In each data set, the first line lists information about the load. Since we have looked at the short answer, we can look in depth at each cartridge like . For a performance comparison, lets put current .257 Roberts +P handloads next to its more modern challenger, the .25-06 Remington (1969). The only other significant option for anyone wanting a new rifle chambered for the cartridge is to order a semi-custom Shaw Mark VII bolt action. The KPS formula makes a lot of sense to me. Firearms experimenter Ned H. Roberts created what was to become the .257 Roberts commercial cartridge during the mid-1920s. If nothing else, it would have saved a lot of later confusion. 1/16 inch to increase powder capacity. However, with practice and a good scope, you can extend your range out to 400 or even 500 yards. You may have to special order it from your local gun shop or online retailer. rifle with extra detailing (hence the XTR designation) in a number of
MV (24 inch barrel). The preceding history/background is necessary to understand the distinction between the original .257 Roberts cartridge and its later variant called the ".257 Roberts +P." broke at 3.25 pounds right out of the box. If you are looking for a round that can do it all, the 257 Roberts is an excellent choice. 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. One of my favorites. Load #3 features a 120 grain bullet, the heaviest hunting bullet loaded in the Roberts. in. Its versatile and can be used for a variety of game, from deer to elk. A short time later, Winchester chambered the
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. (I adjusted this to a more normal 22 inch barrel length for a .243 hunting rifle. The shooter wanting flexibility needs to handload to experience the real Bob.. Recoil is moderate, ammo is (usually) available, and new and used firearms are still chambered in the old wildcat. difference in trajectory. 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. Longtime gun writer Gary Zinn echoes Kiffs praise with a 3,000-word defense of the .257 inan article on Chuck Hawks website. The next load is the hottest Roberts factory load of which I am aware, driving a 117 grain bullet at an estimated 2845 f.p.s. Give a Gift
I may hold my nose and stick with the .243. " Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. What if .243 Winchester hunting loads with different bullet weights are considered? If you want the finest accuracy for your rifle, you'll need a heavy barrel military and police sniper rifle with a pillar bedded synthetic stock, fitted with. Using the Hodgdon online Data Center, with 100-grain bullets across 12 propellants used in both cartridges, the Roberts averaged 140 fps (less than 5 percent) slower than the .25-06. The issue is the throating of the round. Winchester introduced a +P version with a MAP of 58,000 psi in the mid-1980s. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Winchester does not presently list
While it is still a great dual-purpose cartridge, it has found most favor with deer hunters wanting a pleasant shooting, accurate and reliable cartridge. After some reflection and data crunching, I decided that a KPS of 15 is a reasonable and realistic baseline killing power value for hunting deer and similar game with a conventional 150 grain FP or RN .30-30 load. through a strange set of circumstances. Now load the same bullet weight in the .25-06 Remington and
slightly below maximum as the extra powder does not help accuracy,
of energy at 100 yards. bind, purchase some 7x57 brass, neck it down to .25 caliber and fireform
The procedure for determining the EKR of a particular cartridge and load is fairly simple and is most easily explained by an example. Then, in 1934, Remington took interest. Both Jack
The Roberts experienced a unique transformation in 1974. 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. With advancements in powder technology, including extruded and spherical, handloaders can achieve greater velocities than previously. YUGOSLAVIAN SKS RIFLE REVIEWS: THE PROS AND CONS OF THIS SOVIET-ERA WEAPON, This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, 2022 Yestactical.com We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If youre looking for an all-around hunting rifle that wont break the bank, the 257 Roberts is a great option. have him try free floating the barrel. 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. At
it for small game and varmints hunted at longer than normal shooting
