quote:

For hunting a 117 grain bullet at 2,652 fps is listed (what the 30-06 is doing with a 180 grainer).

Yes it looks like we have almost come full circle:-

The 6.8 mm SPC has a muzzle velocity of 2,625 feet per second from a 16 inch barrel using a 115-grain Hornady OTM bullet. The program started the design by using a .30 Remington case, which was modified in length to fit into magazines that would be accommodated by the magazine wells of the M16 family of rifles and carbines that are currently in service with the U.S. Armed Forces.

Warrior

quote:

why did the US Army not opt for it as a military cartridge over the 5.56 mm or .223 Rem?

Several factors are considered among them:
1. Range
2. power/shot
3. shots/ minute
4. # shots per pound of ammo
5. recoil/ ability to fire auto

There's no simple answer to it.....and it has to do with other evolutions of battlefield tactics.....such as the development of modern sniper rifles!

the first centerfire my wife bought for me as a flaigg's 1903a3... likely a early 60s build .. its heavy, accurate, and my kids and several friends have killed their first game with it..

love the round

i have a M700 Classic 257 Roberts. She is a tack driver with 100, 110, and 115 gr bullets.

JD338

I love seeing a coyote getting wacked by a Bob. Barnes 100 gr. TCX leaves a smaller exit hole than my 22-250.

I really like the 257R. Mine is a Kimber 84 select. I'm probably in the minority but I think the 257R is perfect for a short action. Seating the bullets out farther may get you 50-70 fps but that doesn't really concern me.

I never really push the envelope when reloading for the Roberts because I also have a 6.5x55 and a 7mm-08.

When a teenager back in 60s, deer hunted with a 7.65 91 Argentine mauser.....many years later and retired, took my 91 out of closet that had a poor bore and had it rebarreled to 257R. Loved it....can remember gunsmith I used commenting to me, "forget about asking me if I have a take off 257 barrel I can use, folks with a 257R keep them till the barrel is shotout." Anyway, first time I fired the now 257R 91 Argentine mauser, I had bored sighted scope on rifle and taken it to a local public range. With my first shot, bullet hit target absolutely dead center on a 100 yard target. I must have spent several minutes looking at areas of target outside the bullseye looking for bullet hole, before I finally noticed it was dead center of target. Rest of rounds I fired that day were all in the 10 ring. Now have three 257R rifles and I just shoot paper. Just a pleasure to shoot my 257s.

My first .257 Roberts is on its way. Kimber 84M Montana. My first foray into synthetic stocks.

Mine is a Ruger 77 MII and just love it. When I take it to the field I always come back with one bullet less and a tag punched.

After Alan's post all other guns are ugly to me right now, but I'll throw one up. This isn't mine, I'm installing a pad on it this week for one of my family, it's going to Utah with us this year. it's a fairly heavy contour douglas barrel, 257rob ackley improved.