This summer I plan to gain my first .257 Weatherby. I will either buy one or make one out of a Savage rifle. I won't be able to afford a Weatherby Mark 5. It might be a Vanguard or a Remington 700 if bought new. I really don't trust the Remington from the factory and know I will have to work on it to make it right. But the 700's do look good. The Vanguards shoot well and the sub-moa vanguards have to shoot well or you get a new one. Does anyone know how well these .257 Weatherby's run with a 24 inch barrel? Do I really need a 26 inch barrel to beat the 25-06. If so, I will try to find a Savage 112 in 25-06 and send it to Oklahoma for chambering. Unfortunately, they aren't in the Savage catalog this year. Only short action 12's. If a 24 inch barrel still beats the 25-06 by 200 fps or more, I will buy a Vanguard sub-moa and use it wherever I go for my lifetime. With the Barnes bullets, I believe this would be a match for ANYTHING less potent than the killer bears or killer African game. I really need to hear from those who have experience on this subject.

Small amount with one old Weatherby (before they made their own actions)...I'd get the 26" barrel. Shucks, if I were goint the .257 route today, I'd re-barrel or re-chamber a Ruger #1 and go with 28".

Are fast barrels and slow ones, so can expect some variatoon even between barrels of the same length, but so far, 24" .257's aren't enough ahead of 24" 25-06's for me to pout up with the extra cost of brass or the extra powder burned.

See a lot of comparisons that are misleading...not really fair to comapre one with carefully worked up handloads to another with any-ol-load you pull from a manual. To get any real major advantage, would need to use as slow a powder as gives full pressure and as long a barrel as you can stand.

I've got a Vanguard but haven't chronographed it. It makes a rather impressive exit hole on a deer.... :eek:

I agree with ribbonstone that a 28" barrel in a Ruger #1 would be good. I wasn't aware that there are fast barrels and slow barrels. After I switched to 100gr factory spire point ammunition I chronographed my .257 Weatherby Accumark with a 26" barrel and found I was getting about 200 to 250 fps more than the advertised velocity. I've been unable to locate a reloading recipe that even approaches the advertised velocities for factory ammunition, so even though I have dies and components for it I haven't tried reloading for it. Haven't even shot it for over 5 years - the last deer I shot with it was across a surveyed field at a measured 400 yards with no holdover.

I really don't trust the Remington from the factory and know I will have to work on it to make it right.
Does anyone know how well these .257 Weatherby's run with a 24 inch barrel?

That's odd, I've owned several M700's over the years and aside from the triggers delivered these days, they have been the most accurate rifles I've ever purchased. I cannot say that for Winchesters or Rugers. The Vanguards I've handled seemed a bit rough by comparison to the others.

I've loaded for a couple of guys with .257 Weatherby's for many years, and have shot a couple of critters with them myself. One of my buddies uses his for everything from PA whitetails to CO elk, and does very well with it. I don't think you'll miss the extra two inches as the 24" rifles I've Chrony's had more than a 200fps edge over .25-06's I've played with.

Just for instance with a 100 grain bullet most manuals list the 257 about 150-200 fps faster than the 25-06. That's a pretty good gain in velocity. Just don't shoot deer at close range with it.

this is akin to the 30-06 compared to the 300 Win mag or comparing the 300 Win mag to the 300 Rem Ultra-mag. 200 fps velocity jumps allow the gun to shoot flatter at longer ranges given the same bullet.

All the guys talking about longer barrels are telling you the gospel. Longer barrels give slower burning powders more time to accelerate the bullet giving the best velocities from those big powder burning cases. When you go to a 24 inch tube on the 257 Weatherby it's doubtful you'll see that 200 fps velocity gain over a 24 inch 25-06 tube shot side by side. At least that's what I see when doing the chrono thing.

Thing is if you want one having a longer barrel doesn't cost any more or very little more if your putting one together and for a maximum cartridge why not get a barrel the optimizies the cartridge.

I have 257 wby rifles from 20 years
It is a great caliber and had hunted here in my country Uruguay as well as in Argentina Red Stags in Los Andes Mountains. There is an excelent long range caliber and you can noted those 200-250 fps more than the 25-06 when you had to shoot at 250 -300 yards .

my rifles are all with 24 inches barrels . I don't want to carry long "fishing rods rifles " all day long , walking on mountains.
With factory ammo they gave me 3550 fps with 100 gs and 3340 with 120 gs , what is almost what factory ammo claimed ,

JSR76 Dont doubt in getting one of this excelent rifles

Thanks everyone who has responded. I appreciate it and feel free to keep on chatting, if there is anything else to be said.

Jsr-76, I don't believe that that 257-Weatherby is all that great over a 25-06, not in my opinion. I had two friends of mine who bought them 20 years or more ago and shooting my handloads verses theirs, I came out on top everytime out the gate. Now was it my handloads or my shooting ability over theirs? I don't really know, I do know that they shot my rifle and came away with better MOA groups.

They are very destructive on deer under 150 yards, that much I saw with my own eyes OK. I use a 26 inch barrel on my 25-05 and hunt with a 120 grain Nosler bullet as well. If you handload, you will burn about 20% more powder to get that 150fps velocity over the 25-06. Also you will receive more recoil to your shoulder, this will effect one's long range accuracy for sure.....Just things to think about OK.

If you are dead set on getting a 257 Weatherby, by all means do get the longer barrel, you will lose close to 80fps if you don't, why take away from the calibers velocity ability. If you want a woods rifle, don't get a 25-06 or a 257 Weatherby......go the route of a 35-Whelen or 45 caliber.

