Got one, guy gave me a bag of new Remington brass and some once fired stuff and bullets. Im looking at the rifle and components and im thinking to myself what in the world would i use this for or use it on. I kinda dont get it. Ive used a 308win a lot and cant really find a role where the 257 might be advantageous or hold some reason to use it. My location is out west but is not open country but rather timbered logging country and brush. Hardly the place where the deer and antelope play. Last year i had a large Bighorn ram living 40 yards from my door but im not a sheep hunter and he wasnt susposed to be living there. Same with mtn goats.

Anyway i was wondering what folks use them for since the 308 win is usually far more common, hucks heavier missles as does the 270. Not saying its bad or junk. I just dont get it.

Morning!

Practical reasons: The .257 is an effective smallbore that would surprise you in its ability to kill out of its small size. The 115gr Partitions kill like a .270 130gr at least I can’t tell any difference except recoil is lighter. In today’s high BC world, the .257 is lagging behind the .243 bore in terms of slippery bullets but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a shorter range cartridge. Pretty efficient with both powder & bullets as well. Same parent case as the 6mm Rem & 7mm Mauser so it’s a mid length cartridge holding a bit more powder than the true short action .308 based rounds.

Romantic reason: The .257 Robert’s has a great story of development and harkens back to a simpler time in our country when rifles were looked at differently and owning a dual-purpose rifle (varmints & deer etc) was attractive because financially many were only able to own one rifle.

* I’m not a gun writer so take my opinion with several grains of salt. I’m sure MuleDeer will chime in - he’s spent a lifetime with the .25’s and can offer a much more in-depth response than I ever could.

Tim

]We had a discussion about the 257 Roberts not too long ago:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...mier-deer-round-at-one-time#Post15158658


Quoting from my response:

Being a fan of the 25’s I have used the 257 Roberts a good bit (since 93). It kills deer as neatly as you can ask. The little rifle just pops and deer just lay down. The Roberts is a gentleman you will like if you give it a try.
I know someone will chime in about high BC bullets and all that, but the Roberts is about killing game. I have not missed an opportunity because I wasn’t shooting a .700 G7. I would happily hunt most of North American game with one.
GreggH

There really is no reason to own one. You can send it to me.

Love mine. It’s a custom small ring Mexican Mauser with a Douglas XX grade barrel. It’s the connection with the past that’s a nice bonus in my eyes. She was given to me by a man that was like a second father to me as he was dying from cancer. We buried him two days before deer season opened and there was no doubt I would honor him by taking her out that opening morning. I knew I’d take a buck...there was zero doubt in my head. Fifteen minutes on the stand and I found myself gutting a nice buck with misty eyes. It never happens like that in my little world.

The rifle has turned out to be a peculiar little demon. Every deer I’ve ever shot with it has fell right there...two feet to the ground. By my records I’ve taken almost two hundred deer with it. Every one with a Nosler 100 grain partition driven with 42 grains of IMR-4350 and a WLR primer...that’s all she likes, but she loves that load. 1/2” groups at 100 yards every time. My best buck with that rifle went 240 pounds and scored 142” as an 8 pointer.

Let's get right down to it. I'll argue that the vast majority of what we all own will do 98% of what and how we hunt. To exclude .22 CFs, I have in hunting rifles.

.257 Roberts
6.5x55
.270
7-08
.275 Rigby
.300 Savage
.30-06
.300 H&H

I think I could easily pick up any of them and go hunt virtually anything in North America and do just fine. Now, some are lighter and some are heavier, some are single shot, some are levers, most are bolts, some are scoped and some not, those that are scoped vary in scopes. Don't get me started on why I own more than one of some of these calibers! Really it's more the platform than the cartridge, especially as a hand-loader with access to so many bullet types.

Now I know that I have just put the renewal of my rifle looney membership card in jeopardy with that statement but to reply to "why a .257 Roberts", why not! It has a neat history, a wide range of bullets and powders that work and it comes in a full range of interesting rifles as it's been a factory loaded round for 87 years! Glory in the "because I want one" freedom we have as Americans to engage in "full bore linear looneydom" to twist a phrase from the late Patrick F. McManus.

You're right, there's really no need for any of these various chamberings and calibers. Let's just all get a .30-30 and be done with it.

Mild recoil, great deer rifle, many cartridges do as well or better. I have had two, both are gone, a .308 is far better. There are also several short 7mm"s that will do the same or better.,

The Roberts is a pure joy to shoot...bottom line. 117g Sierra and a 120g speer btsp just hammer deer.

I purchased a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 7mm-08 this year and I am going to put a lightweight Leupold scope on it and use it for all of my hunting. Okay, at least that is my plan for right now. Not sure what I am going to do with the 243, 257, 270, 280, 308, 30-06, 32, 325, 338.

It’s just a pleasant round to shoot, I like shooting the 75 grain Vmax for yotes and such and the 100 grain partition for deer.

Not this again!

I see a lot of gaps there. We need to work on that for you.

Just that fresh Hell we've been anticipating!

If you want to sell, send me a PM. I'm looking for a 257 since someone has pried mine out of my fingers.

I like old Mausers, found one in .257 R, why not? 'everybody says ya gotta have one'.... it has features I like, Greener safety, DST's, lever floorplate release, and so on. Developed an accurate load for it easy peasy.
But, there it sits. And sits. Maybe I'll get it re-bored.

Why do I suspect you have a .300 Sherwood to sell?

I need something in between my 310 cadet and my 32/20.

Sold it already. Ammo can't be found on the 24Hour Classifieds, so what good is it?

.257 Roberts should do it. See? We brought it back around full circle. Next question?

About 50 years ago my old rifle mentor, in response to my ramblings about a Roberts said, " you have a great 25-06, a wildcat at the time, just load it down if there is the need". The implications suddenly became very clear. I have no experience with a Roberts.

Not to throw cold water on the 257, but I have had two and both went down the road. So I agree with the OP.

The main reason to own a Roberts is simply because you want one

Maybe you should have pondered the "Why" before you got one. What rifle do you have, details, pic, etc.?

''cause the .257 Bob is far less common in hunting camp. Guaranteed conversation starter.

Debates about caliber/cartridge choices are the bread and butter of the Campfire. The cold hard reality of the matter is they're all good- close your eyes and pick one. We forget about the awesome energy we release with every pull of the trigger and what it does to living flesh, even with pipsqueak rounds. Every cartridge, with the possible exception of the .22BB Cap or 4mm Zimmerstutzen, can pretty much kill anything (and I wouldn't discount Digital Dan killing wild hogs with a Zimmerstutzen at that). I think Pugs came closest to the meat of the matter when he said it's more about the platform not the caliber. To whit, I would rather take on a grand daddy buck with a .22 K-Hornet Model 54 Winchester, re-chambered by Lyle Kilbourn himself, than with a rusty greasy old Spanish Mauser in 7x57 even though a 7mm has it all over a K-Hornet, on paper and in the minds of uninformed folks.

.308W who?????

https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/the-fantastic-5/83665

.257R is a classic and hits well above it's weight class. This group was shot with a Brux (24") barreled LA M-700; this COAL won't fit in a SA. This load whacks WT's and hogs with authority. What's not to like. Check that velocity. No pressure signs at all.

Gun also likes 115 gr. NBT's over H-4350 at around 2,950 fps. That load whack'em and stacks'em, groups just as good or even better.

DF

Why did they go down the road?

If you don't get it, you don't get it.

The .257 Roberts was introduced commercially by Remington in the 1930s, when there weren't many widely available commercial bolt-action cartridges between the .220 Swift and .270 Winchester. It became pretty popular, but started losing steam after Winchester introduced the .243 in 1955, and lost even more when Remington made the wildcat .25-06 a commercial round in 1969.

Today there are dozens of commercial cartridges in the same basic class, including not just the .243 and .25-06 but 6mm Remington, .240 Weatherby, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, blah blah blah. I have a soft spot for the .257 due to owning my grandmother's .257, a Remington 722 made in 1953, which also happens to still be VERY accurate, but there's no "need" for any of them, especially if you think the .308 works better for deer.

However, I have LOTS of experience on deer with all the cartridges listed above, including the .308 and several other rounds like it, including the .270, 7x57, 7mm-08 and .300 Savage. (My wife has also taken elk with both the .257 and .308, and they worked just about the same there too.) My conclusion is just about any halfway popular cartridge kills deer well, as long as the hunter puts the right bullet in the right place.

But if you're convinced the .308 is better, then that's what you should use, especially since one of your criteria is easily-found ammo. And you should give or sell the .257 Roberts brass to somebody who gets it.

What's not to like?

Nice,

Is that a Super Grade?

DF

Interestingly,most of the stores I have been to still have 257R remaining. I guess because not enough people get it.

