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Thread: 257 Roberts loads for the Grand daughters

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


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    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
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy

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    Thumbs up 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

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


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    Thanks 358wcf, my Lyman manuals only go to 100 grn. I would love to spend more time with the girls the problem is they live 500 miles from me. I did get to be with the oldest one when she got her first quail. There dad, my son is as red neck as they come on hunting and shooting. He has been shooting cast out of a Mk 3 303 for more than 20 years and is just over 30. He will be able to get them started I will just go along for the hunt.
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Dirt Farmer,

    No ideas on the plinking loads; but for the deer load, a .257 is an awful small boolit. I believe I would use a 100 grain ballistic tip loaded to .250 Savage levels- next to no recoil and very accurate.

    Robert

  5. #5
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    When my son and my ex wifed used the 250 savage to hunt with i loaded 87 grain sierras down to about 2600 fps. At that velocity they acted alot like a 120 and allways gave me an exit wound on small deer. Recoil was very mild. Im sure you could do the same in the roberts.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Hi DF,
    I have a pair of the .257 Roberts rifles Only in the Ackley Improved version.

    With that 120 gr. RCBS, I am getting fine accuracy using RX-7. I would keep it at around 19.0 gr. and see how your rifle does. (I used 23 and 25.5 gr. in the Improved version.)

    I have pushed that boolit up to 2000 fps but best accuracy was at right around 1800 fps.

    Another great powder turned out to be SR4759-equally great as RX-7 but using less of a charge than RX-7.

    H-4198 also turned in great performance at even less of a charge than SR4759.

    It seems that Alliant 2400 didn't perform as well as the slower powders mentioned above so why mess with it? I'll save that for lighter boolits.

    Anyway, that's it for plinkers.

    As far as deer loads go, I don't think a .25 is big enough. A real good chance of wounding only and why do that?

    The jacketted 100 gr. or a 110 Nosler is tops in my book but that's just me.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master


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    Thanks for the replies. The cast loads might indead be light for deer. the main idea is to allow them to shoot a lot. I will try to get a good 50 yd load and then add for pratice at 100. My son hunts with a 25-06 and I had not thought of the 87 grn J as a hunting load. My past experience in watching that load was airborne pieces of what ever was shot.
    I do have a supply of rx7 and have had good fesults with it in other rifles. That is the fun, finding what works.
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  8. #8
    Boolit Master fourarmed's Avatar
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    Use the cast for familiarization and practice, and jacketed for hunting. An 87 grain bullet at 3000 fps made a heck of a reputation for the .250 Savage.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Last year I was loading my 257 for a friends small boy. I found joy with slower powders. RL22 and 115 Nosler Parts proved most deadly and very low recoil.

  10. #10
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    The 257 Roberts has been one of my favorite deer rifles
    most certainly use cast for practice and getting aquainted....then switch to Jacketed for deer hunting....I use 117 RN for deer and never had a problem....I use 117 gr spitzer for shooting at ranges where a RN would drop to much.

  11. #11
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    The mould came in today, well both did, the RCBS257 120, it casts just over at 258 with WWAC, and the Lyman 457-123 which casts at 460 with Xray lead. I have never bought two moulds at the same time before, exciting. I sized twenty with gas checks, went to the shop and could not find the can of 4198, then rembered I had it on the list to buy. Oh well I loaded 1 with an estimated load of IMR 4227 no pressure signs, Loaded 10 to shoot tomorrow. Loaded 5 in 45-70 with 65 grns of Goex ffg. Shooting new bullets, guns to clean. And a trip to the toy store.
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  12. #12
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    out of the 2506 at full velocity there a bomb but shot out of a gun at 2600-2700 fps they actually do pretty well on deer. If i remember at one time seirra advertised the flat base 87 as a deer bullet not a varmit bullet. 87 grain hornady flat based spitzers will work to if you can find some.
    Quote Originally Posted by DIRT Farmer View Post
    Thanks for the replies. The cast loads might indead be light for deer. the main idea is to allow them to shoot a lot. I will try to get a good 50 yd load and then add for pratice at 100. My son hunts with a 25-06 and I had not thought of the 87 grn J as a hunting load. My past experience in watching that load was airborne pieces of what ever was shot.
    I do have a supply of rx7 and have had good fesults with it in other rifles. That is the fun, finding what works.

