257 Wby

[gun crazy newfie]

Hi all. I am considering buying a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in 257 Wby. I do not reload so I would have to buy the ammo, and I know that it isn't cheap. Here in Canada (where I am from) the ammo cost around $85 - $120 per box and it is very hard to find. But I fell in love with the ballistics when I saw what the 257 Wby could do.
So do you guys think that I am crazy to buy one or what? Also, can someone tell me exactly what I would need to start reloading for a 257 if I get one? I know nothing about reloading but would love to get into it as I have over twenty guns and reloading would save my wallet big time.
Thanks in advance for all your help.

Steve

 

[NCsmitty]

If you go to the handloading section here on THR, check the stickies for information on starting to load.
You will save a bundle reloading and shoot more too.


NCsmitty

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

hi Newfie and welcome.I did the same thing and bought a 257.I had wanted one for years.I do plan to start loading my own next year,Luckily I cant get ammo between 50& 60 a box.But wow do they shoot good luck

 

[rangerruck]

My God man! that is a ton of money for ammo; and I complain when 22 ammo is over 3 bucks a box!!
I also love the ballistics of the 257; 100 yd zero only puts you 2 feet low at 500 yds, simply amazing. but to me, I would not buy one, unless I was 100% sure, i was going to reload for it.

 

[Kernel]

We just had a .257 Wby thread on the Handloading section a couple of weeks ago. Crunch the numbers. On paper that sucker is the definition of over-kill. Seriously, from the stand point of expansion ratio, it's in a league of it's own.

 

[batmann]

I believe it was Roy Weatherby's favorite round, enough said.
Yes ammo is expensive, but you are not going to be shooting a lot at a time, so reload, it is much cheaper that way and you can down load it and save your barrel.

 

[Geno]

I had a Mark V Deluxe in .257 Wea Mag. Roy's one-shot = one kill is so true, even at 525 yards. Go the extra few $ and get the Mark V. In the .257 Wea Mag, you need the extra 2" of barrel that the Vanguards lack. JMHO

 

[rangerruck]

Above dude is right; why buy the round, unless you can get at least a 26 inch bbl for it? anything else, and you will just be cheating yourself of the cart's true potential. Heck I would look for a 28 bbl, if I could find one...

 

[RainDodger]

I owned a Weatherby Mark V in .257 for many years. It was a gorgeous gun and shot sub-MOA. To this day I regret getting rid of it.... but back in those days, I had to eat! Recently I've thought of replacing it, but then I checked the cost of brass for it (I reload) and just about choked. No way. There are similar ballistics available elsewhere... no, not quite as good, but still ok. Like the .25-06. It is close, but will lack maybe 150-200 FPS for a given load. Still fast though.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Reasons to reload? There are several. Besides saving money, you will have more available ammo, better quality ammo, and can tailor a round for your particular rifle. If you're like me, you'll love the process of reloading too. I haven't been doing it long, but it's becoming as much a hobby as shooting.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

No way, if you don't reload. And even if you do.... .25-06 works fine and is about the same, but not as much of a barrel-burner.

 

[Steve Marshall]

You can make 257 Weatherby from 7 Remington Magnum. And as a bonus, there won't be any trimming anytime soon.

 

[GooseGestapo]

There have been similar posts recently, so I won't go into a great deal of detail.
I do form my .257wby brass from 7mmMag. One quick pass though the .257 die, and voila, a .257 case thats a mere .050" short, so, no big deal unless you're trying to seat out to touch the grooves. But no reason too. Free bore is 0.375", so not the 0.50-1.0" of original Wby's. I load my ammo to 3.250" oal, and call it good. (100gr bullets to 3.170" so as to have 0.25" of bullet base in case neck...).

I'm using some WC-860; surplus from pulled-down .50BMG I bought for $5lb. Also, I bought 500 Hornady 100gr Interlok blems from MidwayUSA about 18mos ago, so I'm set to wear out the barrel on the .257wby for less than $100 in ammo costs....... (I have another 500-1,000 assorted weight bullets as well, but also, two .257Robts that feed from the same stock.....even the WC860.....)

You loose about 50-80fps from the 24" tube. Not enough to be concerned over. I'm getting 3,600fps from mine with IMR7828 and 100gr bullet. A full case of WC860 is the max load for the 100gr and gets 3,500fps (80gr). Shoots flatter than my .22-250 beyond 300yds......
Hornady bullets hold together on close hits on deer under 100yds.......

A really great rifle.......

 

[MJR007]

Simple, if you are not going to reload .25-06. The wby has a 200fps advantage (equal barrels) over the .25-06 which means it will drop about one inch less at three hundred yards compared to the .25-06 (w/200 zereo). Compare the price of the ammo... Good luck.

 

[Jason280]

Yes, the .25-06 would be the way to go if you aren't reloading (and stuck with a 22-24" barrel). I've read some guys are getting impressive ballistics with the .25-06 out of a 28" Encore ProHunter barrel, so that is always an option.