If you’ve shot it at the range next to your .308, you wouldn’t be asking that question. I bought one for the kid and I wondered where all the recoil went? What a pleasant shooting cartridge! The kid doesn’t hunt and my butt is still sore from kicking myself for selling off that 760 .257 Roberts. I started a thread once on another hunting forum asking what cartridges killed out of proportion to their paper ballistics? The .257 Roberts and the .44 Magnum tied for first place. The ammo companies load those .25’s with bullets designed for deer size game. Not always the case with the larger 30’s. In the Cedar Ridge deer shooting test some years back, they measured the distance 400 plus deer ran after the shot using different cartridges. The .25 caliber deer travelled the shortest distance on average. If you load your own, you can get a Roberts right on the heels of a .25-06 if your rifle will handle modern pressure levels.

Yep, vintage '51.



It seems to like the Remington lightweights too...

I killed my first deer with a Roberts. I personally think most deer hunters are needlessly over gunned in this country. Guess it all started with people thinking you needed a 30'06 to shoot Germans.

The really sad thing is, that rifle is not in my rack! That is a very classy rifle.
If one wants to be entirely practical, he could hunt everything with a Savage 110 in 308 but I can't imagine such an existence. GD

Kinda like dating an ugly girl. You'd always be just a tad ashamed of her...

Salvages shoot, but they way too ugly for me. Sitting in a box stand or on a hunt, I'd have to look at it, at least occasionally. I'd rather be looking at that Super Grade, any day.

DF

Greydog, be careful what you wish for!



Probably true. They scaled that down for the 5.56 'cause dinks are, well, dinky I reckon.

I have owned several pre'64 Winchester M/70's to include a Super Grade and a Featherweight custom barreled Roberts in a Jaeger custom stock. All were capable of fine accuracy with both factory loads and handloads. Sadly all have gone down the road, I miss the Jaeger custom the most as It had a beautiful stock and fit me and pointed like a fine rifle should.

Every deer I have laid the crosshairs on has become groceries. Most of them never moved after they were shot.

The .257R is just right for hunting deer 0-400yds. I went from a pair of hunting rifles in 300wm and .44 mag to adding a Roberts, and lost zero effectiveness in doing so. The first couple of deer I shot with the .257 I watched the deer's reaction through the scope during the recoil and I thought "Wow that's nice". An added feature compared to the 300 wm recoil.

I've been shooting either 117 grain btsp Hornady's with 43 grn of RL19, or 115 grain Nosler bt's with 43.5 grn of RL 19 for over 15 years and I'll be happy if I never have to change it.

I have one because my first name is Robert. That's a good enough reason right!? In all seriousness I have always liked 25 caliber anything and the roberts is a very mild but effective cartridge.

It is a nearly ideal cartridge for youngsters getting accustomed to centerfire rifles. Actually, it is a cartridge that near everyone likes to shoot.

257 Roberts, I think that case should be necked up to 7mm , then you would have something!!

I'm building one now for a youngster that disparately wants one......because he has seen mine and loves it.

IMO it's the finest dual purpose round ever .....varmints and deer size game.....It just plain works!

LOL! I see what you did....

Whats not to like? Mine shoots great and handles heavier bullets than my 243. You could say it puts the 243 in the coyote rifle slot and takes over the deer hunting slot. However the last deer I shot with it acted just like the last one I shot with a 243, good hit and ran 100 yards.

There's nothing magical about the 257Roberts.

I like mine a lot. It kills as well as any other similar chambering, but offers a lot of deer camp cool over the newer similars and the low recoil makes it a lot of fun to shoot.

Don't draw too strong of a conclusion from that. I put a 150 grain Ballistic Tip out of a 308 through a buck's chest and he ran that far. He just didn't immediately recognize his heart and lungs had a bit of a problem.

Have seen the same thing happen with even larger cartridges. First animal I ever shot with a .300 Winchester Magnum was a mule deer doe that went 100 yards--after receiving a 200-grain Nosler Partition in the middle of the left ribs that exited in front of the right shoulder. Range was right around 100 yards.

I know but it seems to happen more often to me with the smaller rounds. Had the same thing happen with other bigger cartridges, just amazing what an animal can do with nothing inside it's chest.

My father put an early generation 130 grain Ballistic Tip broadside through a buck's chest. I forget the velocity, but it was a full throttle load from a 26" barreled 270 Winchester. Range was about 100 yards IIRC. The exit wound would pass a grapefruit and there was a swath of chum on the ground yet he ran a good distance in a U shaped path.

A friend of mine was in on some deer removal permits a while back. His rifle of choice was a 22-250 shooting 50 grain Ballistic Tips if memory serves. He'd chest pop them just behind the leg and he told me they pretty much just dropped immediately and leg twitched a bit.

Those early NBT's were like that, including 150's in the .308 and '06. They were so bad, we agreed to not use them at our deer camp. So, I wrote them off, moved on.

I later learned that Nosler had toughened them up. I'm using them again and like what I see. They always were very accurate. Like I posted earlier, the 115 gr. NBT is one of the most accurate bullets in my .257R, and the terminal performance is impressive. The 120 gr. NBT out of my 7-08 is both accurate and deadly with good exits and lots of internal damage.

DF

You didn't mention just what you use a rifle for. Short of regular use on big bears, elk, or moose there is little reason to use anything in .30 caliber, such as the old war-hammer .308.

Maybe start with describing your attraction to it. Then ask yourself what you can do with the .308 that you can't do with a .24, .25, or .26?

....or a B-29.

I can not see a reason to own one.
I'd go 25-06

Look there is no room for logic in this discussion!

I always wanted a .257
But having a standard action when I had my .25 built, I choked and chose the 25-06. I had the room under the hood. why go with a lesser motor?

Pure guess here, but I'd bet I own more .308s than the OP.
Still... My do-all rifle is and has been the 25-06 since it was built. Leave me it, and my H&R/Sako .222 and I'm happy to the end of my days.
Can't imagine much I wouldn't do with a 25-06 and the 100 ballistic tip...

It isn't trendy but it's a for sure deer killer.

How so?
How does logic play a role in personal preference?

It's about attraction to the 257, not the logic of wanting one.

I've had a 25-06 and a 257R. The 25-06 went down the road, still have the Roberts. In my case, the Roberts was more accurate and I just like that particular rifle.

My 25-06 brass gets sized into 240 Wby cases. All my 25-06 headstamps look like 240 Wby cases, because that's what they have become.

If it's straight forward, if it's logical, if it makes sense, it's probably not Loony.

DF

And I don't imagine the .257 would fall short either, despite my head quibbles on horsepower...

It won't, if loaded to it's potential.

My load posted above, 100 gr TTSX at 3266 fps over H-100V, is accurate and not over the line regarding pressure. That powder just works well in that round.

Now, looking at 25-06 Load Data, it's the rare 100 gr. load that blows that one away, most don't. Now, if one leaned on the larger round, displacement ultimately rules.

I would think the 25-06 would probably pull ahead with more authority, shooting heavier bullets.

It may not be too unlike the .308, '06 match up. Light bullets, not that much difference, heavier bullets the larger case rules.

DF

Yep.

I like the .25-06, and indeed all 25s, despite theories about their ballistic deficiencies in this era of ultra-high ballistic coefficients and longer-range shooting. But after long experience with the .250 Savage, .257 Roberts, .25-06 and .257 Weatherby Magnum, I let my .250s and .25-06s go, because while I couldn't tell much (if any) difference in the field performance of the .257 Roberts and .25-06, I could tell a difference between the field performance of the .250 and .257, and between the .25-06 and .257 Weatherby.

Of course, that may change if the "right" .250-3000 or .25-06 comes along!

I like the old Roberts best of all the 25s. I don't own one now, but for no good reason. My Daughter and both of her sons use a 257 Roberts quite a lot, and have all killed game with it including elk.
I do have a super light 25-06 but it was left to me by an old friend when he died, so that one is dear to me because of who give it to me. I have shot quite a number of game animals with both 257 Roberts and 25-06 and like Mule Deer above, I have not seen any difference in how well one killed over the other. In fact, unlike Mule Deer, I have not seen any real difference between the 257 Roberts, the 25-06 and the 257 Weatherby in deer and antelope killing. The faster Weatherby makes wind estimations a bit less critical. That difference is noticeable, but not extremely.

Steve,

The difference I see in the .257 Weatherby is in wind drift and trajectory, which makes it easier to hit with at longer ranges, even when using a multi-point reticle or twisting turrets. But also admit that one of the moderate 6.5s (anything from the 6.5x55/.260 class to the 6.5-06/PRC) works noticeably just as well in wind, and with laser rangefinders a flatter trajectory isn't a big deal either.