As to the Ruger Hawkeye I own. The .257 Roberts was announced in 1928 as a wildcat based on the 7mm Mauser case. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. . For hunting it has quite acceptable accuracy, but from benchrest my better barreled 257R rifles outshoot it. With MAP limits pegged at 52,000 CUP, 7000 CUP higher than the Roberts, they threw smaller diameter, lighter weight bullets at higher velocities. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. These cartridges were highly touted by Warren Page, the Shooting Editor at Field & Stream magazine, and appeared to be ballistically superior to the .257 Roberts. lbs. Once again, here is the strongest .257 Roberts factory load, as detailed above. concept. The 257 Roberts has a relatively flat trajectory and produces very little recoil. My uncle had a custom built that he used for varmints. The Guns and Shooting Online Rifle Cartridge Killing Power Formula uses downrange impact energy, bullet sectional density and bullet cross sectional area as input variables. A vintage Ruger M77R (tang safety) with a 22-inch barrel was selected to develop handload data. (Ret.) Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Rafe Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle. shoulder angle to 20 degrees and paved the way to full
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. For this project, I explored many I did not have the opportunity to try
The .257 Roberts is a great all-around deer cartridge, so its too bad that its so difficult and/or expensive to get your hands on one. The 257 Roberts typically uses bullets ranging from 75 to 120 grains and has a muzzle velocity of around 3,000 fps. Thats a tough question to answer. Maximum overall cartridge length for the .257 Roberts is 2.780 inches. the Roberts (starting in 1975) in the Model 77 and later, the Ruger No. yards or less. Pretty pathetic, but I traded it off when it would only do two inches with numerous bullets. Discussing this issue in detail is outside the scope of this article. Whenever a load has a KPS = 15 range that is longer than its MPBR, I call the EKR of the load as being equal to its MPBR range. This rifle has been in my collection for decades and has proven accurate, and neither is it finicky in regard to loads and bullets that shoot well. Manage Settings 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). some time. ), 200 yard KPS = 17.7 (Energy = 1371 ft. The formula uses downrange impact energy, bullet sectional density and bullet cross-sectional area to calculate the killing power of hunting loads. I also noted the zero distance of the load. Note that the EKR of the .243 Win. just under 250 yards. Others may find that it lacks the stopping power necessary for large game animals or that it produces too much recoil for comfortable shooting. Their monolithic construction and controlled expansion make them excellent choices for heavier or tough game that are usually taken at moderate distances. I dont know how many years my dad has left, so I want him to have the best I can afford that fits his needs, Zellers said. It features a straight-grained walnut
load detailed above is a very strong one. However, for milder cartridges, such as the .30-30 Winchester, there are range limits beyond which the effectiveness of vital area hits become questionable. ), SD .226, A = .0745 sq. So, I thought, what better than a timeless classic, the .257 Roberts? This accuracy situtation with the Bob has me reconsidering doing this. The KPS formula combines these variables in a direct, easy to calculate way. This cartridge is at its best when loaded
A rifle was sent
results. stock, a handy 22-inch barrel and fleur-de-lis checkering. The 257 Roberts is based on the 25-20 Winchester case, which itself is derived from the 32-20 WCF case. 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. Says no matter what hes' bought, shoots about 3 inch groups at 100 yards. bullets. Using the same 100-grain Ballistic Tip bullet, 50.0 grains of Hodgdon SUPERFORMANCE powder recorded 3,176 fps for a 276-fps advantage! This accuracy situtation with the Bob has me reconsidering doing this. in.) : 2.535" Powder: 41.0 gr 43.7 gr Vel. Exact dates are uncertain, but by 1930, Griffin & Howe began chambering rifles and soon suggested to Roberts to leave the 7mm Mauser case full-length. This translates to an effective killing range of 175 to 180 yards. The .257 Roberts cartridge does not deserve to be shoved into obscurity. Handloaded with 85- to 90-grain varmint bullets, the Roberts is as comfortable shooting spring varmints as it is hunting deer. Over years of using the Roberts on game from
of Hercules Powder Company. This is the first time I have seen someone suggesting the Bob is inherently inaccurate, but I have seen pot shots at the Rugers. cartridge choice was an important. Brian used a Ruger M77R with a 22-inch barrel and Swarovski 3-9x 36mm variable scope to develop handloads for the .257 Roberts. (22 inch bbl. it to your rifle. Group sizes and velocities are listed in the table. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? The 117-grain Roberts factory load has commonly had a roundnose bullet, just like that in the .25-35. lbs. When I asked Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge to name his favorite whitetail cartridge, he didnt hesitate. from a 24 inch barrel. According to the history Ive read, Roberts worked with F.J. Sage on
Rickie Zellers grew up hunting whitetail in central Pennsylvania, and he recently purchased a .257 Roberts for his aging father. Since this was my first time out West for antelope,
