From the git, I am just never saw the need for any of Roy's stuff.
I remember dude hunters bringing them into Elk camp in the early 80's, ( 7mm, .300 & up) they were glossy, long and heavy and many hunters just couldn't shoot them straight.( one dude told us his rifle was factory sighted in)
I called this the" Biggest bang theory"
Recently, I saw a piece that again made Roy's .257, out to be a lazer beam shooter, far ahead of the pack , a velocity king.
Ok, now enter the ancient .270 wcf, locate some 80 or 85 grain bullets to top it off, load it with data provided and " voila" 3800 fps +.
The .257 puts them out there in the same speed.
The 25/06 isn't to far behind either.
I know this will never change the Weatherby crowds ever loving worship of Roy's stuff .
I will say this....he was a marketing man
A couple of my cousins are died in the wool Weatherby users ...it even broke into my gene pool!

What say you? The great unwashed, our Lofty gunwriters and all of the Weatherby nation?
Tongue in cheek...just a little, folks

I say speed kills, thats why we have speed limits

the 257 IS a lazer beam killer when it comes to deer sized game. I've posted this before, but I've probably killed forty plus deer with the 257 (and 100gr Hornadys) and NOT ONE has ever taken a step. Not ever. All things being equal speed does kill..

I'd say it's the sudden deceleration.

Never was a fan of the 257wby. I owned a couple in the late 80’s early 90’s. I think bullet construction had not caught up to the 257’s speed. Should be a different story with the newer premium bullets. Hasbeen

So true, so concise, yet so funny!! 😃

100 gr TTSX at 3750 sighted 3" high at 100 gives you a dead hold MPBR on Deer out to 400 yards, if that's not a lazer, I don't know what is.

The TTSX does give one the ability to "punch above your weight" with the 257, but there is something about that 100gr Hornady pill that just flattens deer. IT does wreck the shoulder, but IDGAF, not a big fan of venison anyway and besides, the shoulder is ground meat material anyway

My brother has a 257 we got him as his first rifle. Light on recoil, was real accurate as well. We’ve loaded 100 TTSX And 120 Partitions and it’s been a laser beam for him. Drops bucks, always gets an exit.

It’s been a great deer rifle for him and he still uses it quite a lot. It’s just a cheap Vanguard but we have put it into a McMillan stock and upgraded the optics a bit.

He also acquired a Vanguard 6.5-300 that seems like a decent enough cartridge. Powder hog and all, still a neat hunting cartridge.



My son has a 300 Wby MK5 that was gifted to him that’s an excellent shooting rifle as well. I’ve never had a Wby rifle myself but their cartridges ain’t half bad and being able to make them from 7 Rem isn’t such a bad thing.

I’ve mainly stuck with the regular mags and standard sorta stuff but I can see why folks like them.

I have one, kills great with 100 grain TTSX, but so does a 25-06. I have some loaded for a 257 Roberts, eager to try it on some pigs.

I never liked the factory package the 257 came in, too heavy
Karl Kampfeld built me one on a Rem. first gen Ti action & stock.
Light weight firing pin and shroud, extra lighnening work on the bolt, aluminum adl trigger guard etc.
Fluted Brux #2 stainless bbl. & Rifle basix trigger.
100 gr. TSX's at over3700.
Talley lightweights and a Leupold 4.5-14 x 40 LR with a TMOA reticle from their custom shop.
One of the most accurate and deadly rifles I own.
The whole package comes in at about 7 lb. 2 oz.
Karl does great work.

I bought a WBY Classic in .257 Wby this year. It meets their accuracy guarantee of 25 years ago. 3 shots into 1.5". It is heavy, but I have only carried it in the foothills and plains where the wind whips and the ranges can be long. I shot my deer with it this year at 300 yards, but any centerfire round would have caused it to die as quickly since I shot him where the skull meets the neck.

What is funny is it isn't any heavier really than most wood stocked rifles of 30 years ago and many today. But I am older with enough joint and back problems that a lighter gun would be beneficial.

I have one of Roy's early rifles, a 1954 year model FN in 257, they're very lightweight trim stocked rifles, they really done some nice work on these back then, that said, the rifle is only 12 twist, but, 100gr A frames at a modest 3500 fps over 65gr Norma 204 knock deer out of their hooves, like Jorge said, and only a sample of three with me, not one has moved after the shot, and i have no bullet recoveries to date.

