Back in the late 50's when I was in college, one of my friends expressed an interest in taking up varmint hunting. I took it upon myself to find him an appropriate varmint rifle. My friend and gunsmith, Harry Creighton, had a military Mauser action which he was willing to part with very reasonably, and a take off varmint weight barrel in .250 Savage, which was easily rechambered in .257 Roberts. A Fajen stock and a Unertl 1" target scope completed the rig. Total cost: about $100.00.

We took the rifle out to the range to sight it in and that was quickly accomplished and we departed on our first hunt, Middle Tennessee style. In those days almost all rural roads were gravel and no one objected to a hunter pulling over to the side of a deserted stretch of road and taking a shot at a crow or groundhog.

I scored on several shots, but my friend didn't seem able to hit anything, and ascribed it to the rifle. I took his rifle for my next shot and for the only time in my life scored two crows with one shot. It turned out later that my friend shot to a different point of impact than I with the 8X scope. On paper, his group was as small as mine, but was displaced about an inch and a half, high and to the left.

I still have a couple of rifles in that caliber: one a Remington Model 30S and the other a Remington 722. All in all, I prefer the 30S, if for no other reason, the length of the magazine.

I have built a number of these, Ackly Improved versions.

Have not used one myself, but everyone who has one loves it.

xausa

Harry Creighton built my .257 Roberts on a 1909 Argentine Mauser and a Douglas premium featherweight. I stocked it in a very nice piece of walnut purchased from Pachmayr. 3 shot 100 yd groups around an inch, sometimes less, with minimal load workup. I really liked visiting with Harry in his downtown shop.

ClaMar

My 257 Roberts is a Ruger Tanger and my 243 is a Savage, The Ruger is a far better rifle. As for on game experience I found that with 100 grain bullets I couldn't tell any difference but 120 grain bullets penetrated better.

Thinking back to early 1950ish, I traded for a Rem 722 in 257 and two or three years later traded it for a Rem 30, I loved that Rem 30-S as ii recall, nobody I knew reloaded back in that ranching community, and considered it a dangerous hobby, so I was the first I guess, and that of course proved them right!! so Im told..as for hunting however I only use the 100 gr. silvertips with that particular rifle, and they worked on Texas Mule and Coues deer, and hammered a couple of elk at about 50 and 100 yards, both one shot shoulder/heart kills. Then I started rodeoing and sold about everything I had to pay for that habit, and never looked back for a number of years..I ended up prefering the 250-3000 in Savage 99s as I was then and still am today a cowboy, and do most of my hunting horseback, and the 99 fits my style best..If I was a walking hunter the 257 would be my choice.

Considering selling this Tang safety in order to get a #1a in 257 Roberts. I really like the Ruger no.1 rifles

I though it was the end of my world when the long throat turned up in My Number One B. End of drama. Finally figured out the Ruger was making them for 3" loads. This tossed out the dual aspects of the gun. The answer was 100+grain bullets and a case full of 4350. Reloader 17 did very well also.

Back in the day a friend had a 77 in Roberts. One could not tell who made the barrel. I watched him shoot sub-minute groups time after time.
When I get the 243 can do this and that I ask about the 112-120 grain bullets in 243. I can't testify to big game but I have wrecked groundhogs using 75gr. Hornady bullets. Mauser action and Douglas #5 barrel with 1:12 twist.

Ive shot a lot of 75 gr. and lighter bullets in my long throated guns, its never been a problem..I suggest you try them before you condem them..I shot both 120, 100s and even 85s and lighter in those long throated 257s, and 250-3000 guns, most shot well with all bullets, a few 99s were tricky but got them worked out with proper handloads..Same with my 7x57s to a lesser degree...Its one of the all time great myths that are believed to be fact, but its fiction in many cases...It tends to be bullet length more than bullet weight..The only bullet my 1x14 twist 99 TD won't shoot under an inch is the Nosler 100 gr. Balistic Tips!!

My .257 has the throat to load to 3"OAL. It also shoots fine with 75 gr. Hornady HP's, the only bullet other than the 100 gr. Nosler BT that I've ever tried.

Clarence

In my youth, we didn't handload, and most if not all of my elk were killed with 100 gr. WW Silvertips and a few withthe 100 gr. corelokt. All within 150 yards best I recall..Later on I used a hot load of H5831 or H4350 and a 117 or 120 gr. bullet..The best handload I used on elk was a stiff load of H4350 and the 117 gr. Hornady..That bullet to this day has proven accurate in every 25 cal. Ive used on elk or deer in both 1x10 and 1x14 twists..I suggest thats due to its shorter length that its always stableized in my 1x14 twist mod 99 Savages, all of them..Then and now..Im inclined to believe that de-stablization tends to be more from length of bullets as opposed to weight of bullets and can be concured with a RN bullet in my tests..