To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The best evidence of this is recent legislation. The .250 Ackley Improved was developed by Parker Otto Ackley, P.O. With a minimum terminal performance velocity of 1,800 fps, hunters can expect to make reliably terminal shots beyond 500 yards. For a while, Ruger chambered Others may find that it lacks the stopping power necessary for large game animals or that it produces too much recoil for comfortable shooting. On the other hand, spherical powders, such as Winchester 760, Accurate A-2700, Ramshot Big Game, Hodgdon BL-C(2), SUPERFORMANCE and Hybrid 100V, generally meter with near perfection, which makes them especially popular for those that want quality ammunition without weighing each charge. In 1974, The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) established a +P designation for cartridges that are loaded to higher pressures, but specifications still had to be approved by SAAMI. New factory rifle options are even more limited. .257 Load #2: Hornady Superformance, 117 gr. can still be had at good prices at gun shows. This Model 70, along with most rifles chambered for the .257 Bob, are made with 22-inch barrels. My purpose here is to propose (or plead for) a resurrection of the .257 Roberts as a significant choice for hunters who want a capable, yet mild shooting, rifle for pursuing deer and similar size game. I do this because I do not endorse shooting at game animals at ranges beyond the MPBR of the load in question. Although loading a 257Rob +p may narrow the gap Super hipster now is the 25 Creedmoor Mar 31, 2020 #3 cahunter805 Well-known member Joined May 27, 2014 Messages 2,363 I realize that setting a KPS of 15 as a baseline power standard for the .30-30 load is a judgment call, but I am comfortable with it. I may hold my nose and stick with the .243. The company needed a modern product for the increasingly popular bolt-action rifles. load detailed above is a very strong one. It is arguably the perfect deer-sized cartridge. Swift Scirocco II, BC .384, MV 3120 f.p.s. When working with the .257 Roberts and my Model 70, I choose to go ), 200 yard KPS = 19.4 (Energy = 1483 ft. Using deer and similar size game as an example, some popular cartridges, such as the .270 Winchester and .308 Winchester, are so powerful that there is no question that they will dependably fell Class 2 game out to their MPBR range or beyond. It did not take long for custom riflemakers to begin building .25 Roberts rifles. Recoil is moderate, ammo is (usually) available, and new and used firearms are still chambered in the old wildcat. Pet Loads and Handloader are registered trademarks of Wolfe Publishing Company. My example is a Federal Premium .243 Winchester load with a 100 grain soft point spitzer bullet. Its been understandably eclipsed by more effective modern cartridges, but its Goldilocks combination of attributes should earn it a spot in gun safes of hunters for years to come. Not surprisingly, shooters flocked to the new fast cartridges, especially the .243 Winchester. ), SD .226, A = .0745 sq. This translates to an effective killing range of 175 to 180 yards. Re: Ruger 77 Ultralight in 257 Roberts Accuracy Issues. I have a tang safety M77 in the Roberts, and mine is very accurate. The furtherest distance at which a load has enough energy to achieve the baseline KPS value is its maximum "Effective Killing Range" (EKR) for Class 2 game animals (assuming a vital area hit). A transfer bar in the hammer makes the action inherently safe and eliminates the need for a manual safety that might be fumbled when a quick shot is presented.". However, with practice and a good scope, you can extend your range out to 400 or even 500 yards. The .257 Roberts remains a very popular rifle/cartridge combination for hunters throughout the country. spitzers and even a box of moly-coated hollowpoints I had in stock for I once owned two different Rugers in .257 RBTS, the first a M77, the second a M77MKII. While neck sizing cases can increase accuracy, since I consider the .257 a hunting cartridge it is preferred to full-length size cases to assure reliable and easy chambering. Chuck Hawks reports that a 100-grain .257 exiting the barrel at 3,000 fps produces only 9.3 ft-lbs. For reloading Velocity is important to the extent that it imparts kinetic energy to a bullet of given size and weight. The .257 Roberts is a low recoiling, mild powered cartridge. Properly -tailored handloads will group under .75 inch. cartridge in both the Model 54 and Model 70 rifles. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Jorge Spat to learn all about it. Bob, as it is often affectionately called, was truly a dual-purpose cartridge that did both jobs very well. Communication. (All three of the .257 Roberts loads have KPS = 15 ranges that are longer than their MPBR distances.). bullets. Federals custom-loaded .257 Roberts +P, for example, uses a 110-grain bullet which exits the barrel at 3,000 fps. There is a wide selection of .25-caliber bullets that have helped the Roberts become more versatile than ever. Some hunters may find that the 257 Roberts cartridge is an ideal round for medium to large game, while others may prefer a different caliber for these purposes. However, the .243 Winchester cannot match the .257 Roberts as a big game cartridge, although the .243 is arguably a more efficient heavy varmint round. After some work he decided to go with a 7x57 Mauser as the parent case and Remington Arms picked up the commercial version in 1934 to sell to the public. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. I like them for other reasons, and some get lucky, but a person shouldn't expect it. The commercialized version restored the 20-degree 45-minute shoulder angle of the parent 7mm Mauser case to be the cartridge we know today. The Roberts launched the heavier bullets about 165 fps (7 percent) slower. Mikey Hartman, Lt. Col. In a short action, it has the potential for a suitable youth rifle but without care towards optimizing hand loads, can lack the power with many 117 to 120 grain loads to be of any great advantage over the more common .243. MV (22 inch barrel). I then calculated the down range energy level that each load must have to achieve a baseline KPS value. Regardless, it remains popular today and is an excellent choice for hunters. The .257 Roberts first became available to hunters nationwide when Remington took the wildcat into factory production in 1934. For several years he played with them. Newer propellantsand a couple of old onescan safely push varmint-weight bullets to over 3,300 fps from a 24-inch barrel. A friend of mine has had 3 different .257 Roberts, 2 standard and 1 Ackley version. Not 3 moa with handloads, for sure. Like its parent 7mm Mauser, it is well behaved, saving its surprises for the deer in its path. All Access the newest seasons of MeatEater, save content, and join in discussions with the Crew and others in the MeatEater community. Ruger's No. I rest my case that the .257 Roberts is the more powerful of the two cartridges for hunting deer and similar Class 2 game. .257 Roberts: Propellant: Accurate 2700, Accurate 3100, Accurate 4350, Alliant Reloder-16, . ), 100 yard KPS = 23.2 (Energy = 1771 ft. (22 inch barrel), ME 2162 ft. The quarter-bore was fashionable due to fine game performance demonstrated by the .250 Savage. For comparison, a .25-06 Rem. of Hercules Powder Company. Several big deer statesincluding Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, and Indianahave passed laws in the last five years allowing straight-wall cartridges in zones previously designated as shotgun- or muzzleloader-only. Buy Lyman Neck Expander M Die for 25-06 Rem & 257 Roberts NEW! If we take the Roberts with a 100-grain bullet at 3,000 With advancements in powder technology, including extruded and spherical, handloaders can achieve greater velocities than previously. Nosler offers a box of 20 cartridges for $93. The .257 Roberts cartridge does not deserve to be shoved into obscurity. Hornady 117-grain Spire Point bullets loaded over 42.0 grains of H-4350 I'm sure I'll get toasted, but if somebody is looking for "accuracy", a Ruger ain't the way to go. the .257 Roberts - A nice combination cartridge that's low recoil and works on most game from varmint to elk. Otherwise, hunters hoping to help resurrect the .257 must reload their own ammunition and look in the used or custom-built market for a firearm. Roberts went to work while considering Manns views on the subject. 1-2 shots and done. How far can you accurately shoot a 243? According to Johnny Falk, in a letter dated in the last quarter of 1980, Anyone who disagrees with the baseline KPS I used here may change the analysis to use any cartridge, load and ballistic parameters they feel accurately reflect effective killing power and range, for deer or other game. If youre looking for a long-range accurate caliber for varmint hunting, the 243 Winchester is a great choice. Remington, Winchester and others offer unprimed cases for the .257 Roberts. Next, I developed a trajectory table for the load using the ShootersCalculator trajectory calculator. I know of one 257 that could shoot cloverleafs at 100Yds. Savage Model 110 Timberline 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle: Full Review, Ruger MAX-9 9mm Micro-Sized High-Capacity Pistol: Review, Springfield Armory SA-35 Pistol: Rebirth of the Browning P-35 Hi-Power, Savage Impulse Straight-Pull Rifle: Full Review, .458 Winchester Magnum History: The Complete Story, 6.8 Western Ammo Options: The Load of Long Yardage, 10mm Firepower: Springfield XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact Pistol Review, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1. Maximum overall cartridge length for the .257 Roberts is 2.780 inches. Evaluating the killing power of a hunting bullet must be a more sophisticated exercise than simply comparing the muzzle velocities of different cartridge/load combinations. from a 20 inch barrel. The resulting MPBR (265 yards) gave me an unambiguous measure of the practical range of the load. The commercial Remington version of the .257 Roberts returned to the original 7x57mm Mauser 20-degree, 45-minute shoulder angle (a good move) and dispensed with the neck trim. Nominal bullet diameter of the .257 Roberts is .257 inches. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. in.) differed somewhat when it came to the subject of reloading the maybe. summer woodchucks to bigger game out West, I found this cartridge It should be noted that when using top performing powder measures such as Reddings Competition Precision Riflemans PR-50, many extruded powders can be thrown accurately. lbs. was the deciding factor of a host cartridge later to bear his name. Varget seems to be a barnburner with a 75-grain bullet, so I tried 41.0 Its often used for varmint hunting, as it has excellent accuracy at long range. Energy increases were nothing to brag about. Try the old Roberts bullet. While its been eclipsed in recent years by sexier, faster, bigger cartridges, its still worth a look if youre in the market for a new deer gun. The issue is the throating of the round. This accuracy situtation with the Bob has me reconsidering doing this. It even gave the proprietary .25 Niedner, which eventually became the .25-06 Remington, good reason to sweat. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. (The cross-sectional area of a .257 inch diameter bullet is 0.0519 sq. The .243 Win. As a matter of note, Not every hunter feels comfortable purchasing a used firearm and not every hunter has the cash to build a custom one. During the 1980s, Winchester developed a .257 Roberts +P load that featured thicker case walls and was loaded to a maximum average pressure of 50,000 CUP, which bumped the velocity of the 117-grain bullet to 2,780 fps. ), 200 yard KPS = 18.4 (Energy = 1360 ft. lbs. Our Sitemap. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. (The EKR and baseline KPS concepts are explained further in the Appendix, below.). Noted gun and cartridge experimenter Handloaded with 85- to 90-grain varmint bullets, the Roberts is as comfortable shooting spring varmints as it is hunting deer. All I will say is that anyone who has a .257 Roberts rifle of early vintage should have a competent gunsmith check it out before shooting +P ammo. In the velocity department, the .257 Roberts is really two different cartridges. Winchester does not presently list 7.2 inches. I read down the energy column of the table until I came to the energy value closest to 1339 ft. lbs. The .257 Roberts. It's not a screamer and it's not a slowpoke. While I personally would choose a heavier bullet weight for hunting deer, I know several hunters that use this bullet on coyotes and mule deer with great success. The .257 Roberts was the premier combination varmint/deer cartridge until the .243 Winchester and .244 Remington were introduced in 1955. I believe this would be a great rifle/cartridge package for hunting deer, pronghorn and similar game. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Built with a 20 inch barrel, this rifle/caliber combination could become a hit with knowledgable hunters and Henry would own the .257 Roberts rifle market. It is also a popular choice for long-range target shooting. Back off you will probably get better accuracy, a 257 is not a speed demon by any means. I may hold my nose and stick with the .243. Since this was my first time out West for antelope, The 243 Winchester is also relatively inexpensive, making it a great option for budget-minded hunters. Both calibers are incredibly popular with hunters, and there are pros and cons to each. Modern .25-caliber 100-grain hunting bullets are a great choice. I wound up with more than a dozen powders to test, These recoil figures can be adjusted with heavier or lighter bullets, of course, but when using the most common factory loads, the .257 Roberts is among the lightest-recoiling cartridges capable of taking game out to 500 yards. All Rights Reserved. Remington's .25-06 is likely most responsible for killing the .257 Roberts, as the .25-06 offers an average 200 feet per second (fps) additional velocity over the Roberts . Fortunately, there is a reasonably straightforward way to do this. Its perfect.. All of the .257 Roberts loads listed above blow this .243 load away. looking up reference material, I found that in the Complete Guide to Handloading, die is set to bump the case holder, then I try each case in the chamber addition, Winchester and Hornady still turn out factory ammunition. Other commercial riflemakers picked up the Roberts, and it became a successful dual-purpose cartridge for varmints and big game up to large deer and black bear. 5.0. yards or less. Basic components for the .257 Roberts are generally easy to find. There apparently was not room in the rifle marketplace for two dual-purpose cartridges after the .243 Winchester was introduced and it bested the .244/6mm Remington, .250 Savage and .257 Roberts in the popularity contest, for whatever reasons. -Editor). Those who reflect on the decline of the .257 Roberts as a significant heavy varmint and light big game cartridge almost always credit (or blame) the .243 Winchester. Ackley, the modified 257 Roberts was likely the best improved round . My future generations may not be interested in reloading to maximize the accuracy on this gun. Phil Sharpe seemed to favor the .257 Roberts and IMR-4064 powder with a which this could make that much of a difference on a medium-framed lbs. the Roberts (starting in 1975) in the Model 77 and later, the Ruger No. The bullet is very stable in flight, so it will retain its accuracy even at long range. The exception will include spherical powder loads, which should not be reduced below the suggested start loads or hang fires, erratic ignition and potentially high pressures can occur. I knew several people in the Dallas area who proclaimed the .257 Improved the perfect Texas deer cartridge. MPBR and zero distances are rounded to the nearest five yards. The 257 Roberts is a great little cartridge and with the 110 gr. Hopefully, this process will become clear after we look at some data. This makes it a good choice for hunters who want to take game at long range, or for target shooters who want to compete at long distances. 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