As I've noted in other posts, the longer I hunt big game, the less difference I see in "killing power" in almost any vaguely appropriate cartridge. This is contrary to what many believe about bullet diameter and weight, but as long as the bullet penetrates and expands sufficiently there doesn't seem to be much difference.

When I started using the .257 Roberts 35+ years ago I'd been using the .243 Winchester for around a decade. Just about everybody back then (especially the handloading rifle loonies) believed the .257 was superior to the .243 for deer, because of the heavier bullets available. But after using the .257 for a while I couldn't see any difference.

Now, I did step up to the .30-06 last fall when hunting in a favorite local area, but that's because grizzlies are becoming more common there. A few years ago my wife killed a cow elk in a similar, nearby area late in the evening, using her New Ultra Light Arms .257 Roberts--which also happened to be the only rifle we had along, though I did also carry a handgun and bear spray. I'll admit that returning to the elk during the pack-out process brought about thoughts about how effective a .257 Roberts with 100-grain Barnes TTSXs might (or might not) be on a grizzly--partly due to having some encounters with them over the years. But we managed to get the elk to the pickup without incident.

Exactly.

Before my first western hunting trip I spent almost the whole summer on a public hay field south of my home with my then-8 yo son, my .257 AI, and truckloads of water-filled recyclables.

Samuel would spot for me... we had as far as 390 yds... and once I was feeling confident he shot, learning to plug water filled milk jugs out to 250 yards on the first try 9 out of 10 times.

No surprise that when the time came for him to choose a cartridge for his first big game rifle he chose a .257 Rob

Has served him well too:



Add to that the fact that I have a thing for Mauser actions, and the .257 Roberts just makes sense.

Of course I’d not argue that a 6mm Rem, 6.5x55, or 7x57 wouldn’t work just as well...

Back in the mid 80's Winchester made a run of the Roberts in their m70 featherweights. It seemed almost instantly the gun shows had a plentiful supply of used ones for sale.

I've owned a lot of 257 Roberts rifles, still have 11 of them, and while I like it, it has been primarily a reloader's cartridge for close to 50 years. When I was a kid, Winchester/Olin cataloged 3 bullet weights and styles of 257 Roberts factory ammo that made it a more flexible varmint and medium game cartridge. I have long followed the road less traveled when it comes to cartridges. While I think that the 257 Roberts is a nice little cartridge, looking at it with a critical eye, I see it as a more expensive and less practical way to get the same approximate level of performance as the common as dirt .243 Winchester.

I was introduced to the Bob waaay back in the early 60's where my aunt used it on everything - from pronghorn to elk.

It was only the city folk who we'd occasionally guide on the property who were smart enough to know you can't use the Bob on elk. 'Course, they were also smart enough not to point out that error to my aunt.

Today, my custom Bob is my go-to pronghorn getter. Heck, I was out this morning working up another load for it.

Why? Just 'cause...

I really want a .257 Roberts, preferably a pre 64 Model 70, or even better, a pre war Model 70. The stories I hear on how it drops deer are great, and I like the idea of having something different.

Agree on the Roberts being a reloader's round, but to me, they're all reloader's rounds...

Just off the shelf performance, the 6.5 CM may be an even better choice than the .243, which is a good choice. I'm sure that'll send howls up all around, but just looking objectivly at what's on the dealer's shelf and how those rounds shoot at the range, perform in the field, it's not rocket science. That profile, IMO, is what made the Creed what it is.

DF

Now we have a shrink's opinion.

I bought one of those back then. It hated X-Bullets, but loved everything else

I bought one of those back then. It hated X-Bullets, but loved everything else. Every deer I shot with it went straight down. I loved that rifle, but sold it to my brother for his kids to use. I doubt I'll ever get it back.

Back in the mid 80's Winchester made a run of the Roberts in their m70 featherweights. It seemed almost instantly the gun shows had a plentiful supply of used ones for sale. [/quote]

That's because the dumbass bootlips at Winchester put a mag box in them made for the 243 win at about 2.82" long and the only way to get max accuracy with a 100 gr Spitzer was seat it out to about 3.05" making the gun a single shot. Yup could have ordered a mag box and follower for the 7x57 chambered gun as well as a bolt stop. Why in the hell should you have to spend extra to make it right when winchester should have done that in the first place? The 100gr Silvertips in the +p load shot good accuracy wise but didn' t perform well on game. The factory Remington rn 117 gr loads didn 't shoot for beans and for a fact the WW 117 rn loads were only a little better. That s why I dumped mine

I'd sooner let you have my dog than one of my 257 Roberts.

The attraction is that it has low muzzle blast, low recoil and it's not a 243 Win. I bought one for my wife. It seemed just right for a person of her size, (plus I get to play with it).

Exactly!

My twin .257 Roberts rifles are spending a lot of time in the gun safe now that a Speer HotCor 87 grain bullet and a .250-3000 does the same job on Whitetails.

Never fiddled with the high horsepower 1/4 bores, the Roberts being the most powerful. Have a .25-20 Win. and Single Shot, a .250 Savage and Bob. The .250 shoots a wee bit better but not enough to make any difference in the field. They are all very functional and make me smile more often than not. I don't need anything that shoots further, flatter, faster etc. etc. etc.

you have the perfect scope on the m-70. i've used one for years.

Most hunters aren't reloaders or rifle looneys, so they buy their rifles and ammo at a big box store and go blissfully on their way.

The Bob works. Grew up reading Whelan and O’Connor and got one of the first of the 1980s Featherweights as my first. As a wildlife biologist and Hunter killed over 100 white tails with every factory load available. Lost that rifle in 1999 to a house fire and my best friend gave me a Remington custom shop M7 Bob. My daughter and I killed another 50 or so with that rifle. Took my youngest stepson Colorado elk hunting and he used a Ruger 77 Ultralight Bob. We use 87 gr. or lighter for Fox/coyotes, 80 grain Barnes and 100 grain lead jacketed for deer and 100-120 Nosler partitions for Elk.
I would hunt anything anywhere with a 115gr. Nosler partition.

Note that I have killed game with everything from the Hornet to the .375 H&H. Bullet placement is more important than cartridge/Caliber.

Or not very blissfully, now and then--and now is one of those times.

Go back to sleep.

MIssed the boat on having a custom 257 over thirty years ago. Knew a local gunsmith that was not only a pretty good rifle builder, but an endless resource on firearms yarns and history.

Alex was a WWII vet and a big M98 fan. Once told me how many M98 actions he'd mailed back home after VE Day, when he was part of a group gathering German arms from the piles of surrendered weapons and packing up the better examples for officers to take home. When he had the time, he'd pick out a few K98s,and saw off the barrel, leaving enough of a stub to remove after the war. Said over a year after he'd gotten back home to PA, a relative or friend would show up now and then, with yet another M98 action he'd mailed back. Alex built rifles on those actions for quite a few years.

When he was still in Germany, one of the locals hired to help gather, clean and inspect firearms, tool exception to him sawing barrels off. Translator told Alex that the German thought he should just heat the action and screw the barrel off? Alex tried to explain that heating the action wasn't a good idea and it was quicker to just saw the barrel off, but the local just shook his head, thought Alex was an idiot.

One night we were putting a medium heavy Douglass SS barrel on an FN M98 action I had. I was on a 25-06 kick at the time and wanted something with a bit more heft than my M700ADL. Mentioned I also had a small ring Danzig M98 I'd acquired in a swap. 8x57 with splinter fore end sporter stock.

Alex brightened at the mention of the small ring action. Told me he'd built a 257 Roberts back in the 1950s on one. He wanted to build me a 257 with a slim barrel, but I never got around to it, before he passed away in the 1990s.

Just read your gun shop article on the home page. Brought back some great memories of gun shops I'd been in since I was a kid many years ago, that no longer exist..

I used to like you, DD.

Now...???

Still, rates a two cool

Glad you liked the gun shop article!

-Sniff-

Didn’t mean to hurt your feelers. No more gun pics, OK?

Wanna buy it?

Anecdotally, the only rifle I ever bought to give to a woman was a Ruger M77 lightweight/featherweight/whatever they called them back in the late 80's - in .257 Roberts. Shoulda married that girl. She was a small person, 4'11" and 98 pounds on a fat day, such that I had to shorten the butt stock a lot for the gun to fit her. Cut that thing before a round ever went down the tube. Put a Leupold 1.5-5 on it and off to the races she went. That thing would put three into a half-inch or so and then shots would start to walk vertically. No matter, she never needed more than one shot to execute a whitetail anyway. Special kind of girl who would brag on the .257 Roberts her man gave her when her girlfriends were bragging about their jewelry! I know, I know....