Leaning real hard on taking it to Africa for plains game up to the size of Wildebeest this fall.

Damn near anything flattens deer with a shoulder shot.

I've killed a few with a .22 LR and NOT ONE ever took a step.

My boy killed a couple when he was 8 with a .22. Fell dead right there.

So I have always been tempted by the 257 WBY ... almost "pulled the trigger" a few times. As I looked at the ballistics and numbers of a 25-06 vs 257 WBY it seems to me that the 25-06 is sooo close as to be difficult to justify the 257 WBY -- a few inches at 400 yards. And if I got one I would prefer a 24inch barrel so they get a bit closer still. So I got a 25-06 instead. I have yet to hunt with so I have nothing to compare it to.

With those with experience with both -- does the bit more speed and compared to the 25-06 create "quicker kills"? Honest question

I am still tempted by the 257 -- it was my grandpa's favorite.

That's my experience as well. Have not only hunted plenty of whitetails in various places in the U.S., Canada and Old Mexico, but whitetail-sized deer of other varieties from Europe to New Zealand, often on "cull" hunts, including several in Texas. Have crumpled them with shoulder shots with cartridges from the .22-250 and .243 on up.

I am a big fan of the .257 Weatherby, but prefer monolithics to lead-cores, because Eileen and I do like deer meat, and shooting them behind the shoulder with 100-grain Barnes TSXs or TTSXs or Nosler E-Tips at 3500+ fps kills them pretty damn quickly, without ruining much meat.

Same boat I've been in. I've considered the Weatherby a few times, but just never did pull trigger, since the 25-06 comes so close ballistically and the brass is so much cheaper. I ended up buying a couple 25-06s instead.

I have owned two ( one a converted 25-06 Classic, 24") (one a custom Mark X with 26"bbl) I couldn't tell any diff between them, shot the old Federal factory 115 NP in the Classic, handloaded the then new 100TSX in the Mark X) I also like the 25-06 and the 270 with the 110s....they hum! Since I have this Mesa 300WM, I have some 130TTSX to load for...."ala .270 Wby". At lease it will be a flat shooter, ha, if not exactly matching the 257 or 270 Roys. Factory Wby ammo just has to be around 74K! A collet die will take care of the bulge above the belt.

I built two, both based on Win 70 Classic (1990s vintage) CRF receivers, the first one was nice but I built a second to refine what I thought was ideal. I shot it side by side my 270 Win, same McMillan stock, and I could not tell any difference in recoil. They shoot flat and hit hard but ammo is expensive and often hard to find. I handloaded them (had a 240 Wby on a Win 70 too) but never could quite match factory velocity. Eventually sold them all, figured a 270 W would satisfy my need for that slot.

I've bought three different SS 257Wby sporters over the years. Worked up loads for them and never killed anything. When something else caught my eye, they were sold to fund new projects. Kind of laughable, really. The current one is a simple Vanguard Stainless with the gray/black factory stock and a re-sprung HACT 2-stage trigger. I keep it around as a loaner rifle, as it's a pretty good point-and-shoot rig for any reasonable range around here (250yd zero with 115NPT).

I've owned a couple of nice 25-06's long ago and never could warm up to them. Bought a SS Vanguard in .257 6 years ago and it's become my favorite Weatherby cartridge. Only thing I did outside of the factory stock condition is I changed the factory 2 stage trigger for a Timney set at 2 lbs. It's not fussy about different bullet weights, doesn't kick much at all, shoots 1/4" 3 shot groups with 110 grain Accubonds and just flattens deer.

Umm no. ergo ny comment(s), with operative words IN MY EXPERIENCE.....

For posterity....Noting the missing words "in the shoulder"....

I've lost track of how many I've flattened with shoulder shots from .223, .243, .30-30,.308 and.30-06. It's a bunch.

Perhaps placement trumps speed when it comes to killing. I always get a kick out of folks when they regale us with tales of how a certain cartridge "drops deer in their tracks" and then you find out it was from shoulder shots.

