Who can relate to the "Bob"?

The 257 Roberts was more than Remington's failed marketing gurus ever imagined. The 243 is a good caliber, but, like the Roberts, it is ~ a 250 yard gun. There are no 115-120 gr. bullets available for it. That's what I loaded in mine for large deer...actually, any size deer, hogs, or bear. Hit them right, and it will get the job done!

I know several people who love their quarter bores. My best friend's dad hunted with a .257 Roberts and I can remember him taking several elk with it. I have no direct experience, but I know what it is like to just really dig a cartridge and a rifle. If that thing works for you, take it and run with it. And it is undeniable a beautiful rifle and one hell of a "barn find."

On another note I want to say that as a Montanan, this is what I thought of when you mentioned "The Bob,"

Bob Marshall Wilderness

I have always wanted a 257 Robert after John Barsness about them so often in Rifle and Handloader magazine but I never bought one. I have also lusted after something in 250-3000 (250 Savage) with the faster twist for the heavier bullets but that never happened either. I have killed most of my deer with a Mauser 98 that my grandad built many years ago on a G 33/40 action with either a Douglas or P.O Ackley barrel. No one could remember which one. My GF was friends with Ackley and I have a few letters he wrote to my grandad.

But I sort of scratched all my itches with an early version of Remington model 7 with 18.5" barrel and Walnut stock in 7-08. It wears a Leupold 2x7 scope on it and its a deer killing machine. If I found a deal one a 257 Roberts I would buy it. And it wouldn't have to have the Ackley chamber either. Better yet would be a barn find like the OP. Man what a deal.

There are a grand total of 2 .257 caliber cartridges I would consider. .256 winmag as I want other specimens than my marlin 62. I love the round. The other being the .257 Roberts. I haven’t fired one yet, but it is high on my list of things to look for. Ruger #1, Win 70, or a custom job on a savage action would be the priority order there.

My high school friend (1962) hunted with a .257 Ackley Improved all his life, which included deer, elk, and bear in Montana. I’m not convinced the “Improved” version is all that much better than the original Bob. My buddy was a good shot, continuing to compete in 4-position .22 matches after graduation. Shot placement, after all, makes an important contribution to success.

I have considered swapping my .270 for a Bob, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, so to speak!

I have considered swapping my .270 for a Bob, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet, so to speak!

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As interesting as the 257 Roberts is I would still rather have your .270. I don't own one anymore but thats almost as good as it gets. The 30-06 is just a little better because it can handle bullets in the 180-200gr range but for anything smaller than Elk the 270 is hard to beat.

I'm not sure if I'm related to "the Bob" or not, but as with all of the old-time Southern families from within the same state we've always just sort of assumed we are kin from somewhere back in time. Certainly my kids think of him as my eccentric cousin.

I haven't shot him lately, but hopefully will this weekend when we work on my youngest daughter's Appleseed 10/22. Bob's get flabby when they go for too long a period without being used.

Wait, oh, you are talking about a .257 Roberts rifle! No, probably not related to that one at all.

(laughing)

The Roberts is hard not to like, sort of like a pretty girl in a pretty dress, respectable to be seen with in public but not spectacular. Back in younger days when I was addicted to shooting magazines, the .257 Roberts tended to be rediscovered periodically, followed by a brief flurry of interest, before laid to rest again. Which is why I've gone through a series of .257's over the years, even favoring the caliber for plains game like pronghorn. The ammo makers never did the Roberts any favors, making good accuracy and respectable velocity mainly a handloading proposition. Here are a pair of my remaining .257's. which I call beauty and the beast, M-722 Remington that is too accurate to part with and a custom rig I had built on an '09 Argentine action reworked by the A&M Rifle shop back when they were in business, and restocked with a lovely piece of European walnut.

A fellow I know is a big 257 Bob fan .. owns a couple of rifles in Bob... He is a avid handloader and uses it on coyotes, hawgs , Whitetail and blackbear ... ..

I've killed a deer or two with a Ruger Model 77, chambered in .257 Roberts I bought new in 1975. It has a Weaver "MicroTrack V7", 2x7 power scope mounted on it. My favorite factory whitetail load is the Remington "Core Lokt" cartridge with the 117 grain bullet.

it's a fine round, but relatively obsolete now. (I have a 257 roberts AI, and I cannot find 257 roberts, 7x57 or even 8x57 brass any where at a reasonable price) Honestly, it's a classic, but much like a 67 mustang, there are cheaper and easier cartridges to drive these days. The 6.5 creedmoor will do anything the roberts will and then some. Heck, my 6.5 grendel will do nearly what the roberts will (within 300fps) for far less recoil, half the powder, and in a short action.

