I want to hunt whitetails with my .257 Roberts this fall, I shoot exclusively 100 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and Sierra Game King bullets. Powders I have on hand are IMR 4064, IMR 4350, Varget and RL-15, cases are Winchester with WLR primers. Given these components, what combination would you suggest or have experience using? Not especially concerned with group size or velocity rather with effectiveness in taking game. I am shooting a pre'64 Winchester 70 and shots will be 100 yds. +/-.

I don't think it matters, but I tend to think the Ballistic Tip is a slightly tougher bullet. I'd go with 4350, it's my favorite Roberts powder.

My daughter shot a big buck in the shoulder with a 250 savage with a ballistic tip. Bullet exploded on shoulder bone and was never found. I watched it all and was just dumbfounded. Your results may vary but I would choose a different bullet. Ed k

Was she using the 85 grain?

Something isn't right, the 100 grain Ballistic Tips are pretty darn good at 250 Savage speeds.

I've loaded that same bullet for the wife's Roberts, 39 grains of 4064 worked plenty well for 200+ yard mule deer. The same load under a 95 grain B-tip from my 6mm is a hammer as well.

I also shoot a pre64 M70 in the Roberts and the NBT or Sierra Game King in 100gr should work fine. I'm also a fan of 4350 powder in this caliber. Something to consider is the Accubond at 110gr. I've used it and I like it maybe more so than the ballistic tip.

I have harvested a couple of does with the Hornady 120gr HP, both DRT at 50 & 75 yards each, one recovered.

I will have to check and see what grain her bullet was. Cannot remember for sure. Just know what happened. Ed k

Of the given choices, I's start with the Ballistic Tips (assuming they are of recent manufacture) and your IMR4350

The 100 NBT is darned tough... the 85 gr. is a varmint bullet.

From an article John Barsness wrote: Handloads That Work:
257 Roberts: Like the 6mm Remington
(the same case necked
down), the .257 Roberts does fine
with one powder. The traditional
choice is IMR-4350, but Hodgdon’s
H-4350 works equally well – and
better in cold weather. Around 46
grains works excellently with 100-
grain bullets with velocity about
3,000 fps, plenty for most deer
hunting. For larger deer I’ve mostly
used the 115-grain Nosler Partition
and 43.0 grains of H-4350. Velocities
run right on the heels of the
100-grain load noted above, and
the bullet is more reliable on really
big deer.

I’ve had great luck w/ both the 100 gr NBT & Interlock which is discontinued but you can still find em around.

My go-to load in my Kimber is 46 gr Ramshot Hunter, RP cases, & WLRM primers topped w/ 100 gr NBT.

Of those you list I’ve had best luck w/ IMR-4350 & 100s tho I’m sure RL15 would be great too; I’ve only used it w/ <100 gr bullets.

edk.....the bullet wasn’t found or the deer wasn’t found?

PennDog

I’d run the BT, it’ll be a deer killin sumbitch. Shoot be easy to find a good load for it

Your 100 BT's and 4350 are a good combo, especially using Mule Deer's recipe....

I shoot a 100gr Remington CL over a max charge of IMR 4350 and have killed about a dozen, all one-shot kills. Love this load on WTs.

Checked the bullets and there were 100 trainers. Deer was shot in the shoulder. Smacked really hArd. Deer ran 50 yards and fell over. We watched for about 5 minutes and no movement. Went to collect him and he launched up and over a fence into the trees. Not one drop of blood and I searched that evening and the next day. Nothing. End of story. This year she used a 30-06 and that deer died. Ed k

I could live with that rifle and chambering for the rest of my deer hunting days...you lucky dog..

of course I seem to walk a different load than most other campfire members, sorta liking the older powders..

100 grain ballistic tip in the Roberts, fed by 4064 or RL 15....and I'd be set...

4064, 100 gr bullet, Pre 64 Model 70... heck it would be 1952 all over again...

Don't forget about H100V, the Roberts speed champ, not the most temp stable, but not that bad.

This load is a real killer. COAL is longer than 2.8", my Roberts is on a LA 700.