Yessir, of course placement does. Even I know that/ Hence, my comment "everything else being equal"/ And for the record, I've shot deer with everything from a 375 HH down to a 250 Savage, ON THE SHOULDER and whilst MOST of them DO drop in their tracks, the 257 Weatherby--IN MY EXPERIENCE-- has a perfect record. the others mentioned, do not.

My .30-30 has a perfect record of dropping deer with shoulder shots too, as do my .243 and .30-06. I've seen a few that were not dropped instantly with a shoulder shot over the years {various cartridges/bullets}. Mostly I think that although they were indeed hit in the shoulder, it was just a smidge too low.

I've never owned a magnum (except the .22 Magnum) in over 25 years of hunting. I've never needed one. However, several interest me including the .257 Weatherby, .264 Win and .300 H&H. But I have no use for them. I have never needed to shoot much past 200m. Last week I took two pigs at under 50 metres each with my little 6.5x47. Both dropped on the spot. Even for large tough game like our sambar deer I've used large calibre standard rounds like .35 Whelen and 9.3x62.

340 fan here. Powerful. A long way out.

Here's an example of what a "shoulder shot" can drop on the spot with something less than a .257 Weatherby. Eileen killed this Montana whitetail with a .243 Winchester and a 100-grain Nosler Partition late in the day, when the buck appeared on the edge of very thick cover. She put the bullet about 2/3 of the way up from the front leg, and it not only broke both shoulders and the spine, but exited....

That deer looks a lot bigger than a puny central Texas deer. Any idea what he weighs?

Didn't weigh it, but would guess 200+ pounds live weight. Which isn't unusual for Montana whitetail bucks.

Have hunted deer quite a bit in various parts of Texas (and enjoyed it all!) but even the biggest Texas bucks I've killed have been only about 2/3 that size.

I too put together a 257Wby on a SS M70 Classic. 25" 1:10 Lija 3-groove #3 taper in an Edge fill McMillan Classic w/blind magazine. It's a bit over 8# w/NF 3-10 SHV mounted. W/100gn bullets I'm able to exceed factory FPS using Ramshot Magnum powder. I've taken a 5' spring black bear, a pronghorn, a cow elk, a fair number of both Whitetail and Mule Deer and a few coyotes. Regarding big game, I've come to the same conclusion as you, it doesn't do anything the 270Win won't. I don't recall shooting anything under 100yds with it, a few deer right at the 100yd mark and I've shot deer out to right at 600yds with it. Where I do see an advantage is moving/running coyotes. I just have a better feel for the lead required by the 257Wby vs. the 270Win.

That’s a big dang deer! Just looking at Eileen’s hand on the beam. It’s like she’s holding a baseball bat by the fat end. Good work. That junction point where the spine goes between the shoulders is sure a sweet spot. Even if you miss a little left, right or low they’re down.

A lot of the big deer here in South Texas, are only seen during the rut, and they have lost 30% of their body weight, running Does, it's rare to find one that's over 200# we did kill a buck a couple of years ago that weighed 230# that year we killed several Does that were 135# or a little more, but that is not common here. Rio7

This buck of Eileen's was taken toward the end of the rut up here.

The heaviest whitetail buck ever officially weighed (certified scales, with witnesses) in Montana went 375 whole, 275 field-dressed.

The 340 WBY is a stud FB.


Nice buck for Mrs. Mule Deer, Thanks for posting.

The ONLY thing I dislike about the 257 WBY is that it does take a toll on barrels. Speed kills animals and barrels. But as someone once said, they make new barrels every day.

That sums up my thoughts as well.

I have long range setups for dialing and such but I consider my .257 WBY as “point and shoot” to 400+\- yards. I use it quite a bit when hunting open fields and clear cuts where deer can appear anywhere, while not taking a lot of gear, such as hunting from climbers. I second using the TTSXs as well. I understand the BC and wind argument but it has performed admirably for me so far.

My 257 Wby has given me some of the most spectacular kills imaginable. What it will do to a hogs head is impressive. Struck by lightning gets over used, but when discussing the 257 Wby it truly fits.

GreggH

I believe it. Shot a big whitetail doe with my B tag over in eastern Montana, hanging skinned out she was definitely bigger that the 4 point Mulie buck next to her.