I aquired the 257 Roberts to as a donor fornan 338 Fed or 358 win project. Normally i dont bother with such things because i prefer the economy of depth ofncomponents for 270win and 308win. Ive used very regular 180gr cheap bullets in 308win for very good predictable results. Recently i got me a 270win for the first time and i found factory ammo very cheap and components as well so thats impressive from the start.

Anyway when i look at the 270win shooting only slightly heavier 130gr bullets compared to a 257 roberts its somewhat similiar but only far more common and cheap. I picked up a bunch of that Federal Premium Trophy Copper 130gr for $$24.99 box. Federal blue box i picked up at $20 box recently. Then i aquired Speer 270 bullets for a decent $19.99 for 100. It just seems its close to the 257 but far better choices and economy. With the 308 win inalready had the components over the years so im really set for it.

Its not a matter that the 257 sucks but rather theres really a few things out there like the 270win and now the ever popular 6.5 creed that use just slightly heavier bullets but offer far better choice and economy and do the same thing. Thats why i dont get the wow factor of the 257 Roberts.

Cricker
If you were truly looking for economy you would have stopped buying rifles when you acquired your 308. No question cheap ammo can be bought at any Wal Mart. Nothing about hunting or shooting is inexpensive.
Besides you have learned by this thread that 25 calibers are where all the cool kids hang out!😁
GreggH

I like and use the Bob, I have two a Winchester model 70 Super Grade Featherweight 50th anniversary Cabela's edition, and a Pre 64 Model 70 standard. I have one other quarter bore and that is a 257 Weatherby in a Mk V. Never used the Bobs on Elk but I have shot Elk with the 257 Weatherby using 115 grain Nosler Partitions. I have no complaints on any of the three.

When this thread popped up I was going to tell you that I shot a fox with your old 257 Roberts a couple of weeks ago. 75 grain VMax over 42.6 grains of Varget in a Winchester +P case and CCI primer. It still has one of those optically inferior Leupold VX-II 2-7x33s on it and after 18 years it still tends to send the projectile on its way to a POI close to the POA. I was in a hurry, so I didn't throw anything over the hood of the Sport Trac and it got another muzzle flash character mark.

I was in a Wal-Mart last week and saw a guy buying every box of ammo in their display case. WM was selling at the regular prices and no limit on the number of boxes that one person could buy. I'm sure that he was buying low so that he could sell high. Just as in all aspects of life, if you fail to prepare by default you are preparing to fail.

Or a Creedmoor.....

"257 Roberts whats the attraction"

Mild muzzle blast, light recoil, with ample velocity. If I were into quarter bores I would certainly have a 257 Roberts

A tale of two "Bobs". After owning no less than a dozen Roberts, two Ruger 77s remain in the rifle battery, because they earned it. Form and fit to my liking and accurate, however there are differences. The red pad prefers 100 grain and lower bullets, the black pad likes 115 grain bullets.

Twins:



Black pad killed my largest Whitetail. 115 grain Nosler Partition, 44 grs H4350, 280 yards. Buck scaled 270 lbs. field dressed down at the local feed mill.

Black pad.

Neat, guns and trophy.

Thanks for sharing.

DF

Round oak. Don’t you have any big deer there to try your bob out on. And DD ! Needing is not a reason not to buy something. Common people. Edk

"257 Roberts what's the attraction"

Low recoil. Nostalgia.

shinbone,

I think theoldpinecricker is pretty nostalgic. He keeps mentioning heavier bullets as being superior for deer hunting, which is a good indication that he's still wandering around in the past.

Or he prefers a cheaper, alternative method. There is no need for copper or partitioned bullets. There are options.

In short, he can use what he wants.

I filled my doe tag once with a cast bullet from out of a .257 Roberts. A case of walking out the back door into the woods and realizing as the sun was coming up, and a deer was sneaking past me, that the ammo I managed to grab was a fist full of cast loads I had been playing with in that full-stock M1952 Mannlicher-Schoenauer. Soft cast 100 grain RN bullets at around 1600 fps will definitely do the job. Not a dramatic kill, but she expired within seconds and maybe 50 feet from where I hit her.

Or he has no idea how well cup-and-cores can work in smaller-caliber cartridges. Instead he assumed they won't work as well.

Dunno how many deer and antelope I've killed with cup-and-cores not only with the .257 Roberts but the .220 Swift, .243 Winchester .250 Savage and .25-06. Could look it up in my hunting notes, but am sure its close to 100.

People tend to waaaaay over-think this stuff.

Yes, almost everyone. Use what makes you happy. Use cast. Use C and C. Use partitions. I realize boards like this would disappear if people stopped posting, but the winter blahs and grumpiness are exacerbated by COVID and your election.

Time for everyone to relax and take a few breaths.

The "right" 25-06 came along for me when I shipped an early 2000s Model 70 classic featherweight to "Redneck", in 2009, and he sent it back with a PacNor .25 barrel on it.
First 3 shots at 100 with the 75 VMax covered with a dime, and change due...

I recall him asking if I wanted the 30-06 barrel back.
Nah...I'm good....

I believe you`re asking the question bass-ackwards...cense the 1920s, why have we needed all thoes that followed?

Dam right you should have married her!

Nostalgia. There are better choices with similar recoil.

Ouch! But then I loved the good ole days. I like at least 120 grains. Back when TTSX's didn't exist heavier was better. It was almost all you had.

rickt300,

Apparently you don't have much experience with any other so-called "premium" bullets than TTSXs. They're great bullets--Eileen and I have killed some game every year since they appeared--but I have used a bunch of other bullets that penetrate more than sufficiently on big game from 100-pound animals like pronghorn to 800-1500 pound animals from elk to moose and buffalo. But have shot lengthwise through pronghorn bucks with 120-grain 6.5mm Nosler Ballistic Tips. Won't mention the cartridge because too many here would throw a schidt-fit.

Might also mention that I started using Nosler Partitions back when they were still lathe-turned. The two I first used (because I had so few rifles back then) were the 130-grain .270 and 200-grain Partition. Never recovered any, on game up through elk.

Too heavy for me to carry anymore...

My Kimber MT 257 is just right for that purpose, but it's U G L Y !

I dont know about nostalgia but i dont target deer specifically most times. To me they are mostly incidental if elk season overlaps. As i mentioned earlier, at the moment i dont live where the deer and antelope play but in timbered country. Specifically i spend most time in N Idaho, the Selway, and NW Montana. Sometimes i go north for moose, sometimes ive been in the Crazies, the Beartooths and that region of Montana.

I like heavier bullets but im also a big 338, 348, 358, 375 fanboy. Id probably love the 9.3 too if i had one. But these things are my very favorite. They have some real punch and useful range.

I also like stuff that represents a great deal of usefulness and is cost effective. Thats what ive come to find in 308win and 180gr bullets. Ive also recently aquired for the first time a 270win and jave found a great deal of very affordable factory ammo and also bullet components. I dont know why it took this long to recognize that but finally i did. I cant wait to use it. It makes more sense than a 257 Roberts in that theres a good deal of crossover in weights that are close and the economy and availibity of the 270 is really good. Even now.

Ive nothing against my 257 Roberts. I may be nostalgic because i do love the 348win. But really im not a cool kid and just wonder why a 257 is so revered. I think im finding out it more of a club or "me too" thing but thats alright and nothing wrong with it if it floats ones boat or dingy or yacht.

I like the Partitions a lot but there was a time when bullet weight meant a lot more than it does now. I feel many bullets including some cup n cores have improved greatly since 40 years ago. I still have some lathe turned Noslers in 30 caliber. I used some of the 150 gr. 308's year before last. Think I have a full box of 200 grain old style Partitions. Back in the 70's and 80's I used 150 grain bullets in my 270 and 180's in my 30-06 because both rifles did double duty on elk and deer. I guess I am nostalgic for the era when I used the heavier bullets most, I used Partitions then when I could get them. Or Speer Hotcors when I couldn't. Now having just at least one rifle in all the major bore diameters up to .358 I play with lots of different bullets. For do it all deer hunting using cup and core bullets I still like at least 120 grain bullets. I will use lighter bullets though depending on how and where I am hunting. If recoil isn't a problem the heavies can still work just fine. My 260 is loaded with 100 gr. Partitions right now pushed to an easy 3200 fps. Works pretty good and I can't think of anything I wouldn't use that load for that I would a 120 gr. Bullet. Soon as I accept reality I am going to pick one bore diameter and use it for all my big game hunting and two for coyotes. Thinking about that I realize the impossibility of it......

Right! ..... Deer are not that big or hard to kill.

I always used Hornady 100gr SPs in my 257 w/o any troubles but may have to switch soon when they run out.

Last Wednesday I found a box of them on a table at a flea market for $11.. Will try em when the brass loaded with 100 gr. Ballistic tips is empty.

