rbernie
Contributing Member
I just buy this, five boxes at a time.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...rnady+257+Roberts++P+117+gr+SST+Superformance
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...rnady+257+Roberts++P+117+gr+SST+Superformance
.243 Winchester or .257 Roberts?
- Thread starter J-Bar
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CoalTrain49
Member
The difference in cost for 243 and 257 factory ammo probably isn't that much. Both are available online so what's the big deal?
Buy a hundred rounds and shoot it for 10 years.
The other day I saw a Ruger #1 257 Bob at the LGS. I think it may have been rebarreled. $650. Nobody wanted it probably because nobody had a clue about the cartridge. Everyone wants a 6.5 CM.
Buy a hundred rounds and shoot it for 10 years.
The other day I saw a Ruger #1 257 Bob at the LGS. I think it may have been rebarreled. $650. Nobody wanted it probably because nobody had a clue about the cartridge. Everyone wants a 6.5 CM.
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Checked in at Lucky Gunner and Gun Bot and they didn't have any listings for .257 Roberts at all. None. At Ammunition To Go they had one brand/one load (Hornady 117 gr. SST). That's it.
They had .243
Did find some .257 on ammo seek (Hornady and Remington comprised most of it unless you want to pay $40 for 20 rds of Nosler). Nothing below $1.10 a rd for .257 Roberts.
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/257-roberts
For .243 they had quite a few listings for as low as 0.55 to 0.60 cents a rd. Sure, much of it was Prvi, S&B, Ammo Valley and inexpensive Federal loads ... but still.
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/243-winchester
So to view that there's no difference in ammunition prices between the two depends on if you're always shooting premium hunting ammunition or not.
As far as having limited to zero availability at the LGS some shooter's answer to always having to order off the net is to stock up or just wait. That's not always possible for some shooters.
The answer to all this is to reload. Then again, not everyone reloads. Back to square one.
Great cartridge, just wish it was more available locally. : Shrug
[links]
They had .243
Did find some .257 on ammo seek (Hornady and Remington comprised most of it unless you want to pay $40 for 20 rds of Nosler). Nothing below $1.10 a rd for .257 Roberts.
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/257-roberts
For .243 they had quite a few listings for as low as 0.55 to 0.60 cents a rd. Sure, much of it was Prvi, S&B, Ammo Valley and inexpensive Federal loads ... but still.
https://ammoseek.com/ammo/243-winchester
So to view that there's no difference in ammunition prices between the two depends on if you're always shooting premium hunting ammunition or not.
As far as having limited to zero availability at the LGS some shooter's answer to always having to order off the net is to stock up or just wait. That's not always possible for some shooters.
The answer to all this is to reload. Then again, not everyone reloads. Back to square one.
Great cartridge, just wish it was more available locally. : Shrug
[links]
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DM~
Member
Don't you guys stock up at least a "little", on ammo for the rifles you own??
I never could understand the concept of owning a firearm you were going to "use", and then not having ammo around for it!
I don't have a 6.5 CM, IF I bought one tomorrow, I'd buy some ammo for it tomorrow too! Then if I liked it, I'd immediately buy/order more ammo for it!
DM
I never could understand the concept of owning a firearm you were going to "use", and then not having ammo around for it!
I don't have a 6.5 CM, IF I bought one tomorrow, I'd buy some ammo for it tomorrow too! Then if I liked it, I'd immediately buy/order more ammo for it!
DM
CoalTrain49
Member
If the OP is like most hunters, which he said he was, they take their rifle to the range once a year to check POA/POI. They don't usually shoot more than 20 rounds. Some don't even shoot that many. A box of ammo will usually get them thru a hunting season.
Ammo costs shouldn't be a factor, at least for the OP. For me it would be because I shoot 2-3K a year so I reload. I'm always trying to find the least expensive bullets I can. 257 Roberts wouldn't be a good cartridge for me. It would have to be a 6 mm something or other.
Everyone's situation is different.
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That's pretty much my point. Factory ammo costs deserve mentioning between the two simply because everyone is different.
I've seen shooters and hunters 'plink' with all kinds of different stuff. They just get a wild hair to shoot something with friends or family members that they haven't seen for awhile and off we go. Usually they have ammo, but in a few cases rifles that they wanted to shoot and were excited about shooting got left behind for lack of available ammo. Kind of put a damper on things when that happens.
