.257 Roberts

[onlybrowning]

I posted on another forum, thinking there might not be much love for the .257 Roberts here, but a recent thread has me thinking there’s some interest in it, so here goes:

I am loading for a Browning A Bolt in .257 Roberts. I had some factory HSM 117 Bergers that would not shoot well at all. Bad enough that I changed the scope because I was convinced it couldn’t be that bad.

I’m hoping to find a load it likes and I’m looking for some insight. I’ve got some 100gr Speer Hot Cors and a pile of Nosler 115gr Ballistic Tips.

I’ve got Varget, H4350, H4831sc…

Load data is all over the place. My old Lyman book says Varget is best, but the interwebs says H4350. Hodgson’s website only lists h4831.

What gives?


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[Xxtavixx]

Its really more a pursuit to find what your rifle likes. Use what you have on hand and can get.

For me, Id use h4350 > h4831.

Also, I havent owned a 257 roberts but my buddy uses one. Awesome deer and hog gun.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I had fits trying to get my M77 Roberts to shoot acceptable groups for me. The 117 btsp and SST shot the best eventually. I couldn’t get the 100gr anything to work for unknown reasons. The 115 BT has had success with others in the Roberts. I ran H414 in mine but it was not an ideal powder.

If I were you I’d give h4350 and h4831 both a shot. The h4831 has been pretty good in a 243 project I’m working on but I think it would be better suited to a Roberts.

Yeah I’m a big fan of the Roberts. Mine is now an AI version and twisted for the heavies.

 

[ChrisA]

Might want to confirm that your barrel twist can stabilize the Berger 117 gr bullet.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

H4350 is THE powder for the 257 Roberts. Load data is all over the place, but H4350 and the 115 NBT and NPT play very well together, from pedestrian 40.5 grain loads all the way up to 44+ grains. Start where you feel safe, but if someone handed me a modern 257 Roberts and asked me to develop a load, I'd start at 42.5. Somewhere between there and max I suspect you'll be happy.

 

[Weldor]

Might want to confirm that your barrel twist can stabilize the Berger 117 gr bullet.

Yeap.

 

[onlybrowning]

I suspect (even hope) this very well may be an issue, now that you mention it. Thank you!

 

[TaperPin]

The 25 caliber rifles have a long deep history in the west prior to the 25-06 that has been mostly overlooked. The 25s sure pop up over and over and over with old timey experienced hunters since WW1. The 270 and magnum crazy took most of the wind out of the sails of the quarter bores, then the 25-06 sucked in the generations that like 25 cal since it was introduced. I’ll pick up a Roberts barrel one of these years when it falls in my lap. If someone renamed it the 25 Hornady and simply offered rifles with fast twist barrels, huge crowds of men would have wet dreams over it. Lol

 

[Clint Greasewood]

It's a great round that is underappreciated.

 

[wyosam]

It’s a great cartridge that is suffering from a lack of quality brass.


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[Swamp Fox]

You can have my .257 brass ... when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

 

[XR357]

My dad hunted for years with a Remington Mountain Rifle in 257 Roberts. His has always shot well with partitions and I’ve shot several animals with his. Another challenging thing about the caliber is the case really needs a medium length action to be at its best. Is your browning a short or long action?

His is a short action, but I believe Remington later made them on long actions. His always has to jump the bullet a country mile to the lands. He had good luck with H4350, IMR4350, and H380. John Barsness always had good load data in Handloader for the 257 Roberts.


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[wyosam]

My dad hunted for years with a Remington Mountain Rifle in 257 Roberts. His has always shot well with partitions and I’ve shot several animals with his. Another challenging thing about the caliber is the case really needs a medium length action to be at its best. Is your browning a short or long action?

His is a short action, but I believe Remington later made them on long actions. His always has to jump the bullet a country mile to the lands. He had good luck with H4350, IMR4350, and H380. John Barsness always had good load data in Handloader for the 257 Roberts.


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Mine is in a model 7, so very short action. Wouldn’t work well as a fast twist for the new heavies in that rifle for sure, but it’s a handy little package that works really well. I built mine, but Remington did offer that cartridge in the M7 as well.


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[XR357]

Mine is in a model 7, so very short action. Wouldn’t work well as a fast twist for the new heavies in that rifle for sure, but it’s a handy little package that works really well. I built mine, but Remington did offer that cartridge in the M7 as well.


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When the 25 Creedmoor started getting popular my dad was like man that’s what the 257 Roberts should have been. He shot his Roberts and I shot a 270 at the time, the deer and elk never acted any different regardless of who shot them with which.

A model 7 Roberts would be really fun, but your right OAL really suffers. His reloads always looks disproportionate with the bullets seated so deeply.


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[eLightfoot]

Everyone here needs to go bug @Peterson Cartridge Co to start making x57 brass. It’s a great family that has crap brass available. If you’ve got a Tikka, med, or long action they are great! 7x57mauser, 257 rob, 6mm rem, 22-6mm. They will beat the 308 family and the creed family of cartridges.