I am looking to build one but my local gunsmith said he has never heard of an accurate 257 Roberts or Ackley Improved. Any one work with the 257 AI and what results did you get?

Maybe your local gunsmith doesn't know how to chamber a rifle. I have had three different .257 Ackley Imp's and all were very accurate, and just about the equivalent of a 25-06. John Barsness has written a couple of very good articles on these two in Rifle magazine. Go to www.riflemagazine,com and see if you can pull them up via search. If not, you can get back issues.

I think you need a new gunsmith. Within reason, one round will be as accurate as another if chambered with precision and fed good ammo. It's the rifle and ammo that determine the accuracy for the most part, not what it's chambered for.

This gunsmith is quite good. He has never worked with the 257 Roberts or AI. I don't know where or what he was basing the statement on. It was almost a 25cal statement in general but he stoped short of that. I wanted to hear from someone who had one and a report on accuracy.

have your 'smith give me a call. Then he can never say again that he's never heard of an accurate 257 Roberts or 257AI...Jim

Could you tell me loads, results and info on gun used?
Thanks Troy

TDV:
As was mentioned above. Get a new gunsmith. I've got a Ruger mod. 77 that I had basically re-built. 24" Kreiger double cryo treated, blueprinted action, with a Canjar single set trigger. The scope is a Leupold Tactical, 4.5-14, 40mm with Mil-dot cross hairs. 87 gr. Sierra in front of 44.5 grs. of Rldr 15, seated 0.010" off the lands, Fed. GM-210 match primer. Consistantly 1/2" or so. Just chronographed it at 3312 fps with a Std. Dev. of 10.2. Don't think I can ask for better than that. Bear in Fairbanks

[ 06-09-2003, 07:39: Message edited by: Bear in Fairbanks ]

In case you couldn't guess I use a 257 AI as does a good friend of mine. And if your gunsmith considers less than 1/2" at 100 yards for a 3 shot group not accurate then he's correct. But, if 1/2" is good enough for you then Steve and I both own accurate 257 AIs. Both are custom built on Mauser actions with Sheilen barrels. I load for both of us and we both use 100gr Hornady Interlocks. Last year I dropped my antelope at 268 yards and Steve dropped his mulie at 311 yards. If you need more load info I can get that for you later. But like other have said, I think you need a new gunsmith because this guy doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground!

Find a Good gunsmith,If he makes a statement about the accuracy like that he probably don't know how to make a accurate rifle. Let him mount scopes for you, but after that fine a good rifle smith that knows how to accurize a rifle. Good Luck

TDV-to me this gets a lot into the Forde/Chevy's type of thing.

I have a couple of different smiths do work for me, a couple of them believe that you can make the 25's work really well and then the others don't. Go figure which is right?

Here is a thought find a smith that has the belief and let him do the work.

For what it is worth I do have a couple of friends that use 257 AI's and they love em they shoot well for them.

So find the gal that turns your crank and ask her to the dance. This is your deicsion.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Who is your gun smith? Edmond?

Nothing he makes shoots worth a shit, if his posts are any representation of his work.

Maybe your gunsmith can't shoot worth a crap.

Any good barrel will give you minute of whitetail, regardless of caliber. Heck even something French!

Try a good ER Shaw barrel or a PacNor.

I have an encore chambered in 257 Roberts Imp. by VVCG that will shoot 1" groups all day as long as you do your part. Your smith must be mistaken. Rich Jake

I recommend the cartridge, and will be having one built for myself sometime. (when money allows). My stepfather and his brother both have rifles chambered in 257robertsAI, one a mauser action one an 1903, both sporting 24" Douglas barrels. I called my stepfather just now to see what they were getting with their loads, he said he would check tonight but seems to remember that with either the 117g or 120g they were over 3000fps.

I have shot the springfield based one and it was accurate, in my hands that's amazing, since I don't shoot particulary well. My stepfather can shoot it scary good, and without bags he can make three shot groups at 100 you could cover with a half dollar (I don't know how he sits there so steady without using a bag????)

The only thing I am going to do different when I build mine is go with a 25-26" barrel.

Red

Thanks for the replies. I would never let a gunsmith sway my choice. If he didn't like a certain cal. then I ask the opinion of others. I don't think he would put a bad effort, but it might not be his best either. I have never had a 25 cal. but it has been of interest. The Roberts is a classic and seems in the AI version very versatile. Thanks Troy

Any of the .25s will shoot very well. .25s are probably my personal favorite bore size and I've built a lot of them that shoot extremely well. This crap about a certain bore size or chambering not shooting well is ridiculous. It used to be that there were certain bore sizes for which there were not good quality bullets, and the .25s was one of them, but that has all changed.

JOhn---DWS==darn well said

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

I'm with the rest of the folks here, get a different smith even if you think you know him well.

Some calibers are more suitable than others but to say any 257 can't shoot is shooting alot of shit!

My 257 Weatherby which is not even broken in yet will shoot .5" @ 100.