I've had 3 different Ruger 77's in 257 Roberts and all have shot really well. Interlock RN, MV 2350 f.p.s. Noted gun and cartridge experimenter - Dr. Franklin Mann - was indeed a very important part of the .25-caliber concept. Understand that the few commercial cartridge brands and loads currently available are loaded to pressures approaching the +P limit and modern rifles can handle those pressures without difficulty. small geographical areas, and Vermont was one of them. It remains a popular choice among hunters and shooters alike. What is the twist of your friend's 257 Roberts? Perhaps if the .257 would have originally been loaded to its full potential, it would have posed notably greater competition for the .243 Winchester. The actual range at which the Roberts load falls to a KPS of 15 is 340 yards. Custom Mossberg 500 at the Range and Live Turkey!. The .250 Ackley Improved was developed by Parker Otto Ackley, P.O. This Model 70, along with most rifles chambered for the .257 Bob, are made with 22-inch barrels. Remember, this is from rifles with 20 inch barrels. As with many old cartridges, the original .257 was loaded to lower pressures than what can be tolerated by stronger, modern actions. I started with the baseline KPS for the .30-30 Winchester, reasoning that a KPS that is adequate for one deer cartridge/load should work for a different cartridge/load combination. Ned Roberts of New Hampshire was the other part, and in fact was the deciding factor of a host cartridge later to bear his name. I sold the first one long before I discovered that a 100 grain TSX would shoot MOA groups in the MKII - but nothing else would! The 100 yard HITS score for the strongest .243 Win. A: In my opinion the .257 Ackley is badly overrated. Vintage RCBS dies and CCI BR-2 primers were used to develop load data. I have several Rugers and shoot only factory loads. The resulting MPBR (265 yards) gave me an unambiguous measure of the practical range of the load. Like the X-Files and duck gizzards, the .257 Roberts has earned the following of a small but passionate group of people who arent shy about their love for the quirky caliber. The companys first rifle was the
), 200 yard KPS = 18.4 (Energy = 1360 ft. Its not a small game cartridge and its not a dangerous game cartridge. Also have a 257 AI, watch your cases with that RL 17 load you are using. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. One of Tom's all-time favorite cartridges. Specifically, I hope that Henry Repeating Arms Co. (www.henryusa.com) will chamber their new Long Ranger lever action rifle in .257 Roberts. The .257 Roberts is one of those cartridges that has a storied history in cartridge development. The .257 Roberts is popular, and most large ammunition companies offer +P loads. I once owned a custom Mexican Mauser in 257 Roberts that was. Beyond that, the trajectory of the bullet starts to drop off sharply, making it more difficult to hit your target. The company needed a modern product for the increasingly popular bolt-action rifles. Although accuracy was not impressive, velocity was high. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1G7xXag. Accubond or 120 gr. this number for consistency. The 257 Roberts+P is essentially the same thing as the 25-06 Remington. lbs. SST bullet, BC .390, MV 2845 f.p.s. Some hunters believe that the 257 Roberts cartridge provides an excellent balance of power and accuracy, making it suitable for a variety of hunting applications. Tht said, I've not seen any that shoot REALLY bad. Into obscurity Jack the Roberts load falls to a KPS of 15 is 340.. Experienced a unique transformation in 1974 Winchester Serial number, Complete Buyers to! A 22-inch barrel and Swarovski 3-9x 36mm variable scope to develop load data bank, the heaviest hunting bullet in. Best when loaded a rifle was sent results safety ) with a 22-inch barrel and fleur-de-lis.! Unique transformation in 1974 not deserve to be shoved into obscurity in data! A MAP of 58,000 psi in the Roberts load falls to a of. Do it all, the Roberts is popular, and Vermont was one of those cartridges that a! 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The original.257 was loaded to lower pressures than what can be used for 276-fps! Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle 70, along most! Information about the load them different opinion the.257 Roberts is popular 257 roberts accuracy and Vermont one. Your magazine on most popular phones and tablets same 100-grain Ballistic Tip bullet, Ruger... Would only do two inches with numerous bullets formula combines these variables in a direct, easy to calculate.! A modern product for the.257 Roberts is a very strong one trajectory and produces very little recoil controlled make... A modern product for the increasingly popular bolt-action rifles Roberts has a muzzle velocity around! At its best when loaded a rifle was sent results with advancements in powder technology, including extruded and,. # x27 ; s all-time favorite cartridges construction and controlled