I have been using Hornady 117 spbt for 6 yrs and have been very happy with RL 19 at around 2750fps. I've just run out of the Hornady's trying to get them to jive with H100V, with only one group giving anything promissing, (but at a listed 3000fps!).

I'm looking to try a different bullet to improve accuracy. In contention are:

115grn Nosler ballistic tip
117grn Sierra
100grn Hornady

Any recomendations or experience on these bullets would be helpful.

Thanks.

If I can't get the accuracy that I'm looking for I'll go back to the interlocks and RL 19. The last three deer I shot were 310yrds, 240yrds, and 300yrds, so I'm wanting to build a flatter shooting load, but need the accuracy to be there too.

Current thread:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...111033451#3111033451

I use the Hornaday interlock,Rem core-lok and the Nosler Partition as well as the Ballistic Tip bullets.
On deer they all get the job done.Your rifle tells you what she wants to eat.

When you settle on a bullet or two, look at this post. I'm selling what left of my bullets I tried to get to shoot in my 257 Rob. Great way to pick up a few bullets for what I consider a very good price.

Alan

http://forums.accuratereloadin...2711043/m/8521072451

Thanks Alan.

Try the 110 gr accubond or 100 gr Swift Sciroco, but the 100 gr Nosler Partition is hard to beat in the Bob

Dave,

Out of the ones you listed, I'd go 115 NBT. I tested them in water jugs and they had very similar results to 110 Accubonds with weight retention about 67%. When I tested Sierra bulets they turned to shrapnel in water jugs. The 115 NBT is a really good bullet for the BOB. Of course so is the Partition, Accubond and Interlock.

Here is some damage to a 120lb hog from the 115 NBT from the BOB at about 40 yards.

quote:

but the 100 gr Nosler Partition is hard to beat in the Bob

bigdog's suggestion a good one IMO.

If you want a REAL screamer for long(ish) range in the 257 Bob; try some .257" Barnes 80 gr. TTSX's.

My daughter's 257 loves 110 Nosler Accubonds.

I've thought about that Gerry, but I would prefer having the bullet operational on the backside of the velocity spectrum, rather than the front side. Yes with the tsx you gain 300+fps at the muzzle, but with cup and core bullets, you gain that back at the "end of the line" when the bullet is still going to function going 2200-1800fps.

I have shot the ttsx 100grn, and it's accurate, but I don't want to be at the bullets edge of operation on long shots, when I also might be at the end of my effective ability. Basically, if I'm stretching the shot distance, I don't want the bullet to be at it's minimum effectiveness when it hits.

I've only checked the ballistic programs, not in the field shooting, but I'm more confident in the cup and cores doing their thing at 350+yrds.

Depending on twist rate and velocity you may find a heavier flat based bullet will shoot better groups. I have used a wide range with mine and really liked the Sierra 120gr HP or the Hornady 120 HP, if you want to use a sp I'd recommend the Hornady interlock and then the Nosler Partition or standard flatbase. The Rem cor-lok is ok at moderate velocities as is the Sierra, or Speer Hot-cor.
My rifle shoots the 100gr. NBT really well but it doesn't work shooting into shoulders the way I like. Great for a ribcage shot if you can limit yourself. The 120gr HP bullets worked well and I may well be going back to them when the current batch of bullets has been used up.

Thanks guys.

I stopped by the reloading supply joint over lunch annd picked up some 115grn Ballistic tips. They have a BC of .453, and should be just the thing for stretching the Bob out to 300yds+. I'd like to load them to 2950-3000fps with the H100V, so load testing is the next step.

Of the bullets you list, I would go with the 115-grain Nosler. However, I second the recommendation for the 100-grain Nosler Partition as another option. They have shot sub-MOA in both of the .257 Roberts' I've tried them in, and have proven very reliable without too much meat damage on deer from 20 to 300 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
My daughter's 257 loves 110 Nosler Accubonds.

Big fan of the 110gr AB in my 25-06's ... not a BOB but the bullet performed well.

I have some more testing to do, but H100V 43.5grn, 115grn ballistic tip, loaded to 2.881" gave a .5 moa group (should be around 2920fps). I have a few more loaded that way to re-check. 45grn of the H100V also grouped fairly well, but I loaded 45.5grn to see if I can improve on that group.

Next step after settling the 115bt load will be getting a long term load for the 90grn Sierra hpbt.

Thanks for the info guys.

I Llke the 117 bullet. A frend used his 257
wby on a hunt but never got to see a deer. the
wby 117 bullet was he was shooting. My 257 WBY
is real accture with the 117gr bullet.

I shoot the 115 grain combined technologies bullet in my .257AI

I thought I was doing good at 2840fps out of a 26 inch barrel. Now you say you should get close to 3000fps from a standard Bob. I am depressed!
Of course my rifle likes IMR 4895 and does not seeem to like any slow powder.

I have shot 11 whitetails with the 100 grn Sierra flatbase in a 25-06.

The ranges were from 80 to 350 yards. All held together well enough to exit.

quote:

Originally posted by Donald Nelson:
I thought I was doing good at 2840fps out of a 26 inch barrel. Now you say you should get close to 3000fps from a standard Bob. I am depressed!

Don't be, those are book numbers and I have no solid info on what the actual numbers are, no chronograph.

My former load was 43grn of RL19 nd 117grn interlock, book info said 2700's, so I had Roberts speed envy as well, and is why I stepped up to H100V to try to cure that.

quote:

I thought I was doing good at 2840fps out of a 26 inch barrel. Now you say you should get close to 3000fps from a standard Bob. I am depressed!
Of course my rifle likes IMR 4895 and does not seeem to like any slow powder.

