About 15 years ago I owned a vanguard in 257 Weatherby. It wasn't the "sub MOA" model, but it sure thought it was.

I had this problem with my father selling all my guns at his gunshow tables back then, and he got rid of that one for way less than I paid. Not sure I ever saw a cent from that rifle either, come to think of it.....anyway I digest!

I am thinking about a 257 Weatherby again, I was a 25-06 guy for a long time and since I don't own one of those or the gear to keep it going might as well buy the true barrel burner.

What do you guys use yours for?

My understanding is that it is the par-excellance coues deer cartridge, and that it is so popular in Arizona that it is one of the few places that every maw and paw gunshops stocks ammo for it.

I bought a 257 W to get it's octagon barrel. It's new to me and I have not shot it much as there was so much snow.

I have taken whitetail, hogs and a few exotics with my accumark. My wife has taken a number of animals, put to the size of Kudu with her blaser in 257 WBY mag.






Ed

Nice photos! I have not seen a impala that size in Southern Africa before.

Great caliber for deer sized game. I grew up in a city next to South Gate where Roy Weatherby set up shop. My dad was not a hunter but was attentive to a 12 year olds keen interest in guns and hunting. I can easily visualize the elephant and polar bear mounts that stoked my hunting passion. When a Mark V Classic Mark 257 Weatherby magnum appeared on Gunbroker I bought it. Marked South Gate for the memories. Traditional oiled stock, no check piece, and a real tack driver. I hunt mule deer in Utah and the Arizona desert. I shoot pigs with the TSX loads in my native California. With a Leupold 3.5x10 scope, it's an easy 400 yard gun. A real death ray when I do my part.

I use mine for everything up to elk. The 100 grain TTSX rocks.

The only thing better would be a 6.5 Weatherby ...

I don't know that there is a better open country deer, antelope, coyote, jack rabbit, woodchuck, wolf, fun gun. It is magical. The 6.5s may do better at 1000 yards, but at hunting ranges, say to 500 yards sheer speed and lack of flight time cuts wind drift and provides the ultimate in easy drop calculations. To look at numbers the it would appear there is not that big a difference from 06 to Wby, but to pull the trigger and watch the affects, the difference is clear. I think it is still the most impressive performer of all the hunting cartridges I have seen, for its purpose.

I have had one for +30 years. I can honestly say I have never seen a animal drop. By the time I recovered from the recoil (minimal). The quarry was "lights out". Dead before they hit the ground. NOT A TWITCH!
One of the deadliest guns I have ever witnessed. I pushed 115Gr NP's hard!
The rifle has been re barreled with a nice 26" Wiseman pipe that will shoot sub 1/2" groups. A little heavy to carry far but a real "humane " killing machine in my experience on deer sized game.

EZ

Not a huge WBY fan, but have owned and appreciated the 257 and 340. If it wasn't for my fascination with the 264 win mag, I'd likely still have my 257 WBY. I also like the 264's ability to use heavier bullets for elk-sized game.

I got into the .257 when I needed a low recoil rifle for my 11 year old. He was somewhat concerned that I was giving him a little kids gun, so I got another one to show that I would be happy to hunt with the same cartridge. Those days we had fist-fulls of non-trophy tags, CWD area tags and "earn a buck" tags. Both whitetail and mule-deer too.

This happy state of affairs allowed for literally truck-loads of deer to be shot and an accelerated learning curve for the new hunter. One of the very first things he learned was that a frangible bullet at that speed killed considerably faster than the TSXs that shot to the same POI and could be used interchangeably. We had deer go down so hard that the heart was still beating on the gut-pile. Deer collapsed so suddenly that often the others would pause to look at it and as often as not die beside the first. He still uses that rifle, with the occasional animal falling to his .300. Mostly bears. He has also killed enough animals with a 30-06 in Australia to not be very impressed by it.

There are other cartridges that allow easy 400 yard shooting with little trajectory or range concerns, but they come with more recoil. That's a deal breaker for lots of people. For light recoiling, rapid killing of longish range deer sized critters its about as good as it gets.

I love my .257 Wby Accumark and so does my grandson. With a 6X24 Burris Signature scope it is our ideal Bean Field rifle for Whitetails. With 100 grain Barnes TSX bullets or 115 or 120 grain Nosler Partition Blems it is deadly indeed. A grandson shot a 180 pound 8 pointer in the left center chest standing headon at 200 yards with a 120 grain Nosler Partition loaded to 3450 fps. We found the perfectly mushroomed bullet in the right rear ham bulging the skin. Perfect performence for a great round. Good shooting.

I've had three 257's.

I took one to Africa a few times and killed Cape Kudu, Vaal Rhebok, Mtn Reedbuck etc. It is superb for that type of hunting.

With the 115X I killed two zebra with broadside shots.

It's a great calibre. A classic in it's way.

I have one built on a sako action, Lilja barrel with Mcmillan stock. Had the barrel cut to 27" for a little velocity boost.
It is a terrific cartridge. Mine has taken quite a few antelope at long range, and some white tails.
And it took a very unlucky coyote that thought he was out of range at 510 (lazered) yards.

My .257 Weatherby is my second favorite gun (7mm STW is my first). I kike the Weatherby so much I am going to give it to my grandson for his HS graduation gift. Now I get to build another Weatherby yahhoooo.

I just got in my .257 barrel for a new build. I am doing a LH ruger hawkeye with a 26 inch Mike Rock barrel..see if it will out shoot my standard Accumark, or my wifes blaser...

Ed

I found a very rare Mark V Super Big Gamemaster that came with the accubrake and a full 26 inch barrel at a Fargo gun shop and had to have it. The owner said it was a Weatherby Rep's display gun, hence the accubrake and odd configuration. It perfectly matches my other Mark V SBG, which may be equally rare, as it is chambered in .300 Win Mag. (with that accubrake installed, you can literally watch your bullet impact like a .223 as there is NO recoil, but my god, is it loud!)

I have been doing a ton of load development with mine, and late last summer, broke the 4,000 FPS mark with an, ahem, HEALTHY dose of 7828SSC and an 80 grain TTSX bullet. Shot a .47" group at 100 with that load and I figured I'd stop there before burning out the barrel. I get a little less velocity but perhaps even more accuracy with less barrel wear with a dose of H1000 and either the 80 grain or 100 grain TTSX bullets.

I have a Swarovski Z3 4-12x50 with the ballistic turret mounted on the rifle, and zeroed at 300 yards, I can easily reach out to 600 with just a turn of the turret. If I leave it zeroed at something like 150 or 200 yards, it will shoot to nearly point of aim out to 450-500 yards and the drop will put the bullet well within a whitetail's or antelope's vitals. Can't wait to finally bloody it!!!

Ive owned three .25-06 and two .257 Weatherbys. All are now in someone els's hands as my .257 Roberts has taken over the entire quarter bore duties.

The others are simply powder burners for little practical purpose.

quote:

If it wasn't for my fascination with the 264 win mag, I'd likely still have my 257 WBY.

Doc, get a 270 Wby....similar ballistics as the 257, but with heavier bullets if you wish.

I loaned some money on a MkV a few years back. I told the man I didn't intend selling it. He showed up 10 years almost to the day later with the money including the agreed upon interest, plus a bonus for keeping my word. I loved that gun. If I ever get another it will be in a High Wall or Number 1 action with a 28 to 30 inch barrel. I can't walk far so it would just be sit on the edge of the field and shoot them where they stand.