Just saying, .243 is available at literally every gun shop and Walmart you go to. Doesn't matter if it's a small mom n pop store or not. That's not the case with the .257 Roberts. That's why most of the people who have one roll their own.
I usually have a box loaded....tho I think I shot up most of my rifle ammo now...... time to dig the reloading bench out of the car parts....again.
Out here i can usually get ammo for anything besides the really weird, or really big stuff (no .375 Ruger on the shelves, but one of my local hangouts is going to order a few boxes for me). So honestly i usually find one type of factory loads that hits close enough to my handloads to use, and if Im clean out or too lazy ill go buy a box.
I keep about 100 of any of the weird ones on hand, just cause I cant do that. Last thing i loaded was a .375 Ruger, so that should hold me for a while....or the next range trip.
Olympus
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- Jul 14, 2008
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The difference in cost for 243 and 257 factory ammo probably isn't that much. Both are available online so what's the big deal?
Buy a hundred rounds and shoot it for 10 years.
The other day I saw a Ruger #1 257 Bob at the LGS. I think it may have been rebarreled. $650. Nobody wanted it probably because nobody had a clue about the cartridge. Everyone wants a 6.5 CM.
Depending on the wood, $600 would be a good buy. You can always send it back to Ruger for a factory rebarrel for a reasonable cost.
Sure. Offhand I know that I have 7,000+ rds of .223 and 5.56, 6,000+ of x39, 2,000 rds of .308, 700 of 30-06 and 400 of .270. It's a drop in the bucket compared to some here, certainly enough to go shooting a few times.
I got rid of anything uncommon though.
It's not like people generally stock a huge amount of .257 Roberts ammo ... or .32-30, or 6.5x52 Carcano or any other caliber thats pretty uncommon. Even more of a reason to pick something that's somewhat available.
morcey2
Member
mustanger98
Member
Nope. I just stock up on dies and brass.
I have a 257 Roberts and I really like it. I don't know if I'll ever own a 243 although one of my favorite-ever guns was a BLR in 243 that I borrowed from my uncle. Never got a deer with it, but it was a blast shooting jackrabbits with it.
Matt
I'm reminded of the first two .243's I looked at about 25 years ago... one was a BLR. The other one was a left-handed Model 70 Ranger. I generally liked both, especially that they came with sights. I've never since had occasion to deal with either model.
OP
OP
J-Bar
Member
I’m the OP.
One box of Remmie 150 grain Core Lokts would last me 4 or 5 years...a few sighters over the bench to confirm/adjust POI, one or two shots in the field depending on on how many deer I wanted to harvest. No brag, just fact. I did not shoot the gun recreationally because I did not enjoy the recoil.
The reloading tools and supplies were delivered today. I plan to make some trial loads tomorrow, test them within few days.
More to come. Please keep your fingers crossed!
DM~
Member
To me, stocking up on components IS stocking up on ammo!
I have several firearms that have NEVER seen even one factory round shot though it...
BUT, I wouldn't be above buying 5 boxes of .257 Roberts and keeping the brass to reload...
DM
mustanger98
Member
I recall those factory-loaded 150's kicked like a mule. I'm not the only one I've seen react to them, either.
I want to reiterate Good Luck here, in hopes that you can actually enjoy your old familiar deer rifle more/better than what you describe.
Mowgli Terry
Member
I have not hunted varmints in many years. My favorite rifle Bob was a built up Mauser. I have taken game with both cartridges. The expansion with 75gr. bullets is explosive for each. My experience is not applicable since OP asked for deer sized game. For what I was doing, despite bias, either caliber would do very well. I have accumulated Bob brass over the years. Where the Bob steps out is with heavier than 100 grain bullets. I'd suggest loading to at lease pressures of the 243. If you are buying cartridges, then 243 would be the better choice. Right now there are three Bob caliber rifles and no 243's.in my gun safe. Bottom line for me, honestly, flip a coin and you'll have made a good choice. My choice is the handloaded Bob.
Addendum: Last time out at the range, 4/3/18, my load was a +P level of Reloader 19 using Sierra 117gr. bullets. Not chrongraphed. Excellent accuracy. I guess this would do for deer sized game with less than 1" groups.
Addendum: Last time out at the range, 4/3/18, my load was a +P level of Reloader 19 using Sierra 117gr. bullets. Not chrongraphed. Excellent accuracy. I guess this would do for deer sized game with less than 1" groups.
