I'm looking for some recipes for this cartridge. I have a basic sense of capabilities but I wanted to see what you all have developed.

I'm interested in the whole range of loads, from the lightest bullets driven fast to the heavy and slow. If anyone has a "soft" load that can shoot lots or rounds quickly without overheating the barrel, please share those as well.

Thanks

[ 07-30-2003, 07:11: Message edited by: Gonzo FreakPower ]

GFP,
All loads used Winchester cases and Remington primers. Bullets were seated as long as possible in the magazine and not touching the lands.

Try 48.0 grains( work up carefully in your gun and pay close attention to seating depth. It may take some experimenting to find the most accurate length) RL -19 with a 90 grain Barnes XBT. This load shot just over 1/2 inch in my custom .257 Roberts.
Velocity from its 26 inch barrel averaged 3222fps.

Also try 115 grain Nosler BT and 45 grains of RL 19. 1 inch groups. Velocity 2912 fps in 26 in. barrel

Another one is 100 grain Nosler BT with 43 grains of IMR 4350 (work up its a near max load). Velocity 3006 fps in a 26 inch barrel. 1/4 inch groups.

This rifle was also built on a long Rem. 700 action so a short action gun may behave very differently with a shorter seating depth.

Good Luck and Good Shooting,
HBB

[ 08-16-2003, 03:37: Message edited by: hillbillybear ]

GFP: For deer, I've always had good luck with IMR and H4831 with 117 or 120 gr bullets. In my rifles I have been able to easily get over 2900 fps without any pressure signs. Gets the ol' "Bob" pretty close to the 25/06! And I doubt that any deer could tell the difference between a 120 gr Nosler at 2950 fps and a 130gr 270 bullet at similar velocity. It's a great caliber....Jim

This load gave 2950fps out of a M77 Ruger with 22" barrel. I dumped a 4X4 mule deer in his tracks with this load.

1)R-P case
2)WLR primer
3)45.5 IMR 4350
4)100 grain Nosler B/T
5)COL: 2.78"

deer load--120 partations--45.0 gr imr 4350 = 2850 fps and will kill any deer that walks..

Mine likes the 115 Ballistic tips over 44 grains of H414. Winchester brass, Federal 210M's. Shoots under an inch. It's a new rifle so I haven't used it on game yet.

Bob257

The most accurate load not the fastest load in my rifle is 40.5 grs. IMR 4350 with a Nosler 115 BT. This load harvested a whitetail buck and a wild boar last fall. I have the same load ready to go again this fall. I tried some RE 19 over the spring but was not that accurate in my rifle. I did try some H4350 and it performed well but not as good as the IMR 4350. After this hunting season I plan to try the 115 gr. Partition and the 100 gr. Barnes 100 gr. XLC. I am trying to find an acuurate "do it all" load this side of elk.

C-ROY

Like to hijack this thread for a moment...
Anyone have a reduced load for .257Roberts using bluedot?

cgdavid:
I shoot a winchester XTR featherweight. I load a 75 gr Hornady V-MAX over 11.0 grains of bluedot for 1800fps as my primary low power load. I get 1700 fps with 10 grains of bluedot. I have gone as low as 5 gr with good ignition with standard primers. Accuracy is decent about 1 1/2" at 100 yds. I can hear the bullet hit the target at 100 yds. These loads are so low pressure that all I do is deprime and then reload. The neck doesn't expand any so neck tension is still plenty tight to hold the bullet for about 5-6 loadings. After they finally loosen up I resize with an old Lee Loader neck sizer. I figure these brass should last forever. I have loaded a 115 nosler BT with 14 gr of bluedot before the neck expands so much it needs to be resized. I have used bluedot in a 45-70,.300 weatherby,30-06,7mm rem mag and a 7x57 with good results. I have also had good luck with 2400 but it takes more to achieve similiar velocities. These low dose loads are great for off season practice and are alot of fun. For deer I use a speer 120 sp over 43gr of IMR 4350 for 2750fps with good performance.

bama7x57

Thanks! Just what I needed. Also interested in what you did with BD and the 45-70.

Figured I'd resurrect an old thread with some new data.

Charley Santoni of http://www.riflestockpainting.com sent some load data on the 257 Rob to me a few months back. With a little tweaking I settled on the following.

WW+p case
CCI 200
115 gr Nosler BT (seated 2.9" or about 17 thou off the lands)
42.9 gr IMR 4831
43.9 gr H4831sc

Either charge gives 2878 fps with 9-11 SD's and sub MOA or MOA 5-shot groups from my 24" #2 Krieger barrel.

Alan

PS. Interesting stuff about the Blue Dot and the 115 BT. MIght have to try it.

117 Sierra SPBT, WW cases, CCI or WW primers, 41.5 grains of IMR-4350. Very accurate in my rifle and does about 2800 fps in a 23" barrel.
In my gals Ruger Ultra Light 100 grain Sierra's and IMR-4064 in max doses are real accurate in her rifle (never clocked these loads).
The 117 grain load is deadly on Mule Deer and Antelope always exits and gets an immediate reaction!
As always these loads were safe in "MY" rifles please work up your own.

to of my best loads
ww brass, 42gr imr4350, 117gr sierra gk
ww brass, 40 gr rel15, 100gr nosler bt
rifle win model 70 xtr

if i do my part less than 1/2" both loads
3010 with the 100gr's
2780 with the 117's 22"barrel

I'd like to add my most recent load I settled on in my Pre 64 M70.



120 Partition
45 gr H4831
2910 fps, 7 SD from the 24" barrel
WW Super +P brass
CCI 200

Alan

Hey GSSP
Did you get that pretty rifle shooting tiny groups with that load?
Love that rifle!

Snellstrom,

No, but both the 115 BT and 120 PT loads are running MOA +/- 1/4 MOA.

But, I can get the B&C reticle to give me solid hits out to 400 yds on 10" steel with either bullet from field positions.

Alan

That will work.

Here are my two favorite loads for my Ruger M77MII in .257 Roberts
117 Gr. Sierra PH
Remington Brass
CCI 200 Primer
46.5 Gr. H4831 This load shoots 0.75 MOA and under. My whitetail and mulie go to load.

110 Gr. Accubond
Remington Brass
CCI 200 Primer
48.0 Gr. H4831 This is my most accurate combo. Shoots 0.50 and sometimes less MOA. Have not used it yet on any biggame.

All loads were developed using the OCW method.

44.0 H4350.
117 SGK.

3/4 MOA or better in my Remington M7MS.

Barnes 100gr.TSX Hodgdon 100v 50gr. Federal 210M 2.87 OAL 3250 fps. at 15 ft.- 32fps. average spread 10 shots .648 100yrds. Kimber 84

It takes about two hours to shoot a 10 shot string, with the Kimbers light barrel. Letting it cool between shots with a fan.

It will shoot the Hornady 100gr. #2540 to the same point, a good practice plinking bullet.

That H100V load is about 2grn over published max.

I'm shooting 115 Ballistic Tip 45.5 grn H100V, 2.881". I have a few more rounds to check before locking it in, but I'm very close.

Varmint Load for the Bob

75 Vmax and 47.5 gr. of Ramshot Big Game.