The Accurate Reloading Forums
.257 Weatherby - Looking to get a new one.
25 March 2008, 22:19
300winnie.257 Weatherby - Looking to get a new one.
Looking to purchase a new .257 Weatherby. I have narrowed it down to one of three rifles:
Weatherby Vanguard Stainless
Weatherby Vanguard Sub MOA Stainless
Remington LSS
Help me decide.
Thanks.
26 March 2008, 02:18
Moose-HunterGet the Vanguard stainless. Replace the factory trigger with a Timney and rock on.
p.s. and get a McMillan for it. Factory tubberware stocks suck.
26 March 2008, 06:16
Mighty JoeI bought a Vangard Stainless and when shooting factory ammo I was satisfied, but when I worked up loads, it shot under 1/2" at 200 yards. I am sold. My WBY Ultralight with an aftermarket barrel and some other work isn't that good, only 5/8" at 200.
Prayer, planning, preperation, perseverence, proper procedure, and positive attitude, positively prevents poor performance.
27 March 2008, 07:39
Slowpoke SlimI'm very happy with my standard vangaurd 257 wby. I replaced the P.O.S. factory trigger with a Timney and it's one hell of a shooter. It really likes the 115 BT's and RL22!
They're great guns once you get past the factory triggers.
Si tantum EGO eram dimidium ut bonus ut EGO memor
28 March 2008, 08:28
Thomas JonesI think they would all be fun, but the remington is the only one with a 26 inch tube.
I want a #1 Ruger with a 28 inch.
...tj3006
freedom1st
28 March 2008, 18:38
Red C.I have a .257 Wby Mag in the Vanguard with the standard barrel and it shoots great. After a trigger job, it shoots tighter groups (with my reloads) than any of my other rifles. (My Ruger .243 is a close second.) My .257 just loves the 100 grain Sierra GameKings.
Red C.
Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion.
29 March 2008, 23:42
Blair338/378Get the Sub Moa and ditch the factory trigger

Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!!
Blair.
30 March 2008, 04:20
GeedubyaI have the 257 weatherby in the Weatherby Mark V Accumark. IMHO the main reason to shoot a 257 weatherby, rather than a 250 savage, 257 roberts, 25-06 etc. is velocity. I believe that you'll get more velocity out of a 26" barrell than a 24 " barrell. The vanguard and sub-moa iterations have a 24" tube, which is a deal killer for me.
My go to load in the 257 accumark is a 100 gr nosler partition over 73 gr. IMR 7828, federal 215m primers. Weatherby rifles typically have a good deal of freebore, so I don't try to load to touch the lands. I load my oal just a little over SAAMI specs. I have s hot numerous deer and hogs with this rifle. I have yet to have one animal take a step after being hit with a 100 gr. partition at 3650 fps +/-. They were all DRT.
Some other considerations on 257 weatherby, cost of ammo if you don't reload. Barrell heats up quickly so you won't be volume shooting. Hit an amimal up close at 3600 fps and you destroy a lot of edible meat.
GWB
31 March 2008, 17:24
jro45I have the MARK 5 in 257 WBY. Wouldn't trade it.
01 April 2008, 08:10
Thomas JonesI had a look over on ammo guide , at the various .257 weatherby loads. They had both 24 and 26 inch barrels.
I was quite suprised at how close the velocity was. there were loads from the 24 inch tube pushing 100 grain bullets out at 3750 !
Now I want a vanguard sub MOA... tj3006
freedom1st
01 April 2008, 11:47
HEAD0001I have owned 2 of the 257 Wby. Mags. I might get flamed for this but here goes. IMO the cartridge is too heavy for varmints, and too light for deer. Both of mine were Mark V's. They both shot well, I just was not satisfied with the performance on deer. Also some people recommend it for animals larger than deer, but I do not think it is adequate for elk. Tom.
WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA
02 April 2008, 01:14
Calif. HunterI have the blued Vanguard Sub-MOA, which I placed into a MacMillan Edge stock in order to lighten it up a bit. With 100 gr TSXs over RL-22, I get over 3600 FPS from a 24-inch barrel. I bet I don't lose more than 50-75 FPS than a 26-incher....and I get groups much smaller than an inch.
02 April 2008, 01:51
tankhunterWhy do they persist in putting 24 inch barrels on weatherby magnums etc, i saw a real nice 300 wby but the 24 inch barrel turned me off it ,i have a tikka 7mm rem mag and it bloody 22inch ! i would get an accumark if it was me ,just look at the photo !!!
03 April 2008, 17:18
Red C.I have a 24 inch barrel .257 Wby Vanguard and it is a shooter! Not just ballistics on paper, I shoot mine often at 350 yds (farthest distance I have to shoot) and it shoots great groups with the ballistics nearly identical to the ballistics table (which I assumed were for the 26" barrel). (I'm shooting Sierra Gamkings pushed by RL22. (Also have had a trigger job.)
Red C.
Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion.
04 April 2008, 01:39
Calif. HunterJust because the name is "Weatherby Magnum" does not always mean it needs a 26-inch or longer barrel. A .257 Wthby mag case is smaller than a .300 Wthby mag case which is smaller than a .378 Wthby mag case. I think the larger magnums (.300 and up) benefit more from the longer barrels than do the smaller .240/.257/.270 Wthby mags.
Do the smaller Whtby's still benefit from a longer barrel? Sure they do - but not that much. I am glad that my Vanguard has a 24-inch barrel. It gives all the velocity that I need - and that is why choice is a wonderful thing.
04 April 2008, 09:32
Big Bore Boar HunterI would pick the Wby over the remington, a Timney trigger will get rid of the factory three stages of creep (and give you a 3 position safety). The Sub MOA will have the nicer stock, the standard synthetic has the flimsier plastic version, but both shoot well.
Shoot on
John
04 April 2008, 15:11
Blair338/378I have taken a M700 chambered in 257WBY to Africa a few times.......fantastic performance, when loaded with X bullets.
Killed 3 Cape Kudu and a zebra with it loaded with 115X's, one year. On another hunt I used 90 XBT's and took Klipspringer, Vaal Rhebok, Mountain Reedbuck and Black and White Springbok.......it is the perfect rifle for that sort of game and hunt

In 2006 I took it to Namibia, loaded with 100TSX and killed game up to Red Hartebeest with it....my PH kept shooting baboons with it, he enjoyed shooting it that much!

Verbera!, Iugula!, Iugula!!!
Blair.