DF

I have a Model 70 Featherweight in .257 Roberts and have shot both the the 100 gr. Ballistic Tip and the 90 gr. Barnes X (no longer in production). My rifle prefers the Barnes bullet, but does shoot the Nosler Ballistic Tip extremely well also. I've killed pile of deer with both bullets. The load for 90 gr. X bullet is 45 grains of IMR 4350 and a CCI 200 primer.

Used to have a 257 Roberts on k98 action- wish I still had it. (Sad sigh)... anyway....

My most accurate load for it was a 100 grain FB Hornady spitzers over 45-46 (?) grains of IMR 4350. Shot <3/4” moa to 200 yards.

I've loaded H4350 or H4831 in all my Roberts rifles with 100 - 120gn bullets. I've never loaded lighter bullets or faster powders.

Have you considered the 80 grain TTSX? Speed?, check. Penetration?, check. Accuracy?, depends on the rifle.

Load 45-46 grains of I4350 behind that 100 grain BT and never look back.

On W.T.'s and such, I don't use very low S.D. bullets at hyper velocity. I don't know the S.D. of that bullet, but if below .200 and at high velocity, I'd save'em for 'yotes and such, not use them on W.T.'s... I had a bad result on a W.T.with a 80 TTSX at 3,600 fps out of my .240 Wby. Once was enough.

Just a series of one, but left a lasting impression. Too many better options to go back.

DF

For shooting deer at close range I would use a partition if I was going to take shots as they come and wasn't able to wait for the best angle. That said I would not use either of your 100 grain bullets but would prefer a 115-120 grain bullet loaded to 2700 fps.

Too much expansion or not enough?

I prefer the 100 grain BT, 100 grain Partition, or 110 grain AB in the 257 Roberts.

I've gone to the 110gr Accubond in the Roberts, 257 Wby and a 25-06 and they have served me well. A little less destructive than the ballistic tips and a little more expansion than the partition.

Actually both, too much expansion/not enough expansion. It's just where it happened.

Huge blast effect with double hands full of blood clot from chest wall. Not much damage inside the chest, just a pass thru. This 100# doe, ran 100 yds., found her in the woods after dark with flashlights.

The bullet seemed to have expended most of its energy outside the chest wall, wasn't much left to mess up lungs, heart, etc. Very accurate in that gun. I moved on to the 100 NPT, which the .240 likes even better and it kills MUCH more efficiently.

The 100 TTSX at 3,250 fps out of the Roberts is a different matter. It penetrates, devastates, kills quickly with authority.

I'd like to hear opinions about very low S.D. monos at hypervelocity as deer loads.

DF

Another good load is the 115 NBT over 44 gr. H-4350 at around 2,900 fps. Deadly on hogs, never used it on a WT, was off to other projects, Loony style. That load is slightly more accurate than the 100 gr. TTSX load posted earlier.

BTW, JB reported that H100V was one of the most temp sensitive powders he tested. Where I hunt, not a problem. Even though it may be the fastest Roberts powder, for hunting in sub zero weather, probably not the best choice. H-4350 would take those honors, IMO. I use both.

DF

The OP has two of the ingredients for a good deer load that I have used in 4 different Robert's, 100 gr NBT and 4350. The only difference is my cases are Remington and primers are CCI 200. No complaints here on the performance of the combination on Whitetail/Mule deer.

About 15 years ago, John Barsness wrote in a article on the Roberts: "These days I load the 115-grain Nosler Partition for all big game hunting. As life has grown more complicated. I try to simplify anything that can be simplified." Made sense to me.

That does make a lot of sense. My Roberts liked the 115 NBT and 100 TTSX better than any NPT.

I'm never disappointed when a NPT is the best or near best bullet in a gun, as was the case with my .240.

DF

This is load I use in my 257 Roberts Model 70 24" barrel. It has a fast barrel.
48.5gr RL26 115gr Nosler Partition WLRM primers Winchester cases
at 2.80 OAL. 3130 feet per second. SD 6.0 Not that hot a load in my rifle.