41

I am now loading up the 101 grain lrx but I sadate 3560 feet per second there's nothing up to moose I wouldn't use it for kills like a lightning beam

And recoils just about like a .270 Winchester....

Have some 101-grain Hammers on hand and am going to try them soon, first for an article in HANDLOADER--and then on game.

If you're not already, you might consider the 95gn BullDozer II from Badlands Precision as well. I've gotten easy accuracy w/them in my 257Wby/Ramshot Magnum. Also easy accuracy from the .308 175s in 300WinMag SS Classic M70 and .277 140 Super BullDozer from my 1:8 Lilja bbl'd Kimber MT.

Only 1 critter w/them so far, a Mule Deer @ ~40-50yds last fall, we snuck up on each-other and he got the worse end of the deal.

Nosler partitions been out since 48

And they work very well in the .257 Weatherby. A decade ago, during an elk hunt about an hour south of here, one of my hunting partners killed a mature 6x6 bull with a single 120-grain through the ribs--which exited....

There was a reason Weatherby became the first company to offer factory-loaded Partitions, which happened back in the early 1960s.

Have a Mk V and I like it.

horse1,

Thanks, I will order some. But dunno if they'll get here in time for the article's deadline.

I would respond that a "lofty Gun Writer" is better defined by an individual who has enough hands on experience in the field with a range of cartridges coupled with a commercially palatable command of the English language to recite said experiences to inform or better yet, entertain the readership.

When you have experience with a .257 Weatherby, you learn its attributes and there are many, with only a single detriment and that, being controllable, is barrel life. Having loaded for 4 over 45 years and documenting the life of a barrel, I know that 400 rounds at the range, which is a lot of range work covering a lot of bullets and powders, leaves 600 for game. How many animals are taken with a single rifle, especially in the US?

Now, what if you sighted in a new rifle and just shot game with it? A lifetime is a drop in the bucket for that barrel life which will now be a lot more than a thousand rounds. Maybe double that.

Best bullets in my 45 year assessment is the contemporary Barnes 100gn TTSX or old fashioned but never obsolete, 115gn partition or for a second choice, the 100gn or 120gn partitions. I like both partitions but after endorsing the 100gn Barnes, never saw the 115gn Barnes TSX offer anything over the 100grainer in field performance.

Has anyone used the 100 grain Ballistic tip in the 257 Wby on game?
Actual field use?

GreggH

i shot 2 speed goats and one doe whitetail with the 100 gr. B.T. made big holes not a good enough bullet for a fast cartridge , Nosler Partitions , Swift A- Frame
100 gr. bullets work much better for me in my 257 Weatherby Mag.s on game .

Thanks Pete! Wondered how they would make it. Hopefully Barnes will get more bullets out soon.

GreggH

Used that on my last quartering away pronghorn at about 250 yds. Animal took a downhill step just as I was squeezing the trigger. Absolutely ruined the right-side loin. A very explosive mix of cartridge and bullet.

I have no experience with the 100gr Btip but I have used the 85 extensively and I would use it on any deer that roams the earth. They almost never exit but I’ve be had anything make it over 15 yards after the shot. Strangely they’ve proven to be hard enough that I’ve never had issues with meat loss, even when centering a front quarter.

I’ve shot 4-5 antelope and similar number of deer with my 257 wby and 100 grain ballistic tips. It’s been a few years, but as I recall it worked great, bang flop.

Three deer with 100gr A-Frame, two dropped so fast i thought i missed, one froze with head and neck straight out flat till he fell over, completely numbed that buck.

Interesting results Kid with the 85 grain BT’s.

GreggH

Great posts and insights on the 257. I am going to try the Aframes and see how they work out. Tried the 100gr Partitions, but par for the course with most Partitions across all calibers, they are not very accurate. When they are, I use them..

I shot quite a few head of deer, antelope and coyotes with the .257 W, had 3 or 4. Sold my last one to a good friend. He is still using it on antelope. Not sure what else. I think of getting another, but so far haven't done it.

