.com/a/NpifKLD


Accurate

I'll leave the grains to you, but RL 22 or IMR 7828 are the go-to powders.

I had some marginal results with the 100ttsx and tried the 92 grain Hammer hunter.Probably could have gotten more out of it but stopped at close to 3850 and so far good results on game out to 450