I thought I'd share the technical info and results of a recent hunt.

I spent last week hunting elk and mule deer in Craig Colorado. I chose to take a 30-06 with 168gr TSX's for elk and a 257 Roberts with 115 gr TSX's for mule deer. The problem occurred that an elk showed up unannounced while I was hunting mule deer, the nerve.

The rifle is a pre 64 m70 with a 24" 1:9 twist barrel. The load is R-P brass, Fed GM 215 primer and IMR 4064. This load chrono's at 2,815 fps in 70 degree temps and groups under 1" at 100 yards and right at 1 1/2" at 200 yds.

I shot the elk at 306 yds, 325 yds and 355 yds. All the shots were with in 6" of each other behind the shoulder, through the lungs. All 3 fully expanded and 2 of the 3 exited. The unexited bullet I never found. The elk went about 65 yards and collapsed.

The mule deer was shot at 150 yards. He was on a pretty hard quartering to shot. The bullet entered through the close shoulder and exited just in front of the off side ham. The buck staggered, half turned and collapsed never to regain itself. The bullet fully expanded.

This was the first I've used of the 115 TSX in the 257 Roberts. I have to say the results were superb. I have had excellent results on whitetail and hogs with the 100 gr TSX.
I posted pics in the American Big Game forum if you are interested in the animals, no autoposy pics though.

Perry

If I was shooting elk with a 257, that would be the bullet that I chose.

Got an elk with a 257 Roberts! Good on 'ya!!

I have two lady friends who hunt elk with their 25.06s. Long live the quarter bores!

I love my 25.06s and I use them for both Antelope and Deer, 115gr. Win. Ballistic Silvertips. But I have to admit I've never shot an Elk with one, nor would I attempt it with that particular bullet. But the caliber works. Just not my choice for Elk. Sounds like it wasn't yours either, but glad you had a rifle in hand when the Elk presented him/her self.

Congratulations on a successful hunt, and right here in Colorado!

I feel the biggest aspect is having faith in the bullet and the persons ability to place their shots where they will do the most good. JMO.

Personally I( think you did a great job.

quote:

I shot the elk at 306 yds, 325 yds and 355 yds. All the shots were with in 6" of each other behind the shoulder, through the lungs. All 3 fully expanded and 2 of the 3 exited

I have always said keep shooting until they are not moving. No matter what caliber.

Second is shoot them with what ever you have in your hands at the time.

Good job

It is especially important when using light calibers to keep shooting until the animal is down and dead, But even with a bigger bore its not a bad idea if you have the opertunity..

The problem is in many cases you get one hit and the animal is out of sight and maybe on the move for safer places..Ive killed many elk with light 25 caliber guns as a youth as I didn't know better, and it worked and I never lost one, but I guarantee you the .338 Win is a better elk caliber than anything Ive ever used. and tracking jobs are way shorter.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
It is especially important when using light calibers to keep shooting until the animal is down and dead, But even with a bigger bore its not a bad idea if you have the opertunity..

The problem is in many cases you get one hit and the animal is out of sight and maybe on the move for safer places..Ive killed many elk with light 25 caliber guns as a youth as I didn't know better, and it worked and I never lost one, but I guarantee you the .338 Win is a better elk caliber than anything Ive ever used. and tracking jobs are way shorter.

+1. Amen!

It's great that the OP used a premium bullet in his 257 Roberts for the elk. IMO, that helped, for that small of a caliber for elk.

A past colleague of mine just emailed me pictures two days ago of his first bull elk he got here in CO this year. He asked for advice on ammo as he is new to hunting. He said he shot the bull three times to get him down. No bullet exited. He was using a 30.06 and asked if he should shoot a bigger caliber. I told him his 30.06 should be fine. I also told him I prefered the 338WM OR 35 Whelen, but again, his 30.06 was not a problem. I asked what bullet he was using and he said 165 grain Hornady SST. I suggested a 180 or 200 grain Nosler Partition, but 165 would be OK as well if that was what he prefered.

Obviously, his choice worked, so there's that. But he asked for my advice, and genuinely wanted it, so I gave it.

Kudos to the OP for his selection of a tough bullet, considering the size of his caliber and the size of the quarry. I've personally never used a TSX on game, so I can't comment on its efficacy, but I believe it a better bullet design than an SST for elk. But that's just my opinion, nothing more.

