Dash, 257 wobbly question

[trevort]

I think I am not loving the wobbly (apart from its a budget build) because I'm using it all wrong and making the wrong comparisons.

I'm loading it flat out with 85gn pills. This basically makes it an overbore varminter which fails in pleasure to shoot, quality of action trigger and scope, when compared to my other varminting rifles.

I should really be considering it as a long range hunting rifle for fallow and the like and loading it with an appropriate bullet in the, say 100gn range. Use it for what Roy designed it for, give it another chance.

So you are fond of the wobblies, what hunting pill would you recommend to make the 257 do what it was designed for?

[dashooter]

I think I am not loving the wobbly (apart from its a budget build) because I'm using it all wrong and making the wrong comparisons.

I'm loading it flat out with 85gn pills. This basically makes it an overbore varminter which fails in pleasure to shoot, quality of action trigger and scope, when compared to my other varminting rifles.

I should really be considering it as a long range hunting rifle for fallow and the like and loading it with an appropriate bullet in the, say 100gn range. Use it for what Roy designed it for, give it another chance.

So you are fond of the wobblies, what hunting pill would you recommend to make the 257 do what it was designed for?

Hey Trev,

Firstly, I would have gone to the 75 gn Vmax for it as a varminter.

However as a fallow, red, rusa, pig rifle I've current got 100 gn BT's loaded. I have only shot the one fallow buck with it but it didn't take a single step. Turned the chest cavity to soup (no exit wound).
http://www.australianhunting.net/index. ... c=201580.0
To be honest at Wobbly speeds even the BT struggles to retain weight at ranges out to around 100 yards but should do better as the distance increases. I recovered the jacket below from the off shoulder of that buck.


This was the view after I took the off shoulder off the deer.


I did use (and still have 100 gn TTSX's) for it that shot well. With that load I managed a 2for on a group of fallow. They were only about 80 yards away when I took the shot. Hit the first doe just in front of the front shoulder and angled through and out the rear shoulder and then it carried into the front shoulder of the doe behind and continued out the opposite shoulder. The first deer dropped on the spot without a kick and the second did a walk of around 5 meters in a small circle before expiring. There were 3 in a row just before I dropped the hammer but the third moved in a different path. I have no doubt the third would have died and potentially I would still not have recovered the pill.
Both those experiences were out of a vanguard (24 inch tube). BT's were doing 3450 fps and I think Barnes were about the same. Add a 100 fps more to yours and you'll get the idea.
If you want a cheap load that will be used often then go the 100 gn BT's (just don't expect exit wounds on shoulders on distances less than say 125 yards). If your not worried about projectile cost then go the 100 gn Barnes TTSX. With either of those two loads the 257Wby will drop them like the hammer of Thor.

Being as your in Vic you cant use it on Sambar, however if you had the 100 gn Barnes TTSX and you came across one and it was life or death (yours), I wouldn't doubt on the right type of shot (not a rear ender or bad qtr'ing away angle) that it wouldn't do the job admirably.

Hope that helps in some way.
PS Did you sort out the primer issue? Did you change primers recently?

Rob

[220]

Yep 25 is a medium game cal that can be used for larger stuff and at a pinch a bit of varminting.
I did think about a 257 but after a good hard look at what it was going to be used for went the 6mm because it is a better varmint gun and can still handle everything the 25 can if you pick your shots.
I'm with Rob in that I think you need to step either up or down in projectile weight. If you want to use it as a varmint rifle come down in weight but remember it is never going to be as pleasant to use as a 20 or 22. More the rifle you would take away on a trip after pigs when there might be the chance of one afternoon in a week where you might do a spot of varminting.
For bigger stuff I would step up to 100gr or more and if I wanted one weight for everything would load it with what ever projectile I went with for medium game and live with the compromise as a varminter

I'm running 2 loads in my 6mm 55gr and 100gr but it is a bit better suited to a dual role. I did think about going with one load for it all but really you end up with less than ideal performance at either end of the scale. Running 55's the 6mm shoots right alongside my swift, recoil is more and there is not a chance in hell of watching hits through the scope but its certainly not unpleasant to use. Haven't tried my 100gr partition loads on game yet but they showed enough accuracy on paper to be used as far as Im ever likely to shoot and had no trouble matching the 3200fps factories are doing from my 24" barrel. I have recovered a couple of 100gr factories from sambar and they actually performed better than I expected. At about 70y one entered at the second last rib on a quatering away shot, blew a tennis ball sized hole out of the ribs which shreaded the rear of the lungs, diaphragm and liver, bullet continued right through the vitals and lodged between the ribs behind the off side shoulder retaining 50% weight. Deer went less than 10y before collapsing. The other was between the eyes at 10y I didn't expect the bullet to exit the skull but found the jacket about 12" down the neck and bits of lead from there all the way back up the neck. I have been lucky in that with the rifle sighted for maximum point black range with my 55gr load the 100gr are on point of aim at 100 and about 1/2 to the left. Close enough that I can almost use them interchangeably in a pinch.

