With what I have now, I don't think I really "need" a .257 Roberts, but I have always wanted one. I currently have a 6mm Remington, a 6.5x55, and a .25-06 (among a few others). So, I think I have the 80 to 120 grain bullets covered. It might be a little redunant to slip a Roberts into that mix, but practicality does not always figure in to rifle purchasing. The main problem is as it has always been, is even finding a .257 Roberts and then finding one that was not so high priced. If I could find a Roberts at a reasonable price, I would buy it in a heartbeat. So, I'll lay low and just wait and see if one happens by.
joe

Winchester reissued the Bob in the M70 Featherweight this year.

The answer is "of course you need a .257 Roberts"!
If you asked the question the answer is obviously yes.
Yes you can find them in M70 Featherweights new production and old production, Rugers are abundant and they made them in the Remington classic, CDL and mountain rifle.Also the Nosler line of rifles has several price ranges with the Roberts in each line up.
Get one you'll love it.
Mines a 96 Mauser (Husky) with a Gentry 3 position, Timney trigger and a cock on open speedlock kit, Pac Nor match barrel and it is a real tack driver with 41.5 grains IMR-4350 and a 117 Sierra, this load is absolute death on Mule Deer.

If you didn't already have a 25-06 I would say, definitely! My Ruger 77 has such a long throat that I seat bullets way out and load it like a 25-06 with no pressure problems. But since you already have that....

The short answer is yes. Stand your ground, don,t let things like practicality cloud your judgement. And remember, it,s not just yourself that you have to think about, anytime wives and girlfriends can point at some guy who,s decided not to get another gun because he,s got most of the bases covered, makes it a little tougher for the rest of us to sneak one past the accounting department. A slippery slope...
Keep your eyes open for a good deal on a .257, and know that when it comes along, you should get it with a clear conscience, a good deed done, another run scored for the team.

I may not NEED one, but I darned sure WANT one... as soon as I can do it, I will have a pure custom 257 built in LH...

I have one, along with a 25-06 and many other calibers on either side of it. Guess you just have to decide for yourself.

i just purchased a Model 70 Featherweight in 257 Roberts. it is a very well put together firearm. i am impressed. have not shot it yet. i have 6mms, 250 sav , 25-06 and that did not seem to get in my way. the model 70 i bought has a long action so i am going to try the heavy bullets, hopefully to good effect.

I can't believe a gun guy DOESN'T have one. I like mine so much I can't imagine being without it.

It's NEVER about "NEED".

YES!! And thanks for reminding me; I need one too.

Joe, I don't have one either, but I think that you and I both need one.

Joe, in my books the 25-06 does not do a thing the .270 doesn't do better. So you need to rebarrel the 25-06 to .270 that will leave you in dire need of a .257 Roberts.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Joe, in my books the 25-06 does not do a thing the .270 doesn't do better. So you need to rebarrel the 25-06 to .270 that will leave you in dire need of a .257 Roberts.

Now you guys are thinking straight.

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Winchester reissued the Bob in the M70 Featherweight this year.

That sounds tempting!

Joe

I do a lot more shooting at the range than I do shooting at animals and not that 25-06 is especially tough on the shoulder, but I'd say once you start shooting a Roberts your 25-06 may never come out of the safe again.( except to get sold) FS

Fasteel--Most reloading manuals do not list pressure, but the Lyman Manual does. There is a fairly large difference in pressure between the .257 Roberts and the 25-06. This pressure difference does make a large difference in both blast and recoil, as you alluded to, much more pleasant to shoot.. (more so than the velocity difference).

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:

quote:

Originally posted by 416Tanzan:
Winchester reissued the Bob in the M70 Featherweight this year.

That sounds tempting!

Well, we just got the M70 COMPACT Featherweight because of its 13" length of pull.

That means that the historical nemesis of the 257 Roberts was chosen, the 243 Winchester. Between the two, we would have chosen the Bob, but only the 243 was available in COMPACT. And there is very very little practical hunting difference bewteen a 243Win and a 257Rob. Both are best limited to deer and broadside hartebeest.

However, if a longer length of pull is OK, then I would recommend the M70 Featherweight 257Bob over the 243Win. The Featherweight proper has a 22 inch barrel, which is better for these flat-shooting cartridges.

If you have even wondered if you need one, then the answer is yes----you do.
For me it would be a little full stocked carbine. All wrapped up in fancy english walnut or broken fiddleback bastogne.

DW

I heard the most interesting man in world doesn't always hunt deer but when he does, he prefers the 257 Roberts. Shoot a classic my friend.

OK, you guys have answered my question as I knew you would. I DO need a .257 Roberts. Now I find I may also need a .250 Savage. I will keep my eyes open for one or both. I really don't see a conflict at all. One neck sizing die and one seating die will work for the .250, the .257, and the .25-06. The same bullets and powders can be used for all three, so where's the conflict?
joe

Do you have a .22 Hornet? (:-))

Crap I sure hope I don't NEED all my rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by dwheels:
If you have even wondered if you need one, then the answer is yes----you do.
For me it would be a little full stocked carbine. All wrapped up in fancy english walnut or broken fiddleback bastogne.

