after years of searching i just bought a remington 700 mountain rifle in 257 roberts and boy is the magazine short.. i took some 120 gr sierra hps loads from my custom 3" 257 and compressed them .4"..has anyone tried the 117 hornady round nose in these guns or even 117 hornady flat bases, my normal load is a 120 partation with 45 gr of h4350 but this will be highly compressed in this short action rifle

tgh: I'd suggest going to 24hourcampfire.com and posing your question to John Barnsness. He posts there alot under the name of "Mule Deer". He has written often that the Roberts is doesn't need to be in a long action. My 257's have all been M70's. They have a magazine block limiting the OAL but I can usually load the rounds to about 2.85". Sounds like you are less than that!

the 117 gr. RN is a good round, but consider about 250 yds as the max effective range of the round. Based only on trajectory. Any hunter who uses round noses doesn't normally expect it to be used beyond that anyway.

The round is effective, because it was "contrary to popular belief" but Weatherby loaded the 117 grain Round Nose in the 257 Weatherby for years. Not sure if they still do so, because the round nose is not trendy. However, it is as effective on game as it always has been.

Congrats in finding a 257 in a mountain rifle. Nice rig to tote in the woods.

Tom,
I use 100gr.Sierra FB Spitzers in my 722 Remington(short action). They'll kill anything your likely to encounter in Georgia, or most anywhere else. Extremely accurate too.
Stepchild

Congrats Tom on a fine rifle! I own one myself. When Remington came out with that model I went to the local gun shop and purchased one. It is the one rifle that will never leave me.

I too was once concerned about the short action but I finally just got over it, seated the bullets to work in the magazine and went shooting and hunting. The past 2 years I have used the 115 gr. BT exclusively. I have taken several deer and hogs here in the Carolinas and that bullet has performed perfectly for me. I have some 115 gr. Partitions loaded to start load development with that bullet and I also have some 100 gr. Barnes "X" I plan to try after experimenting with the Partitions. I am wanting a one load does it all and I have a mule deer hunt in CO this fall so I want a little more bullet than a BT. My smallest groups to date are with the 117 gr. Sierra Gamekings. Yes I had to seat them far in the case but with groups consistently under .5 so what.

I have yet to try the 117 gr. Hrndy RN but that was my bullet I used for several years in the 25-06. It worked great in the woods as well in the pastures and clear cuts. For shots under 400 yds. the RN is really no handicap and I wouldn't think you would be attempting shots at that range with "The Bob" any way.

Good luck with your rifle.

C-ROY

olarmy, do you have any idea what has happened to 24hourcampfire.com ? I can't call it up.

same here, cant bring up 24hourcampfire at all, hope its
not been cancelled or shut down.

Just tried it and it works for me. But I never have understood these studpid computers!! Here's the address that worked for me: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=