In a time of cheap medium length Mauser actions, the Roberts is the way to go.

I'm an old fashioned kinda guy and none of these "new" short cartridges have shown me any reason to change. When I get too lazy to throw the bolt that extra half inch for the same results, I'm gonna shoot me, instead of deer.

Until that time, I am gonna go right on shooting .257 Roberts, .257AI, 6.5x57, 6.5x 55, and 7x57. There ain't nothing east of the Mississipi that I would be uncomfortable shooting with any of those. I don't hunt much these days, but I spend a few days a year loafing in the woods. Most of those days, I carry a little Savage 99 carbine 'cause it just feels right.

We get bears coming off the park, and while I ain't hunting them, I have a tag in my pocket, and if one walks in front of me, we are gonna see how a .25 117 grain roundnose at 2650 fps affects his digestion. Most of them bears don't weigh a whole lot more than me, anyway.

Easy choice for me, .260. Great choice of bullets and it will work very well for the animals you mentioned.

Pecos

On big game I have found the 250 Sav. and 257 Roberts just flat outperformed the .243 in every way, irregardless of "paper balistics"...

I have used all three a good deal, and my call is I don't recommend hunting big game with anything less than 25 cal. I say recommend, as I have and ocassionally do hunt deer with a 222 or 22-250 with my grandchildren...and yes I know the 243 and .260 will kill deer and elk.

"I like the 257 and a 120 gr. bullet at 2900 plus"

Listen to Ray, A case full of H4831 and a 120 Gr bullet is pretty good medium game medicine. You will be in the 2900+fps zone with great accuracy. Leave the throat alone. This business about the bullet taking up valuable powder space is more thoery than reality. If you want to get more H4831 in there use a drop tube. Shoot it in a short action. Make a light rifle. A pre-64 featherweight size rig with a 2-7 scope is dandy. Don't try to make a 257 Weathery out if it. Long actions and long heavy barrels are out of place, in my mind. I have a long action Pre 64 with a medium weight 26" barrel in 257R. It is to heavy for the cartridge, in my opinion.

Both are great cartridges, personally, I would select the 260 Rem. The 260 probably would do better, but Remington has never been known to be strong marketers. I like the fact it will handle larger size bullets if needed. Also, brass will never be a problem, with the parent case being 308 win. I would love to own one of each (grin).

With equal weight bullets there isn't a nickels worth of difference between the 257R and the .260 Rem. However, if you may run across something that can bite, then the 260 is definitely the way to go! 125gr. Nosler Partitions for deer and caribou and a few 140 Barnes X bullets in your pocket in case of anything nasty! They will shoot stem to stern on most anything!

Either will do. Personally I'd go with the .260.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
The 257 is simply a more powerful caliber than the 260 Rem...I like the 257 and a 120 gr. bullet at 2900 plus puts it in the .270 Win catagory.

Digging through some old posts and stumbled on this gem... gave me a good chuckle. You can't make this stuff up folks...

If you already have a 30-06 and a 308 Win the 260 Rem would offer a lot of overlap to what you already have but the 257 Roberts would add a lot of versatility to your collection. There would be no shame in adding one of each either.

quote:

Originally posted by Clem:
If you already have a 30-06 and a 308 Win the 260 Rem would offer a lot of overlap to what you already have but the 257 Roberts would add a lot of versatility to your collection. There would be no shame in adding one of each either.

It's an 8 year old thread... but I agree it's tough to go wrong with either

Greg:

Just buy a .257 Roberts. You only need one bullet, a 100 grain TSX.

260 all day

I have 257 and 6.5x257 and my vote is for the 260.

Bullet BCs and bullet choice is the selling point for me.

That said 257 will likely do anything I need it to do.

Guys, the OP bought his rifle 8 years ago - he no longer needs advice!

But I'm glad that Brad brought this old thread back, I love the quote he provided. A special tip for all new shooters - you can believe EVERYTHING you are told when you ask a question on the internet.....



.

quote:

Guys, the OP bought his rifle 8 years ago - he no longer needs advice!

...2002 thread.....

quote:

Originally posted by MRMD:
The 257 is simply a more powerful caliber than the 260 Rem...I like the 257 and a 120 gr. bullet at 2900 plus puts it in the .270 Win catagory. I don't think the 257 is more powerful than the 260. They are almost the same. If anything the 260 has a slight edge (even when loading the Roberts to its potential). The Nosler loading manual (fifth edition) shows the 260 to shoot a 120 at 3049 from a 24" barrel.

