If you always wanted a 257 Roberts

[cmshoot]

Trust me, I'm weird in my own right.....I've learned to live with it..... 🤣 The 06 has more velocity, thus shoots flatter with better ballistics. And the ammo is more available

More velocity/flatter shooter/better ballistics isn't usually necessary.

If .25-06 has all those over the .257 Roberts, and is therefore "preferable", then one can say, "Why settle for the .25-06 when the .257 Weatherby Magnum or .25WSM shoots the same bullets, with much better velocity, is flatter shooting, and therefore has better ballistics."

I do most of my whitetail hunting with a .308, despite the fact that there are numerous .30 caliber cartridges with better velocity, that are flatter shooting, have better ballistics, and are readily available.

Then why shoot the .308? Because the .308 is "enough" for the chosen task. I don't need to jump up to .300WinMag, when .308 will do the job more than well.

I still hunt occasionally with a .30-30, and you don't get a lot slower in an available .30 caliber than that. I wouldn't even try to guesstimate the number of game that has been taken in America with the thutty-thutty.

I don't need the extra 200fps that .25-06 has over the .257 Roberts, when it will be used to shoot whitetail out to several hundred yards. All the .25-06 is gonna add to that scenario is recoil and noise.

There are definitely tasks where the .25-06 would be the better tool. If you don't want to handload, then .25-06 would definitely be a better choice.........but if I were basing MY criteria on availability of factory ammo, I wouldn't consider .25-06 at all.

I'll admit, I like to be different at times. When I looked at calibers for my dedicate elk bolt action rifle, I went with .280 Remington Ackley Improved, instead of 7mmRemMag, despite the 7Mag shooting the same bullets 100fps or so faster than the .280AI. I've taken 2 elk at 400yds with it so far, and I wouldn't have bagged them any cleaner with the "better" caliber.

 

[Whatchagot87]

My Roberts is an unfired since it left the factory Kimber Classic Select. Maybe one day I will take the time to get it scoped and use it?!

 

[basstracker89]

More velocity/flatter shooter/better ballistics isn't usually necessary.

If .25-06 has all those over the .257 Roberts, and is therefore "preferable", then one can say, "Why settle for the .25-06 when the .257 Weatherby Magnum or .25WSM shoots the same bullets, with much better velocity, is flatter shooting, and therefore has better ballistics."

I do most of my whitetail hunting with a .308, despite the fact that there are numerous .30 caliber cartridges with better velocity, that are flatter shooting, have better ballistics, and are readily available.

Then why shoot the .308? Because the .308 is "enough" for the chosen task. I don't need to jump up to .300WinMag, when .308 will do the job more than well.

I still hunt occasionally with a .30-30, and you don't get a lot slower in an available .30 caliber than that. I wouldn't even try to guesstimate the number of game that has been taken in America with the thutty-thutty.

I don't need the extra 200fps that .25-06 has over the .257 Roberts, when it will be used to shoot whitetail out to several hundred yards. All the .25-06 is gonna add to that scenario is recoil and noise.

There are definitely tasks where the .25-06 would be the better tool. If you don't want to handload, then .25-06 would definitely be a better choice.........but if I were basing MY criteria on availability of factory ammo, I wouldn't consider .25-06 at all.

I'll admit, I like to be different at times. When I looked at calibers for my dedicate elk bolt action rifle, I went with .280 Remington Ackley Improved, instead of 7mmRemMag, despite the 7Mag shooting the same bullets 100fps or so faster than the .280AI. I've taken 2 elk at 400yds with it so far, and I wouldn't have bagged them any cleaner with the "better" caliber.

I have a 257Wby. One shot one kill. Almost never takes another step. Scope zeroed 4" high 100. Shoot on the same duplex out to 580yds. No twisting knobs. Hits like a sledge hammer. If the Wby wasn't a choice, I'd pick the 25-06. Nothing wrong with the Roberts, I just think there's an advantage.
I've taken countless game with a 308. Like the cartridge with a short action. If there wasn't a 24-28 cal choice, I'd go with this for all around.
I use a 375H&H for brush hunting. Never have to pass on anything. Shoot through a tree, whatever, hit my mark every time. Instant blood trail with no meat loss. It'll take anything that walks this earth.
Everybody is different, mileage isn't always the same. It's a friendly discussion. I offered my two cents based on my experience. Take it for what it is or isn't

 

[cmshoot]

I have a 257Wby. One shot one kill. Almost never takes another step. Scope zeroed 4" high 100. Shoot on the same duplex out to 580yds. No twisting knobs. Hits like a sledge hammer. If the Wby wasn't a choice, I'd pick the 25-06. Nothing wrong with the Roberts, I just think there's an advantage.
I've taken countless game with a 308. Like the cartridge with a short action. If there wasn't a 24-28 cal choice, I'd go with this for all around.
I use a 375H&H for brush hunting. Never have to pass on anything. Shoot through a tree, whatever, hit my mark every time. Instant blood trail with no meat loss. It'll take anything that walks this earth.
Everybody is different, mileage isn't always the same. It's a friendly discussion. I offered my two cents based on my experience. Take it for what it is or isn't

It's still a friendly discussion, from what I can tell.

Just pointing out that faster/flatter ain't always the point of a cartridge or rifle, nor should it always be the deciding factor.

Everything is a trade-off, and there are no free lunches. Going to a faster/flatter caliber with the same bore size will have less barrel life, more recoil, and require a longer barrel to get all the benefits of that cartridge. With all else being equal, the rifle with the longer barrel will also weigh more.