I didn't know they made the 883ss in 22lr

Dude! You're about 2 generations behind. Move on my friend. The 70's and early 80's were a long time ago. Not many hunters carrying glossy Mark V's anymore. Down here in S.Texas, I see way more 9-5, white collar oil company folks showing up for a hunt sporting plastic stocked, cheaply scoped 30-06's, 270 wcf's, 300WM 's, etc.. than I do Roy chambered rifles.Typically the guy's I see show up with a Weatherby are experienced hunters.

As for the 257, unless you've actually owned one and have experience afield, you're not really qualified to speak on the mighty 257. I own and have hunted with both the 25-06 and 257. Every animal I've taken here in Central and S. Texas with the 257 Roy, has dropped at the shot. Can't say the same with the 25-06.

Yep, anybody who hasn't actually owned and hunted with a .257 Weatherby can't appreciate it's virtues. (And yep, the .25-06 does NOT do the same things. Have hunted enough with both to know....)

It was Roy's favorite of all his cartridges, and after starting to hunt with my first one almost 20 years ago I understood why....

But am also a big fan of the 6.5 Creedmoor and PRC, so apparently am somewhat schizophrenic about rifle cartridges--which may mean I'm a rifle loony....

IIRC, you have or had a 257 Roy that shot much flatter than ballistic tables would indicate.

Yeah it works damn well and I' d say it punches up
Nilgai 250 yds 1 shot and 60 yds and dead
100 gr TSX at 3700 fps

Well, that turned out to be due to depending on the ballistics tables in the handloading manuals of the day--because that occurred a few years before reliable computer "ballistic programs" appeared.

Manual tables were all based on scopes mounted with the center of the reticle 1.5" over the bore--and at "standard atmospheric conditions", 59 degrees F. at sea level. Plus, they were all based on the assumption that ballistic coefficient was consistent, no matter the velocity--and BC increases somewhat at higher velocities, and of course velocity drops after the bullet leaves the muzzle.

I tested the rifle at elevations of around 5000 feet above sea level, and the scope was mounted close to 2" over the bore--which tends to "flatten" apparent trajectory, due to the "upward" angle of the bullet increasing with higher-mounted scopes. I eventually figured this out after more refined ballistic programs became available--and the trajectory pretty much matched those numbers.

yep the257 is bad to the bone. i have killed a lot of critters out to 600 with it and it does work well.

I have read of the virtues of the 100 Barnes for years. Cant argue with success.

BUT:

Our situation is different. Five of us use the 257 Weatherby mostly for coues wt. Our shots are long and wind drift is a big consideration. We use the 115 Berger VLD hunting bullet which has been the highest BC you could get when we began building our own rifles over 15 yrs ago. Retained energy and wind drift smokes the 100 gr TTSX with well over 500 ft/lb more energy and just under 7" less drift at 550 yds.

I realize that there are now heavier bullets with higher BC but more twist is required. When our 1 in 10 twist barrels die then the 133 gr Berger may be the bullet.

Just sharing what has worked for us. Still getting lightning kills on many animals.
# taken to date:
27 coues wt
8 elk including two nice bulls
4 mule deer
2 antelope (tags hard to get in Az)

Custom rifles in the 257 Weatherby for guys that hand load offer some tremendous advantages in speed and accuracy. I met a gunsmith at the rifle range in S. Ca. that had an Mauser in a nice wood stock chambered with a zero freebore reamer on a 26" Pac Nor three groove. He was wanting to use my Ohler 35P chronograph to check the speed of his new barrel in the Roy. Well, his 100g Hornady flat base was doing 3850 fps and shooting tiny little clover leaf groups, sub 1/2". I was hooked right there on the spot. Then he pulled out some 85g Nosler ballistic tips, the velocity was 4130 fps with the bullets opening up a single ragged hole, loaded with the AA3100 that is no longer available.

When you start off with a very short freebore chamber in the 257 Weatherby, the barrel life is incredible compared to the factory chamber with .300 freebore, not to mention the incredible accuracy.

With the Various Roys that I have had over the years on Winchester model 70 and Rem 700 actions, I used them as varmint and deer rifles. I like to aim for the diaphragm on broadside deer shots, and watch the deer collapsing at the shot.