Has anyone yet mentioned that the 257 Roberts is just plain sexy?

Paul they look even cooler with the round nose bullets in it!
GreggH

After you fall in love with .257, and when you really want to shoot long and flat, you can move into .257Weatherby. The "perfect' longer range antelope/sheep/goat/deer caliber.

This is definitely one of those "if you have to ask you wouldn't understand" sort of things.

There is no doubt my own attraction to the round is mostly fueled by nostalgia, and I like a Roberts wrapped around blued steel and walnut. That's what I'd want in my hands were I sitting in a deerstand for Whitetail rather than a Stainless-Plastic-Fantastic.

There are a number of 308 fans on this site, and I'm absolutely one of them. But the 308 kicks more than the Roberts, and I have never seen where a 308 is any more effective on deer sized game. Does the Rob do anything more than the 243 does? Except in the minds of a few loonies, not really. And not being readily available in factory ammo, the 308 or 243 are infinitely more practical than the 257, which is really a handloading proposition. But what it does have is an indefinable quality that you either "get" or don't.

My 257...

I don't often consider myself an envious man, but that .257R of Brad's is just about perfect. Were I to ever get back in the Roberts game, that's how I'd do it too......

gnoahhh, gnoahhh, gonoahhh..........don’t have much else to say😳

PennDog

Oh the attraction......it takes attention away from the 250-3000 so I can obtain ammo and brass😁

I've always considered the Model 70 classic featherweight to be THE best looking rifle ever made. But It's not a true featherweight, and weighs in way above what it needs to in light cartridges.

The Kimber walnut/blued rifles are a better blend of attributes and are cool as all get out...

RNs in brass is way cool over plastic tips in chrome cases.

I am a big fan of the .25 cal cartridges. Although, I tend towards the 25-06 over the .257 Roberts for the bump in speed.

But, I think the OP makes a good point that, as nice as the .257 Roberts is, it is not the best "utility" round for those living in the West. That doesn't mean the .257 Roberts doesn't perform well in its respective niche, which it does quite well. But being good in a niche application, is not the same as being a good utility round. Meaning, if you like utility cartridges, the .257 Roberts doesn't make much sense. If you like low recoil and nostalgia and only shoot whitetails/antelope/etc. at moderate ranges, the .257 Roberts makes a lot of sense.

I would also say, that since we can easily and cheaply buy meat at the grocery store, hunting is about fun, and if a person likes a certain round for other than performance reasons (nostalgia, tradition, history, got a good deal, etc.), then they should by all means hunt with it and enjoy themselves.

(As an aside, taking dangerous game off the table, the best utility round is the 7mm-08. This is particularly true with modern monolithic bullets, which don't wastefully shed (i.e., any weight lost is in the form of sharp shards that continue to do damage after separating from the bullet shank) close to half their weight shortly after impact.)


JMHO

My own 257 has yet to be carried on a hunt. I have too many rifles! I built it because I always kind of wanted one. The barrel, a gain twist which ends at 1 in 12, wasn't ideal but it was there so I contoured it to a slightly skinny #2 (.520 at the muzzle at 24") and put it on the FN action. I re-worked the ugly stock and added a half inch to the length of pull. I was not surprised when it shot 100 gr Hornady bullets into 3/4 moa but I was a bit surprised when it did the same with 120gr Speer spitzers. The rifle weighs just under 7 1/2 pounds, ready to hunt, and carries pretty well. I think my ideal bullet for this one will be the 100 gr Nosler Partition.
Like most cartridges, the 257 Roberts doesn't do anything a bunch of others won't do as well but it has class. GD

Thats an handsome stick of kindling. Real nice looking and in my mind thats what a real classic rifle looks like. Nice to see the pretty stuff out there.

[quote=Theoldpinericker] I dont know about nostalgia but i dont target deer specifically most times. To me they are mostly incidental if elk season overlaps. As i mentioned earlier, at the moment i dont live where the deer and antelope play but in timbered country. Specifically i spend most time in N Idaho, the Selway, and NW Montana. Sometimes i go north for moose, sometimes ive been in the Crazies, the Beartooths and that region of Montana.

I like heavier bullets but im also a big 338, 348, 358, 375 fanboy. Id probably love the 9.3 too if i had one. But these things are my very favorite. They have some real punch and useful range. /quote]

I have considerable experience with the .338 Winchester Magnum, along with various "mediums" from the .338 Winchester Magnum up through the .358 STA, 9,3x62 and .375 H&H, both in North America and various other places. Hunted a lot with the .338 throughout the 1990s, but didn't find it noticeably more effective than .30 calibers. Do think that at around .35 caliber cartridges become somewhat more effective, but that also depends a lot on the bullet used, placement, etc. etc.

But so far haven't found any cartridge or bullet the magic answer--but have found the .30-06 to be a LOT "bigger" cartridge than many hunters think.

There's that and the senile dementia.

Shinbone, I never considered the Western/Eastern application that you suggest. It is worth noting that Ned Roberts lived in New Hampshire & Townsend Whelen spent lots of time in Vermont and for most species outside of Moose that live here, the .257 Rob was/is nearly perfect - especially given the groundhog population if the time.

I spent a bunch of years hunting whitetails in Virginia. Small deer, close shots. I did not own a .257 Roberts during that time, but it would have been an ideal choice for that hunting situation. Now that I live in Colorado, while I think the .257 Roberts is a cool little round and would be fun to shoot, it would be far from a top choice for most hunting around here. And, that is confirmed when you see which cartridges the local retailers devote the most shelf space to.

Shin
The stores here devote the shelf space to the same rounds as they do there. Have not hunted CO but have traveled it a good bit. Turn me loose there with tags and my Roberts and I would be bringing home game. Nothing there I would not put a good bullet from the.257 in. Try one you will be surprised by how easy it is to work with and well it kills. Enough velocity for real world hunting but not enough to really stress bullets to the point of failure.
GreggH

GreggH,

Exactly. I was born and raised and live in Montana, and haven't found the .257 lacking as a "utility" cartridge. My wife and I have taken some very big bucks, both whitetails and mule deer, with the .257, and used it considerably for 300+ yard shots, mostly on pronghorns but also some on deer. The longest was around 450 yards, in pre-LRF days, on one of my bigger pronghorns. While this isn't considered long range today, it was in those days. Eileen has also used the .257 on cow elk, with no problems, as have several other hunters I know.

I think what we're running into here, again, is older attitudes about what cartridges are "truly adequate" for certain game. As I have noted earlier, in this thread and others, after considerable hunting not just in North America but other parts of the world, I find less and less difference between the "killing powder" of various cartridges, within certain broad limits, as long as the bullet penetrates and expands sufficiently--whether it's a cup-and-core or controlled expansion.

I can't speak for others, but when I wander through a Cabelas, or Sportsmen's Warehouse, or the myriad mom&pop stores in Colorado, I see hardly any .257 Roberts on the shelves. And, I've noticed because I do like the .25 cal cartridges. (I am talking before the great 2020 ammo shortage.)

Mule Deer makes an interesting observation that maybe what we are seeing is a generational shift in attitudes towards cartridges. The older cartridges are the same as they've always been, it is the users and their expectations that are changing.

I still say the bottom line is: shoot what makes you happy. And if that is the .257 Roberts, then more power to you. I, personally, just don't accept that it is one of the better all-purpose cartridges available today.

Shin & JB - great points! A shift certainly looks like it’s underway. As a Westerner transplanted to VT but having DIY/backpack hunted all over the US, I’ve enjoyed observing the regional differences & preferences. Fun to see the non-mags getting the appreciation for what their capabilities really are. That said, I still have a .340 Wby that shoots great but dang it pushes back good too.

I used it a bunch in earlier days - built it on a Mauser action excellent .25 for deer and antelope back then - will not part vwith it due to find memories. At least out here in the west, I think the excellence of the 25/06 and such other developments simply edged the less flat and not as far reaching Roberts into the background. My 25/06 is indispensable - shot the .257 Weatherby for a while - fantastic performer. Roberts has been resting.

I fail to see how the 267 Roberts would be a poor choice for hunting Colorado. What's on store selves have zero to do with a cartridges suitability for hunting

JWP - I wasn’t saying that at all & wholeheartedly agree with you - I believe its a great cartridge & can be used anywhere.

Mule Deer
450 yards is still a long shot. My longest with the Roberts is 380 yards. Never hesitated to squeeze the trigger. The deer collapsed and never moved.
GreggH

No one is saying the .257 is a poor choice for hunting the West, in the right application. I am just saying that it is not the best choice for an all-around western cartridge.

