December $487 prefit group buy, several barrels are a go

[cal30_sniper]

I would like to but I already started the 25CM and 22 GT barrel buys. Now I'm barrel broke!

Jay

I'll buy and flip your 25CM barrel if you'll grab a 257 Bob AI barrel, haha.

 

[The Guide]

I'll buy and flip your 25CM barrel if you'll grab a 257 Bob AI barrel, haha.

I had to buy two of the 22 GT barrels to make the deal work or I'd get one of the 257 Roberts Improved barrels. I already have brass, dies, ammo, and bullets for the 257 Roberts Improved for my other rifle. $1500 in barrels that I won't see until spring is enough for now. If you buy 2 of them, I'll buy one from you when they get delivered.

Jay

 

[cal30_sniper]

I had to buy two of the 22 GT barrels to make the deal work or I'd get one of the 257 Roberts Improved barrels. I already have brass, dies, ammo, and bullets for the 257 Roberts Improved for my other rifle. $1500 in barrels that I won't see until spring is enough for now. If you buy 2 of them, I'll buy one from you when they get delivered.

Jay

Jay, I’m good for doing two 257 Barrels if it’s needed to get over the line.

 

[TimberHunter]

Jay, I’m good for doing two 257 Barrels if it’s needed to get over the line.

I’m intrigued by older cartridges… why would you want the 257 Robert’s over any other more main stream 25 cal or 6mm options?


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[cal30_sniper]

I’m intrigued by older cartridges… why would you want the 257 Robert’s over any other more main stream 25 cal or 6mm options?


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I'm going to approach an answer to this cautiously, as my main attraction is an affinity for x57 Mauser cases as I think they are historically significant, exceptionally efficient, and only unsuccessful due to Remington's poor choices on short action magazine length for the 700 series. I have been shooting 7x57AI for about 15 years now, and I really just like the cartridge. For all the love that 7-08 and 280AI get, the 7x57AI splits the difference between these two excellent cartridges in their own right. The 257 bob does the same thing between 25 Creedmoor and 25-06, and the 257AI provides everything a standard 25-06 will (which is a great cartridge in its own right) in a shorter package that works better with high BC bullets in standard length mags. In an effort to avoid emotional pleas for a headstamp, I think the following technical details are what drive me towards the 257 Bob:

• It's an ideal length for a Tikka length magazine. 700 SA length Creedmoor and -08 based cartridges waste a lot of space in a Tikka action. -06 length cartridges are really too long for seating high-BC bullets at an optimal length in a Tikka mag. The x57 case is a near perfect compromise from a length perspective in a Tikka mag.
• It provides real ballistic advantage over a Creedmoor or -08 based case without having to go up to a short fat magnum that reduces magazine capacity and impacts feeding. To be clear, I know Tikkas feed 6.5 PRC cases just fine, but my experience with 6.5PRC and WSM-based cases is they're not as smooth as a 6.5x55 or 7x57 in a Tikka. And you get a +1 with the standard body case.
• Personally: I'm chasing the optimal setup for iron sight hunting. I was very pleased with my results in 6.5x55 with 130gr bullets this year, but the diopter setup I'm running benefits from getting closer to the shooter's eyeball, which makes recoil a real consideration from field shooting positions. I can achieve lighter recoil and higher velocity from a 100-115gr bullet in a 257 Bob AI without having to change bullet construction relative to the 130gr 6.5 offerings. The same rifle will shoot a 130gr class .257 bullet with MUCH higher BCs than the 130gr 6.5 offerings with a scope mounted on it to take advantage of the range.
• I have .257 AI dies, bullets, and a bunch of 7x57, 8x57, and 7x57 AI brass. I'm not equally equipped for cartridges like 25 Creedmoor or 25-06. I have a 25 Pronghorn which is overkill for iron sight use, and see the Bob as a stablemate for that unique hunting restriction (which appears to be spreading).
• I reload almost exclusively for my hunting rifles. It's part of the enjoyment of the hobby for me as a tinkerer. As such, factory ammo availability is of little concern to me.

Edit to add that I already shoot 22 Creed, 6mm Creed, 6-284, 6.5x55, 7x57, and 7x57AI. Clearly it's a want for me, not a need, but a fellow can do irrational and strange things that bring joy and still be an effective killer.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

And you get a +1 with the standard body case.

