Hey guys looking for some opinions:
Might be in the market for a new gun. I am planning a trip to hunt antelope and mule deer this fall and thought this would give me an excuse to buy one. Currently I have a .17, 30-06, 300RUM, and a .416Rem. Between those 4 I think I would be covered for pretty much anything, but.... I am open to suggestions on another gun. I was thinking about a .257Wby or something similar in an Ultralight version. Right now I am planning on just taking my 300RUM with me, but it is a heavy gun. I need a Left Hand bolt and I know the .257's are available in LH. Thought this would be a pretty good long range gun, light, and good for antelope, but is it good or just OK for mule deer? Should I be looking into another caliber as well maybe a 270WSM, etc.?
Thanks...

I don't think you could do a whole lot better
Than a .257weatherby for hunting mule deer or antilope.
But The .270 WSM would be dandy too.
There are a ton of good rifles for the purpose.
The good ol .270 win or a 25,06.
But either the .257 weatherby or the 270 WSM take alot of the guess work out of hunting.
A 7mm Remington mag is another good choice. or since you say a light weight rifle. you might think of one of the new Kimbers in .257 Roberts.
A real light barrel with a .257 weatherby will heat up real quick.
With a roberts in a kimber you can practice alot and not have to worry about heating up your barrel to much.
For the type of hunting you are taliking about I really like .257 caliber rifles.
...tj3006

Must agree with MR. Jones. I shoot a 270 WSM and love it, great flat shooter with great knock down power. I think the 257 would be great as well the only thing I concidered the cost of ammo as I love to shoot my rifles all year round and availablity is a question at times. Anyway it's always great buying a new rifle what ever the excuse.

From what I understand, and the reason why I am strongly moving towards the .257 Roy, is that it is pure awesome for long range deer and antelope. Low recoil and laser-like trajectory with a lot of remaining energy, even out past 500 yards. Seems like the ideal round for "big sky" deer and antelope.

The 257 WBY is a great round for long distance deer and antelope, but the 25-06 will also do fine out to 500 yards if you want a cheaper, non-magnum alternative. Lou

quote:

The 257 WBY is a great round for long distance deer and antelope, but the 25-06 will also do fine out to 500 yards if you want a cheaper, non-magnum alternative. Lou

You will also find the .270 Winchester is also in the same league.

While the .257 Wby is impressive on paper the .270 Win, the .264 Mag, the .260 Rem, the 6.5 X 55, the 6.5-.284 will stand toe to toe with it in the field.

Vapodog, I agree with the 270 and 6.5s. Personally, I have used my 6.5x55 with 120 NBTs for antelope the past couple trips and never felt handicapped out to 400 yds. Lou

If $$$ is an issue, .25-05 or the .270 is your answer.

If $$$ is not an issue, get the .257 Wby.

Cost of shooting the .257 Weatherby, is not so much as some of these guys seem to think.
My Remington sps cost about 500.00 (I Think)
Brass is a little high but I have 40 on hand and I bet 100 total will last me a life time.
Also it can be fireformed from 7mm mag, if you want to scrimp.
You use more powder too, but so it does cost a bit mre but you don't need to spend the money on a MK5 Weatherby, The vanguards are dirt cheap and often out shoot the MK5s.
And after you buy the brass It is not that much more then any other round.
I get up around 3550 with 100 grain bullets in my Remington.
I could probably go a little faster if I needed to , but the darn theing shoots around a half inch to three quarters, so why bother.
Guys are right about the milder rounds , being almost as good, But The super flat trajectory of the .257 gives you a long point blank range.
But you still will need to practice to shoot game at 500 yards. That is along way to shoot.
I don't know if I would try it.
But Thats me.
...tj3006

Good thinking on the .270 wsm. The .257 bee is an excellent choice and I would throw in the .264 Winchester Magnum for consideration. I think it comes down to which rifle feels best to you.

The .257WBY is a good choice. I would take a .270WBY or a .264WinMag any day over it though. No experience with a .270WSM but I'm sure it's a good choice too.

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

The 257 WBY is a great round for long distance deer and antelope, but the 25-06 will also do fine out to 500 yards if you want a cheaper, non-magnum alternative. Lou

You will also find the .270 Winchester is also in the same league.

Plus it will give you an excuse to buy that new .270 Win Model 70 FWT just like vapo did. I've seen that rifle in .30-06 locally and love it just not the caliber I want it in as I'm holding out for a .270 Win as well.

264 Win Mag. Bullet choices from 85 - 160gr.

Lots of great info and suggestions! I plan on looking into each caliber more that was suggested. Though it might be a little more $$$, its not really an issue. I just want a good reliable gun that can tackle a 3-400 yard shot easily, not do too much damage to the animal, light enough to carry around all day, be able to find in left hand bolt, and offer something a little different than the other guns mentioned that I already have.
Thanks again and let the search continue!

lengleng ----- I have shot the .257 Wby extensively for several years now and consider it a super Deer or Antelope chambering. A 120 grain bullet at 3450 fps demands respect from anyone. The .270 WSM offers the same speeds with the smaller bullets, yet it also gives excellent speeds with up to a 160 grain bullet. I have been shooting the round since it came out and can shoot a 130 grain North Fork bullet at 3450 fps and a 150 grain bullet at 3260 fps, both with great accuracy. Both chamberings are fine rounds in anybodies book, the WSM just a little more versital IMO. Good shooting.

I should also add.... that I would like to use the gun for yotes if it's possible to not destroy the pelts with it. Would the 257 do a little less damage?

I have one of the 257 WBY. I think its a fine rifle for mule deer or antilope. Using the 120gr partition.

quote:

Originally posted by lengleng:
I should also add.... that I would like to use the gun for yotes if it's possible to not destroy the pelts with it. Would the 257 do a little less damage?

Depends on the bullet used and the distance at which the coyote is struck. With the same bullet at the same distance, the answer is pretty obvious. I will not pursue the subject of 500 yard shots on game animals.

I will say this, for hunters I don't believe the subject of .257 Wby barrel heating during hunting is of any consequence. And I would add that I don't see it of any particular importance during practice either. I suspect one need not practice rapid fire with their hunting rifle(s) until they are well past the skill level where they can dependably hit with their FIRST shot.

The .257 wby has no peers as an antelope round but,imo, is too lite for the big deer. I like the .264 mag for big deer, and yes the .257 wby is very hard on song dog pelts. Dr.C

quote:

Originally posted by lengleng:
I should also add.... that I would like to use the gun for yotes if it's possible to not destroy the pelts with it. Would the 257 do a little less damage?

If I was to pick a rifle to shoot fur bearing animals and wanted to salvage the fur, the .257 Weatherby just might be the last cartridge I'd pick.

The little .17 fireball might be a far better pick.

The left hand bolt is the critical part of the question. The WBY Ulralight is the way to go. The 257 is a perfect round for Western hunting, as it is in Australia.

And as one of the other guys said, you can form brass from 7mmMag.

And you can always rebarrel your WBY to 264WM

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
I will say this, for hunters I don't believe the subject of .257 Wby barrel heating during hunting is of any consequence. And I would add that I don't see it of any particular importance during practice either. I suspect one need not practice rapid fire with their hunting rifle(s) until they are well past the skill level where they can dependably hit with their FIRST shot.

I agree wholeheartedly. Barrel heating during hunting to me means either the hunter is a horrible shot (doubly so since the .257 Roy takes a lot of the guesswork out of long range hunting) or using the Weatherby for things it wasn't meant for, like varminting all day under a scorching sun.

That much powder and sheer velocity will heat up a barrel quickly, which is a big cause of wear and tear, causing people to "shoot out" barrels in short order. Letting the barrel cool a few minutes while shooting off a bench and running a wet patch/dry patch cycle after every few rounds will take care of that problem and the barrel should be fine for many, many rounds (I've never shot a barrel out yet using these techniques, including well over 2000 7mm Remington Magnum loads throwing 140's at 3400+).

I dont think the barrel heating will be an issue either. I do not plan on doing anything where I would be shooting more than a couple of rounds at a time, and on a bench- I usually let most of my guns cool between shots anyway.

I figured it would be hard on pelts, but I didnt know if there was a good non-expanding bullet that would let it pass through without much damage. I dont want to buy a cyote specific gun, around here we dont hunt them all day, only an occasional hunt. I have used 30-06 fmj and bronze tip bullets on fox/cyote and they worked well for not messing up pelts.

quote:

Originally posted by doccash:
The .257 wby has no peers as an antelope round but,imo, is too lite for the big deer. I like the .264 mag for big deer, and yes the .257 wby is very hard on song dog pelts. Dr.C

This was probablly my only concern as well. (257wby a little too light for big deer)

I would think the 257 WBY. would simply poll-ax any deer regardless of it's size.

For pelt hunting Barnes lists a 90 grain solid with a .325 bc that they list at over 3800 fps. That may kill a yote and not harm the pelt.

On a .257WBY would a Zeiss Conquest 3.5x10x44 be a good scope? I know personal preference has a lot to do with this question, but I happened to find a Left Hand Ultra light MK5 in 257Wby with a this scope mounted to it for sale and considering this set-up as 1 of my options.
I've never had a Zeiss and on my 300RUM have a Leupold VX-III 4.5x14x50 that I like, but I assume this Zeiss is a good scope?

quote:

257wby a little too light for big deer

quote:

Originally posted by Pegleg:
I would think the 257 WBY. would simply poll-ax any deer regardless of it's size.

+1

.257Roy+a decent monometal, will do what needs to be done.

There is not a deer walking I would even think twice about shooting with my .257 weatherby.
having said that it stands to reason you must allways use the right bullet !
If some guy wants to shoot a 85 grain balistic tip at 3700 FPS and hits a big mule deer on the shoulder joint, He is asking for trouble !
Switch to a 100 grain hornady flat base at 3550 or so, things get better.
Better yet with a barnes tripple shock or a nosler partition , and I have absolutly no question of the loads suitability for even a the biggest mule deer.
And if you step up to 115s or 120 caribu or black bear with complete confidence.
Lots of guys take them after elk, and if I did,nt have better rifles I would too.
The most ecperienced hunter I know is about 70 now and has been to africa alska new zeland and just about every where , and is quite happy with the .243 and a 100 grain balistic tip for the big northern bucks.
...tj3006

My opinion is based on my personal experience with the ctg. (by the way I love the .257 wby) you will be better served w/ a larger bore/bullet. Having said that Iwill tell you that many mule deer have been killed w/ a .22, but when the going gets tough I lke a bigger gun. again just my opinion Dr.C

I did'nt think of barrel heating as a problem when hunting, But But what it means to me, is long days at the range.
Not a big problem, but I will use an example of my Ruger ultra light in .257 Roberts.
I have a great load for it with a 100 grain TSX and 46 grains of H-414, and would love to duplicate the 3100+ speed with a less expensive bullet.
I think its doable, But the skinny barrel heats up so fast you simply can't do alot of experimenting , in one sitting.
My remington .257 wetherby shoots everything (almost) prety well , so its a smaller problem.
But If you need to work to find an acurate load for your rifle, barrels that require lots of time beetween shots complicate things.
Certainly not a problem when hunting.
...tj3006

I think the .257 Wby is a great gun. If you are looking for another good all around gun you might think about a 7mm-08. The velocity is not as great, but it can be used for many different variety of critter and have less effect on your arm at the end of the day. Plus they are pretty easy to pack around at less than 8 pounds.

quote:

Originally posted by lengleng:
I just want a good reliable gun that can tackle a 3-400 yard shot easily, not do too much damage to the animal,

While the numbers may look good on paper concerning trajectory, the .25 caliber bullets are not heavy enough to shoot at 400 yards and + especially in some wind which is not uncommon for mule deer or antelope territory.

Personally, I would sell the 30-06 and buy either a 7mm Rem. Magnum or 7mm Weatherby. Then I would develop a super accurate load using the TSX and practice shooting it out to 500 yards with a good ballistic reticle scope.

Your mule deer/antelope rifle should be your most accurate and longest range performer. A .25 caliber is too light for this job.

The .25 caliber bullets are excellent for closer ranges.

I just did a real quick run on my ballistics software and the .30-06 shooting a 150 grain bullet had more wind drift at 400 yds than the .257 Wby Mag shooting a 117 grain bullet. The trajectory of the .257 Wby Mag makes it by far the better gun for 400 to 500 yd shots at antelope and deer sized game.

What about the 270 Wby? Better for large deer, even elk. But very flat shooting and should be great for antelope.

This may be to late a reply to your original post but I would recommend the .257 Wby without hesitation for most Western hunting.

I've used my .257 AI with 117-120 gr bullets for over 30 yrs with excellent results. It's my favorite Antelope, Deer, and Sheep rifle. I've used it on dozens of Pronghorns, and both Mule and Whitetail deer, 5 Sheep, a Mountain Caribou, and my second largest 6-pt Elk. Most were one shot kills and even the Elk dropped in his tracks.

Someone earlier wrote the he thought the .257 was too light for big deer. I've shot several 4-pt Mulie bucks across canyons with one shot kills. I remember one 4-pt Mulie that dropped in his tracks at 288 yds.

I have a friend whose only hunting rifle is a .25-06. He's killed all of his Antelope, Mule deer and at least 6 (that I know of) elk with it.

A .257 Wby should give you an additional 2-300 fps over the .257 Ackley and the .25-06. I don't know if you've decided yet, but you won't go wrong with the .257 Wby.

i have two 25-06 rifles. one is a dedicated groundhog rifle, the other is for groundhogs and deer. the first one is kind of heavy. i migrated to the 100 grain hornady softpoint after fooling around a lot with both rifles. i use that same bullet and more or less the same charge for both rifles for both applications.

that bullet was designed for the 257 weatherby. i think it is the best cup and core bullet ever made. i load 257 weatherby for a friend but have never shot the rifle. he has a remington 700 and i just held the rifle long enough to figure out the throat. he let me know what loads shot best (117 hornady round nose, by the way)and has me load them up for him.

i have not shot a 257 weatherby at game or a target, but if they perform similarly to 25-06 velocities of around 3250-3325, i can't see going wrong with that round. that bullet hits deer like a 220 volt live wire out of my 25-06 and throws groundhogs all over the place.

good luck.

The 257 Weatherby is a great round.The problem I have with it is,reloading brass is expensive and probably the most expensive smaller magnums to shoot.I would personally consider looking at a 270WSM.It is not as overbored as the 257WM and it is very close to the 270 Weatherby magnum,which is also a great one.The 270 will give you a few more bullet weights to choose from too.

I dont shoot the 257 but i cant imagine it not knocking the snot out of any deer, regardless of size. Regarding Zeiss optics they are one of the best out there, even the lower end conquest line, in my opinion, better than Leupy's

Darkstar, there is something about the 257wm that kills way out of proportion to what it should. I shot a boar feral hog that was something over 200lbs a couple of days ago with one of my 257's and he went flat down without another movement. He was hit on the point of the shoulder with a 100gr. Speer flat base going fast.

The 257's kill real good.

j