25.06 vs. .257 Roberts

[GooseGestapo]

The difference between the .257Robt., and the .25/06 is rather moot. With everything equal, the Roberts will come within less than 100fps of the .25/06 and do it with 5% less powder.

The difference in action length is also of no consideration if the rifle in question has a standard, or "short throat".

The actual velocities will vary more between individual rifles than between 22" vs 24", Roberts vs. '06, and short vs. long throat.

I've got two "Bobs", a Wby Vanguard in .257Wby with a 24" bbl, and friend has an older MkX Mauser in .25/06. Except for the Wby, there isn't much difference except for powder charge required to reach maximum. My friends prefered hunting/accuracy load for his '06 is actually slower than some of the factory loads for the Roberts (Hornady LtMag)...... He likes 43.0gr of IMR4320 under a 120gr Sierra BTHP. It gets just over 2,800fps, but is very accurate. I frequently use 48.0gr of H4831SC for over 2,900fps in my "bobs's".......(with 117-120gr bullets. Caution, it's a +P load...)

The Wby IS MUCH different. But not always in a positive way. It drives some bullets way-way past where they'll perform properly. But some others behave very well. Notably, the Hornady Interloks do well, as do the Sierra's, Speer HotCor's, and Nosler Partitions. Pass over on the Ballistic Tips or most cup and core bullets not mentioned above. The others will do well for long-range varmiting, however.

 

[SwampWolf]

I've got two "Bobs", a Wby Vanguard in .257Wby

A .257 Roberts ("Bob") is no .257 Weatherby.

 

[GooseGestapo]

2-bobs, AND a Vanguard in .257wbymag.

You should have paid more attention to proper punctuation in english class. Comma's mean something.

One "bob" is a custom Mauser M98 featherweight with an older E.R.Shaw barrel. With load it "likes", shoots 1/2" @ 100yds. Has a LOOONG throat. Will take a Sierra 117-120gr bullet to approx. 3.10" oal. "Likes", heavy charges of slow powders, ie:H4831 and IMR4350

Second "bob" is a production Ruger M77. Has very short throat, and tight chamber. Not as accurate as above custom gun, but produces "respectable" groups with lighter charges of medium to fast powders. Specificially "likes" 38.0gr of IMR3031 under a Hornady 100gr Pt.Spt. for over 3,000fps. I had to work over the trigger, and glass bed the action/barrel to get it to "calm" down, as it threw frequent "flyers" that would open an otherwise decent group. Three shots would go under an inch, and two more might open the groups to 3"+. No predicting when/which would "fly". Now, it's "consistent", if still not a tack driver.....

The Vanguard "likes" 63.0gr of H4350 under the same Hornady bullet for 3,550fps. Also, the Speer 120gr PtSpt over 76.0gr of WC-860 for 3,320fps. It's typically "about" MOA for 5 shots. Might be better if I'd splurge and buy some factory brass.... I'm using reformed Remington 7mmRemMag brass. Weighed, sorted, lightly trimmed for uniformity after reforming neck/shoulder.

I also substitute the Hornady 117gr RN for the Speer. It's nearly as accurate and performs superbly on whitetails. This is my "tree stand" load where ranges aren't as long. I bought several boxes of these at a shop that was going out of business for ~5.00 a box. They shoot well in the Roberts, too.

 

[lefteyedom]

The "Bob" is a nearly perfect cartridge for 90% of the hunting in America. Of course I have low self esteem and must have the faster and far more expensive 257 weatherby.

I would buy the rifle combo you like best if it is a 25/06 great if it is a 257 Roberts great. Balance and personal confidence with the weapon is more important 100 fps difference in these two fine cartridges

For the record my 257 Weatherby is built on an old left savage 110, it's mission is the long range engagement of the Wyoming Coyote. As a member of the PPL {Poodle Protection League} it is my duty to protect the local over weight out of shape house pet from their wild cannibal kin...

 

[Lloyd Smale]

i own and love them both and have had multiple rifles in both calibers. the 25-06s ive owned tended to be slightly more accurate then the roberts rifles. Theres a can be a bigger variation in chamber specs and throating in the roberts and that is probably why. that combined with the crappy factory ammo that is and was produced for them. If you handload it will close the gap quite a bit. The 2506 definately hits harder at long range but if your deer hunting is mostly in the 100 yard range they tend to destroy alot of meat. My recomendation is that if most of your hunting is at 200 yards or less get a roberts if its past 200 yards get a 2506. one other advantage at least to me with the roberts is most of them come with 20-22 inch barrels and the 2506s for the most part are 24 inch which makes the roberts a handier rifle to carry.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

This Bob is pretty accurate. Rem 700 CDL stainless fluted, 24" barrel. This was 67 yds, the only clear distance I had at the time. Factory Light Magnum, 117 gr.

 

[MCgunner]

If you're shooting factory, you aren't going to ever see the Roberts' potential. You have to handload it for that. I have found the 117 hornady interlocks quite accurate in my rifle. That light magnum group is excellent.

As for 200 yards max, bunk. My load shoots zero at 250 yards, 2.71" high at 150, 3.34" low at 300. At the muzzle, it's pushing 3150 fps with a 100 grain sierra game king/2199 ft lbs, and I got a standard deviation of a 10 shot string on that load of 18.72 (means it's very consistent). At 300 yards, it's still at 2412 fps/1201 ft lbs. That sounds like a 300+ yard whitetail load to me. It'll shoot as far as any .308 on whitetail. But, what I really like about the load is its consistent 3/4 moa groups.

 

[SwampWolf]

I've got two "Bobs", a Wby Vanguard in .257Wby with a 24" bbl, and friend has an older MkX Mauser in .25/06.

2-bobs, AND a Vanguard in .257wbymag.

You should have paid more attention to proper punctuation in english class. Comma's mean something.

You needed the "AND" to make sense out of your original statement. Commas don't make us mind readers. Anyhow, if I didn't make it apparent enough, my jibe was just a tongue-in-cheek aside. No need to insult my grammar usage.

 

[Art Eatman]

I heard the bell ring; English class is over for the day.