After years of hunting GA whitetails with primarily a 7Rem Mag I have decided that I probably do not need to put up with the recoil and noise and can consider less caliber. The deer down here average 150 lbs and rarely exceed 200 lbs dressed. Your thoughts on these fine calibers? Looking for accuracy and ease of use, light recoil. I am sure any one of the three would measure up to the task.

Well the 25-06 would be the easiest to find ammo. But I've always been a 257 Roberts fan.

As you say any of the three would get the job done. The 6.5 would give you a heavier bullet option.

The .257 Roberts is one sweet deer rifle. It has made my .25-06 sit at home. The 100TSX handloads will run 3100 fps+ in the +P bob, plenty for 200lb whitetails to 300, easy on the shoulder and ears, moderate powder usage easy to load for. I can't recommend the .257 Roberts any more highly. I also love the .25-06 though it's louder and burns more powder- it is better suited to longer range work with 110 to 130 grain bullets, though it'll certainly work with 100's and inside 300 on deer.

If I had a need for a 6.5x55 I'd use my 7x57 or 8x57

I've kimda run full circle on this one. I currently own a 6.5 X 55 and a 257 Roberts and a 25-06.

Years ago I used the 25-06 and then when I found this 257 Roberts featherweight I started using it and the 25-06 sits home.

Then I discovered the 6.5 X 55 and it's now taken over. In fact there's little difference in the three but the availability of slightly heavier bullets tips the scales for me.

The 6.5 X 55 is the rifle of choice for me anymore.

And to make matters worse, I have the .25-06, .257, 6.5x55, and now a new 6.5x57mm. They all shoot superbly, so it's just a matter of choice which to use, because the perormance is all so close.

LLS

I agree, they are very close. If you don't reload, I'd recommend the 25/06. If you like reloading, the 257 would be my choice for deer.

I would agree that if you hand load go Roberts, if not go 25,06. I have both and unless you plan on reaching way out there the Roberts is great ! Never played with the 6.5 swede much but i am sure i would love it too.
...tj3006

I have been unimpressed with my 25-05, too fast, explosive up close. I have owned a couple of 257s. My opinion of the cartridge is luke warm. If you stay below 2800 with normal bullets it works great. I think the little bullets lack sectional denisty. Push them too fast and they come apart. You can have too much speed, really! A 130 or 140 grainer and a 1:8 twist might be awfully good in the 25-06. You might be able to get 27 or even 2800 out of it. Long bullets penetrate deep and tend not to come apart. If I could select an thoeretical optimum it might be a 6.5-o6 with 140 or bigger bullets. ( I tink that was called a 256 Newton! That said I don't have time to fiddle around with such things, Maybe when I retire? For now, I'll grab my pre 64 FW, 308 with 2-7 Leupold, a couple of 165 grain loads and go make some meat.

I guess I better sell my 25/06 and buy a .257 Roberts. Why do we have so many .25's? The .250 Savage can do it all.

The 257 Robts, 250 Sav, 6.5X55 and 7X57 are four of my favorite rounds and each would be suitable for the hunting you describe. Of these, the Swede and the 7X57 would be my top choices.

I've found the Swede to be a very interesting and satisfying cartridge. My rifles can push a 125 Nosler Partition at nearly 3000 fps. That makes for a very potent whitetail cartridge. The Swede kicks about like a 257 Rob and kills about like a 270 Win. Numerous factory loads are available, but I consider the 6.5X55 to be a handloader's cartridge in this country.

I have several one-shot kills on Mule Deer with the .257 Roberts and like using the 75 grain Hornady for long range varmints. I tried the 25-06 and didn't like the noise and the recoil, particularly for extended varmint shooting or at the range. The Roberts is a bit less powerful than the 25-06, but it has vast shootability and makes me very confident. Ammo selection and availability is better for the 25-06, but that is it's only virtue, and not nearly enough of a virtue to make it as good a choice as a .257 Roberts.
My advice is to get a Roberts and some reloading equipment and then you'll have a real Deer Rifle !

I had the option to build any caliber I wanted and I chose the Swede. Ammuntion is fairly common, it has no recoil to speak of, and is an accurate cartridge.

I have all 3 guns and in order of MY use they are: Swede, Roberts then .25-06. I reload everything, but if you don't the Swede is still a good choice.

The .25-06 is a great round, but it needs a lot of barrel to be efficient. The Roberts and Swede do real well with a 20" barrel in my ecxperience. That makes for a light and handy gun.

