.257 Roberts vs .243 Winchester

[Wind Gypsy]

Don't know what other calibers Natty has, but I'd look at those too before I picked a powder specifically for the .257. 4831 is a good powder and I'd probably look at the 4831SC if I was using a powder measure.

Yeah, i've used H4831 successfully in a few cartridges. Consistent, stable, accurate. That N555 is a newer one that is a similar burn rate to 4831, maybe a hair faster, but gets better velocity, is temp stable, and is actually cheaper now with the wild hodgdon price hikes. (dont tell anyone though..). Wish I didn’t like it as much because I have 30 some pounds of h4350 that is now less appealing

 

[bigboreblr]

IF you got the time, reloading is nice. I just don't shoot that often like I'd like to. I have a little 25 yard 22lr range to keep my skills ok though.

Almost any reloading press will do. I went with RCBS. Bullet seatng depth and the amount of powder is where you need to be accurate. I've seen good shooting guns with the good old lee scoopers.

Next gun for me either a nicer 308 or a 223 bolt gun.

I've been partial to hornady and speer offerings, although there's many other good bullets out there.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Don't know what other calibers Natty has, but I'd look at those too before I picked a powder specifically for the .257. 4831 is a good powder and I'd probably look at the 4831SC if I was using a powder measure.

I'm not really a rifle shooter at all Jerry. Massachusetts is a shotgun only state for deer. I've got a few Remington pumps in .30-06 for tracking in VT and Maine, but for what I'm doing a few boxes lasts me 10 years or more. Wish I was a more active rifle shooter.

 

[Angus 1895]

I was looking to restock some Hodgdon powder……$67 a pound…..yikes.

I switched to a different brand.

 

[Jerry-B-WI]

I was looking to restock some Hodgdon powder……$67 a pound…..yikes.

I switched to a different brand.

I was at the local Cabelas a few weeks ago and saw powder for $56 a pound and almost puked. Last time I bought powder it was about $48 dollars for 8# of AA3100. Should've bought two.

 

[roymunson]

I was at the local Cabelas a few weeks ago and saw powder for $56 a pound and almost puked. Last time I bought powder it was about $48 dollars for 8# of AA3100. Should've bought two.

I know it's not cheap, but TBH reloading isn't really that much cheaper if you consider your time in the game. if $8 a pound is scaring you off, you'd better not calculate what it costs you per pound of venison.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I know it's not cheap, but TBH reloading isn't really that much cheaper if you consider your time in the game. if $8 a pound is scaring you off, you'd better not calculate what it costs you per pound of venison.

I think @Jerry-B-WI is saying the last time he bought powder it was $48 for an 8# jug? So about 10% of the current price but that must have been a long time ago!

I have a bunch of powder from less than a decade ago that was barely over $20/# and that is H1000/ varget / H4350, not cheaper ball powder. Primers were 3 cents ea less than a decade ago. It has increased a lot but still a lot cheaper (when time and equipment not considered) than most factory ammo.

 

[Angus 1895]

I found non hodge don powder nearly 1/2 of its price

 

[Jerry-B-WI]

I know it's not cheap, but TBH reloading isn't really that much cheaper if you consider your time in the game. if $8 a pound is scaring you off, you'd better not calculate what it costs you per pound of venison.

Sometimes it's not time in the game, but making something that's not commercially available. I used to shoot handgun metallic silhouette. I shot a .357 mag but used sub .38 loads that were very accurate out of my handgun. Don't have any idea where you'd buy that. I used to buy primers 5k at a time and powder was 8# at a time. Started doing the same for reloading rifle cartridges. Primers were 1k at a time and powder 8# at a time. My shooting and reloading slowed way down once I found loads that were the most accurate for my rifles. I know I have at least six, one pound canisters of Win 748 that are unopened in my basement. Works great in my Savage 99, 300 savage. But I haven't shot that rifle in over 15 years.

I'm balls deep in the game, and your pretty accurate about the cost of reloading vs factory ammo. I'm kind of a odd duck when it comes to killing deer with rifles. I don't like the common calibers. They just seem boring to me. I've been knocking deer over for about 20 years with a 6.5x55 Swede. I have two military mausers that I sporterized and a Remington M700 classic. I use the Remington now cause I suffer from old fckerism. My eyes can't use the peep sights I grew up with and loved for many years. The Remington has a Sig Romeo red dot on top of it and it does the job just fine.