DW

DW

Ruger made a run of SS over walnut in their International model n 250 Savage, It was for a USA dist. called Lipseys. I was lucky enough to get one here in Canada so their must be a few someplace in the uSA. Guess you'd have to like Ruger 77 actions. FS

i dont have one but i have a .260 rem.But ill bet my next rifle will be a .257 roberts... more than likey a ruger M-77

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
I heard the most interesting man in world doesn't always hunt deer but when he does, he prefers the 257 Roberts. Shoot a classic my friend.

Thanks Scott....you just made me realize how truly "Old School" my thinking is. Around my house, we shoot the .250 Savage in a 1941 M-99 and consider the .257 Roberts (a fine cartridge) to be kinda a "new-kid-on-the-block"

Nice classic cartridge but as you have a 6.5x55 a "Bob" is just a slightly inferior "inches cartridge". The Bob will do more than the 250-3000 and less than the 25-06. If you WANT one, buy all means get it, but if we were all really honest, a 22 RF rifle and pistol, 38/357 special revolver, hicap 9mm pistol, 44 magnum revolver, 223 AR, 30-06, 375 H&H and 12 bore pump gun would handle anything on this side of the pond on 4 legs or two.
But that's no fun and wouldn't drive the "Obamaites" nuts. Nicholas Cage had it right in "Lord of War".
The "blue state" types whine about 300,000,000 guns in America, I think the short term goal should be 1 billion.
If Lee had only listened to Longstreet........

"Need" a 257 Roberts"? No!

"Want" a 257 Roberts? Not until I found this one. Now I have one and love it.





Alan

Yes.



Yes indeed you do!



One of, if not THE best rifle purchase I've ever made. I've never enjoyed a rifle more.

For the reloader if you don't mind searching for quality components, the .257 Roberts would be a nice niche rifle. If you don't reload, ammo is a cash grab for anything that is considered wildcatty.

I pretty much decided I would only get Rifles in calibers that Lapua or Norma (2nd choice) made brass for.

I suppose you could get Norma Brass by purchasing these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...soft-point-box-of-20

quote:

Originally posted by RvS:
For the reloader if you don't mind searching for quality components, the .257 Roberts would be a nice niche rifle. If you don't reload, ammo is a cash grab for anything that is considered wildcatty.

I pretty much decided I would only get Rifles in calibers that Lapua or Norma (2nd choice) made brass for.

I suppose you could get Norma Brass by purchasing these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...soft-point-box-of-20

257 Roberts is a hunters cartridge, not a match cartridge. Remington brass does fine for me.

Since we hare sharing baby pictures, here is mine.

quote:

Originally posted by scottfromdallas:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by RvS:
For the reloader if you don't mind searching for quality components, the .257 Roberts would be a nice niche rifle. If you don't reload, ammo is a cash grab for anything that is considered wildcatty.

I pretty much decided I would only get Rifles in calibers that Lapua or Norma (2nd choice) made brass for.

I suppose you could get Norma Brass by purchasing these.
http://www.midwayusa.com/produ...soft-point-box-of-20

quote:

257 Roberts is a hunters cartridge, not a match cartridge. Remington brass does fine for me.

I understand the Niche the Roberts fills, that has nothing to do with quality when it comes to reloading components.
Failures in cartridge components generally mean Brass / case failure.
I have had failure in the following brands of Case;
R-P , W-W, FC, Frontier, although FC mostly gives up in the primer pocket before the case mouth and shoulders.
I consider hunting cartridges more important than my match pills due to the fact it's generally much time and effort going in to a single shot.

I have yet to have failure in my Lapua or Norma cases, I know I will eventually. Many of my Lapua cases are beyond 10 firings.

I wouldn't sell the need for top quality components short just because it's a hunting round.

I've just never experienced those kinds of failures with other brass. Maybe I'm just a mild reloader. I've used Lapua before but didn't see a big difference. Didn't mean to come across snide, my 257R is actually extremely accurate. I just think there is good enough for hunting, especially big game. If I'm getting about inch at 100 yards with a load, I'm happy.

RvS: I agree that loads for hunting are important. That's why I use new or once fired brass for that application. I think I'd be more confident in new W-W or Rem brass, than I would with Lapua brass that had been fired 10 times.

You're assuming. My hunting ammo is all twice fired brass. I think it takes 2 firings for a case to be final formed. I only body size the case when I can't close the bolt.

quote:

Originally posted by RvS:
You're assuming. My hunting ammo is all twice fired brass. I think it takes 2 firings for a case to be final formed. I only body size the case when I can't close the bolt.

Welcome to the forum by the way. Good to see new some new blood.

The .257 Roberts is a great cartridge. As far as loading components, it all depends on personal preference. What one person wants may not fit into another persons agenda.

Using quality components makes for better loads in any cartridge.

Here is three, three shot groups from my lightweight M96 not a target rifle but if I put more glass on it it just might be.
by the way I use vanilla pudding components
WW brass WW or CCI primers, IMR 4350 and 117 Sierra boat Tails, it shoots groups this size, smaller and larger depending on the jerk behind the trigger. It is a 7 pound rifle with a 3-9 Compact Leupold on it.
Excellent Mule deer medicine.

Damn nice shooting. That 96 sounds nice.

Do you need one? probably not.But if you have to ask then i guess you probably want one. And thats all that matters. I have 2.one custom mauser. well its my wifes and she'll be burried with it. Mine is a 257 vickery improved. 3100 fps with a 117 and im not pushing it.That puts me in the 25-06 class with no kick. or load down to a 250.. Ok yes you need one