Thread: 257R Experiences

There is a very nice Winchester 70 in 257 Robert with two boxes of amm9 at hunting /fishing in hamilton.

257R is a very capable cartridge for NZ, but you need to be a reloader that's for sure. I shot all my best animals of a 15+ year period with mine and only sold it on as I got hooked on 6.5mm stories on this bloody forum and built a few new toys.
Pictured below is the 257AI. On right is the remains of the 100gr Hornady spire point from the stag pic earlier and on left is a perfect mushroom 115gr NBT out of my best stag (2005). A year later I ranged my shot at 307m, when I finally got a range finder.
Apologies @Tahr if I strayed from the original intent of the OP being about standard 257R. It's a great cartridge in either form.

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Originally Posted by Mathias

Yep, back about 1995 I built one on a medium action BSA Hunter, though it was an Ackley Improved version. Would send 100gr Hornady or Nosler BT out at just over 3300fps with 2213. I tried 115gr BTs for around 3K from memory but usually shot 100's. Shot this stag at 280 paces on the flat & flattened it.

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He's a good old battler.

Had a Winchester Featherweight in 257 R quite a while back, nice rifle and shot well, shot a few deer with but sold it on to soon in hind sight. They work well for NZ conditions, basically a 243 on steroids.

My parents gave me a new Ruger No1B in 257 Roberts for my 21st birthday. Over the many years since then I have shot several red deer with it and all have dropped in their tracks.
After reading that Sierra considers their 87 grain Spitzer suitable for medium game in the 250 Savage and 257R I decided to try them. Those and the 90 gr HP Gameking are the only projectiles I have used in my rifle. The longest shot I have taken on a deer is just shy of 300m.
My load is RP brass, Fed 210 primers behind 42 grains of IMR 4064.
A few years ago when NZ Ammo imported the Norma 257R 100 grain ammo I picked up 100 rounds for future use.

Your parents had good taste in rifles

Originally Posted by Tech

My parents gave me a new Ruger No1B in 257 Roberts for my 21st birthday. Over the many years since then I have shot several red deer with it and all have dropped in their tracks.
After reading that Sierra considers their 87 grain Spitzer suitable for medium game in the 250 Savage and 257R I decided to try them. Those and the 90 gr HP Gameking are the only projectiles I have used in my rifle. The longest shot I have taken on a deer is just shy of 300m.
My load is RP brass, Fed 210 primers behind 42 grains of IMR 4064.
A few years ago when NZ Ammo imported the Norma 257R 100 grain ammo I picked up 100 rounds for future use.
Attachment 245094

Knowing that you have had that rifle in your care for the last 40 odd years tells a lot about how you care for your rifles. That’s a rifle that won’t leave your possession ever I imagine! I also have a Ruger No1 in 257 Roberts. I feel like I’m in good company!

There’s a real push amongst the competition and hunting crowd in the USA for the 25 Creedmore .
Maybe they are just reinventing the wheel ( with some subtle changes to barrel twist and projectile weight) ?

has anyone used 25 06. where does that sit in the 25cal picture?

.25/06 is almost identical to a well loaded .257ai, but less pleasant to operate.


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less pleasant how??? they feed exceptionally easily and are a doddle to load for..well my buddies ruger sure is..and it shoots like a lazer..came off the forum actually LOL.

My 25-06 is sweet. Gentle push, recoil wise

.25/06, normally more blasty, burn more powder, and longer with a 24 inch tube being needed to make them hum.


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The 25-06 will do anything any other 25 cal will do given the same circumstances. As MD said, they feed easy, a doddle to load for, and usually shoot bloody well. Just think what we could do with a 25-06 with one of the later fast twist barrels and some high BC bullets. Theyre all pretty much same same, most of them can throw a 100 - 120gn pill at about 3000fps plus. And they will all kill well if the nut behind the butt does his job.

Originally Posted by Tentman

I ran one for a number of years, it was a very nice "classic" setup built by Allan Carr on a VZ33 action with a gorgeous Slee walnut stock in his "Rigby" pattern, pre suppressor days but I didn't notice it as being noisy. It shot very well and my goto load was 47 gns of H4831 behind a 110 Interbond which gave 2800 fps. I shot Tahr, Reds and Fallow with it without losing a single animal. Sold it to Carlsen Highway and never heard about it again.

He used it on reds for while and then spent a long time trying to shoot a good chamois with it. Then he sold it to the vice President of the NZDA who wanted it badly, in whose hands it still abides. One of the few nice rifles he has had and managed to not drop on some gravel or drag behind a Land rover.