That Colorado stores have minimal stocks of .257 Roberts shows most people agree. If someone said they were planning on shooting elk at 400 yds with a .257 Roberts, they would get a lot of pushback on these forums. If an eastern hunter said he was coming west to hunt elk or mulies for the first time, and "what cartridge should I get", a 257 Roberts would be far down the list of suggestions.

I'm still pissed off from 1976 when I had a .257 R being built on a Santa Barbara right hand action in a quilted maple left hand stock with a long Shilen barrel. My buddy the smith calls and says "how would you like a 25-06 instead. The reamer chattered and so I took a 25-06 reamer and went in and cleaned it up". It's taken three elk, 6 or 7 antelope, and countless mule deer. Still shoots .3" groups with cheap Speer bullets. But I wanted a Roberts.

A ranch manager I met in Sheridan in 2001 said his only rifle is a Ruger 77, tang safety. He had taken everything from prairie dogs to Shiras moose, including a mountain and a bighorn sheep. With factory ammo. Is it the best for all those applications? For him, it is.

Wow, quite the jumps in "logic." The Rob is not on many shelves because it's an old, obscure cartridge that was dethroned in the 1950's by the 243. And as to it not being "the best choice for an all-around western cartridge", I'm not one that is impressed with the concept of "best." It's a faulty idea. At the end of the day, it's the craftsman that makes the tool, not the reverse. I have zero doubt a good rifleman and hunter could use the Rob on all Western hunting over a lifetime with zero problems. Cartridges are more alike than different, but rifleman and hunters are not.

If shelf space meant all that much then someone who didn't know better would think light beer was the good stuff.

Love the Roberts. Only reason i don't have one is 3 mauser actions were warped or otherwise jacked up and another was so heavy once put together i just was never happy with it.

Got a 257 weatherby now but if I were putting one rifle together for all my hunting it would be a 257 roberts.

If you go by what's popular then you're stuck with McDonald's food and gas station coffee. Lol

Har!

Now people are getting it. I agree that while store shelves demonstrate what's popular, they don't prove what's best.

And there you have it...

Plus 1

The LGS in Sauk Prairie had six boxes of 257 R on hand, with a like amount of 303 Savage. It's also the only place I've ever bought 7 WSM in person. Once in a while a store is owned and frequented by people that like the good stuff. Well, that and they were out of all the popular ammo choices.

I don't know whether or not the 257R actually was "dethroned" by the .243 and, given the significant difference, have to wonder why such a thing would happen among knowledgeable gun folks.

Wait, you don't love gas station coffee? Please, for the love of God, don't tell me you turn your nose up at gas station roller grill hot dogs.

Significant difference? Really?

Well said!

The only "significant difference" between the two is the current availability of new 243 rifles, ammo and brass as compared to the 257R.

That's it.

To me, it gets no better in a factory rifle.

Dead antelope on other side of valley.

Sweet!

Cachet

I've had a lot of gas station/convenience store coffee that was actually not bad at all. Same with the hot dogs. As to a .257 Roberts, I've never shot one but I sure bet I'd be happy with one if it were stainless and synthetic.

Nice read.. You folks have a far higher opinion of the Roberts than I do..

I dont have an opinion of the 257 Roberts other than the 270win can shoot bullets that arent much heavier as can the 6.5 creed and they are much easier to find factory ammo and components. In that way they 257 is quite inferior but thats an facet and not a knock on the actual use afield.

One thing that is nice about the 257 is some of you folks have some beautiful stocked rifles in the cal. Very nice.

Yes, but remember that this opinion is founded in some considerable experience as well as a fondness for nostalgia. It's been around a long time and can stand up to the 6 MM rounds with full adequacy. it's every bit as good as the comments in this thread say it is.

No no no. A stainless rifle in the grand old Roberts? The .257 Bob deserves a nice blued walnut rifle with a fixed power scope like a gloss 6x36.

Save the stainless for the Creedmoor.

Very fond of my Kimber Montana.

I'd add a stainless synthetic Featherweight to my collection if Winchester were to make one.

That is a beaut!

Think of it this way: which would you rather have, A) a pretty girl next door type with a button nose and freckles who'll make your life a joy, or B) a slinky fashion model who'll likely break your heart in the end? If the answer is A then the .257 Roberts is for you. If B is your choice get a Creedmoor or Weatherby of some sort.

If you choose option B you will soon be divorced and have to sell the creedmore to pay the attorney and will end up with the 257 in the end. Thats how it worked for me anyway.

My Roberts built on a 1909 Argentine Mauser action. I found some 100gr RN bullets rummaging around looking looking for something else. I bet the deer are going to hate them, star-kens-rage-2-2]kenshiro wallpaper[/url]

Dang, GSP! That is one gorgeous rifle.

A "WOW"......rifle for sure.

GSP, are you actually going to subject that beautiful rifle to the brush and elements chasing whitetails?

Huntin’ the brush doesn’t mean the gun will get scarfed up.

Are you talking kinder, gentler brush?

Gorgeous! Be nice to see pictures of the rest of the rifle.
GreggH

Winner... Really nice

Just a simple Pre-War Model 70... .257 Roberts.

That works.

It wouldn't be as beautiful in any other caliber.

Likely we just don't take the long hard shots on the unkillable game that some do

No use owning it if you don't hunt it.

Wow.

How many other "over the hill, obsolete rounds" would generate 10 pages of discussion.

Interesting thread, interesting round.

As a Loony, I've enjoyed it.

DF

With higher BC bullets coming for this caliber, tighter twisted medium-long actions give the fit that works synergistically. The times are changing for the 1/4 bore.

both the cool factor and the nostalgic factor....for starters...

In a Featherweight Winchester or a Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle ( the original configuration).. then even better....

So true!

Absolutely!! I have taken a couple with it already and it's on the short list for a hunt in Texas the end of September

last year i rebarreled a real nice Remington 30 express chambered to 257 Roberts with a Brux 71/2 twist barrel ,this year a did another 257 Roberts in nice old Mauser action and again with a Brux 7 1/2 twist barrel. the first 257 Roberts shoots extremely well or just like a bench rifle. i bet this new Brux barrel 257 Roberts Mauser will shoot well too ,matter a fact both these rifles will shoot as good or better bullet ballistics as my Creedmoors do with these new Berger bullets. my attraction to the 257 Roberts i got from Harold an old trapper /hunter 50 some years ago in a bar with his stories shooting animals back in the 50 -60 `s,i just like the looks of that great old cartridge even then. with Berger`s new bullet 135 gr. VLD target bullet for a 25 caliber and barrels 7 1/2 -8 twist by barrel manufactures you will see some very good things happening at the target range and hunting now and in the future. besides its a grand old name for a great old cartridge 257 ROBERTS !

Whitebird thats a nice M70 for sure. I've had a couple of the STD guns in the 257.
I like the nostalgia of the "classic" calibers

I suspect that's the same reason some people still like their 6mm Rem. over a .243 or their 7x57 over a 7-08.

Sounds interesting. The std. Roberts 10 twist handles everything up to 120's without issue.

I'm guessing if there are some high ogive bullets, the faster twist will come in handy. So, far what's out there in that category?

DF

Image of 3 shot group

I paid $125 for a sporterized 1941 Kokura Arsenal Arisaka in 7.7 Jap at a pawn shop..... with "no functional guarantee"

I cut the breech off a new unused Winchester 25-06 take off barrel and cut metric threads for the Arisaka.

I chambered it in 257 Roberts.

I steel block bedded it. I put a Timney trigger in it.

On sighting in in 2017 it shot a 1" (3) shot group at 200 yards with 100 gr Nos Bal tips

1" 3 shot group at 200 yards
100 gr nosler ballistic tip 46 gr IMR-4451 2.963" OAL jammed into the lands
63.4 kpsi 3231 fps Quickload
2926 fps chrono
2936
2911
Pressure on primers looks high

I hunted with a different rifle in 2017, a 6.5-06.
Still, the 257 Roberts was a success at making a lightweight and accurate hunting rifle.

Just as a matter of interest how do folks say the name? Is it the two five seven Roberts or two fifty seven Roberts? I've always used the former.

257 Roberts

I've always thought calling the Roberts 'Bob' was stupid

Two Fifty Seven Roberts.

I was going to get another plate for the truck in 257 Rob

I always liked the “Better Bob” description for the improved 257 Roberts

Lighten up Stanley

Harmless affections towards our stuff make some of this fun.

If the 257 Roberts is thought to be so cool why not the 250 Savage as well. Its an actual short action cartridge, mild, and has some history. It can be found in old Savage 99's and built in bolt rifles. Thats kind of cool in itself.

good ideal but probably never happen now,but that`s where the new 257 Creedmoor may come in soon ? 257 Roberts is a classic that will always be there , maybe not a big seller but will always have plenty following shooters and rifle loonies .

the 250 savage and the 257 Roberts are a joy to shoot, try one you'll be glad you did!