What did you mean by this statement? I couldn't follow

 

[cal30_sniper]

What did you mean by this statement? I couldn't follow

Typically an extra cartridge fits in the mag relative to a magnum case diameter. My experience with the -284 case diameter is it also usually gets shortchanged one round in mag capacity vs a Creedmoor, -08, x57, or 06 case, but that is magazine dependent.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Typically an extra cartridge fits in the mag relative to a magnum case diameter. My experience with the -284 case diameter is it also usually gets shortchanged one round in mag capacity vs a Creedmoor, -08, x57, or 06 case, but that is magazine dependent.

I wondered if that is what you meant. I don't have any issue fitting three 284 cases in a tikka L mag.

 

[cal30_sniper]

I wondered if that is what you meant. I don't have any issue fitting three 284 cases in a tikka L mag.

Yes, that's a good clarifying point. My Tikka mags fit 3 and 5 of the -284s just like the standard case diameter. On the 5-round mag, the 5th -284 is a pretty tight squeeze. That might cause some feeding and/or long term magazine issues with the plastic mags. My -284 is on a Rem 700 action, and some of those mags take 1 less -284.

For Tikka mags, the magnum diameter cases take one less.

 

[RockAndSage]

I'm going to approach an answer to this cautiously, as my main attraction is an affinity for x57 Mauser cases as I think they are historically significant, exceptionally efficient, and only unsuccessful due to Remington's poor choices on short action magazine length for the 700 series. I have been shooting 7x57AI for about 15 years now, and I really just like the cartridge. For all the love that 7-08 and 280AI get, the 7x57AI splits the difference between these two excellent cartridges in their own right. The 257 bob does the same thing between 25 Creedmoor and 25-06, and the 257AI provides everything a standard 25-06 will (which is a great cartridge in its own right) in a shorter package that works better with high BC bullets in standard length mags. In an effort to avoid emotional pleas for a headstamp, I think the following technical details are what drive me towards the 257 Bob:

• It's an ideal length for a Tikka length magazine. 700 SA length Creedmoor and -08 based cartridges waste a lot of space in a Tikka action. -06 length cartridges are really too long for seating high-BC bullets at an optimal length in a Tikka mag. The x57 case is a near perfect compromise from a length perspective in a Tikka mag.
• It provides real ballistic advantage over a Creedmoor or -08 based case without having to go up to a short fat magnum that reduces magazine capacity and impacts feeding. To be clear, I know Tikkas feed 6.5 PRC cases just fine, but my experience with 6.5PRC and WSM-based cases is they're not as smooth as a 6.5x55 or 7x57 in a Tikka. And you get a +1 with the standard body case.
• Personally: I'm chasing the optimal setup for iron sight hunting. I was very pleased with my results in 6.5x55 with 130gr bullets this year, but the diopter setup I'm running benefits from getting closer to the shooter's eyeball, which makes recoil a real consideration from field shooting positions. I can achieve lighter recoil and higher velocity from a 100-115gr bullet in a 257 Bob AI without having to change bullet construction relative to the 130gr 6.5 offerings. The same rifle will shoot a 130gr class .257 bullet with MUCH higher BCs than the 130gr 6.5 offerings with a scope mounted on it to take advantage of the range.
• I have .257 AI dies, bullets, and a bunch of 7x57, 8x57, and 7x57 AI brass. I'm not equally equipped for cartridges like 25 Creedmoor or 25-06. I have a 25 Pronghorn which is overkill for iron sight use, and see the Bob as a stablemate for that unique hunting restriction (which appears to be spreading).
• I reload almost exclusively for my hunting rifles. It's part of the enjoyment of the hobby for me as a tinkerer. As such, factory ammo availability is of little concern to me.

Edit to add that I already shoot 22 Creed, 6mm Creed, 6-284, 6.5x55, 7x57, and 7x57AI. Clearly it's a want for me, not a need, but a fellow can do irrational and strange things that bring joy and still be an effective killer.

This was pretty interesting, enjoyed reading it.