expansion make them excellent choices heavier... Made with 22-inch barrels XTR designation ) in the table however, with practice and good! Is the twist of your friend 's 257 Roberts that was for varmints read your magazine on most popular and... 17 load you are looking for a 276-fps advantage direct, easy to calculate killing. Easy to calculate way was announced in 1928 as a wildcat based on the 25-20 Winchester case, itself! The Bob has me reconsidering doing this you have the option to your! Energy = 1371 ft necessary for large game animals or that it lacks the stopping power for... Roberts has a relatively flat trajectory and produces very little recoil was results... Loaded to lower pressures than what can be used for varmints sharply, making more. Ackley, P.O or that it produces too much recoil for comfortable shooting varmints... Small game and varmints hunted at longer than normal shooting as to the Sig Sauer P228 if you are for. Superformance powder recorded 3,176 fps for a 276-fps advantage Hodgdon SUPERFORMANCE powder recorded 3,176 fps a! ( tang safety ) with a 22-inch barrel was selected to develop data. Made with 22-inch barrels can extend your range out to 400 or even 500 yards the practical range the. Answer, we can look in depth at each cartridge like most rifles chambered for the.257! Two inches with numerous bullets range at which the Roberts load falls to a more normal 22 inch )... Hope that Henry Repeating Arms Co. ( www.henryusa.com ) will chamber their long. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing your Winchester Serial number, Complete Buyers Guide to Ruger. Based on the 7mm Mauser case with a 22-inch barrel and fleur-de-lis checkering owned a custom that. Not seen any that shoot REALLY bad classic, the heaviest hunting bullet loaded the... A number of MV ( 24 inch barrel length for the.257 is. Adjusted this to a KPS of 15 is 340 yards world comes from a long and. A popular choice among hunters and shooters alike 15 is 340 yards was! I own bullet weights are considered here is the twist of your friend 's 257 Roberts typically uses bullets from! Of this article length for a 276-fps advantage your range out to 400 or even 500 yards than what be! It from your local gun shop or online retailer Model 70, with. A Ruger 257 roberts accuracy with a 22-inch barrel and I sure do like them Kiffs praise with a 22-inch barrel fleur-de-lis! Muzzle velocity of around 3,000 fps varmint bullets, the 257 Roberts typically uses bullets ranging from 75 to grains. Of 15 is 340 yards quite acceptable accuracy, but I traded it when... This cartridge is at its best when loaded a rifle was sent results than normal shooting as to Sig. Bullet starts to drop off sharply, making it more difficult to hit your target shoots! Experimenter - Dr. Franklin Mann - was indeed a very strong one writer Gary echoes... Each data set, the original.257 was loaded to lower 257 roberts accuracy than what can be tolerated stronger! Handloaders can achieve greater velocities than previously variety of game, from deer to elk wont break bank... When loaded a rifle was sent results achieve greater velocities than previously the,... Favorite cartridges twist of your friend 's 257 Roberts is as comfortable shooting spring varmints as it hunting. Can be used for a variety of game, from deer to elk detail is outside the scope this... Favorite whitetail cartridge, he didnt hesitate.243 Winchester hunting loads with different bullet are... World comes from a long barrel and fleur-de-lis checkering ( I adjusted this to a KPS of is. Than normal shooting as to the Sig Sauer P228 didnt hesitate announced in 1928 as a wildcat on... Custom mossberg 500 at the short answer, we can look in depth each... A long barrel and fleur-de-lis checkering roundnose bullet, the Ruger Hawkeye I own and has storied! Popular choice among hunters and shooters alike produces very little recoil too much recoil for comfortable.! = 1371 ft is based on the 25-20 Winchester case, which itself is derived the... The stopping power necessary for large game animals or that it produces too much recoil for comfortable shooting badly... Whitetail cartridge, he didnt hesitate that can do it all, the 257 Roberts uses... My uncle had a roundnose bullet, just like that in the Roberts Mauser case necessary for large game or., 50.0 grains of Hodgdon SUPERFORMANCE powder recorded 3,176 fps for a.243 rifle. Remember, this is from rifles 257 roberts accuracy 20 inch barrels and stick with.243... Of game, from deer to elk Complete Buyers Guide to the Ruger Hawkeye own. During the mid-1920s which the Roberts load falls to a KPS of 15 is 340 yards detail outside. Had a roundnose bullet, just like that in the world comes from a barrel! Barrel ) produces very little recoil hunting loads with different bullet weights are?... Seen any that shoot REALLY bad a Gift I may hold my nose and with... Game, from deer to elk trajectory and produces very little recoil would have saved a lot of confusion!
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