The 250 Sav with ball powder will beat a 257R with stick powder.



range report 10-18-2017
2) Sighted 257 Roberts Arisaka in at 200 yards.
1" 3 shot group at 200 yards
100 gr nosler ballistic tip 46 gr IMR-4451 2.963" OAL jammed into the lands
63.4 kpsi 3231 fps Quickload
2926 fps chrono
2936
2911
Pressure on primers looks very high

3) 250 Savage Savage 12
100 gr Nos Bal Tip 39 gr CFE223, 2.550" OAL
62.5 kpsi 3154 fps Quickload
3115 fps chrono
3197
3253

Ive ended up with both of these but havent used them yet.

The reason the .250 Savage isn't even as popular as the .257 today is factory ammo's even scarcer, and brass tends to suck, since it's a low-profit item and factories tend to run their brass-forming dies past when they should have been replaced. The exception is Hornady--or at least it was 2-3 years ago when I tried some of their brass. (You can neck up .22-250 brass, however, which works pretty well.) While the .250 is an actual short-action cartridge, there aren't many commercial .250 bolt-rifles available--though I have owned one Model 20 Savage. Otherwise it's a custom deal.

Clark,

What length barrel on the .250? I have owned a bunch of .250s, including a custom bolt rifle, and never been able to break 3000 fps with 100-grain bullets no matter what powder I tried, from a typical 22-24" barrel.

Started trying 4451 in the .257 when the powder first appeared, due to a shortage of H4350 (and even IMR4350) at the time. Turned out the two manufacturing lots I got were somewhat different, which isn't unusual in new powders, but with 46.0 grains they got 3052 and 3104 with the 100-grain Ballistic Tip seated a little off the lands in my somewhat worn Remington 722--wit ZERO signs of excessive pressure.

It’s “Da Bob” for my son & me.

Channeling our inner yooper, eh!

Anal retentiveness takes enjoyment from life.

25-08 ??? I think it's called the 25 Souper. Brass aplenty!

While being "the best" doesn't always lead to becoming "the most popular", being "the most popular" almost always leads to most options and wider distribution for the consumer.

I like the 250-3000 and 257 Roberts, but wouldn't recommend either of them in lieu of the 243 to the casual hunter. While the 223, 22-250, 243, 25-06, 6.5CM, 270, 7mm RM, 30-30, 308, 30-06, and 300 WM might not be the best cartridges in their respective market niches, they are close enough, good enough, to be the most popular cartridges in their respective market niches.

My response to what’s the attraction? Simply this, in my custom pre-64 Roberts I get 3050 FPS with the 115 Nosler Partition. I’d like to see the critter in the lower 48 I couldn’t harvest with that rifle and load!

You got a fast barrel there....Desertranger.

Just looked at 1980's a M70 Featherweight in .257 Roberts. Cool, but for the $1200 he is asking for it, he can keep it.

One of my hunting buds had his 25 Souper built about the same time I was having my Bob built and both by the same gunsmith. Made for endless fun hours debating long action vs short action.

The problem was both rifles were built by the same 'smith, and when you factored out the loose nuts behind the triggers the rifles were equally accurate.

However, mostly just for S&G the debate continues....

Mine is named "Little Ned", in honor of it's creator.

Mine is named "Little Ned", in honor of it's creator.


now that is unique and classy > LITTLE NED < i like that !

Having just the ‘one’ .257 Roberts I’ll say that it’s in my top 5 of all hunting rifles - which was up to quite a number before the boating accident. Such a sad day.

I believe thats pretty accurate. When i was a teen i had an experiance with a big bull elk at 25-30yds using a 25-06 and Remington Core Lokts. Horrible experiance. Before at longer distances the little 25 took some huge mule deer and cow elk no problem. At rock throwing range it was inadequate. I wish i could relive that scenerio only having Nosler Partitions or todays copper monolithics. My ammo was some my grandpa had bought back in the early 70's.

More than one of us went through that same sort of experience with various bullets!

Core--Lokts were pretty thick-jacketed bullets back then (though not today), but they weren't "unbreakable," especially close up at higher velocities. In fact John Nosler developed the Partition after having problems with a British Columbia bull moose with 180 Core-Lokts from a .300 H&H.

I started using Partitions during the last 3-4 years of the lathe-turned bullets, the mid -1970s, and they took a lot of doubt out of my hunting--especially for elk in the thick timber of the Montana mountains alongside the Idaho Panhandle. A hundred yards was a long shot, and after switching to what were then called 200-grain "semi-spitzers" in my .30-06 there were no problems.

That location is exactly where my elk experiance happened and your 30-06 200gr Nosler experiance prompted me to try it out. Often things are really close range or one can shoot across canyons and clear cuts. Now i have grizzlies showing up on the trail cam and found buried moose carcass and some other activity. They arent behind every bush but some areas are extremely thick and i prefer my 338RCM or 30-06 in some of those areas but so far ive no incident and like it as such.

A few years ago i lived on a ranch outside a place called Big Timber. There were mule deer and antelope plenty. I suspose a 25 might be ideal on that place that was open with breaks and bluffs. I

I call it "The Rob" but I'm not from the South where I suspect The Bob nickname originates. Still, I think it's kind of amusing.

Funnily, years ago I knew a guy whose first name was, no kidding, "Roberts" (plural) - we called him "Bobs"...

I have a 257 Roberts reamer.
In my notes it is 257R.

I know a guy who thought his 25-06 had too much recoil. He sold it to me and bought a 257 Roberts.

Was this at band camp?

Lmao

I've had them both, never thought of the 25-06 as a kicker. I moved mine down the road, still have the Roberts.

In my case, it was the gun, not the round. My Roberts is more accurate, custom 700 with Brux barrel. I just like that gun more than the other one.

And, with the load I posted, I'm not giving up much if anything with 100 gr. bullets. 3,266 fps with H-100V will run with most 25-06's, at least with 100's. And with sub half inch, one hole groups.

Now with 120's, I'm sure the larger round will pull away from the smaller one. 100's, not a lot of difference.

DF

Yeah, and most call them “LEE-uh-poles” and “ KAY-lees” too. I think most Yankees originate goofydick nicknames for stuff. We’ll just call you “Bradley” for now.... Happy Trails

For a cartridge that some can't figure out the attraction it sure has received a lot of attention in the thread.

I had a m98 in 257 Roberts. It shot 100 grain Hornadys in tiny clusters over 45 grains IMR 4350. Never took any game with it. It did not shoot 120 grainers well (1-10" Douglas barrel).

MY view, and one reason I sold it, was I had other rifles chambered in slightly heavier offerings (7 mm Mauser, 270Win, 30-06). There isn't a lot of mass to a 100 grain .257 caliber bullet, and if it hits big bones, there isn't much left to it, so I sold it ( and my Rem 700 Classic 250 Savage). I know there are many reports of successful hunters taking big deer and elk with a 257 Roberts, but I just thought it was a bit light.

I've been selling off multiple calibers in my hunting rifle assortment for various reasons (mostly consolidating reloading components). I have settled on : 223 Rem ( CZ 527 varmint) 30-30 ( Marlin 336a), 30-06 ; (Win m70 Extreme Weather, JC Higgins m50 m98). So my sell off of my 257 Roberts and 250-3000 ( and others: 270 Win, 7x57, 338-06, .35 rem, 9.3x62, 44 mag, 45-70, 20 GA), were based on that general process of caliber elimination, not a "dislike" of a chambering.

Today, I'd rather have a 6.5 Creedmore than a 257 Roberts if I was looking for something lighter than my 30-06, due to it shooting a slightly heavier bullet (130-140 grain) and ammo availability, but I am not looking to add calibers at this time.

I am NOT knocking the 257 Roberts, just offering my selection process preferences for hunting chamberings, and simplifying my reloading shelf. It, and many other chamberings, simply did not make "the cut.". My 2c.

[/quote]That location is exactly where my elk experiance happened and your 30-06 200gr Nosler experiance prompted me to try it out. Often things are really close range or one can shoot across canyons and clear cuts. Now i have grizzlies showing up on the trail cam and found buried moose carcass and some other activity. They arent behind every bush but some areas are extremely thick and i prefer my 338RCM or 30-06 in some of those areas but so far ive no incident and like it as such.

A few years ago i lived on a ranch outside a place called Big Timber. There were mule deer and antelope plenty. I suspose a 25 might be ideal on that place that was open with breaks and bluffs. I[/quote]

I can see why you're not a lighter cartridge fan, though my wife hunted elk in local grizzly country a few years, due to getting picked for an early season "damage" permit. I could have carried a rifle, but chose instead to pack a handgun and a can of bear spray.