So yeah Trev I think you need to start thinking of it as a long range medium game rifle, load it accordingly and enjoy it for what it is.

[Camel]

Being a lover of the 25 calibre, I thought I would give my opinion. Yep, ditch the varmint job, you have plenty of other very interesting and accurate rifle to do that job.
The 257 Roy was built to be a medium to big game cartridge, I wouldn't even bother with 100gn bullets if I had one, I would go with the heavier projectiles, 117gn Hornady round nose, preferably in the interlock version, or one of the 120gn from others, Sierra pro hunter if they make them. At the speeds that Mr Weatherby's creations are driven at, normal hunting bullets like the Nosler Balistic tip, will act like a varmint bullet (as per Rob's photo above), they need to be a tough bullet to survive those speeds.
In my opinion, hunting bullets should penetrate deep, retain as much weight as possible, and only just make it through the whole critter from a side on shot. Would be good to find them about three feet on the other side of the carcass on the ground.
I would even go as far to say, that as good a job it does as a varmint cartridge, the 25-06 is more suited to a big game hunting rifle with the same projectiles as what I suggested above.

[pavlovaw]

Having both the 25/06 with a 26 inch Maddco and a 257 Weatherby with a 28 inch True-flite I find the 25/06 is better if you want to do a bit more varminting with a 75 BT but lacks a bit compared to the Weatherby with the 110 Accubond for medium long range hunting IMHO. I chambered and throated the Weatherby for the 110 Accubonds so it only has 130 thou of freebore instead of the standard 378 thou of a factory chambering or SAMMI spec reamer as I do my own barrel fitting. Seems to be getting more velocity with less powder than the standard freebore chambering. Shows better and easier load tuning as well. It is grouping well under half MOA for 7 shot groups. Tried uploading a pic but recons file is too large.
Having the shorter freebore I have not tried factory loads but then I only intend to handload for this rifle anyway so does not bother me and the price of factory ammo there is no way I will be buying it.

[pavlovaw]

I can't work the picture attach out on my phone.

[trevort]

110 accubond, sounds interesting. I flung some 180gn versions at camels once

[dashooter]

Trev,

Forgot to update this from a few weeks back.
Happy to report that the 100 gn Nosler BT's hold together much better on fallow at 200 yards than 100 yards. So much that the projectile wasn't recovered. Took the doe on the point of the front shoulder and exited just above the offside shoulder. Exit hole was not much bigger than entry and doe didn't move an inch.
Don't have any photos as I still haven't hooked the camera up to the PC to download.
Either way at any distance they kill them dead (no movement) with the right shot placement.
PS if you want to try some I need an address to post to.

Rob

[trevort]

Sent. Cheers


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[dashooter]

Sent. Cheers


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Will throw them in post tomorrow.
Packenham eh. The younger brothers own and operate the Tintacar franchise there (well the youngest operates it but joint owners).

[dashooter]

Sent. Cheers


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Will throw them in post tomorrow.
Packenham eh. The younger brothers own and operate the Tintacar franchise there (well the youngest operates it but joint owners).

On their way now Trev. 20 should see you through.

[trevort]

It may even be enough to see some action


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[dashooter]

It may even be enough to see some action


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Straight to max and save 15 for critters?!
What powder do you have to use?

[trevort]

2209. My current load is adi max. 115 safe rounds. Then last time (after barrel had been off and on again) shot five pierced the primer and i got hot stuff in the face


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[dashooter]

2209. My current load is adi max. 115 safe rounds. Then last time (after barrel had been off and on again) shot five pierced the primer a Di forgot stuff in the face


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I had 100gn Barnes loaded with 64 of 2209.
Currently have the 100 gn Nosler BTs loaded with 74gn of Re25.
Once I've shot the loaded rounds off ill go back and have a play with different powder/weight combos.
Still have over 120 loaded rounds from when I had the vanguard!
The rain at Yass put paid to plans to shoot them all off.