My little .257 Roberts has a 21" barrel, and barely weighs 7lbs with the scope mounted on it. It's set up for whitetail, and is more than enough rifle/caliber combo to take deer anywhere that I hunt them. A well set up .25-06 would have a longer barrel and be heavier. At the end of the day, I'd have a dead deer regardless of which rifle shooting which caliber that I used.
I don't subscribe to the thought that a caliber is "overkill", so I'm definitely not knocking .25-06, or any caliber, as being "too much". If that's the caliber that a fellow likes to use, then good for him. I've never seriously knocked on anyone in a deer/elk camp for their choice of caliber.

I just don't agree with knocking on a caliber because another caliber shoots the same bullet flatter/faster/"better".

 

[CTS Tactical]

It's still a friendly discussion, from what I can tell.

Just pointing out that faster/flatter ain't always the point of a cartridge or rifle, nor should it always be the deciding factor.

Everything is a trade-off, and there are no free lunches. Going to a faster/flatter caliber with the same bore size will have less barrel life, more recoil, and require a longer barrel to get all the benefits of that cartridge. With all else being equal, the rifle with the longer barrel will also weigh more.

My little .257 Roberts has a 21" barrel, and barely weighs 7lbs with the scope mounted on it. It's set up for whitetail, and is more than enough rifle/caliber combo to take deer anywhere that I hunt them. A well set up .25-06 would have a longer barrel and be heavier. At the end of the day, I'd have a dead deer regardless of which rifle shooting which caliber that I used.
I don't subscribe to the thought that a caliber is "overkill", so I'm definitely not knocking .25-06, or any caliber, as being "too much". If that's the caliber that a fellow likes to use, then good for him. I've never seriously knocked on anyone in a deer/elk camp for their choice of caliber.

I just don't agree with knocking on a caliber because another caliber shoots the same bullet flatter/faster/"better".

Honestly, from what I can see you are talking more like 100FPS difference in the 25-06 vs 257 Roberts. Not enough to even worry about. The problem right now is there is basically no ammo available for the 257. I found 200 rounds of Rem Core Lokt 117gr for $469. That was pretty much it. No brass at all for reloading. No 6mm Rem brass to resize or 7x57 available either. Starting to rethink this whole idea.

 

[cmshoot]

Honestly, from what I can see you are talking more like 100FPS difference in the 25-06 vs 257 Roberts. Not enough to even worry about. The problem right now is there is basically no ammo available for the 257. I found 200 rounds of Rem Core Lokt 117gr for $469. That was pretty much it. No brass at all for reloading. No 6mm Rem brass to resize or 7x57 available either. Starting to rethink this whole idea.

Plenty of .257 Roberts brass available on Gunbroker........that's where I bought mine. There's ammo on there, too, but it is pricey.

.257 Roberts is a handloaders cartridge nowadays. Definitely an area where the .25-06 is the better choice.

Many high end custom ammo companies (Choice Ammo, Hendershot's, Wisconsin Cartridge Co, Double Tap, etc.) catalogue .257 Roberts, but I can't comment on availability.

.257 Roberts is a cartridge that folks buying those rifles already know what they are getting into, and they either have a source/supply of ammo, or plan on handloading it. I've owned a set of dies for .257 Roberts for years, long before I bought a rifle, because I knew I'd own one eventually.

 

[CTS Tactical]

I had every intention of hand loading until I couldn't find brass, then started looking for ammo and what little there is out there is pricey as you said. I will check gunbroker.

 

[TrueGrit]

Do you use a long action fast twist in the .257 Bob to take advantage of the heavy, high BC bullets? I shoot the 6mm Remington in a few rifles and have issues when going with heavies.

 

[basstracker89]

It's still a friendly discussion, from what I can tell.

Just pointing out that faster/flatter ain't always the point of a cartridge or rifle, nor should it always be the deciding factor.

Everything is a trade-off, and there are no free lunches. Going to a faster/flatter caliber with the same bore size will have less barrel life, more recoil, and require a longer barrel to get all the benefits of that cartridge. With all else being equal, the rifle with the longer barrel will also weigh more.

My little .257 Roberts has a 21" barrel, and barely weighs 7lbs with the scope mounted on it. It's set up for whitetail, and is more than enough rifle/caliber combo to take deer anywhere that I hunt them. A well set up .25-06 would have a longer barrel and be heavier. At the end of the day, I'd have a dead deer regardless of which rifle shooting which caliber that I used.
I don't subscribe to the thought that a caliber is "overkill", so I'm definitely not knocking .25-06, or any caliber, as being "too much". If that's the caliber that a fellow likes to use, then good for him. I've never seriously knocked on anyone in a deer/elk camp for their choice of caliber.

I just don't agree with knocking on a caliber because another caliber shoots the same bullet flatter/faster/"better".

OK. My mileage likes velocity= flatter shooting for more distance without doping and terminal performance. Remember Elmer Keith and, can't remember his name. Tried to look him up. Roberts was good back in the day. Nothing wrong with shooting a vintage cartridge

 

[cmshoot]

Do you use a long action fast twist in the .257 Bob to take advantage of the heavy, high BC bullets? I shoot the 6mm Remington in a few rifles and have issues when going with heavies.

Mine is a 1:10", which should do fine with the 115-117grn bullets I plan on using.