My new favorite deer round is the 7mm TCU out of an 18" Contender barrel. No recoil, quiet and 5.5 lbs with a scope and kills em just as dead as a 7 Mag!! I loaned it out to several pre-teens last year and it looks like I will need to put together a reservation list so I know when I can use my own gun. Under 150 yds, it is sweet!!

It would be hard to go wrong with any of those calibers. I have had all three. I reload. You didn't say whether you intend to get a factory gun or have one built. If you are getting a factory rifle your choice of manufacturer/model may be limited in 6.5x55SWD and .257Robt's.

My 1st choice would be the 6.5x55SWD with 120-140gr bullets in a short barreled rifle, like a CZ-550 Full Stock, or a CZ-550 American with the barrel cut to 20.5".

The 257Robt's is a nice caliber if you can find a good one. I had a Ruger M77. It was okay. I shot a few deer with 100gr bullets. They work well.

The 25-06 is chambered in a lot of different rifles so it would be easy to find one you like. I agree with the previous post, the cartridge is loud and needs a long barrel (24" or more). It's great for antelope hunting out West. You can get plenty of velocity out of the 120gr bullets. Ammo is easy to get if you don't reload. For deer in the woods I would rather have the Swede or Robt's.

Hugh,
After shooting a fair share of GA whitetails with a 7mm Rem., I switched to the .257 Roberts and haven’t regretted it yet. I use a Dakota mod. 10 single shot with a 22†barrel. It works great in the low brush of pulp wood clear cuts and open agriculture fields as well as in the pine/hardwood forest. Nosler is now offering factory ammo with the 110 grain Accu-bond and the 115 grain ballistic tip bullets, either of these has performed as well as any of my handloads. http://www.noslerammunition.com/257ROBERTS.html
Dave

Hugh,

Like you, I hunted whitetails with 7mm Rem Mag and 270 Wins. Where I hunt for whitetails now, its hilly (yes there are hills in Nebraska) and the shots will range from in your lap to an absolute max of 250 yards. I use a 6.5x55 CZ550FS stoked with 140gr handloads which is perfect for this type of hunting. No more issues with bloodshot meat. Slow down, chill out and enjoy some backstraps!

I still have my 7mm Rem Mag for mule deer and elk where more "horsepower" may be called for, but the .270 got traded.

im not much of a small bore fan but a few years back i tryed a 25/06 and its the only gun under 375 h&h i owen now. i was also thinking of a 257 wby

id just stick with the 7mm mag you could always load it lighter.

Nothing wrong with 7mm bore, just need to choose a smaller case:7x57 and load it with 162gnSST, a very efficient combo.

Ive been considering these rounds as well since i am moving to California from Alaska and all i have ever carried is a .375 H&H.

I'll probably mostly hunt deer and coyotes (probably lots of coyotes)and maybe make a few antelope trips with it. Which of these is the most versatile for these applications? I was leading toward a .257 weatherby just by reading the specs in my old barnes book but i really have no experience with these little guys. i also shoot lefty so my availability may be limited. My .375 is an A-bolt which i like a lot. I do handload my bullets. thanks.

As a lefty, .25-06 hands down it's a factory gun then, witht he others it's custom or at least a rebarrel as far as I know.

any opinions on the Winchester 25 WSSM rounds? dont they claim to have similar performance with less recoil and lighter carrying? and they make them in the A-bolt too.

I've a .270 WSM and like it alot, looking at the spec sheets it seems the .25WSSM is very close to the .25-06, like a .257 Roberts AI. Having a Roberts and a .25-06 I never got excited about WSSM's. Someone here has a .25WSSM and is very pleased with it's performance. Recoil with any of them is a non issue. I suppose the rifle could be a tad lighter with the super short action.

I really like my M70 FWT in 25WSSM. It is a wonderfully light and handy rifle. Performance wise, it just about matches my 257AI (this is high praise in my book), and is very close to the factory 25/06. Of course the '06 has a greater case capacity so it can be loaded to higher velocities than the WSSM or the AI. My WSSM is a little finicky, not surprising to me with such a light barrel. But with loads it likes, it shoot consistently into an inch or just over.

Not necessarily on energy numbers and velocity numbers, but on game where it counts at normal ranges under 350 to 400 yds, they are pretty interchangable....the 25/06 might add another 25 yds to point blank range, but beyond that....

ya have to consider if you hand load.. if not, then the 25/06 is the easiest and cheapest for ammo...

the 260 Rem isn't mentioned but it is the equal of the 25/06 in a short action... and has the ability to take 140 grain bullets...and its ammo should still be available locally.. I can get it pretty easily here in Hooterville Oregon, so it ought to be available about anywhere else in the lower 48... especially east of the Mississippi.....or east of the Rockies....