All of my magnum rifles and most varmint/predator rifles do indeed have at least 26 inch barrels on them. Now how much do you think a piece of rifle barrel weighs in 2 inch lengths? I seriously doubt, that it will keep anyone from carrying their rifle all day long in the field. Those that think or believe it will, best get themselfs a course from the Mighty Atlas or Jack LaLane!!!:(

want an economical gun get a savage short mag then get a 256-300 wsm barrel and have a gunsmith swap barrels or buy the tools and do it yourself reloaders nest shows it at about 3800 fps + that is my next project after I get my 25 stw finished Just a thought if you like the savage I love them cheap and accurate good luck fred

sorry 25-3oo wsm

I have read an article on the 25-wsm wildcat. Performs just like the Weatherby. I currently own a Remington 7600 in 30-06, Marlin 336 in 30-30, and the Savage 112 in 25-06. My bases really are all covered. However, I like my toys too. I am planning to purchase something around the 4th of July, hopefully. I can hit things pretty far off, but if the .257 Weatherby doesn't give me noticeably more hitting power out far, I won't waste my money on it. Then it would probably be a Savage 12 F-class in the 6.5-284, or the .308 Winchester. Maybe a Savage 12 in .270 WSM. Maybe..............? See my predicament.

I have a 257 weatherby and love it. It actually was Roy Weatherby's favorite caliber and is available as a sporter mark V for about 1100 dollars. The loadbook series on all the weatherbeys give good loads for the 257 weatherby. As to the difference between the 257weatherby and the 25-06 including Ackley's Improved (25-06AI) is interesting. IMO, the case size of the 257 weatherby is about as big as a 25 caliber can handle. You could go off the deep end and come up with a 25-300weatherby but we do not have the powders to handle such a cartridge very well. Just one man's opinion.

bob chronister
bobnt@mindspring.com

I have a 257 weatherby and love it. It actually was Roy Weatherby's favorite caliber and is available as a sporter mark V for about 1100 dollars. The loadbook series on all the weatherbeys give good loads for the 257 weatherby. As to the difference between the 257weatherby and the 25-06 including Ackley's Improved (25-06AI) is interesting. IMO, the case size of the 257 weatherby is about as big as a 25 caliber can handle. You could go off the deep end and come up with a 25-300weatherby but we do not have the powders to handle such a cartridge very well. Just one man's opinion.

bob chronister
bobnt@mindspring.com
I agree, we've reached our limit for volume at said pressure. Any more power must come from more lead and thus heavier bullets or more diameter and heavier bullets. Thank you for you're contribution.

I am planning on getting the Remington 700 CDL in .257 Weatherby. I was thinking of going the .25-300WSM route but read that they were not achieving .257 Weatherby Magnum velocities. Plus it was going to end up being quite a bit more expensive after it was all said and done. One barrel manufacturer wouldn't even consider it on a stainless barrel because of some problem. (Sorry I can't remember what that problem was.)

hey myt bird I am from great falls too I put together a 257 stw out of savage parts and shilen barrel in my previous post I said 25 -300wsm when it should have been 300 wm for that velocity have only shot my stw on a pretty windy day at the ulm trap club range but I think I will have a pretty good shooter if I can find a calm day .If you decide to go the savage route I would be happy to get together and let you come over and use my setup for barrel vise and wrench if you don't have one good luck fred

As a side note to the velocity differences between the 24 and 26" barrels, I read an article in shooting times that compared the vanguard to a 26" Mark V, and the results were quite impressive. Most bullet weights shot in the 24" tube were only around 40 to 50 fps slower than the 26", and with the 86 grain factory bullets, they were actually faster in the 24" tube. Just go to shooting times, click on the ammuntion tab, then look for the article on the 257 weatherby. You will find the chrono results on page 6.

You also said that you couldn't afford the Mark V, but yet you wanted a new CDL, I would say that the CDL is going to be right up there in price, I'm guessing 7 to 8 hundred dollars. You can get a Mark V with synthetic stock brand new for around 900-1000 bucks. I don't blame you at all though for looking into the new CDL's, they sure look sweet!

I doubt I'll go that way PPHREED, but I sincerely appreciate the offer. I wonder why a .300 WM necked down to .25 would have so much better velocity than the .300 WSM necked down to .25 when the .300 WM and .300 WSM perform so similarily. p.s. I was looking at the shilen barrel as well...seemed pretty pricey though.

Don't understand that velocity differenc eithe rbut if you look on reloaders nest the have loads posted for both some with velocity listed. There are other barrel makers that do savage full chambered mbarrels cheaper adams and bennet for one and there is another one I can"t think of right now good luck with whatever you do Fred

I own a 257 weatherby mark V ultralight and love it. Last fall I tore the chest out of an antelope at 325 yds using 100 gr. Barnes TSX bullets. The 257 Weatherby is an excellent caliber.



This summer I plan to gain my first .257 Weatherby. I will either buy one or make one out of a Savage rifle. I won't be able to afford a Weatherby Mark 5. It might be a Vanguard or a Remington 700 if bought new. I really don't trust the Remington from the factory and know I will have to work on it to make it right. But the 700's do look good. The Vanguards shoot well and the sub-moa vanguards have to shoot well or you get a new one. Does anyone know how well these .257 Weatherby's run with a 24 inch barrel? Do I really need a 26 inch barrel to beat the 25-06. If so, I will try to find a Savage 112 in 25-06 and send it to Oklahoma for chambering. Unfortunately, they aren't in the Savage catalog this year. Only short action 12's. If a 24 inch barrel still beats the 25-06 by 200 fps or more, I will buy a Vanguard sub-moa and use it wherever I go for my lifetime. With the Barnes bullets, I believe this would be a match for ANYTHING less potent than the killer bears or killer African game. I really need to hear from those who have experience on this subject.