257 Weatherby Magnum

[wk93]

Who has used one of these? I'm considering on buying one real soon. The only thing that is really holding me back at the moment is the cost of ammo for it? What did you like/dislike? Or would you rather have a different round. I just might make it my new deer rifle and maybe Antelope if I get the chance someday.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Buy it! It's a great deer gun. Ammo is very expensive. So start reloading.

 

[wk93]

We just got our reloading room set up. So I will eventually.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I have seen it drop elk at over 550 yards. Great round!

 

[Shrek]

I would never buy one. Expensive to buy , shoot , and poor bullet performace. Th bc's of the .25 cal. ispoor. If you go to the new heavy gr bullets that are coming out you will need a new barrel to stablize them. It is an old , out dated belted long case that is very inefficent. A new 7mm wsm , 7mmsaum or a 280AI would serve you much better. A range of bullets from 130gr to 175gr that all have better bc's and cover everything from lopes to moose well. The 7mm offerings cover north american game very well. The new short magnums are really the best for whay we do. Lighter short actions with modest recoil. The weatherbys are phallic symbols for people who are compensating for something imo.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Dave, have you ever owned one?

 

[idig4au]

The weatherbys are phallic symbols for people who are compensating for something imo.

Whatever you have been smokin, you should pass it along to everyone on the board!

WK93, don't believe everything you read on the internet. There are lots of "subject matter experts" out there. The 257wby is a great little round, shoots like a dream, and is flat shooting. Perfect deer and speed goat gun. I have serveral of them and I don't have to compensate for anything. I just love the Mark V action. Weatherby's have their following, myself included and that is because the shoot well for the most part. They are expensive to shoot, but with reloading, its not too bad. Buy it and don't look back, you will not be disappointed.

 

[Shrek]

No and I won't in the future. I did load for a friend who had one but he got tired of the cost even with me building the ammo with hos components and sold it. It will kill a lot of game just fine but it's performance has been passed by with new powders , bullets and case design. Would you buu an old school 4lb one man tent ? How about passing by that new kifaru T1 for a ww II army surplus pack ? We have a bunch of legacy cartridge designs hanging around because most people never take the time to learn about ballistics , powders , catridge design and how they work together. If they made 1950 ford pickup trucks right along with new F150's and the old truck design cost more to buy would you biy one to drive your kids to school in or pack for your trip half way across the country for your once a year mule deer hunt. No , of course you wouldn't. So why would you buy a 1950's cartridge design that has been passed by?

 

[JG358]

The ones I played with shot great. Barrel life and case life leave something to be desired.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I see, it's just your opinion with no first hand knowledge!

 

[Shrek]

I was just looking at buying some cases and ckecked the price of 257 weathery brass. $36.12 for 20 pieces. For comparison the 7mm wsm I am ordering are $34.29 for 50 pieces. I think the weatherby rifles are very well made and are reasonably accurate for factory rifles. That said , you can get a semicustom rifle built on a remington 700 action with a true match grade barrel in the chambering of your choice for about the same money that will a much better rifle. An old ruk , pup tent and 1950's trucks have got plenty of folks there and same is true of a new weatberby. But there are much better ways to get the job done.

 

[Shrek]

I see, it's just your opinion with no first hand knowledge!

I have plenty of first hand knowlege. I did load developement ( shot it a bunch ) and loaded for it for about 5 years. Beautiful rifle that was pretty accurate. But it ate powder like it was free , poor bullets available and brass was super high even back in the day. You need a mile long barrel to get the performance out of the round. It is just not even close to being a great rifle to hike miles into the mountains and hunt with. But it sure is pretty in the gun cabinet.

 

[idig4au]

So I guess I should get rid of my .270, 30-06 and .300 win mags because they are outdated and have been surpassed with modern technology. These cartridges are no longer suitable for modern day hunting? Is that what you are saying?

Classic cartridges still get the job done just fine, thank you very much.

 

[Shrek]

So I guess I should get rid of my .270, 30-06 and .300 win mags because they are outdated and have been surpassed with modern technology. These cartridges are no longer suitable for modern day hunting? Is that what you are saying?

Classic cartridges still get the job done just fine, thank you very much.

I wouldn't get rid of them... well yes I would...but just because I'm a gun trading addict. I wouldn't buy any of those new but they are all better cartridges than the weatherby in my opinion.

 

[belly-deep]

I don't see how the Weatherby designs are "outdated" in any regard. And while the short magnums are good, I don't think their existence automatically sends all older cartridge designs into obsolescence. They are more efficient...and that is about all they offer.

To this day, there is not a factory 25 cal. round that matches the .257 Weatherby, and that is a fact.

I think you've been drinking too much Remchester marketing kool-aide

 

[Shrek]

Belly-deep , there is no question the weatherby will smoke'em out the barrel. But the barrel is going to need to be a long barrel. And the poor bc bullet is going to be shedding that speed fast. I can deliver much more down range with a modern 6.5 or 7mm with much less rifle weight at much less cost and much more compact. If I am buying a new rifle why would I by a new weatherby? It would make a good southern bean field shooting house deer rifle. You get dropped off at the stand and the farthest you would carry it is a few feet from the truck to the stand and up the ladder. If you can afford the hunting club you wouldn't notice the ammo cost.

 

[Shrek]

Boy , I sure hope Robby gets a deer ! Missing two deer has got to be eating him up inside. Best cure for that would be a dead deer. And I hope wk93 loves whatever rifle he buys

 

[idig4au]

Please tell me how the 300 win mag is a better caliber ballistically than a 300 wby mag? Also compare the 270 to the 270 wby. Like them or not, the Weatherby calibers are pretty darn good ballistically. As Deep Belly said above, the 257 wby is a smoker, and there are no two ways about it. I don't see where your argument is coming from

 

[Shrek]

Please tell me how the 300 win mag is a better caliber ballistically than a 300 wby mag? Also compare the 270 to the 270 wby. Like them or not, the Weatherby calibers are pretty darn good ballistically. As Deep Belly said above, the 257 wby is a smoker, and there are no two ways about it. I don't see where your argument is coming from

To start with the .25 cal. and the .277cal bullet families have relatively poor ballistic coeffients so you loose velocity and retained energy faster than the 6.5 and 7mm bullet. Then there is cost. The weatherbu rifles cost more to buy and shoot. Then there is rifle choice. If you want weatherby then mostly you have to biy a weatherby rifle. Then there is availabilty of ammo. If I leave my 270 , 30 06 , 300 win mag at home just adout anybody who sells ammo can help me out. Also , in the calibers where weatherbys are smoking high bc bullets down range most people can't shoot well enough to take advantage and with the cost to shoot they can't afford to shoot enough to get good at long range shooting.

 

[johnson taxidermy]

The 270 WSM comes close as does the 25-06 to speed and drop. I shoot a 300 WBY I HAve shot most of there chamberings and I myself would like a 257. While it is expensive to shoot, I can always find ammunition when the others are sold out. If you are looking for great hunting rifle, it is a great round (2000 round avg. barrel life) If you want a hotrod cheap round. 270 WSM OR 25-06. Hot and fast and accurate? Hand load and get into a .22 cheata.(243 necked to a .22 fire formed case).