47.7gr RL23 110gr Accubond CCI250 primer win case 2.820 OAL
3123 Feet per second SD 5.1

My 257 Roberts likes the 115gr Partitions. I also use 47.7gr RL23 with the 115gr partitions. Velocity is only about
3 feet per second different.

MRP, RL22, and RL17 also work good in my 257 Roberts. I used to get 2925fts with 43.5gr IMR 4350.

I have a model of 1. But, I shot a big MN doe with a .257R and Rem CL 117gr RN. It did a lot of damage. Shot was about 30 yards, perfect broadside. Shot her, she did a 180 and stood still. I thought I missed so I shot her again. Saw the bullet hit through the scope. She ran right at me, then passed me about 15 yards. Stiffened up and tipped over dead.

She had 4 perfect holes behind the shoulders. 2 in, 2 out.

RL-26 shot dirty in mine and with heavy bullets. I'm saving '26 for my 7RM.

Hunter should be a good one with heavier bullets, have't tried it.

I hear talk about 4451 being a good sub for 4350, but the data I see shows slightly less velocity.

DF

Norma MRP was even more accurate than the RL26. RL23 as very accurate.

I have range tested the Nosler Ballistic Tip 100 gr. and Accu Bond 110 gr.with IMR 4064 and IMR 4350, these combinations have produced good accuracy. I just bought some 120 gr. Partitions and plan to load these with IMR 4064 and IMR 4350 and see how my rifle likes these.

My Roberts favored H4831 with 115 NBT's and 120 NPT's

I too, have had better luck with H4831sc with the 120s than 4350.

It would seem, on the surface, that the 80 grain TTSX would be a great .257" bore bullet. Very fast, plenty of penetration by design, and situational accuracy.

Since S.D. is a calculation that doesn't take bullet construction into account, I wonder if it a meaningful/germane number when monolithic bullets are part of the equation.

(80/7000) / (.257 x .257)

0.01143 / 0.06605

0.173

I don't know.

To me, it's sorta like flooding and drainage. Engineers can tell us where the water should go. I wait for a big rain, go out and see where it went...

I'm guessing about the perceived "imbalance" between low bullet mass/S.D. combined with hypervelocity. It would depend on terminal performance and on the critter being studied. Those very light, very fast monos would probably devastate a 'yote. I'm questioning their efficiency on BG, and from only one observation on one WT.

That was enough for me to move on to other options. Others may report different results. I would be interested in their observations.

DF

I'm really happy with the 110 grain AB in most of my .257" bore rifles as it does everything that I need a .257" medium game bullet to do and it does those things very well.

The exception being 1-14" ROT .257" bore rifles. I like the 75 and 85 grain Barnes original X bullets and the 87 grain Speer HOTCORE in those rifles.

Have to agree with you on the 110 grain AB.... I am running them in 1-9 twist barrels.

What's your pet load for the 110 NAB?

DF

I'm using 43gr of IMR 4350 CCI 200 primer and the 110 NAB. The rifle is a custom on a 1909 Argentine Mauser action and IIRC a 1:9 twist rate.

All 4350 powders seem to work well with heavier bullets in the Roberts. H-4350 is hard to find, IMR-4350 isn't as temp resistant.

So, it may be time to look at similar burn rate powders with good temp profile, such as 4451, RL-16, etc. H100V is a good one, probably the fastest, just not as temp resistant. Some say that about RL-17.

DF

Dirt, how in the Sam Hell, do you wring 3250 out of a roberts!

I will thank gunner500 for that load. It's just H100V performance, one of those new, wonder powders that does amazing things. High velocity without pressure issues, relatively low S.D/E.S. with excellent accuracy out of a 24" Brux.

As JB has written, these type powders often are not temp resistant. He reported that H100V was one of the most temp sensitive powders he's tested.

In my hunting climate, that's not an issue. In colder climates, I would probably use something else.

A 100 gr. TTSX at 3,250+ fps is a real killer.

DF

Yes. I loaded H4831sc with 115gn Ballistic Tips. Very good performance on pigs but I haven't shot a deer with them.

The 100gn Swift Scirocco is an excellent bullet in the Roberts.

Check out this thread on H-4831/H-4831ssc lot consistency.

www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/12806990

DF