 

[TimberHunter]

I'm going to approach an answer to this cautiously, as my main attraction is an affinity for x57 Mauser cases as I think they are historically significant, exceptionally efficient, and only unsuccessful due to Remington's poor choices on short action magazine length for the 700 series. I have been shooting 7x57AI for about 15 years now, and I really just like the cartridge. For all the love that 7-08 and 280AI get, the 7x57AI splits the difference between these two excellent cartridges in their own right. The 257 bob does the same thing between 25 Creedmoor and 25-06, and the 257AI provides everything a standard 25-06 will (which is a great cartridge in its own right) in a shorter package that works better with high BC bullets in standard length mags. In an effort to avoid emotional pleas for a headstamp, I think the following technical details are what drive me towards the 257 Bob:

• It's an ideal length for a Tikka length magazine. 700 SA length Creedmoor and -08 based cartridges waste a lot of space in a Tikka action. -06 length cartridges are really too long for seating high-BC bullets at an optimal length in a Tikka mag. The x57 case is a near perfect compromise from a length perspective in a Tikka mag.
• It provides real ballistic advantage over a Creedmoor or -08 based case without having to go up to a short fat magnum that reduces magazine capacity and impacts feeding. To be clear, I know Tikkas feed 6.5 PRC cases just fine, but my experience with 6.5PRC and WSM-based cases is they're not as smooth as a 6.5x55 or 7x57 in a Tikka. And you get a +1 with the standard body case.
• Personally: I'm chasing the optimal setup for iron sight hunting. I was very pleased with my results in 6.5x55 with 130gr bullets this year, but the diopter setup I'm running benefits from getting closer to the shooter's eyeball, which makes recoil a real consideration from field shooting positions. I can achieve lighter recoil and higher velocity from a 100-115gr bullet in a 257 Bob AI without having to change bullet construction relative to the 130gr 6.5 offerings. The same rifle will shoot a 130gr class .257 bullet with MUCH higher BCs than the 130gr 6.5 offerings with a scope mounted on it to take advantage of the range.
• I have .257 AI dies, bullets, and a bunch of 7x57, 8x57, and 7x57 AI brass. I'm not equally equipped for cartridges like 25 Creedmoor or 25-06. I have a 25 Pronghorn which is overkill for iron sight use, and see the Bob as a stablemate for that unique hunting restriction (which appears to be spreading).
• I reload almost exclusively for my hunting rifles. It's part of the enjoyment of the hobby for me as a tinkerer. As such, factory ammo availability is of little concern to me.

Edit to add that I already shoot 22 Creed, 6mm Creed, 6-284, 6.5x55, 7x57, and 7x57AI. Clearly it's a want for me, not a need, but a fellow can do irrational and strange things that bring joy and still be an effective killer.

Appreciate the time you put into that info. Not sure I’m quite on board but have always had an interest in a cool cartridge like 25 pronghorn, 6WSM, 25-06, 6mm-06, etc in some nice wooden stock while I walk though the elk woods. But then I say why and I never end up pursuing it and that’s how I’m stuck with a 223 tikka and 6.5cm tikka lol

Edit: looking at some loading data, it is Ann interesting cartridge. OAL similar to a creedmoor, but the brass is much longer than a creedmoor. So the bullet must be seated deeper and as a result, take up case capacity. I’m assuming that’s where spec-ing the freebore and making it AI helps awake the cartridge?


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[The Guide]

Appreciate the time you put into that info. Not sure I’m quite on board but have always had an interest in a cool cartridge like 25 pronghorn, 6WSM, 25-06, 6mm-06, etc in some nice wooden stock while I walk though the elk woods. But then I say why and I never end up pursuing it and that’s how I’m stuck with a 223 tikka and 6.5cm tikka lol

Edit: looking at some loading data, it is Ann interesting cartridge. OAL similar to a creedmoor, but the brass is much longer than a creedmoor. So the bullet must be seated deeper and as a result, take up case capacity. I’m assuming that’s where spec-ing the freebore and making it AI helps awake the cartridge?


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Until recently we didn't have these fancy heavy bullets so the little 85 to 117 grain offerings were actually set about perfectly in the throat when the cartridge was designed. Now with the advent of the long heavy for caliber bullets, you have to respec the throat geometry and get a little more freebore. My 257AI spits a 85 NBT @ around 3300 fps. It is a hoot to shoot. My in laws have a lever action Browning in 257 Roberts that loves the 110 and 117 offerings.

Jay

 

[Gila]

No way on God’s Great Green Earth will I ever buy another pre-fit barrel! I had a gunsmith install a custom barrel and it shoots lights out. The two pre-fits by two different “well known” vendors suck swamp water! Both pre-fits were installed by a qualified gunsmith.

$500 sounds like a good deal but there is much more to the process than just removing and twisting on a new barrel. Maybe the face of the action needs to be squared up and/or lapped. Maybe you will have an issue with tolerance stacking between the action and the barrel. Barrel profiles and contours aren’t just for fitting into a stock. I know, you will hear that somebody who isn’t a gunsmith twisted on a dozen pre-fits and they all shoot bug holes. What made a believer out of me? One of the pre-fits could have blown up in my face and almost did. I had to tap on the bolt handle several times to extract the spent case. The chamber wasn’t finished. I could load ammo and close the bolt but the chamber has reamer marks.