Yes, one can instinctively judge the 260 Rem to be superior to the 257 Roberts based on experience, or we can even do it some other way.

I value momentum or momentum density (Mo/Xsa) and also the properties of the bullet of which sectional density is one (SD). Comparing the 2 cartridges with each other we see that on both scores the 260 Rem is superior to the 257 Roberts. That is largely so due to the fact that weight is favoured in lieu of velocity in our ballistic system, and in addition the higher SD bullet contributes by making the bullet perform better, as it is shot at lower velocity; keeping most bullets within their velocity windows.

By multiplying Mo with SD, we get my KOV yardstick, which I have devised in the year 2000, being simply a measure of ranking calibers against the same standard to give a comparative result.

257 Roberts:

Momentrum = 120 gr/7000 @ 2900 fps = 49.7 Lbs/ft-sec
SD = 120gr/7000/.257/.257 = .260
Bekker's KOV = Mo x SD = 49.7 x .260 = 12.9 --->

260 Remington
Momentrum = 140 gr/7000 @ 2750 fps = 55.0 Lbs/ft-sec
SD = 140gr/7000/.264/.264 = .287
Bekker's KOV = Mo x SD = 55.0 x .287 = 15.8 --->

Summary:

Cartridge -------- Mo ----- SD ----- KOV
257 Roberts ---- 49.7 --- .260 -- 12.9
260 Rem -------- 55.0 --- .287 --- 15.8
% Better -------- 11% --- 10% --- 22%

Here is yet another one that most of us can relate to giving a stark contrast of 2 cartridges with the same energy values, if the word "powerful" is meant to be "energy". These 2 cartridges have the same energy, but differ in other respects.

Which one for Grizzly bear?

Cartridge ----- Weight --- Vel ---- Energy --- Momentum --- SD ----- KOV
257 WBY Mag --- 120 ---- 3300 --- 2902 ------ 56.6 ------- .260 ---- 14.7
30-06 Spr -------- 220 ---- 2437 --- 2902 ------ 76.6 ------- .331 ---- 25.4

Warrior

Wow. Why not just say you prefer long bullets with a high SD at moderate velocities?

My view is that they are two peas in a pod. Case capacity is essentially the same and bullet diameter is very close, so they must be pretty similar. IMO, I would not chose to use either for game larger than deer, so a bullet heavier than 120gr is not necessary, which, from my personal perspective removes any advantage the 260 may have.

And using yourloads, any slight advantage in trajectory or energy out to normal hunting ranges falls to the 257. Put a 120gr bullet in both and you won't be able to tell the difference in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by olarmy:

any slight advantage in trajectory or energy out to normal hunting ranges falls to the 257. Put a 120gr bullet in both and you won't be able to tell the difference in the field.

I agree and I don't think you need to use the 120 grainers in the .257. I started putting my Bob on paper today with the 100 grain TSXs. I promise you they will zip right through a deer. However, it's nice to know that the Speer 120 grain Deep Curl bullets will soon be available in .257.

First, I have to say, I didn't even realize this thread was 8-1/2 years old until I got to the second page.

Also, I'm so glad I don't have to choose either as I have both. I doubt I'll ever sell either as they have different endearing attributes, TO ME!

My Rem 700 CDL SF Limited is easily the most accurate factory rifle I've ever owned. I've not shot anything less than 120 gr in it so have no comment there. I've got no less than a dozen different bullet/powder combo that shoot less than MOA and many much better. With a VXII 2-7 it weighs 7 lb 11 oz; pretty nice.





My Pre 64 M70 in 257 Rob is my dream rifle. It doesn't shoot as good as my 260 Rem. In case anyone wonders, I do hunt it and I hunt elk with it using the 120 Partition which gives me MOA+ groups @ 2900 fps with H4831.





Alan

That's a beautiful M70!

That SHOULD be your dream rifle, unless maybe you work for Hartmann & Weiss or H&H !

GSSP:

Who did the stock work on your Winchester. It is beautiful!

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
GSSP:

Who did the stock work on your Winchester. It is beautiful!

Dave,

Other than Krieger doing an action job, barreling and chambering the rifle it was all Glen.


Alan

quote:

Originally posted by GSSP:



Alan

I'm sorry, but that wood is so beautiful it has no business on a knock down, drag out hunt!

Pretty is as pretty does. If I have a rifle, it's going to the woods. No matter how pretty it is. And that is one fine piece of wood.