Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .257 vs. .260 Pro's and con's?

I was a faithful 25 cal guy for years for my "dual purpose" rifles. However, with the advent of the 260, and a couple of years experience, with a 6.5x284, I am changing my thinking. (a little)

The std. Bob and the 260 will have similar case capacity with a slight edge to the Bob. The BB will edge that up just a little. However, the 6.5mm bullets have a bigger base area and to some extent, that will mitigate the capacity advantage of the two 25's. Wild eyed claims aside, I'd expect to get SIMILAR velocities (within 100 fps) from the 260 vs the Better Bob. This being from a shorter case that is already pretty straight and doesn't need any "improvements".

You (still) seem unduly paranoid about the Bobs in short magazines, despite many assurances that it will be fine. (I suggest you consider the Bob and Bob +p data on the Ramshot site and note the C.O.L. listed for further evidence that Bob is comfy in 2.800 magazines).

IAC, the 260 should alleviate your concern about short magazines, give you the nice light recoil you want (don't blame you for that) and all in a std cartridge. Lastly, the 260 should do just great with the 85 & 100 gr Sierras, the 95 gr V-max etc, so unless you really need a bullet lighter than 85gr. for your varminting needs, the 260 covers the job on all fronts.

JimF

Your thinking is running parallel to mine on those two.

I have a "spare" left hand 700 in .243 that I was thinking of doing something with just for the helluvit. Want a nice light recoiling rifle but with a leetle more oomph than the .243.

In .25 caliber I'd love a .25 Souper (25-08) of some kind but alas, no such beast exists. Then there's the Bob and Better. Bob is okay and would work but it is not all that popular, at least among the general public, despite the reverence for it on this site. There are 25-284's and such but I do not like wildcats for various reasons.

The .260 is .007" bigger in diameter, the exact same difference between the .270 and .280. In other words, only enough difference to make a difference to die hard loonies. Bullet weights are similar and it's based on the .308. Every .308 based round I know of is (fanfare of trumpets) Inherently Accurate and there are lots of good hunting and target style .264 bullets around.

The .260 just seems like a bit better choice if one really wants to go with a factory round.

Certainly, the 260 will nudge past the 243 in a couple of ways. You can either push a 100 gr. a little faster, or you can push a 120 (almost) as fast as a 243/100 gr. Either way, you get what you want.

My next project will probably fly against this logic because I want a (really) mild round and so will build in the range of the 250 Savage case. But then, for this project, I'd also probably go against my own frequent advice about not going with an improved version, simply b/c of the large taper on the 250 case.

Of course, if I do an improved 250 to minimize stretch, then I think I'd get almost the same capacity as a 243/260. If so, then I don't get the real mild round. In which case, I might as well do the std round and save the cost of exepnsive dies and avoid the "white elephant" chambering.

Geeez, I actually "caught" my tail..................Drat!!!

JimF

There is no law that says every cartridge has to be loaded so hot as to try to be the next cartridge above it.

Enjoy the standard .257 Rob , 6.5x55 and .260 Rem as 2,650 to 2,800 fps deer rifles.

Boy!! THAT'S a relief....................... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

JimF

Deer (whitetail and mulies), hogs, javelina, and misc. varmits have all fallen to my .257 Roberts.....

Bigger critters went down with the 100gr. Rem PSP-CL, mostly, and a few 100gr. Nosler Solid Base bullets as well (out of production now).

Varmits were sent to .... well, wherever they go, with the 75gr. Sierra HP. A 100gr. Cor-Lokt will punch through the base of a p-dog mound if all you can see is the top of his head sticking out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

It's been non-finickly for loads and a real pleasure to shoot.... hard to imagine you can improve on it.

Hmmm......Bob the "Bunker Buster"............. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />


JimF

The .260 is .007" bigger in diameter, the exact same difference between the .270 and .280. In other words, only enough difference to make a difference to die hard loonies.

I couldn't agree more Jim in Idaho. I thought that was the whole point to building a custom rifle. Nit pickin' reduntantcy that drives you to the edge of insanity.

JimF...as to the Bob cartridge length paranoia. I've checked several manuals and many ahve lengths of 2.900 and slightly above for longer bullets. I know you can seat deeper and that doesn't bother me either. I'm just trying to be thorough. : )

I've read about the 250AI and that sounds like a wonderful carteidge. I could care less about factory load availability but I don't want to have to do a lot of case modification either. Are the .250 cases pretty common?

Teamed up on last years Muley hunt with a feller carrying a .25 Souper.

He kept gazing at my custom Bob and I kept picking up his Souper, so after we both got our bucks we switched rifles and spent a day looking for coyotes.

That Souper is a sweet, sweet shooting rig. If I didn't already have the cats meow in my Bob I'd seriously think about it.....

250 Savage (or 250-3000) is the parent case for the 22-250. I'm thinkin' that one will be around for another 50 or so years.

JimF

7mm

They are both great cartridges, you just get better bullet selection(weights) with the .260 rem. Yeah they are only .007" difference in diameter but you can go 40grs over the heaviest .257 bullet.

I would have to say that if all you shoot is whitetails and varmints the BOB is a logical choice. If your quarry ranges up to elk, caribou, black bear, even moose the 260 is the logical choice.

A 160gr .264" bullet is a sight to behold, as long as a freight train and just about as destructive....

If your planning on using a 700 SA receiver, you will need to consider OAL for the .257. The .260 is a much better fit without modifications.

A 260 loaded with 125 grain partitions, moving at 2950 fps is all over a 270 win. You simply can not say that about a 257 Roberts, the 250 Savage, or a 25-08. So clearly, if you want the most "Flexible" and "capable" cartridge amoung these three, there is only one answer, 260 Rem.

AD: I have had several Bobs, all of them sent out a 120gr bullet at about 2990. If that's any different than a 125gr 6.5 at 2950, I'll eat my hat.

Now if you are after game larger than deer, I agree that a bullet heavier than 120 or 125 is preferred. But I'd be carrying something with more juice than a 260.

Please don't misunderstand, I think the 260 is a great little round. I just put it in the same class as a 257 Bob...not something better.... The case capacity is the same (very slight advantage to the Bob) and the bullet diameter is only .007 different. They have to be pretty close.

There is one advantage to the .260 that I have not heard mentioned yet. Because .264 bore is the international standard for ISU 300m competition, there is tremendous incentive for the various bullet makers to make accurate .264 bullets (just as there is in making accurate 243 and 308 caliber bullets here in the States.) As a result, you can get target bullets of a quality for a .260 that you cannot in .257 (Years ago there was a push for .257 benchrest quality bullets; there were some good J4 jackets for a while and then there weren't and on and on...)
At any rate, the 257 and 260 are peas in a ballistic pod. But since I can make 260 brass from Lapua cases, and there are cool long target bullets to play with, I have been using the 260 and 6.5-284.