I have not bought anything from UM (yet) nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I have listened to enough of Jake’s podcasts to know that UM understands how to make a Tikka shoot right. At the very least I would buy the barrel from them and have their gunsmiths install the barrels. But I will say that if you want to shoot a tikka action, that your best bet is probably to buy one of UM’s guns…If you do everything yourself you will have at least $2,700 into it to make it good and that is before optics. Just speaking from my experiences.

284 cases fit just fine in the T3 mags. The COAL on my heaviest 284 win loads is 3.07”….they feed just fine. For WSM cases and short action cartridges I have been using Mountain Tactical mags with good results.

 

[JDMBEND]

The L mag can load up to 3.340


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The L is the Tikka magnum magazine?

 

[Gila]

The L is the Tikka magnum magazine?

The long action mags are all of the same…my 270 mags are the same as the 300 win mag. Maximum SAAMI COAL spec is 3.34”. All long action ammo is 3.34”. The Tikka mags mic out at max COAL of 3.37”.

 

[TimberHunter]

No way on God’s Great Green Earth will I ever buy another pre-fit barrel! I had a gunsmith install a custom barrel and it shoots lights out. The two pre-fits by two different “well known” vendors suck swamp water! Both pre-fits were installed by a qualified gunsmith.

$500 sounds like a good deal but there is much more to the process than just removing and twisting on a new barrel. Maybe the face of the action needs to be squared up and/or lapped. Maybe you will have an issue with tolerance stacking between the action and the barrel. Barrel profiles and contours aren’t just for fitting into a stock. I know, you will hear that somebody who isn’t a gunsmith twisted on a dozen pre-fits and they all shoot bug holes. What made a believer out of me? One of the pre-fits could have blown up in my face and almost did. I had to tap on the bolt handle several times to extract the spent case. The chamber wasn’t finished. I could load ammo and close the bolt but the chamber has reamer marks.

I have not bought anything from UM (yet) nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I have listened to enough of Jake’s podcasts to know that UM understands how to make a Tikka shoot right. At the very least I would buy the barrel from them and have their gunsmiths install the barrels. But I will say that if you want to shoot a tikka action, that your best bet is probably to buy one of UM’s guns…If you do everything yourself you will have at least $2,700 into it to make it good and that is before optics. Just speaking from my experiences.

284 cases fit just fine in the T3 mags. The COAL on my heaviest 284 win loads is 3.07”….they feed just fine. For WSM cases and short action cartridges I have been using Mountain Tactical mags with good results.

Wouldn’t have running a go/no go gauge shown you the issue before you fired it and got the bolt stuck?


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[RockAndSage]

No way on God’s Great Green Earth will I ever buy another pre-fit barrel! I had a gunsmith install a custom barrel and it shoots lights out. The two pre-fits by two different “well known” vendors suck swamp water! Both pre-fits were installed by a qualified gunsmith.

$500 sounds like a good deal but there is much more to the process than just removing and twisting on a new barrel. Maybe the face of the action needs to be squared up and/or lapped. Maybe you will have an issue with tolerance stacking between the action and the barrel. Barrel profiles and contours aren’t just for fitting into a stock. I know, you will hear that somebody who isn’t a gunsmith twisted on a dozen pre-fits and they all shoot bug holes. What made a believer out of me? One of the pre-fits could have blown up in my face and almost did. I had to tap on the bolt handle several times to extract the spent case. The chamber wasn’t finished. I could load ammo and close the bolt but the chamber has reamer marks.

I have not bought anything from UM (yet) nor am I affiliated with them in any way. I have listened to enough of Jake’s podcasts to know that UM understands how to make a Tikka shoot right. At the very least I would buy the barrel from them and have their gunsmiths install the barrels. But I will say that if you want to shoot a tikka action, that your best bet is probably to buy one of UM’s guns…If you do everything yourself you will have at least $2,700 into it to make it good and that is before optics. Just speaking from my experiences.

284 cases fit just fine in the T3 mags. The COAL on my heaviest 284 win loads is 3.07”….they feed just fine. For WSM cases and short action cartridges I have been using Mountain Tactical mags with good results.

Probably not the right thread to post this in...