257 wby mag

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JNG
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257 wby mag

Post by JNG »

I have been intrigued with the .257.
I had 3 surgeries on my right shoulder due work injuries. I shoot the 45-70 (my fav). Very rare.
.257, 45-70 close but..
Why should I get one?
Can't hunt deer in Ohio with it, so why?
Itch has been going on for quite years.
Ideas?

Thanks, Joe
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jeepnik
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by jeepnik »

Best reason of all. You want it.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
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GunnyMack
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by GunnyMack »

I wise man told me this years ago-
' when you buy a rifle (say a 30-06 ) then the next one you go up in caliber. Then you go down and so on until you have all of them! :D

I have a 257 Ackley improved, very happy with it. I was never very fond of the Weatherby rounds...
BROWN LABS MATTER !!
Bill in Oregon
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by Bill in Oregon »

JNG, I am as intrigued by the little .240 Weatherby as by the .257. Can't say why.
TraderVic
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by TraderVic »

As I've aged (I'm 66 now) I have managed to injure both rotator cufs, resulting in surgical repair on both. I am not necessarly sensitive to recoil, but prefer less nowadays anyway.
I have recently switched to a short action caliber (6.5) for whitetail deer hunting. The only magnum rifle that I may yet consider would be a revolver caliber (357, etc).
That said, if you've always wanted a 257 Wby Mag, then get one. The proprietary brass is spendy whichever way you buy it though.
Perhaps a 257 Roberts or a 25-06 would scratch that 25 caliber itch (??).
Best wishes...
jnyork
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by jnyork »

So, scratch the itch. Seems simple enough. You aint gettin' any younger.

When you are on your death bed, will you be telling someone "Gee, I'm so glad I saved that money instead of buying that Weatherby." ?
t.r.
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by t.r. »

.257 MAG will take down a Wyoming speed goat at very long range. But this type of shooting takes all the fun out of planning a stalk and crawling to approach within good shooting distance. My antelope rifle is a 20 inch barreled 30-30 shooting 125 grain Sierra spitzer bullets loaded single at a time for safety. Sighted four inches high at 100 yards puts me right on at 225 yards. I always have a ball when hunting pronghorns!

TR
Fire Up the Grill - Hunting is NOT Catch & Release!
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6pt-sika
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by 6pt-sika »

Remington made a special run of 700 CDL’s a few years back in 257 Weatherby Mag . Could be had blues or stainless both versions in walnut . I never cared for a stainless walnut stocked rifle so I bought a blues one . Worked over the trigger and shimmed the action up in the stock so it was free floated . Then worked up a load with the Nosler 115 BT that was very accurate . Later like many others someone wanted it more then I was willing to keep it . That was my third Weatherby cartridge I tried the 270 and 300 Weatherbys in Ruger #1B’s . Killed deer with the Rugers but never fired at one with the 257 . I wouldn’t mind another 257 but I want it in a West German made Mark V .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
Jay Bird

Re: 257 wby mag

Post by Jay Bird »

My late BIL had an extremely rare Southgate, California Weatherby in .257 (Mauser action) that he had me do the load development work on. Going back in the nineties. Still have the dies. IIRC I used a whole lot of H4831 and a 100 gr Sierra.

What I do remember clearly is that the gun did not have a lot of recoil but one heck of a blast. It shot like a laser beam out to 400 meters. My BIL used this in the coal strippings in upstate, Pa. and all of his kills were one shot...dead right there, instantly.......he used to laugh at me with my 33 Winchester, 44 Spls, 45-90's and other old guns using cast bullets but one thing for sure, it took two of his deer to equal the same amount of meat that I got from one deer. It's destructive!---6
JB
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by JB »

If you can't hunt with it, I'm not sure I'd buy it. The barrel life on those isn't great, so it wouldn't be my pick just to punch paper. But I own a few things that aren't super practical, so I can't exactly cast any stones. :)
33wcfshooter
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Re: 257 wby mag

Post by 33wcfshooter »

Life is short if you got the $$$ and want one I say go for it. The 257 wby. Is one of my favorite cartridges used one since I was 13 and took my first whitetail with it. I don't know the Ohio laws but the 257 is great for woodchucks and coyotes too so maybe that could be something you could look into. Recoil isn't bad at all about like a 270. I think the barrel life issues are mostly just stories (one 257 I've used pretty hard still does 3 shots into 1.3" at 100yds with Nosler b. tips) it's important though to let the barrel cool after 3 or 4 shots. Only problem I've had is with bullets most are ok for varmints but for deer or bigger you want good construction (partition, a frames,triple shocks,etc..)
Hope this helps.
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