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CoalTrain49
Member
My neighbor (recently deceased) had a very nice old 270 Win. that I shot a few times. He always shot factory ammo. It seemed to me there was enough recoil that a person wouldn't want to shoot it alot. He actually stopped shooting it at about 70 and bought a 243 which he really enjoyed shooting in his later years.
Charliefrank
Member
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I have a soft spot for the 257. It's a great whitetail round. Loving older cartridges as the Roberts, I like the 6mm Remington over the 243 Winchester. Just my opinions.
405win
Member
I have both.Thanks to my grandpa, I have 2 rifles in 257 and my grandma's 243. I also have my 243 that he bought me as my 1st dear rifle. The 243 is definitely the best option if you don't reload. I have killed many deer with both as did my grandparents. They are both great, just really depends on if you prefer to hand load or not. Now that being said, I have several boxes of factory ammo for the 257(again thanks to my grandpa) and reload, so I have not bought any in years. I do have the dies and and have loaded some great rounds with the Nosler bullets and plan on trying out some Hornady Superformance as soon as they come in. I just shoot factory 100 gr soft points in my 243.
You might try 130 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and load them at the bottom of the recommended range of IMR 4895 or similar burn rate powder. Ballistic Tips open a bit fast when pushed near maximum, so may be perfect for milder loads. I'm using
130 grain Accubonds for moose and deer, but they may not open up well on deer at lower velocities.
Offfhand
Member.
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Actually, Winchester did offer the M-70 in .257 Roberts chambering from 1936 until 1960. And also listed it in the Post '64 version as well. Factory records indicate they made 14,641 .257's from '36 until '60. An interesting side note is that before Remington introduced the .25/06 as a factory round, it had previously been a popular wildcat and quite a few M-70's in .257 Roberts were converted to .25/06 by simply rechambering the barrel and modifying the magazine for the longer cartridge. I've seen several of these conversions over the years.
For recoil-sensitive folks, there are now "Reduced Recoil" rounds available from some of the major ammo companies for rounds like the .270 Win, .30-06, and .308(?), and a few other cartridges, so I suggest you try them. There may be considerable difference in POI at 200 yards, so consider a zero that will keep bullet impacts within 3" of point of aim out to the distance you're comfortable shooting at a deer or other animal.
I don't let the recoil when shooting from the bench keep me from using ammo that gives me full performance from my .270, but use a PAST shield for my shoulder when sighting-in. I also employ quality recoil pads on my rifles and have been known to place a sandbag between the shoulder and butt of hunting rifles when sighting-in. With the little sideline business, sometimes I'd sight-in about 10 hunting rifles in one range session.
The other trick used when sighting-in is using a "Sight-Vise" that I use when sighting-in rifles, after installing a scope and bore-sighting. One shot on paper, then clamp the rifle in the vise, aim at the center of the target, then make scope adjustments to place the crosshairs where you'd like to aim for the bullet to strike where the bullet hole was made. Then, put the rifle back on the bags and fire a few more shots to make any final adjustments, or verify the first-shot zero. (Despite the instructions received with the Sight-Vise, I don't shoot with the rifle in the vise.)
JP
I don't let the recoil when shooting from the bench keep me from using ammo that gives me full performance from my .270, but use a PAST shield for my shoulder when sighting-in. I also employ quality recoil pads on my rifles and have been known to place a sandbag between the shoulder and butt of hunting rifles when sighting-in. With the little sideline business, sometimes I'd sight-in about 10 hunting rifles in one range session.
The other trick used when sighting-in is using a "Sight-Vise" that I use when sighting-in rifles, after installing a scope and bore-sighting. One shot on paper, then clamp the rifle in the vise, aim at the center of the target, then make scope adjustments to place the crosshairs where you'd like to aim for the bullet to strike where the bullet hole was made. Then, put the rifle back on the bags and fire a few more shots to make any final adjustments, or verify the first-shot zero. (Despite the instructions received with the Sight-Vise, I don't shoot with the rifle in the vise.)
JP
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Right call, IMHO. I look forward to his range report!
OP
OP
J-Bar
Member
First target posted in the Handloading and Reloading Forum.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/first-target-downloaded-270-winchester.842552/
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/first-target-downloaded-270-winchester.842552/
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