Until a year ago I'd owned this Remington Classic .257R since the mid 1980s. I really like the .257R and this was a wonderful for the round. I like my .250/3000s more but that Roberts took a bunch of deer and some at respectable distances. My handloads with the 100 grain bullet and IMR 4350 gave over 3200 fps with under max loads. But last year I was forced into selling it for financial reasons. I miss it terribly and still cry over it.

greyling22 said:

it's a fine round, but relatively obsolete now. (I have a 257 roberts AI, and I cannot find 257 roberts, 7x57 or even 8x57 brass any where at a reasonable price) Honestly, it's a classic, but much like a 67 mustang, there are cheaper and easier cartridges to drive these days. The 6.5 creedmoor will do anything the roberts will and then some. Heck, my 6.5 grendel will do nearly what the roberts will (within 300fps) for far less recoil, half the powder, and in a short action.

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I shoot 7x57 and 8x57 and for a long time could never find brass. So I bought a couple of the RCBS case forming dies and made my cases from 270 and 30-06 brass I picked up at the range. It works just fine. I bet they sell a case forming die for the 257 Roberts also.

Ratshooter said:

I shoot 7x57 and 8x57 and for a long time could never find brass. So I bought a couple of the RCBS case forming dies and made my cases from 270 and 30-06 brass I picked up at the range. It works just fine. I bet they sell a case forming die for the 257 Roberts also.

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I'm sure they do, but I'm probably going to move on from the 257AI to the 6.5 creedmoor or the 308 before too long. something with a bit longer legs and/or that hits harder. My current rifle is the old school beautiful fajen stock, classic blueing, shoots really well, but it's not a hunting rifle.

As a side note, ackley was a genius. I just resized a bunch of brass, and none of it grew enough to bother with trimming. That straight wall, sharp shoulder design is super. Makes me want to ream out my 223 and 30/30 to ackley improved just for that. (I won't because of the cost, but it's tempting)

Skylerbone said:

The two travesties in your post are the nickname (Bob) and that you’ve not got 2 boxes through it in 20 years. Oh the humanity! Shoot that beauty more and use its proper name (please;-).

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I’m with you, I can’t/won’t say, “Bob”. I also can’t/won’t say Winny, Leupy, Roy, Bushy, Remmy and a few others I can’t think of now.

cdb1 said:

I’m with you, I can’t/won’t say, “Bob”. I also can’t/won’t say Winny, Leupy, Roy, Bushy, Remmy and a few others I can’t think of now.

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Add Mossy and Shottie to the list.

cdb1 said:

I’m with you, I can’t/won’t say, “Bob”. I also can’t/won’t say Winny, Leupy, Roy, Bushy, Remmy and a few others I can’t think of now.

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SwampWolf said:

Add Mossy and Shottie to the list.

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I'm okay with Bob, simply because it is a normal nickname for Robert. I agree on the rest, especially "shottie".

Matt

morcey2 said:

I'm okay with Bob, simply because it is a normal nickname for Robert.

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A slippery slope, morcey2. You're not that far away from "Bobby"...

SwampWolf said:

Add Mossy and Shottie to the list.

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Yes.

Shottie?

mshootnit said:

Shottie?

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Short for shotgun. Not sure why.

Matt

deleted.

still one of my favorite rifles. Mine is a Ruger M77 about 45 years old. It will only shoot the old Remington Core Lokts 117 grain accurately. all newer pointed ammo wont group well. I kill large pigs with it all the time. It has moved to front of my safe again since I am 65 now and hate recoil. It joins an old Remington 788 in .308 and a Savage in 7mm-08 as my go to rifles.

While Bob was once used as a short form of Robert (which is my name BTW and I've never been BOB. I've been Rob many times.) it was never a short version of the last name Robert's, which I have friends with that last name. Would be like calling Keith Richards- Keith Clyde or Keith dick. It usually isn't done with last names.

As far as shortening names I only use one that I can think of. H&K. I have worked with quite a few germans over the years in the textiles industry and even those guys disagree on the pronunciation. The HK website says one thing, but a very large German I worked with setting up some automation was actually name Koch and he pronounced it different. Apparently there are very different versions of the language. So I either sound like a pervert (or chicken farmer) or I get corrected by some a-hole who thinks they know it's not coach or cook or....... lol. I'll stick with HK.