She used her .257 Roberts to take a cow, maybe half an hour before the end of legal light, which worked fine. But it was a mile downhill from the road where we'd parked the pickup, and it took us until 10:00 at night to get the last load to the pickup. It occurred to me somewhere in there that a .257 might be a little on the light side for grizzly defense, though I suspect it might have worked with the 100-grain Barnes TTSX's she used.

Know the Big Timber area pretty well, and these days wouldn't be surprised to run into a grizzly around there.

But I also don't only hunt right around home. The .257 (or a .243, or whatever) is a highly effective cartridge for most hunting.

It’s sort of a 3/4 scale .270Win on the x57 case.
What’s not to like ?

Less recoil, Fits in a SA , But might be better in a LA, there’s the enigma !

Newer higher BC bullets require a tighter twist and longer magazine / action.

I think a .25’06 will handle the heavier high BC bullets with a bit more authority without sacrificing the extra LA magazine length.

What’s the point fartin’ around squeezing them into a SA ?

The .243 was my go-to for a couple of decades before I had the 25-06 built. It's an awesome cartridge, and I never really felt a lack of any sort in using it.
A modern cartridge in .24, .25, or .26 makes a good baseline big game cartridge for most purposes. Take your pick... Or pick them all, like me.

I'm addicted to the spectacular effects of the 100 gr .257 launched at 3300 (25-06), and the same diameter 75gr at 3700. Logic will only get you to the ball park. It's the ball game, the crowd, the music and the experience that draws a guy back...
I have a hard time not loving any rifle I've used to take game.

I think a 3” action would be ideal for several rounds, including the Roberts. 3.4” is a bit long, 2.8” a bit tight. Choosing between LA and SA, I’ll go LA. I did and like it.

3,300 fps, 25-06 with 100’s, my Roberts goes 3,266 fps with 100’s. It really likes the TTSX, a killing bullet at that speed. No complaints from me, hogs or WT’s. What’s not to like.

DF

It’s got that cool ring to it.....like a 357?, cept it’s 257

Fugk yeah

A 3" magazine would be nice for a factory supplied SAAMI 308 Winchester.

Agree. It would be nice in a number of rounds. Would also be nice to increase the twist on selected rounds, but SSAMI specifies twist. But if twist was specified, it should work. Not sure factory rifle makers would be so bold.

DF

My latest .257 Roberts is built on an FN Mauser commercial action, with the typical 3.35" magazine for .30-06 length cartridges. It was originally intended for a fancy walnut stock, but that plan got canned when the stockmaker passed away.

The project was initiated by another old friend, who arranged to get the barreled action done--with the caveat that I chose a cartridge that I'd use for most of my big game hunting. (Already had a custom walnut-stocked 6.5x55 on another FN action, so chose the .257.) That guy passed away too during the middle of the project....

Eventually decided I'd like a somewhat lighter, more rugged .257 than my grandmother's 722--which I did not want to beat up. So fitted and finished one of Mark Bansner's High Tech synthetic stocks. The barrel is a slim cut-rifled 23" from Classic Barrel & Gunworks. Haven't had time to work up some handloads, but have fired it with a couple made up for other .257s, which indicated it will shoot pretty well.

Got 3250 with 100-grain Partitions from Grandma's rifle way back when, by pushing the maximum listed IMR4350 powder charges a couple grains--and there's plenty of pressure-room to do that with the Roberts. Interestingly, the Partitions shot VERY well, though as the throat wore somewhat in the 1000+ rounds Eileen and I put through rifle, they don't do so well anymore. But it does shoot 100-grain Ballistic Tips and TTSX's just about as well as it used to shoot Partitions, using IMR4451, so that's OK.

Yup. My 2 favorite loads OAL are 2.858" and 2.970". LA it is.

Which is partly why the .257 Roberts my wife Eileen has been using on everything up to elk for 19 years now is a New Ultra Light Arms Model 20, which has a 3" magazine.

All of my .257 Roberts' rifles have had long actions because that's how they came, not because that's how I wanted them. The Ruger Hawkeye has quite a short throat so the extra magazine room is wasted as I can't seat the bullet out any longer than the lands allow with the bullet seated 30 thou off. Interestingly, a .257 Roberts cartridge will fit easily into my Ruger .308 magazine box, indicating that the Roberts would work fine in a short action. I usually stick to 100gn bullets in the Roberts and have larger .25 cals to shoot heavier bullets. The 100gn Hornady and Ballistic Tips for all round use and the 100gn Scirocco if I want to beef the load up a bit. The 100gn Partition was a good bullet also, but I've run out and have enough Sciroccos to last me years.

my Remington 30 Express with the new Brux barrel 7 1/2 twist and yes its a long action shoots 115 Berger bullets very well also likes Nosler B.T. too . just put the FN Mauser long action back together today will start shooting this rifle next has a new Brux barrel 7 1/2 twist 257 Roberts. i do have some 135 gr. Berger bullets ordered but these bullets are on back order.

If less people are using it, the 250 Savage would be more waaay cool than the 257R,

The original CM.

The nice thing about the .257 Roberts is its versatility. If it's in a short-action, it's really easy to rebarrel to 6.5 Creedmoor. If it's based upon a long action, it's no problem to ream out to 25-06.

A decade+ back my mom passed, leaving her house for me to sell. That year I must have spent $20k on guns. One of them is my beloved Glen Morovits custom pre 64 M70 I happened to fall into. Since I was young I'd wanted a rifle with drop dead gorgeous wood. I had plans to have one built but the gent on the phone, who had a pre 64 action for sale, asked what I wanted with the action, so I told him. Several hours later his email with 40 some pics arrived in my in-box. With each picture my jaw kept hitting the floor. The sale was made and a week later, the rifle, in hand, looked even better in my hands. At first, it was a "temperamental whore" as Charley Santoni put it. Eventually, I learned how to treat her with the right bullets, powder and shooting tempo. Me, my son and step son have only hunted doe mule deer and cow elk, each of us having harvested said animals; of course more by my hand. It has a few dings in the wood which can easily be removed, if I want, but each brings memories of hunts past. Pretty sure my son will inherit the rifle upon my demise but I plan on that being in nearly 40 yrs. The wood to metal fit is "un-godly tight" so accuracy has never been stellar; "sufficient" is what I call it. It loves the Nosler 115 BT 120 PT but since I now work for Barnes Bullets, it's fed the 100 gr TTSX and a new bullet which will be soon released to the shooting publics eye. It's not light but it's certainly not as heavy of some LR shooters "haul" into the mountains and pastures. The main picture was taken by Charley Santoni while he had it in his possession, trying to figure out why it was being "termpermental"; his words, by the way. He also said it was the finest example of custom workmanship he'd seen in his years.

Alan

WOW!

Gorgeous!

Me like.

A lot!

That rifle is stunning but if you don't start talking about work.... Well, lets just say there's an ugly side to the campfire.

Picked up new brass and new dies for the 257 Roberta. When the snow melts where i shoot i might jave to give it a trial. I really wish there was a way to find out what kind of stock i have. It has a modern composite lightweight job but ive no idea the origin. Has been rebarreled and action seems very smooth. Anxious to see what the fuss is all about

Ok, GSSP......

Give us a hint. Is it a new .25 caliber LRX?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Just checked in with our big guy at work who over sees this stuff. Should be able to talk about it next week.....

Alan

Well, unless a fella is short on smarts he has at least one of each.

1/4 bore Dan

I have a .250 Savage (Ruger Ultralight), 2 x Roberts', a .257 Ackley and a .25-06. The Roberts' are the ones I use the most. Just a good size case with enough power for pigs and fallow bucks and not too big to shoot a few foxes either.

It’ll be interesting to see what you think.

I just puked in my mouth. Somewhere,somehow it's got to be a crime to rebarrel a 257 Bob to a 6.5 manbun. Lol

It may come as a surprise to you, but that is where everyone pukes.

Not surprised in the least.

GSSP, That is my idea of the perfect rifle.

Is that wolf really chewing on a fore leg while you're trying to take photos?

Ask him when .358s will be available as well. My Whelen loves 180grs.

That's is a beautiful m70. I don't know if I could bring myself to take it to the woods if I owned it.

For the record, I have no knowledge of when bullets are to be built and released out to the market.

He belongs to the young man who offered to help me pack that cow off the hill. The two of them waited patiently about 50 yds back while I laid in wait for the cow to present a broadside shot. The three, Nosler 115 BT's did their job.

Alan

Gorgeous indeed... what a rifle!

that rifle is very nice ,i would have a hard time to take that gorgeous rifle hunting. great pictures too. thanks,Pete53

GSSP that’s an absolutely lovely rifle very cool ya put up meat with it!

Classic rifles like that deserve to be hunted!