Often, when brass has many firings on it, a Doughnut will form at the shoulder neck junction. In the Weatherby case with it's double radius, this has not happened to me, Yet. Also, the 100g Partitions shoot 1/2" groups or better in the 3 groove Pac Nor barrel at 3850. I have always used a cup and core bullet on deer, never a mono until recently.

Pac Nor does one heck of a job with it's super match, three groove barrel, and they do have a zero freebore, and it is a barrel that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

I have had barrels built for rock chucks with 30" long unturned blanks where the 100g Siera btsp shoot bug holes at 4000 fps. I have also had hunting barrels down to #4 taper 24" length, sporter contour. Confidence is a huge factor in your hunting rifle, and I sure enjoy the lack of recoil with this cartridge. I use a Gentry muzzle break on all my hunting rifles, and the Gentry brake throws much of the concussion forward. On deer, chucks, coyotes, I see the bullet impact the animal, water vapor flying off the animal, with the bullet exiting hitting the hill side or tree behind the animal.

One more thing, 80g Barnes TTSX in the .030 freebore chamber that I now shoot does not suck on deer at 4150 fps using R#19!

It is a very interesting afternoon to play with a ballistics program determining at what DISTANCE speed of a lighter bullet makes up for the higher BC of a heavier bullet. I never shoot over 450 yards here in the South. Deer running off in the twilight of the afternoon is a major concern to me. The Roy puts an end to that Running Deer issue.

You can easily make brass for the 257 Roy using Winchester 264 Win mag brass, one pass through the Full Length sizer gives you a perfectly formed double radius case! The neck will be shorter, and you use a 38 caliber pistol brush to remove the carbon in the neck of the chamber. I monitor carbon in the barrel with a Teslong bore scope($89)

I knew a gunsmith down in Dalton, Ga that necked up and AI'd the 257 Weatherby to 6.5. His one shot deer killing load was with a 120g Sierra Match king. This gunsmith probably built a 100 or more of the 6.5-257 Weatherby AI's. I found the whole affair with the 120g MK hard to believe. One day, I went down to visit the gunsmith, and there was three customers there in the shop that shot this wild cat. All of them were trophy deer hunters, and I listened to stories for a few hours on their one shot kills. The Accuracy node of the 6.5-257 Roy was the 120 at 3600 fps, and it was tough on primer pockets as you can imagine. The way this round killed deer in the thick woods of Ga, the gun owners did not care about brass life. I would guess that the 6.5-257 Roy case capacity is on par with a 6.5 PRC today or close to it....food for thought.

My brother borrowed my .030 freebore reamer to use on two 9 Twist X caliber barrels. In one barrel he is shooting the 110g Nosler accubond at 3600, and in the other barrel he is shooting the 115g Berger vld hunting at 3590 fps in 26", #5 contour barrels. 110g Accubond and the 115g Berger hunting bullet are both killing deer and hogs DRT, shots to 480 yards they have taken. Accuracy with both of these bullets are 3/8" and less shooting three shot groups that repeat.
.

I did end with a " tongue in cheek" remark.
The greatest insult I see in all the good feedback here is by calling me a dude, a dude in my world is a greenhorn city hunter..
So I categorically reject that I am in fact" a dude"
I really like 1/4 bore chamberings, but have never owned a Weatherby rifle/ round.
Much of due to my experience in the 80's, dude hunters and and the scattergun tendency downrange.
My model 700 , 25/06 ( same vintage) killed elk and moose for me..so I do know the .257 W would work as well if you shrunk the pattern
Rifle looney, gun nut type folks, I am a fringe member but the last name ain't ' Rockefeller ' hence the aversion to the Weatherby, Rum etc cost of brass and the volume of fuel you pour into them.
My little old point of view...enjoy your Sunday

257 Weatherby vs. 264 Winchester.

I think that the question for me. I don’t have a 6.5 and I have a few 25’s.
Having had a 264 ~ 60 years ago. The main criticism was that it was over-bore and that it didn’t do anything a 270 would do.
Seems the 257 Weatherby might be even more over-bore.

I have a magnum action looking for a barrel.
264 vs. 257???

As I recall 25 caliber partitions were not available until much later or am I mistaken?

Don't know about that, but did read Roy had someone turn him out some solids from bar stock from some metal for shooting Cape Buffalo, if i read correctly he didn't kill just one, it was a regular occurrence.