 

[Brokenbear]

I'm impressed with the 257 Roberts
Last time I was elk hunting in Colorado I dropped by an old friends ranch in central Colorado ....
^ days into Elk season hanging on the wall of the main ranch house with a dad, mom and 3 boys were 5 257 Roberts pre 64 Winchesters M70's and the ONLY caliber on the ranch
Hanging in the barn breezeway were 20 Elk quarters ..nuff said for me!

Bear

 

[TreeStand]

Congrats on your rifle & caliber purchase. Factory ammo for the 257 is dismal so, to make the 257 Roberts shine, it begs to be hand loaded. With 4 257s in our house I need to reload. Each gun likes a different recipe. If I had to pick one bullet to get it done , it would probably be a 100gr nosler ballistic tip. Is it a perfect bullet? Probably not but I have seen a ton of deer killed with it and it isn't a fussy bullet to reload with. Other good bullets are 100gr Nosler partitions , 100 gr barnes TTSX, 110 gr Accubonds and even a 115 gr partition. I don't think the 120gr bullets are best in a Roberts. I have tried many loads with them and burned a lot of powder & primers. Leave those 120gr to the 25-06 guys. Our 257s take a lot of deer. I have used a lot of different powders but seem to come back to H4350. Super performance, Varget, Reloader 15 & 16, H4895, Hybrid 100V , Win 760, and others. Most load recipes keep the pressures in the 45K range. I am not telling you to exceed these loads but you will find that with a modern firearm like yours, you will probably find yourself on the upper end of the velocity chart without pressure signs. As always, start low and work your loads up. Feel free to message me. I can probably send you some sampler bullets to play with.

 

[Angus 1895]

Is there a chamber limit or rifle twist situation with the heavier bullets?

 

[TreeStand]

Is there a chamber limit or rifle twist situation with the heavier bullets?

Answering your question, the case capacity and the bullet weight combinations can limit the 257 shooter / reloader. Most commercial 257 bores today are a 1-10 twist. You may find some older rifle that are a 1-12. The 25-06 and the 257 weatherby mag can handle the 120s because they can push them faster ( larger case capacity). I have one 257 that can shoot 120 & it has a long throat. It's not my preferred bullet weight for the 257 Roberts. I can push a 115 gr into the 2900fps territory. You will see 125gr and 131gr 257 bullets for sale. These are heavy for caliber bullets used in custom barrels with faster twists.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

The quarter bores have never interested me much until recently - There are 133 and 135 bergers and 134 Hornady ELDm not available with very impressive BCs. They beat the 140 class 6.5 pills in that regard and with less recoil, but most guys are using 7.5 twist barrels to stabilize/maximize BC with them.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Congrats on your rifle & caliber purchase. Factory ammo for the 257 is dismal so, to make the 257 Roberts shine, it begs to be hand loaded. With 4 257s in our house I need to reload. Each gun likes a different recipe. If I had to pick one bullet to get it done , it would probably be a 100gr nosler ballistic tip. Is it a perfect bullet? Probably not but I have seen a ton of deer killed with it and it isn't a fussy bullet to reload with. Other good bullets are 100gr Nosler partitions , 100 gr barnes TTSX, 110 gr Accubonds and even a 115 gr partition. I don't think the 120gr bullets are best in a Roberts. I have tried many loads with them and burned a lot of powder & primers. Leave those 120gr to the 25-06 guys. Our 257s take a lot of deer. I have used a lot of different powders but seem to come back to H4350. Super performance, Varget, Reloader 15 & 16, H4895, Hybrid 100V , Win 760, and others. Most load recipes keep the pressures in the 45K range. I am not telling you to exceed these loads but you will find that with a modern firearm like yours, you will probably find yourself on the upper end of the velocity chart without pressure signs. As always, start low and work your loads up. Feel free to message me. I can probably send you some sampler bullets to play with.

Hello Treestand. Really appreciate you reaching out and offer your help.

I feel very similarly about people who hand load as I do about people who can read and play music.....they have all of this knowledge in their heads and skills that makes me envious. But I am eager to learn.

Think I scored on this rifle. As I go through it it looks like it might have minimal to no use. Looks just about in mint condition. I'll post up some pics this weekend.