Perry,
Congrats on your elk and Mule deer! Gotta love those .257 Bob rifles...!
Brittman

Having used the 250 savage and 25-35 on elk in my misspent cowboy youth and with 100 percent success, I long ago quite trying to use small calibers on big animals, a decision Ive never regretted, as sooner or later a smaller caliber is likely to have the hiccups and a long tracking job is at hand..thus my reasoning for the .338 win on elk..not a bad idea at all, but caliber should be kindled by the amount of recoil one can actually stand, as a 30-06 or 7x57 might be a better choice is some cases, and a 375 for others for elk anyway..I dont' hunt deer with my 338 except when elk and deer on the same hunt agenda..A 250 Savage, 308 or 30-06 suits me for deer, even my old 25-35 along with many other calibers for deer.

Ray, that is excellent advice.. I love my .25-06, and have used most of the .25’s from the .25-35 though the .257 W... But for elk size game, I prefer a bit more bore and bullet wt...

Perry, That is good to hear. I am gearing up my 9 year old grandson for small plains game with a single shot 30-30. I will load 100 grain CEB Raptors at about 2700 fps. Should work.

Seems a shame that the 257 Bob is not offered currently in more factory rifles like Win M70, Ruger Hawkeye, etc.

The Bob is normally placed in a standard-sized action, so theoretically it could be long-loaded to a long COL and would outdo the 6.5CM at its own game. It seems a tad nicer than the 243, too.

Several years ago when my wife took up hunting we ended up getting her a 270, in part because the Roberts wasn't easily accessible. We considered the 7-08, but in the end the action length of the Tikka T3 seemed best filled by the ol' 270. She's filled her Calif tag in the past two seasons. Not too shabby.

I was a dyed in the wool 30-06 fan, and still am but I noticed most elk I shot, required two and sometimes 3 shots, so I tried the 338-06 and the 35 Whelen and about the same results, and like most gun nuts I tried the .338 Win. and its never required a follow up shot, and no elk has made 25 yards so far, and Ive shot a hell of a lot of large animals with it and all with the same results up to and including Eland and one, actually two Cape Buffalo (one a follow up and assisting another hunter). Just speaking for myself, to each his own. I found the .375 H&H as good, but doesn't have the range of the .338 Win., and the recoil is heavier..I just prefer the .338 over the .375 for no particular reason as a matter of fact. Then we have the 9.3s and they are outstanding but the 338 shoots flatter, I guess...anyway that's where I landed..

As it is impossible to tell what damage a bullet did or even what direction it went after impact, IMHO a hunter should always keep shooting as long as the game remains standing.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I was a dyed in the wool 30-06 fan, and still am but I noticed most elk I shot, required two and sometimes 3 shots, so I tried the 338-06 and the 35 Whelen and about the same results, and like most gun nuts I tried the .338 Win. and its never required a follow up shot, and no elk has made 25 yards so far, and Ive shot a hell of a lot of large animals with it and all with the same results up to and including Eland and one, actually two Cape Buffalo (one a follow up and assisting another hunter). Just speaking for myself, to each his own. I found the .375 H&H as good, but doesn't have the range of the .338 Win., and the recoil is heavier..I just prefer the .338 over the .375 for no particular reason as a matter of fact. Then we have the 9.3s and they are outstanding but the 338 shoots flatter, I guess...anyway that's where I landed..

I agree with Atkinson 100% on the .338 Win. Mag. I have not used it in Africa, but on a Nilgai bull in south Texas, it works great!
It is as close to magic as can be - at least for me...!
Brittman

We loaded my AR-15 with the 223 Barnes vortex for my 8 year olds caribou hunt. He shot two caribou with it. Complete pass thrus and two dead caribou. My next boy shot his moose with a 80gr tsx from his 243x moose went about 20’ before dropping. Tsx is a great bullet.

Try a slower powder like RL22, Norma MRP,
RL26 or RL23. You can get 3100fps with these
powders. RL26 will get the highest velocity
with least pressure. These speeds are with
115gr Nosler Partitions.

In my younger years I worked on a ranch out of Lusk Wyoming on the So. Dakota border for a couple of years, I also was hired out as to as a pumper on the pump jacks on the ranch. I measured oil production and kept the well in working order for Sun Oil Co..

During that time I also witnessed the owner and his family, and many of my neighbors shoot a number of bull elk in the Jackson and Cody Wy. area and many deer and antelope on the ranches bordering us..They all used the 25-06 and mostly 117 gr. Sierras..I developed a lot of respect for the 25-06, and the 257 Robts during that couple of years..They thought nothing of me using my 25-35 on deer and told me it was a decent caliber on elk but already knew that, but so long as you kept shots within a 100 yards on elk, and probably the same on deer, although I shot a few deer around 200 yards with perfect results..

Ive only shot a few animals with the 25-06 but it sure worked good on those few..I always had a .270 so didn't see the need. Ive also used the 257 Robts a good deal growing up, another fine caliber for both elk and deer when used properly..But I had better add not my choice these days on animals larger than deer I like the .338 Win.