Just picked up a 257 weatherby mag. Just wondered if anyone had any expierience they wanted to share. I installed a Simmons predator quest 6-24 scope. The rifle is a rem 700 26" tube. I am looking for good load data and what ever else someone would like to share about it.
Greg--is yours the LSS model?
You will hate the parallax on the Simmons. To see what I am talking about, look through the scope (put the rifle in a solid rest), put the cross hairs on your target, then move your head around while looking through the scope. The cross hairs will wander all over the target. Don't expect tiny groups, due to this problem with Simmons scopes.
As for the rifle and chambering...rock on. It's a fun one! You can run .264 Winchester magnum or 7mm magnum brass through the .257 Roy and be ready to rock. Flinch
Yes mine is the LSS. I am looking for lots of different load data. The gun will serve some long range hunting purpose as well being my wife's main hunting rifle. I was looking for something with enough power and shoots flat without excessive recoil. I will let you know how it groups with that scope. Read several reviews on it, some good some bad. I am sighting in at a range with a target at 1065 yards. I am shooting factory loads for now. After I get it sighted I plan on taking a couple pokes at the far target. I will let you know what I think.
Using new W/W 7mm Rem Mag cases and with Imperial Die Wax, forming .257 Wby brass with one trip thru a FL .257 die is amazing. And the price is about 1/3 Norma/Wby stuff. Reportedly the W/W brass is harder than Norma and the primer pockets hold their shape longer.
I worked several months with a .257 Wby in a 26" Mark V. The best shooting load was 115 Bergers and RL-25 with Fed 215's. IIRC, I loaded it pretty long, just about what the mag would allow.
I finally enjoyed about all I could stand with that round and the Mark V, which I really like, is now being fitted with a Brux #2, 9 twist 7mm Rem Mag at 24". I know what I can do with that round.
My fast gun will now be an HS Precision SPL that I just picked up slightly used in .240 Wby. I'm off to my range in the AM to test 90 gr. Scirocco II's at 3,400 and 80 TTSX's at 3,600. We'll see how that one stacks up. I'm hoping the HS premium barrel will outperform the factory Wby., as they guarantee 1/2" at a hundred in their guns up to and including 30 cal.
We'll see...
DF
Greg--please let us know how it shoots, I read a couple of blogs on different sites that the Remington LSS in 257 WBY Mag just didn't shoot that good (at least not as good as the Weatherby rifles) and because of this I passed on a new LSS in 257 at a great price. I have an LSS in 300 WSM and it shoots really good!
so far so good. Factory 100gr TSX is all I have fired so far. Chrono three with an average of 3625. Shot decent groups at 100 after bore sighting. 1 to 1.5 inches. 82 clicks in the simmons scope, which I love BTW, and was shooting nicely at 1000 yds. I am working on compiling some brass for load development. I will post as I have new info.
I am also looking for some bullet recommendations. I am getting some VLD's but am open to some other suggestions. I want to use this rifle from 500 to 1000 yards mostly. My wife will also be hunting with it this year so 500 and in would be the ranges she would be looking at.
115 NBTs have the second best BC of .257 cal projectiles... IIRC, .453 vs .479 (VLD). Pretty darned close to the VLD, considerably less expensive if you're looking to do a lot of shooting. Great performance on game, too.
One thing I've noticed is that the 7 RM cases really blow out after the first firing, and it may be wise to anneal at that point. I lost a few once-fired range pick-ups when I neck sized them after fire forming. Don't know how much diff that "once fired" status makes, but better safe than sorry...
Good luck! I'm keeping an eye on this thread to hear how things go for you and your LSS!
IMR 7828 ssc and 115 gr Bergers and my LSS will shot 1/2 inch groups all day.
2 one shot kills so far 224 yds doe (left a big hole going out) and Mulie buck 472 yds DRT.
Love this gun
BBJ
115 NBTs have the second best BC of .257 cal projectiles... IIRC, .453 vs .479 (VLD). Pretty darned close to the VLD, considerably less expensive if you're looking to do a lot of shooting. Great performance on game, too.
Litz testing found the average G1 BCs to be more divergent than that however. NBT at 0.399 and the VLD at 0.466.
I will let you decide if that difference is enough to warrant your bullet choice.
I dont reload, but i should! Just that my .257's do soooo damn well with wthby factory loadings and they have very, very good consistency that I just never have bothered. I can tell you that the 115 NBT have treated critters with a very quick death! As for the TSX's.... i LOVED the 115 gr which are no longer made and have had decent accuracy with the 100gr TSX.
The only load that has NEVER shot good for me in my .257's (Mark V and Rem 700 custom)..... was the wthby factory loading of 110gr Accubond. It did not shoot well in my buddys Rem. 700 LSS either!!!! Not sure why.
Enjoy the caliber! It is almost impossible to beat on medium sized critters. LOVE the ballistics and the performance!!! Just hate the price of ammo!!!
Just ran my 257 today at 725 yards. Elevation was 8800 and with the 110 accubond running 3490 fps, it took 10.5 moa from a 100 yard zero to get there. Using a 6x Leupold with M1, my last two rounds were 3" apart and dead on at that range.
Once my accubonds are burned up, I am going to dink with the 80 grain TTSX a bit. Never ran a berger in this one either and may try that as well. After swapping stocks and bedding jobs, mine seems to have settled down nicely.
I have posted this a few times now...four of us made 257 Roys using a Pacific tool and gauge reamer set up for best results with the 115 VLD. We opted for a slightly shorter freebore. We run .100" to .070" jump to rifling. All four rifles have a 3 groove Lilja barrel. Two are #3 and two are #5 contour.
Right from the beginning all four rifles shot well with RL-25 and those 115 Berger VLDs. It has been a few years and here is the number of big game animals taken to date:
My rifle has taken 6 coues wt 250,350,385,two at 400 and 525 yds
Dan's rifle took 3 mule deer and 5 elk
Allen 4 coues wt 419,412,328 and 276 yds.
Tim four coues wt
If your rifle shoots these bullets I cannot imagine wanting to try any other bullet. These VLDs have minimal bearing surface and can move a great deal faster than bullets like the 115 Nos bt.
I need to try those next spring as well. We have had great luck with the VLDs in 6.5 cal. Thanks for the suggestion.
shot some factory ammo the last couple of times out. Pretty good accuracy with it. Chrono testing of the factory ammo showed that it is actually faster than advertised. Will try some others, just did the 100gr so far. Love the rifle, trigger is great. Simmons predator quest scope is awesome. got some brass now, will try some reloading soon. Keep you posted.