But with Sierra mentioning that 6.5 x 57....that is seafire's favorite cartridge... because of its age, its irregular use, but its game taking and accuracy abilities.. and lack of recoil....My favorite rifle is a heavy barreled Model 70 chambered in that round...

cheers
seafire

You gotta check out the Roberts!

If you don't reload then start with Hornady Light Mag ammo and you'll likely not keep looking. It recoils less than the other two, is lighter usually, and has the same accuracy potential. It works very well on deer, hogs, and vermin. Frankly, it's one of my favorite rifles. Nate

I would choose the 257 over the 25-06 and 6.5.

Here's my reasoning. I own a bunch of 270's and if I was going to get something different I would go with the 257. The 6.5 is too close to the 270. I reload and have used mild and reduced loads successfully out of my 270's a bunch.

Now if I was going to replace of my 270's. (pretty likely that will never happen) I would then go with the 6.5 Swede. IMO they are pretty much interchangeable.

Hugh,
I think the reason that you don't like the 7Mag is because it is an overbore cartridge. The 25-06 is overbore to just about the same extent and has the same drawbacks - excess noise, muzzle blast and recoil given the bullet weight.

The WSM's will give you the same overbore experience. The WSSM's are just about dead. 7X57, 7-08, 6.5X55, 260 Rem, 257 Roberts and 250 Savage are all very nicely balanced cartridges. I've used them all and everyone of them is a great whitetail cartridge. The 6.5 and 7mm's are a little more versatile, the 25's a little sweeter to shoot.

I'd buy a 270 long before I'd buy a 25-06.

I just came back from a mule deer and antelope hunt in WY. I took a Win featherweight in 6.5x55 and a Ruger #1 in 257 Robert's. I shot a very large 5x5 mule deer at close to 300 yd with the Roberts using the new Barnes 100gr TS bullets. The bullet broke both of his shoulders at that range and exited. Shot an antelope at 125 yd with the Roberts also. My roberts has a long throat and I can reach 3,200 fps with the 100gr TS bullet. I've kill several other large mule deer in the 200 to 300yd range with this rifle. It's a great caliber especialy with the new Barnes TS bullets. I also own a featherweight Win in 7x57 and killed all kinds of deer, antelope, caribou and even a goat with it. It's another great caliber. I've been shooting the 7x57 since 1976 and the 257 Robert's since 1980. I find no need to use a larger rifle unless elk is in the picture then I would use my 338/06. You will love the Roberts.

quote:

Originally posted by Tex21:
I had the option to build any caliber I wanted and I chose the Swede. Ammuntion is fairly common, it has no recoil to speak of, and is an accurate cartridge.

+1

All of your choices will work fine on Ga deer. I have hunted Ga deer all my life and the best rifle for me since the early 80's has been the 7m08. I never lost one and never shot one twice. I currently load it with 120 TSX. Last year I used 140TSX and they performed well.
Good Luck making a choice.

Where would a 6.5-284 Winchester fit in this group? I have been recommended this as an accurate long range round.

Hugh I know where you are coming from. I hunt Michigan deer. I wanted a down size. I used a 300 Win. Mag. I recently picked up a Ruger M77VT MkII 25-06. I would highly recommend it. I wanted to shoot it so bad I bought a box of Hornady 117gr. I shot .5 at 100yrs. Don't know much about the Swede. I consided a Roberts but perfered the ballistics of the 25-06. I'm not knocking a Roberts though. I would also highly recommend a 7mm-08. In my opinion the best all around Whitetail rifle. Great shooter, great bullet selection, and great ballistics. That is only my opinion though. 257, 25-06, 6.5 x 55 all would do the job perfectly for GA deer.

I've had a Roberts and a Swede both are good rounds.
For shooting in open country there is little to choose between them, in the woods; then the heavier 6.5 bullets get the nod. They are two accurate, pleasant to shoot cartridges.
There is a 6.5 in my safe which I would not sell to but a Roberts. However, were there a Roberts, I might sell it to buy a Swede.
You will have a good rifle if you buy one of these.

The 25-06 is not light years ahead of the .257 Roberts--they are pretty close. A deer probably wouldn't know the difference. The Roberts is milder shooting---blast and recoil. I really cant think of a thing the 25-06 does that a .270 doesnt do better.

Thanks for all of your comments folks!

I had Roger Ferrell build my 10 YO son a 257 Roberts for his first deer rifle. The rifle is so sweet to shoot that I almost did not give the gift! As many of you have mentioned, low recoil and mild report. Very easy to shoot and a rifle that will probably help you to shoot better with over time due to no concern of recoil abuse. I do know the 25-06 offers much better trajectory at 200 yards +, but at a significant addition to recoil. The 6.5 is the caliber I have little experience with; I have heard it is inherently accurate, very easy to shoot, good options for bullet weights, but with the same basic trajectory as the 257 Roberts.