  13. #13
    Boolit Mold
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    Starting out with a load of 10 to 12.5 grains of Blue Dot...max load is 24 grains in my experience.. but put a limit of 22.5 grains is what I personally do for that case size...

    my bullet choices are a 100 or 115 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip or the good old 117 grain RN Hornady...

    a load of 15 to 22.5 grains of Blue Dot will certainly take a deer at 30/30 ranges...

    several years ago a gentleman down Texas way sent me a request for Blue Dot in a 257 Roberts for his 10 and 12 year old grandsons...they had hunting rights on family properties in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana...

    the two boys shot 7 deer that year, one in each state... the younger boy skunked in one state...

    but 25 to 30 grains of RL 7 or IMR 4198 will also give you good accurate loads capable at 30/30 ranges.....as will 20 to 25 grains of SR 4759...for practice for kids, I frequently load 15 grains of SR 4759 to get them stated out shooting centerfires..

    when loading, just make sure youi don't do a double charge... charge and then seat a bullet before moving onto the next case.. and if you get disrupted at the load bench... make sure the case is empty and re check it when you return...

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy

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    Thumbs up 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

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy Rockydog's Avatar
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    Dirt Farmer, You might try Trail Boss. I've used it in several cast loads in .223 and 7.62X54. Have some .06 and 30-30 loaded to try. Instructions below. RD

    http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail-Boss-data.pdf
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master


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    Thanks all I shot five tonight at 50 yds, first try, 19 grns of IMR 4227. one inch group over the hood of the pickup (redneck hunting style ) I think I will try a lighter load for a trainer, not for recoil, but for noise, those suckers cracked. Most kids in my experience equate recoil with noise, and they can learn trigger and hold with a pop gun. I think it would be fun in a ground hog pasture.
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Dirt Farmer, The 257 Roberts should be a great round for a youngn' to learn shooting. In the lighter bullets, the Roberts and the 25-06 are within 100-200 fps of each other. Low recoil and less powder burned. Great varmint round.

    Next time I go to grab my 25-06, I'll try to remember that it's probably undersized for deer, even though I've taken more then 60 deer, 200 goats ('Here take these binoculars and tell me which one you want'), 20 wild dog, 50 coyote, and enough groundhogs to fill a pick-up. My point in all this is the 25 caliber can handle alot, well. You can shoot and watch their feet go up in the air. Awesome.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by jsizemore View Post
    Dirt Farmer, The 257 Roberts should be a great round for a youngn' to learn shooting. In the lighter bullets, the Roberts and the 25-06 are within 100-200 fps of each other. Low recoil and less powder burned. Great varmint round.

    Next time I go to grab my 25-06, I'll try to remember that it's probably undersized for deer, even though I've taken more then 60 deer, 200 goats ('Here take these binoculars and tell me which one you want'), 20 wild dog, 50 coyote, and enough groundhogs to fill a pick-up. My point in all this is the 25 caliber can handle alot, well. You can shoot and watch their feet go up in the air. Awesome.
    Yes, with a j-word bullet it's more than enough! Just don't think it's good to use a cast boolit in it for deer though.

  19. #19
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    I think this will be one of those boring rifles. Tried 4227, loads shoot great in the range I want them. Tried 4198 loads shoot great .I have Blue Dot, I will try that. Don't you hate it when every thing you try works. I was worried that a heavy for caliber might be fussy, but I like this rifle.
    Don't buy nuthing you can't take home

    Joel 3:10

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by DIRT Farmer View Post
    I think this will be one of those boring rifles. Tried 4227, loads shoot great in the range I want them. Tried 4198 loads shoot great .I have Blue Dot, I will try that. Don't you hate it when every thing you try works. I was worried that a heavy for caliber might be fussy, but I like this rifle.
    Those aren't boring rifles, they are easy rifles. Easy to shoot with almost any components.


    Robert

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check