257 Roberts loads for the Grand daughters
I happen to have a 257 R Winchester Featherweight lying around and two grandaughters who want to deer hunt. The older one is a little recoil shy, the younger one, well she woud pull the lanyard on a cannon. I also will shortly have a RCBS 257-120. I have IMR 4198, 4227, 3031 4064 and 4350 along with Rx7 and Green Dot and Blue Dot. Any ideas on a starting load 1200 to 1400 fps to a light deer load? Thanks
According to the RCBS castboolit manual--
Using your RCBS 120 SP (I just got one for my 250Savage!) and the IMR4198 you mentioned, try a starting load of 18.0gr for approx 1750fps- they show a max load of 20.0gr for a bit over 1900fps-
Work up slowly, and stop when you get the accuracy level you seek- velocity is not everything, when you are using enough boolit to do the job-
Enjoy teaching those kids!
358wcf [smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1:
Thoughts on the 25cal for hunting-
I've shot the 25cal for decades, first in 257Roberts form (Springfield action rebarreled by Pachmeyer in Los Angeles), and much later in 250Savage form on a Rem700 Classic. Both have been accurate, deadly rifles when bullet placement was respected.
As noted above, 25cal jacketed bullets vary greatly in their design and construction.
For many, many years, the 250Savage with 87gr loaded to 3000fps was "the deer load". Today, I would venture that most, if not all, jacketed bullets of 100grains and under should be considered varmint bullets. Since the formal introduction of the 25-06Remington in the 70's, and Roy Weatherby's model as well, I believe the factories are making the choice to build the 100+ grain projectiles of heavier construction for those big cases, and relegating the lighter bullets to varmint use. I've found the Speer 87gr TNT 25cal bullets to be explosive on ground squirrels when loaded to 3000fps. Sure wouldn't consider using such a round on deer, unless I was certain of a head shot- My recommendation for jacketed bullets on deer in 25cal is to go with the 110-120grain offerings, preferably in roundnose form, so they are readily identifiable against the varmint loads in your pocket.
Today, I hunt almost exclusively with cast boolits, and use nothing smaller than 35cal for deer.
My 2cents worth from 40+ years of hunting and handloading-
358wcf [smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1: