quote:

257wby a little too light for big deer

Like others above I have to laugh at this comment. A 130-grain .277" bullet at 3100 fps is considered by most any experienced hunter as plenty for any deer - O'Connor shot nearly a dozen moose with his and I've watched hunting partners pole-axe several moose with their .270s. Yet somehow, a 120-grain bullet at 3300 fps is inadequate for mule deer. Wow, the logic stuns me.....


I used a 120 Nosler Partition out of one of my .257s on a 45" Alaskan moose with good effect. I had not planned to shoot a moose with that load, but when the opportunity presented itself I took it. Would a .270 or 7mm Mag done a better job? Not under the circumstances. Ditto the three caribou taken. Mule deer? Pffttt.

Choose the cartridge that you feel the best about - all of those mentioned will do the job. Splitting hairs about a few inches difference in wind drift or drop just shows the armchair hunter's 'experience'. In the field the shooter makes the difference. Darn few are good enough to take advantage of minor "advantages" at truly long range anyway.


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I lean personaly to 264 Win Mag.
Flat shooting and hard hitting 140gr. bullet
The havier bullet will make it easier if you plan to take bigger animals like mountains goats, bezoar goats or mouflons etc.

Thanks again for all the help. Gald to see somebody revived the post. I was not in a real big hurry to buy, and was just tapping all of the knowledge of you members. I do still feel good about a 257 for filling a small void in my personal gun choices. I am still leaning toward a Ultralight too. My 300RUM is so darn heavy that with a caliber like a 257WBY I think it would be nice to have it nice and light for carrying. All other suggestions and posts are also appreciated. I like getting a lot of info/opinions. As far as it being able to shoot Coyote and have minimal pelt damage (with any bullet) I don't think it will work. I will probablly have to start a post in the small calibers for that and keep the guns seperate. Maybe a 204, 223, or 22-250 for coyotes, fox, ect.

Yeah, I noticed this post had been resurrected, in the meantime I actually purchased a .257 Roy myself, now waiting on dies and brass and new scope!

quote:

Originally posted by lengleng:
Thanks again for all the help. Gald to see somebody revived the post. I was not in a real big hurry to buy, and was just tapping all of the knowledge of you members. I do still feel good about a 257 for filling a small void in my personal gun choices. I am still leaning toward a Ultralight too. My 300RUM is so darn heavy that with a caliber like a 257WBY I think it would be nice to have it nice and light for carrying. All other suggestions and posts are also appreciated. I like getting a lot of info/opinions. As far as it being able to shoot Coyote and have minimal pelt damage (with any bullet) I don't think it will work. I will probablly have to start a post in the small calibers for that and keep the guns seperate. Maybe a 204, 223, or 22-250 for coyotes, fox, ect.

Your problem is you NEED another rifle.You could load your 300UM with 150 or 165 grain bullets and have a SLIGHTLY heavier rifle that will do what the 257 weatherby does.But I understand the need for a new rifle.If you want to shoot yotes also I would go with the 25-06.

I wouldn't hesitate to get the ultralite.
I love the mark V action with its short bolt throw and it's the smoothest action i've used. Mine shoots inch groups or less with 110 accubonds, 100 and 120 partitions, 100 and 115 Btip, 115tsx, and 117 Sierra with fast hunting loads. At least one of those will do under half an inch. The one bullet it won't shoot is bergers. In 3 hunting seasons it has killed 9 deer, 1 elk, 2 bear, 3 antelope, and a couple coyotes and almost all dropped in there tracks.

quote:

Originally posted by buffybr:
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.

+1 And that Zeiss scope is sweet too!

My personal choice for launching 120gr deer bullets at high speed doesn't include ANY 25 or 26 caliber cartridge

I bought my 7mmMag to launch 120gr TSX's at >3500fps

wanna reach out and touch a deer across that cornfield or beanfield?

a 7mmMag is not going to have the same issues with expensive brass or as rapidly develop throat errosion that is typical of high speed skinny throat cartridges such as the 257wby
or 264Win

My 7mmMag can truthfully be described as a replacement either for my 25-06 or my 264Win
depending on the exact conversation I'm having at the time.

Now if nosler would come out with a 120gr partition (OR accubond) I'd be a happy man (and a 120gr 7mm bullet would be the cat's ass for most people who own 7mm-08)

I haven't caught up to any 120gr TTSX bullets yet, but...

AD

What Allan says makes sense but if you want something super lite that does not kick the peediddle out of you, go with the .257 Roberts in + P loadings. If you really get to know your rifle a 400 yd. shot with a good steady rest is doable. Not advisable, but doable. roger

Between my sons and I we have 9 rifles and besides a .223 a .204 and a 22-250, my youngest sons 270 WSM is the most accurate rifle we have. It's a Browning composite stalker with a BOSS. The only thing about it is that with the BOSS it has a shorter barrel and chrographs at around 3000 fps with a 130 gr. ballistic tip. All that being said it is a real tack driver. PaLuke

I really like the .257 Wby for deer and antelope. With the 100 TSX it will not tear up hide on yotes too bad either if you run across one.