257 Weatherby Magnum

[Borngeechee]

Have any of you guys have experience with the 257 Weatherby? From what I'm reading and the videos I'm seeing, it's a hell of a cartridge with 100 grain bullet for deer and black bears. The trajectory is said to be laser like out to 500 yards.

Geechee born and Geechee bred

Edited April 9, 2016 by Borngeechee

[Lawdwaz]

Be all, end all deer killer............lightning bolt like death delivery..............I'll pass.

[ATbuckhunter]

I'm sure it'll kill deer with in 200 yards with no problem! Don't think its any better than an 06, 308, 270 or any of the other larger calibers at 99 percent of the shot distances here in NY, but  its defiantly a viable caliber.

[airedale]

For western open country it may be the best Deer-Antelope caliber there is, if I lived and hunted out west I would definitely have a rifle chambered for it.

 

Al

[Pygmy]

What Airedale said.....

[Borngeechee]

Thanks guys. I have the "I wanna buy a gun just because" itch and was looking at calibers I don't have. Saw the Weatherby accuguard and got curious but it sounds like way more distance than I'll need in NY. Hell I still think my 270 is more distance than I'll need in NY.

Geechee born and Geechee bred

[BizCT]

Always wanted one, but just can't justify buying one. I have 7MM weatherby mag that I use out west. My dad has the 270wby mag. If I lived in rifle country I'd probably get one for NY.

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Edited April 9, 2016 by Biz-R-OWorld

[Larry]

Save yourself some money and just get a 25-06. I have a friend that hunts with one and has killed every deer he has shot with it. You will save on ammo the ammo cost ½ as much and is easier to reload you don’t have to worry about the double radius shoulder or the belt.

[BizCT]

Unless your a range nut, I wouldn't worry about ammo prices. Once it's sighted in, only need a couple shots per year. Not many, if any, other options will shoot faster, flatter, and look prettier!

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[Larry]

you should hit the range at lease once month.

just to let you know 257 weatherby goes for between 45 and 84 dollars a box on midway. 25-06 ammo goes for 20 to 48 dollars a box. Weather the bullet is going 3000fps or 3400 fps they will both go though and any energy the bullet has after it goes though is wasted. Dead is dead you can’t make them deader.

[BizCT]

Let all the other threads, to each their own.

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[grampy]

When it's one of those "just gotta have it" guns. Just go get it! Cause nothing else will do. The only one who needs to be pleased is you!

[airedale]

 I don't believe folks that buy rifles firing the Weatherby cartridges are looking to be practical or save money. Like 600 horse power cars, 80 inch big screen TVs, a $30000,00 Harley Davidson motorcycle etc etc, it is all about having the baddest. If one has the desire and the ability to scrape up the cash I say treat yourself and have fun, you only live once.

 

Al

[Pygmy]

I heartily agree, AL....However, the "baddest" rifle/cartridge combo is often not the "goodest" choice for Joe Average Hunter.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Pygmy

[Mr VJP]

Of all the Weatherby cartridges, the .257 Weatherby Magnum was Roy Weatherby's favorite.  It was the best round he ever devised for deer sized game at very long range. It also produced acceptable recoil for the results.  It is one of the flattest shooting rounds you can buy and is a favorite out west.  Antelope hunters often say it's the best round to use for them.

 

It certainly has all of the disadvantages already listed in this thread, but for the specific task it was created to do, it had no equal in it's day and few equals exist to this day.

[ants]

I remember, not all that long ago talking to an old guy who hunted Montana Mule deer for years and years. He sang the praises of the 257 Weatherby Mag. and went on and on about how there was nothing better for long range deer hunting. He said he still had the rifle (I assume a Weatherby) and although he was too old to hunt, he would still never sell the rifle. My guess is that the round is an a$$ kicker.

[ants]

Save yourself some money and just get a 25-06. I have a friend that hunts with one and has killed every deer he has shot with it. You will save on ammo the ammo cost ½ as much and is easier to reload you don’t have to worry about the double radius shoulder or the belt.

The 25-06 is an awesome round. But the 257 WM is even flatter and faster. Ammo cost and availability aside, the Weatherby wins.

[Larry]

At 200yds the deer is not going to know the difference at 600 it might this date comes out of my sierra book: 25-06 117gr bullet max velocity is 3100fps with 2561 energy ft.lb, 257 weatherby 117gr bullet max velocity is 3200fps and 2729 energy ft. lb. so for twice the price for ammo you get 100ftps and less than 200 e.ft.lb. it's your money and I not going to be shooting your gun.

[airedale]

As a long time handloader I have ended up with a collection of an even dozen handloading manuals from most of the major component manufacturers. When researching a new load the first thing I will find is the huge discrepancies in the data from book to book. The reasons for this are many, slight variations in cases, chambers and barrel dimensions and barrel length.  Powder lots of the exact same powder can differ slightly just as bullet weights from different makers will give different results and in recent year liability. Loads from the same manufacturers have been toned down in recent years from what they once were. While it all adds up to a good starting point for loading a cartridge it can be far from being the last word on actual performance.

 

The 25-06 and the 257 Weatherby are both great hunting cartridges, I in fact owned a custom 25-06 I built up myself and loved it. But in all honesty between the two the 257 Weatherby has the edge in performance and it is fairly substantial. There is a sizable difference in case capacity and with suitable powders a 250 to near 300 fps difference can be obtained by a handloader who knows what they are doing.

 

While the cost of factory ammo is in favor of the 25-06 handloading cuts that dramatically. 

 

Al

 

Edited April 10, 2016 by airedale

[MACHINIST]

My brother in law has a nice Weatherby in 257 for sale.Bunch off goes with it if you are interested let me know