I have a Husqvarna HVA long action, with a 25” Bartlein barrel.

I also reload..
No chronograph, but will probably be getting one

I’ve been hunting with Nosler 115 grain Ballistic Tips

Instinctively, I shoot behind the front leg, when possible.

My Question:

Am I better off with the higher speed of 100 grain bullets, or with the better energy retention of the 117 to 120 grain bullets?

Shots are usually under 250 yds, but longer shots are possible.

In the past, I used a 7mm Remington magnum, and I am comfortable taking shots out to 500 yards under hunting conditions. But I’ve put in a fair amount of time practicing

I know the Roberts isn't the cartridge for this, and I don’t expect it to be so.

Just wondering what the conventional wisdom was on the ideal bullet weights for the Roberts.

Ive wondered if going down to an 80 gr TTSX is the better choice.

Thanks for your advice

The 80 gr Barnes is a deadly killer.
Your question is where does it drop below 1800 fps.
At that distance a cup-n-core softpoint would be more reliable.

I don't see a downside to the 115 grain Ballistic Tip.

I've shot the 120NPT and the 110NAB at typical velocities, and preferred the 120NPT. It's a sweet little deer killer that I don't worry about if shot angles are bad. I also hunted with a 260Rem shooting the 100TTSX, which is same/same as a 257Roberts shooting the 100TTSX and it was a good combo as well. So long as you pick a well-constructed bullet, I don't think you can go wrong. My gut says that the 115/120NPT is slightly more "right" when shooting a Roberts, but that's just me and my way of thinking.

All of those bullets will work for what you want to do.

Just be sure to find out if the rifle likes them.

I am partial to the 100 grain,BT ,or partition.
Even the Hornady will do the job.

Have used the Sierra 100 gr Gameking for close to 30 years with no problems whatsoever. My son uses the Nosler 100 gr BT and again no problems. The Roberts is not hard on bullets.
GreggH

I've loaded and used all those bullets you've mentioned on game. In the end I punted - I load and use the 110 gr. NAB at a MV of ~3000 fps on everything.

There is none.

My Brux barreled .257R loves this bullet over H-4350, running around 2,900+ fps.

It also loves the 100 TSX over max dose of H-100V at 3,266 fps.

It likes the 120 NPT better than the 115 NPT. I picked up a good supply from SPS, which still has both on sale.

I've read that max charge of Hunter is good with 120's. Haven't tried it, but will. I'll use Fed 115 primers with Hunter as suggested by JB.

DF

My go to medium game bullet for the .257" bore cartridges like the 25 Souper, Roberts, Improved Roberts, 25 WSSM, 25-284, and 25-06 is the 110 grain AB.

This bullet gives me the sort of accuracy, speed and penetration potential that I'm looking for from those cartridges.

In my experience all the bullets mentioned work on deer from the .257 Roberts, whether up close or far away.

Have used the 115 Ballistic Tip as close as 30 feet, and much further than 250 yards. It worked great at both extremes..

115 gr. NBT over H-4350 is the most accurate load in my .257R, edging slightly the 100 gr. TTSX/H-100V load.

Both shoot better than half MOA at a hundred; both kill stuff dead and quickly.

The 120 gr. NPT is MOA or better, also an effective killer.

DF

My Bob loves 100 grain partitions. Just absolutely adores em. The deer hate em.

Just goes to show how different guns can be.

My rifle that likes the bullets mentioned, doesn't like the 100 or 115 NPT. Go figure.

I just feed it what it likes. And I'm sure that's what you do, as well.

As long as we know what our rifles like, we good to go.

And, us Loony types get all wound up over groups, whereas the worst shooting load will do fine for general hunting. Don't need half MOA to kill a deer. But a Loony will be a Loony...

DF

I get better groups with 100 gr NBT, but better knock down with 115 NBT.

How did the 80 grain TTSX work for you?

I shot some of them in the Roberts and 25 WSSM, but never found an MOA load in proven MOA rifles.

Dad and I both use 100 Interlocks in his Ruger and my Kimber for deer/antelope. They've worked fine, no need to try anything else. Of course they discontinued them a few years ago, but he's latched on to a few hundred for the time being.

looks like you can take your pick of what you have or can get and what your gun likes...they all work

last year i rebarreled a old 30 Rem. Express with a 7 1/2 inch twist 25 inch barrel chambered in a 257 Roberts and i have on order 135 gr. Berger 25 caliber bullets , but the 115 gr Berger bullets shoot excellent. believe me a 257 Roberts will kill deer at 500 yards with a good 115 gr bullet . the new 25 caliber 135 gr. Berger bullets will be as good or better than a Creedmoor out of my 257 Roberts for hunting , i should know i own some Creedmoors .

I use the 90 gr. TSX in my Model 70 FW and it's under 1 MOA. Shoulder shots have put every single deer straight down.

Could you share your load data please, or is it a factory load?

It shot fine, but as I've noted before seating depth can really affect accuracy with mono bullets. But I couldn't see any real advantage over the 100 TTSX at 3100+, which Eileen has used with excellent results on game from pronghorns at 350+ yards to cow elk.