Thansk. Hugh

Hugh W---Your second post makes the whole thing a no brainer to me and there is no question. You are stepping down from a 7MM mag because it is not needed and you are getting away from the recoil and blast. You find the .257 Roberts to be ample for your ten year old son. Why do you need more than him? Is he a better hunter and stalks in closer? Is he a better shot(moot point---don't hit em right and you get bad results even with a mag). So if the Roberts works for him,why wouldn't it work for you? You told us you like it and almost didnt give it to him. Yes,the 25-06 has a couple hundred feet more muzzle velocity,but that aint earth shattering. A deer wont know the difference(unless they been reading this forum). Keep in mind that some bows will give 300 fps velocity so maybe the 25-06 is ahead of the Roberts by about the difference of a bow (50 yards?????). But the real beauty of both you and your son shooting same ammo is that not too likely you both forget to bring ammo. If one of you forgets ammo,the other can cover you. Dont know if you reload or not--if so dont have to buy more dies. Get Roger Ferrell working on your .257 Roberts. BTW not subjecting your youngster to too much recoil is good. Has he shot it? Is he comfortable with it? Has he taken a deer yet? I started my grandson shooting .22 centerfires at age 7. At age 9 he took his first deer. He has taken atleast one deer per year since---most years more. At age 11 he moved up to .243 which was good as both his dad and I also shoot .243. Last year at age 16 I gave him a .308. Not that he needed more gun,I had a .308 I thought he would like. Win 88 with Leupold 2x-7x,Pachmayar decellerator recoil pad and an extra magazine that fits in a pouch on the sling. I guess he likes it. He shot it twice at a can and was dead on second shot. Next shot was an 8 pointer,next shot a ten pointer which he shot again in the neck to finish it on off. Next shot another 8 pointer. Then he had chance to shoot an axis deer that had gotten out of a guys place. 7 shots and 4 big game animals. All of this and I cant say he is getting any better results than he was getting with the .243. Many say you have to use a premium bullet in a .243. I have used cheap Winchester bulk packed for years and they work fine.

All three of those cartridges are great. The 6.5 will shoot heavier bullets though if that is important to you. You have to decide if you're going to be shooting extreme distances. If not I'd leave out the 25-06, like the others have said it's overbore, noisy, more muzzle blast, little more recoil, and uses more powder if you reload. If you reload and are going for extreme distances, then the 25-06 will flat out out shoot the other two, BUT you can get a custom 6.5-06 and outshoots it all them at extreme distances. The WSM's are nice, but do you really need all that power? If you desire a short action the 260 Rem (which is a 6.5 caliber) is very hard to beat. For that matter being you're in GA, and unless you plan on hunting say out west, I think a 243 Win could be throwed in the mix. If we are going to stick to the three mentioned, then I think I'd go with the 6.5 Swede. Carpetman made some good points about if the 257 is good enough for your son, it's good enough for you too, plus he mentioned the same ammo can be shared between the two of you.

Hugh W--- I made my last post before I had a full tank of coffee. Have to backtrack. The delima is you have a 7MM mag and want to step down. You could step down to a .257 Roberts but as is known a 25-06 is hotter. Several others in about same catagory---but heck go with a .270 you get heavier bullet. Why stop there? Move on up to 30-06 and still heavier bullets. It is well known the 30-06 is anemic and what you really need is a .300 mag. But they kick too much. So step down to a 7MM mag and problem almost solved. You have a 7mm already,but you want a Roberts. Well your son has a Roberts. Trade with him. Look at the benefits. It will make him tough. You don't want a wimpy son do you? It is also known that keeping a youngster in ammo can be expensive. You really think he will waste a lot of ammo with his new 7MM mag? Let us know how he likes it--maybe post some pictures of him shooting it.

Yeah, carpetman is using this same regiment on his grandson. Carpetman started him off with a 243 and the boy has sleu a whole lot of Texas whitetails with it. Then carpetman moved him up to a 308. I imagine next will be 308 Norma Magnum or something.

Hey tell you something, that is if you reload. You can load that 7mmMag down, yeah kind of a waste, but cheaper then a new rifle. But then again getting a new rifle is fun.

Max--Good idea--that's how I can get my .308 back. Actually when we talk kids hunting,I can no longer put my grandson in the catagory. He drives and can go out on his own and harvest one and gut it out skin it out and quarter it so he is beyond a kid hunting now.