Barnes made banded solids in .257 and a bunch of other smaller diameters from .224 up through .308 for sure, maybe more, until ?6-8yrs ago? BATFE decided to consider solids under .375 diameter "Armor Piercing" and banned them via rule change rather than legislation.

'Twer I facing that conundrum, it'd boil down to what I want to do with the rifle and bullet selection. Light and fast, I'd go with the 257. Long range and thinking about wind drift I'd go with the 264. I lean more towards the 264, but the idea of a 80-100gr mono bullet at north of 3500fps for a point and shoot set up out to 400yds does have appeal.

For those that have had 257s, if one was to stay at 100gr monos and lighter, how much magazine length would one need? I have a Ruger 338 Win Mag that I've long thought about making into a switch barrel. First blush, I'd like to "keep it in the family" and would lean 264 Win Mag, but the bullets I'd like to use would probably be a tight fit with the Ruger mag box. But, a 257 Roy might not require as much length for the 100gr and less monos.

100gn bullets in 257Wby will easily fit in a 3.34" mag box. My 257Wby is on a SS Classic M70 that was previously a 7Rem Mag, so I have the same mag-box dimensions as your Ruger 338 donor would have. The mag-box is a complete non-issue w/100gn TSX/TTSX. Recently I loaded some 95gn Badlands Precision BullDozer II's as well and no mag-box issues there either.

Thank you for the reply and information. That's what I figured would be the case. A 257 with a light mono would be fun I think! If to just tease my buddies how much faster I'm shooting bullets into deer at 100yds than they are!

Horse
What is your experience with the Badlands?

GreggH

I've never had a 257 Weatherby but I've certainly considered it. I have a 25/06 that I've used to take 35 deer and a few hogs with through the years. I think early on I shot one factory load in it but all the rest have been my hand loads. When I first started shooting it I was loading the Sierra 90gr HPBT Gameking. I took a lot of deer with that little bullet including many that were shot high on the shoulder and exited. After shooting a deer that was quartering to me and hitting the ball joint of the shoulder I revised my load. The little Sierra had disintegrated on the bone blowing slivers of bone and bullet all through the lungs and heart. The deer reacted by turning and running out of sight. Turned out it had only made 30yards or so but did not bleed a drop until it hit the ground.
The next deer I shot was with a 100gr Nosler Partition. I haven't looked back. My load is book max and it spits then out at a chronographed 3425fps. Deer do tend to die rather quickly and there is almost always an exit to leave a blood trail in the unlikely event the deer makes it out of sight.
I can only imagine how much more damage the 257Wby can cause because know the difference 700fps can make. My 257Roberts is a 20" Ruger No.1RSI and only makes 2700fps with a 100gr Partition. There is a heap of difference between the two(257Roberts and the 25/06) even though both make critters dead. The devastation of the Weatherby must be terrible. Then again I've never shot the mono metal bullets and maybe they are less devastating than Partitions and cup and core bullets.
I would like to hear someone report on the wounding caused by the extreme velocity of the 257 Weatherby with mono metal bullets and cup and core as well.

Goat

Everything I’ve shot with the 257 has been with cup and core bullets. It wounds them to death!

No huge holes in any that I’ve shot. All I’ve used is 100s and 85s.

You can't always predict what a bullet will act like. Case in point, I bought a 257 Weatherby from Shooters Pro Shop many years ago. It was a Thursday. They had everything I needed to reload for it so by Friday morning I had a load figured out and by Saturday I had a bear on the ground with it. Nosler told me whatever you do, don't shoot a bear at close range with the 100 grain ballistic tips, they'll come apart! In their defense it was 40 yards, a real long shot LOL. Perfect broadside chest cavity shot and perfect mushroom.

1 Mule Deer @ 50yds last fall w/.277 140gn Super BullDozer from a 270Win @ 3075fos. Pretty much looked like a TSX wound-channel. It was the only tag had last fall.

I’ve worked up loads for the 95 in the 257Wby, the 140 in the 270Win, and 175’s in a 300Win Mag.

Accuracy has come easy and in all 3 rifles I’m WAY off the lands due to either Mag-box constraints or in the case of the Wby, free bore.