I gots one of them 257 pipsqueaks. Ive never used it yet. Folks here seem to hold it in high reguard. Oddly i prefer something with more mass and weight but i read that it still gets stuff done reguardless just probably never for me. Wish i come to enjoy it but i have deep quarter bore scars from decades ago

It wasn't that long ago I realized I hadn't played with the 257 much and when a box of dies I bought had both Roberts and 25-06 dies in it and later I somehow ended up with a selection of bullets I had to get a 25 and picked up a Ruger UL in 257 with some miles on it to play with. Have to admit it took a while to get it shooting but I really like it now. The one thing I immediately noticed was that with 100 grain bullets it seemed no different than my 243. Have to shoot several more with the 120 gr. Speer BTSP or the 115 grain Ballistic Tips.

If any bullet doubles in diameter (or even gets close to 2X original diameter) and exits the game, all the damage you can do is done. So energy figures are 100% unimportant if you are getting exits. Will good 100 grain 25 cal bullets exit deer? I think so, but I don't know for sure. Others here can probably answer with certainty. The only 100 grain bullets of .257" I ever killed game with were late production Remington C-Ls and they won't get out the other side of doe antelope (4 of them, so I am pretty sure that's common performance for them)

However the 115 and 120 grain bullet do very well and my daughter and both my grand-sons have killed bull elk with a 257 Roberts and 115 Branes TSX and 120 gr. Nosler Partitions, and several of those bullet exited the elk. So if you speak of deer, I doubt you'd have a thing to worry about with any expanding solid or Partition from a 257 Roberts..

That's exactly my experience with the .257 and .243--and both Eileen and I have shot a bunch of deer (and antelope) with both.

In fact dunno if there's any difference between the .243 and .257 in killing power even when using heavier bullets in the .257. But have mentioned before that the longer I hunt, the less difference I see in "killing power" with various cartridges as long as the bullets expand and penetrate sufficiently to mess up the vitals.

I have killed more deer with 2 different 257 Roberts rifles than with all other chamberings combined. Most of that was with hand loads well below +P maximums and 115 grain bullets. Most often those bullets were Partitions. Some were NBT. Most deer stayed where they were shot. None went far. Put me in the camp that says it doesn't matter. The Roberts is very easy to shoot well.

My old Remington 722, inherited from my grandmother, shot 100-grain Partitions REALLY well when Eileen and I first started using it in the mid-1980s. But it hadn't had many rounds down the barrel before then, even though several family members used it on deer.

We've put 1000+ rounds through it since then, and the throat's somwhat worn. These days it won't shoot 100 Partitions very well--but really like 100-grain Ballistic Tips and TTSXs.

The 100gn Swift Scirocco is a good little bullet. It never seems to get much of a mention though.

Personally I have a 250-3000 savage that I use for deer hunting. I was not satisfied with the blood shot meat damage of the faster 190 grain bullets. As another poster mentioned you CA. Do that with a 243. I have switched to 117 or 120 grain round nose bullets and in my opinion get better blood trails and shorter follow-up. At the woods ranges I shoot at it just works better for me. As the saying goes speed doesn't kill blood loss and oxygen deprivation kill. Just one mans opinion.

MS9x56: Are you using the 117gr Hornady RN. If so what MV are you getting? thanks,

Available now too!

Honestly I had never had any interest in .257 until every bullet that I wanted in 6 or 6.5mm seemed to be out but the 257 version of the same thing was always in stock. Now I want need one

Well at least you haven't rebarreled it to .308 yet! I remember folks on the 'Fire having a meltdown when you posted about doing that (including me!).
I've been having real good luck lately with those super cheap 115 Partitions with the .525" ogive that are for sale on Shooter's Pro Shop website. You might give those a try and maybe that would warm you up to your Roberts.

Hope it grows on you - if not, you know where to sell it!

Rex

All the deer and the one cow elk, I and my son's have killed with my 257 Roberts have been with the 115 NBT at about 2800 fps. The deer were all DRT at ranges of 150 to 210 yds. The cow was at 220 yds. I had crawled to a spot where I layed in the snow for about 15 minutes waiting for a perfect broadside shot. The 1st shot, broadside, went through and through, behind the shoulder; not touching any rib bone. She was dead on her feet but neither she nor I knew it. She turned quartering to me and the bullet hit her front Humerus, breaking it, passing through the vitals and exiting towards the rear of the rib cage. I hit her a 3rd time, pretty much a duplicate of the 2nd shot. Not sure which, 2nd or 3rd, broke the Humorous or the ribs on the way out. Did not find any bullets.....just perfect performance. Working for Barnes I now run the 100 TTSX and our new 101 LRX. Have limited experience with the 80 TTSX but it's showing promise; numerous sub moa groups.

Alan

257 Roberts > i gave my family all a 257 Roberts rifle, so now my daughter , grandson,granddaughter,wife, son and me too all own a 257 Roberts ,and i have 20 boxes of ammo loaded up for this great grand old cartridge the 257 Roberts and its so much easier for them and me to all have the same cartridge hunting too !

Ok, Alan
Give it up on the new 101 LRX!
Happy Trails

Just havent located the barrel i want at this time but im still looking. The sad thing is it has a recent new barrel MPI stock and nice trigger work. It looks nifty. If i dont rebarrel ill probably give it away. Wish i could like the 257 roberta but i have an 7-08 and am set up for it and 308 win. Just one of them things.