257 Roberts

[6.8 hunter]

I bit the bullet on a new Ruger Hawkeye 257 Roberts. I think I will reload for it to get max potemtial performance. I dont have a lot of 100 gr. But I have a lot of 117 gr SP bullets. I have some 110 Accubond. Had to sell a different gun to get it. Specs seem nice. Never had one. Anybody reload for one, want to share your experience? Ruger 37115. Seems like a short action but...? We will see

 

[BreechFace]

Very nice! Didn’t know they were chambering the M77 in the Bob. If I were to add another caliber it would be the quarter bore and I would be all over that or a No1 in the Bob. But I don’t need to stock another caliber of components.

 

[zeke]

Worked with one for a short time with 100 grainers and had best luck with H4350. Also seem to remember documentation on varying throat cuts, action lengths relating to col.

 

[TEXASJD]

N160 will work well too

 

[Weflyfast]

4350...H414 ...N160...all work....
If you want to do varmits....Hornady makes a 75 gr Vmax that shoots very well-

 

[FROGO207]

My grandfather had one in that caliber back when I was in school. The 70's. The only rifle he never traded off and never let anyone else use it. It went somewhere when he died 20 or so years ago. Wish I had it now. He said it was the most accurate rifle he owned bar none. He used IMR 4350 and H414 in it as well.

 

[stringnut]

Never loaded anything in the old man’s except for 100 grain bullets. Used Hornady, Speer, and Sierra pro hunter. All shot about the same and any of the 4350 powders worked well. I never pushed it hard and all loads were around 2900 to 2950. H 4350 should work well for the heavier slugs also. His also is a Hawkeye. I still have it. It is on the same action as the the 30/06 length cartridges.

 

[tmd16556]

Back in the 1930s IMR3031 worked with lighter bullets. I’ve gone through a lot of old load logs from my great grandfather in 257 Roberts. He mostly shot hawks with it and used 86-100 gr bullets at obscene velocities to shoot them out to 400 yards. I put the best load he had into GRT with 3031 and the pressure estimate was terrifying, so no load data to responsibly share (these we’re used in a heavy Niedner barrel on a high number 1903 action).

Still, today you can probably replicate the velocity with a 4350 type powder. Slower burning powders can heal in the Roberts. The fast burners like 3031 (and du Pont 17 1/2or HiVel back in the day) could be barrel burners too.

 

[6.8 hunter]

Lucky I have some H4350 need to burn up.

 

[Boom Vang]

H4350 and 117/120 grain bullets @2800-2900 fps is a whitetail match made in heaven.

I tried the 110 Accubond but it is a very long bullet for the calibre and accuracy was not that great in the Roberts. Did better at high velocity in the 25-06 and .25 WSSM.

 

[6.8 hunter]

what 100 gr. reloading bullets do you like these days. I have a ton of 117 gr. On hand

 

[TEXASJD]

Sierra’s

 

[Alaskamike]

Speers for me for jacketed bullets. I've also got some 100 grain cast bullets from Montana Bullet Works that I really like.

 

[lightman]

I load for mine! I use 100 grain Sierra's and IMR 4350. I have not experimented very much because the above does everything that I wanted. Loading the "Bob" is no different than any other bottleneck cases so no surprises there.

Brass is hard to find. You see Hornady or Nosler for sale occasionally. I keep wishing that Starline will start making it.

 

[CowboyTim]

Load mine with 120s over 7828ssc.

 

[IWAC]

I load for mine! I use 100 grain Sierra's and IMR 4350. I have not experimented very much because the above does everything that I wanted. Loading the "Bob" is no different than any other bottleneck cases so no surprises there.

Brass is hard to find. You see Hornady or Nosler for sale occasionally. I keep wishing that Starline will start making it.

My favorite caliber! I developed a load with 100 gr spitzers that would do 7/8 in. at 100 yards. You may already be aware the 6mm Remington shares the same mother case...the 7X57 Mauser. It only needs to have the neck expanded, and the rest will fit just fine, The first firing will take care of any small differences, if there are any.
John Barsness, a HANDLOADER magazine guru, once stated If a .257 Roberts won't shoot with a good hunting bullet (the super-premiums aren't really necessary) and 42-43gr. of any of the 4350s, something is wrong with the gun!" He had a rather lengthy article in a distant back issue of HANDLOADER enitled "Loads that work" which said about the same thing. Buy the Hornady or Nosler brass, they make good stuff. If you treat it right, you can expect at least 5 reloadings.

 

[zeke]

Load mine with 120s over 7828ssc.

Did work up some loads with RL-22. Very good accuracy/velocity and the increased boom from the relatively short barrel was noticeable.

 

[blackhawk44]

IMR4350 and 100gr Nosler Ballistic Tip game bullets have served me well since the mid 1980's. Solid kills and 3/4" groups in my BLR 81.

 

[6.8 hunter]

It seems to me like the 110 Accubond would be about a perfect bullet for this round.

 

[GooseGestapo]

The 110Accubnd and 110Gr Hornady haven’t given me decent results. They’re marginally too long for the 1/10” twist.
I’ve taken over 100deer with my M98 Mauser Custom, mostly with 100gr bullets and most are the Hornady 100gr flat base PtSpt. Others are the 100gr Sierra Game King and Speer HotCor. Flat base are typically more accurate.
The .257R isn’t hard on brass if you only resize to bump the shoulder back enough to allow effortless chambering. I’ve got brass that has over 20 loadings. I have started annealing brass so they’ll last me the rest of my life.
I was gifted about 200rds of OFB Federal cases from Premium NOSLER 120gr Partition. I’ve still got several boxes that haven’t been reloaded!
My go-to load is the classic 45.0gr of IMR4350 and a 100gr 0.020 off the lands.
I also found that 44.0gr of H380 gave just under 3,100fps from my 22” ERShaw bbl and 1/2” 5shot groups at 100yds. H414 @45.0gr is just behind it.
I recommend the Lee #2 Manual as it has a LOT of discontinued Hodgdon data. My best group ever was with some original H4831 @48.5 gr and the 100gr Hornady 100gr Spt. I got a 200yd 3-shot group of 3/4”! Max is 49.0 (compressed) and is only 51,100psi. Not even a +P loading. Shot my biggest ever 10pt buck with it at 210yds in 1985. Bang flop!
Oddly enough, I’ve never shot a Nosler Partition through it.
But Many, many MidwayUSA “blems”. The heaviest deer I ever shot was with a 117gr Hornady BtSpt Interlok at 220yds. Also a bang flop! As he jumped over a property line fence.
One evening I shot 5-does using the Sierra 100gr Boat Tail over 45.0gr of H414. Took me two days to process them all…
The rifle still wears the same Leupold 2-7x VariX II in Millet low rings. Weighs 7.2lbs w/sling…

 

[6.8 hunter]

The new hawkeyes are long action. Not going to be a problem getting to the lands if one so desires.
We have several Sierras to try, 100 gr, 117 gr. Boat tail, and flat base. Also have 120 grand slams. No partitions yet. Nosler 117 +P ammo is available but not cheap