IMO, you're doing just fine

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

I thought I was doing good at 2840fps out of a 26 inch barrel. Now you say you should get close to 3000fps from a standard Bob. I am depressed!
Of course my rifle likes IMR 4895 and does not seeem to like any slow powder.

IMO, you're doing just fine

Thanks Vapo it shoots great! I knew I wasn't going to get 25-06 performance but I was working with an intermediate length Mauser action.

I use a 100 gr game king in a 6mm remington with 43gr of 4350. It took my groups to nickle size at 100 yards. All a 6mm is a neck down 257 bob so maybe you could try that.

I like the 117 Sierra...really accurate and tougher than most people give it credit

quote:

Originally posted by bradking1:
I like the 117 Sierra...really accurate and tougher than most people give it credit

Hey Brad
Isn't it funny that people that really use Sierra bullets really like them and people that repeat internet second hand hearsay are the ones that have "trouble" with them?
I use the 117 Sierra's in my 257 Roberts and couldn't ask for a better bullet. Large Mule Deer and Antelope don't stop it. It is an extremely accurate bullet too.
I have used 180 grain Sierra's in my 30/06 on Elk for years and have no horror stories and no recovered bullets just nice exits and dead animals no drama.

quote:

Isn't it funny that people that really use Sierra bullets really like them and people that repeat internet second hand hearsay are the ones that have "trouble" with them?

I wonder where the above leaves me. While I have not used the .257/117 Sierra, I have had poor experiences with the .277/130 Sierra BTs terminal performance on game over two seasons. No repeating Internet second-hand heresay here, just solid observations from my own shooting and that of one hunting buddy. No bullet is foolproof and shooting conditions vary widely, but I would suggest that you not automatically discount the observations of others just because they may differ from your own.


.

Nimrod: could you expand on your poor experiences? thanks

Nimrod
I'm not saying bad experiences don't exist but you have to admit that a lot (the majority) of complaints about Sierra's are not from actual users.
If you read this thread about "looking for a 257 Rob bullet recommendation" it is no surprise to me the amount of praises the Sierra bullets get, however on this forum people trash Sierra's as a matter of fact when there is conflicting data from actual in the field users like this thread.
I have personnaly shot a lot of game with sierra bullets without a single incident over the last 36 years of reloading so I find it interesting how people can call those bullets a poor choice for game. I have personnaly shot Deer (3 varieties) Elk (2 varities) Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Hogs, Coyotes, Marmots, Ravens and more at a variety of ranges from spitting distance to 425 yards and in 30/06, 257 Roberts, 243 and 284 seen nothing but picture perfect performance.
I guess I'm lucky?
I must admit for 2 Elk I succumbed to the hype and tried 180 grain Accubonds in my 30/06 and I had dead elk but recovered bullets from both obviously not getting exit wounds which I expected in both situations. One weighed 114 grains and the other was a mere bullet base and shred of copper which I never weighed but would guess to be about 60 grains or so.
I can say I'm not impressed with Accubonds although I hear a lot of people have stellar performance from them and I'm sure they are a great bullet. I switched back to Sierra's for my use.
Opinions vary as do ours but I would still like to hear your actual trouble with the bullet and what velocity it was travelling?

quote:

could you expand on your poor experiences? thanks

Sure. Both of us were hunting with .270WCF rifles, his an M760 and mine a Ruger No1. We used the Sierra 130BT bullets at betwen 3050 and 3150 fps MV. The game was blacktail deer (not large animals), ranges from 100 to 200 yards. Out of the four deer shot (all were eventually recovered), every bullet failed to exit (not by itself a bad thing) but all lost their jackets. Okay, not by itself a terrible thing either, but one shot at 100 yards blew up in the front shoulder meat (not bone) and failed to penetrate to the offside ribs. Another deer shot at ~150 yards was hit in front of the left ham angling into the boiler room, but the bullet barely made it through the diaphram. This one was almost lost and took two hours of searching (with four hunters) to find.

We gave up on the Sierras, going to Speer 130 HotCores. The next five deer all had exit holes, plenty of internal damage and none went more than 75 yards from the point of impact.

I just have far more confidence with the Speers than with the Sierras. I know lots of folks love Sierras, that's fine with me. My experiences have shown me that the .277/130BT bullets do not fit my hunting style.

Personally, I pay no heed to anyone's opinion on bullets unless they have shot them on more than one animal.



.

Our experiences differ...................
and so the world turns.
Thanks for the info.

TX Numrob. When I first got a .270 back in 1973, my handloads used the Sierra 130 gr. BT's. Come that first der season, I was not very happy with the damage done to good eating meat. Oh the deer died on the spot so cannot complain about that. After talking to the father of a friend whose only hunting rifle was a .270, He suggested his pet load using the 150 gr. Sierra Game King. I don't use the .270 all that much but these days I go with the 150 gr. Sierra Game King or the Nosler Partition. Works for me.
Paul B.

I use the Barnes .257 80 grain TTSX over 48.0 grains H-380 for 3,484 fps in my .257 Roberts Ackley Improved. Yes I said 80 grain. These bullets need to be seated at .050" off the lands for best accuracy (.5" or better 10 shot groups in my custom Remington). If a white tail doesn't succumb instantly to that bullet - it's gotta be on drugs, or made of concrete meaning you just shot the neighbor's lawn decoration.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul B:
TX Numrob.

Classy - name-calling. I believe that my statement above applies to you:

"I would suggest that you not automatically discount the observations of others just because they may differ from your own."



.

My apologies. That was just a typo. Problem is I type with two blind fingers.
Paul B.