Guys,

Looking for some ideas on a 257 Roberts, have 85 and 100gn Noslers, Sierra and Hornady 87 & 100 and Hornady 75gn Vmax's and Barnes 115's.....to start (okay I have a 25/06 as well)

Anyone got a favourite load or two to start me off.
Rifle is a dandy, Commercial FN mauser, custom english classic stock etc, putting a Leup 4.5x14 on it.

Ozhunter

I like the Hodgdon powders my self. I have had good luck with 42.5 gr H4350 & 100 gr Nosler BTs. Federal Match Primers exclusively The H4350 supposedly works better with an 87 gr bullet. I am looking forward to trying some RL-19 & RL-22 after hunting season. H4831SC is supposed to work better for the 100 gr & 117 gr bullets. I am shooting mine out of an Encore. Good luck finding more info. It's not a very popular cartridge for these folks so there won't be many replies. Let me know how it goes. I would love to hear from another 257 Roberts admirer. Slim

Thanks Slim.

Here in australia we get some Hogdon powders, and in reality most of them, as most are made now by ADI here in shipped to the USA anyway.

What do you think of Varget in it with the 75gn Vmax's?

Not sure how this thing will shoot, but the rifle is such a lovely piece I'd quite happily put it on ethe wall and look at it without shooting (almost).

I like the idea of the 57mm cases, I'm keen to try a 7x57 at some point as well.

Should be heaps of hit for game here, as I use to hunt primarily with a 25/06 sporter, so this should be very vey close.

Oz:

I always had good luck when I used to have a .257 with surplus 4831. I would recommend H4831 SC as the first choice to try. It should be good with bullets 87 through 120 grains. For 75's, something faster like 4350 or maybe even Varget would be more appropriate.

Pay little heed to loading manuals which used the old 46,000 CUP as a pressure limit for the Roberts. In your gun, it is equally capable of taking the same pressures as a 25/06 or 270, say about 53,000 CUP or 60-62, 000 PSI. Loads in this pressure range will give you 3200 FPS with a 100 grain bullet out of a 22" or longer barrel using 4831.

i use 46 gr imr 4350 with 100 gr bullets and get a little over 3000 fps.. 45gr with 120gr=2850 fps in a 24" bbl

Ditto Stonecreek,

A case full of H4831 is hard to beat. Accurate and very fast. I used a drop tube with my loads. I got in excess of 3200 with the 100 gr bullets. No bad for an obsolete cartridge!
On the sedate side 39 gr 4064 gave wonderfull accuracy with 100 gr speer hollow points.

Oz,

I have had good results with IMR 4064, and a second choice was IMR 3031. Can you get those in Qland?

A few from my Ackley book on the 257 r

87 grain bullet

45 grs h380 3360 fs

44 grs h380 3275 fs

42 grs h380 3195 fs

43 grs 4320 3310 fs

Many thanks all,

We can get very limited amounts of IMR powders. Most is old stock now, there hasn't been an importer of Dupont stuff for the last 7 odd years I think.

I have got some 3031 and I think I can lay my hands on 4064.