.257 Weatherby Mag in the south?

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Tacbandit

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I'm pretty sure some of you would say that this round is more suited for areas where you're taking longer shots than what you typically get in the south..(150 yards or less, generally under 100 yds.)...What I'm wanting to know is if anyone has hunted deer with one in the deep south, and under the distances listed above, does it tear up the meat really bad..? I've got deer rifles already, but was considering a .257 Weatherby mag for the collection...
Thanks...........:confused:
 
Sometimes you get long shots in the south. The .257 Weatherby Magnum is made to order for hunting cultivated fields, pipelines, power lines, and logging clear cuts.

Accurate, flat shooting, perfect for hunting "artificial" long range areas in the normally wooded south :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Thanks, LeonCarr...
:)
Appreciate the input...the very explanation and reasoning I needed to hear...Thanks for that awesome .02.....worth hundreds, to me...Actually it's
probably gonna cost me hundreds, now...
 
Plenty of open fields, hill to hill, cut outs, power lines, etc. Here in middle TN, my longest lased shot on a deer was 366 yards, I have a couple of others over 300 also. Have done the same on Coyotes, and have a couple of 250ish hits on crows. I have hunted with a 30-06, .243, or a .270 more than the ole 30-30.
 
Sometimes you get long shots in the south. The .257 Weatherby Magnum is made to order for hunting cultivated fields, pipelines, power lines, and logging clear cuts.

Accurate, flat shooting, perfect for hunting "artificial" long range areas in the normally wooded south .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
Click to expand...

A Texan should know the word "sendero". rofl!
 
quote:
"Plenty of open fields, hill to hill, cut outs, power lines, etc. Here in middle TN, my longest lased shot on a deer was 366 yards, I have a couple of others over 300 also. Have done the same on Coyotes, and have a couple of 250ish hits on crows. I have hunted with a 30-06, .243, or a .270 more than the ole 30-30.



Yeah, living here in the south, I see all of that and more...I'm just curious to know if anyone has experience with the .257 Weatherby Mag on deer @ close range...On shorter ranges, does it mess up the meat real bad...??? Anybody...???:confused:
 
My main stand has a maximum shot distance of just an eyelash over 700 yards... (I wouldn't dare attempt a shot at that distance...) but it is there... I feel comfortable shooting my 7 mag up to about 400 maybe 450 at a deer sized target if I am well rested and my head is clear.

I carry the 7mm rem mag because I am hard headed and it is hard to beat the ballistics when you are a new hunter with a fresh paycheck.
 
The 257 Weatherby, with proper bullet selection is capable of taking game a extremely long range or close up. Factory loaded premium bullet selection is important and worth the investment if you find one that will group well for you. If you reload, the selection is even better. You pick the bullets that will not fragment, and you'll be able to harvest a deer at 50 yds or 500yds. and not destroy half the meat. Do not use regular ballistic tips or standard soft points as they will fragment, especially at closer ranges.

NCsmitty
 
Barnes

newxbullet.jpg
 
If you reload for the .257 Weatherby I would suggest trying the Hornady 110gr. Interbond and/or their 117gr. SST/Interlock.

Haven't tried either line in .25 caliber but have used both the Interbond and the SST/Interlock in .243 caliber and they are good. They won't fragment.
Of the two, I think I like the SST/Interlock better, at least in .243.

:cool:
 
Oh yeah, and made to order for Senderos too :).

My uncle hunts exclusively with a .257 Weatherby Magnum, a nice nice Weatherby Mark V with 26 inch barrel and 4-12 Leupold Vari-X II. His favorite load is a 115 Nosler Partition with a whole bunch of IMR 7828 for about 3300 fps. Gives straight through penetration on deer and hogs, and doesn't tear up the animal at all. Like the old saying goes you can eat right up to the bullet hole :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Last edited:
Thanks, guys...Now I've got a starting point. I appreciate all of the responses,
and I'll let you know what I do for a rifle, and how the ammo search goes...I
have wanted one of those for a while...May just have to do it now...:)
 
Everyone says "the south" like it's all one kind of terrain. There are places in "the south" where there's no room to swing a barrel, and there are also places in "the south" where you can practice 2000 yard shots without needing to clear any brush.
 
If you reload for the .257 Weatherby I would suggest trying the Hornady 110gr. Interbond and/or their 117gr. SST/Interlock.

Haven't tried either line in .25 caliber but have used both the Interbond and the SST/Interlock in .243 caliber and they are good. They won't fragment.
Of the two, I think I like the SST/Interlock better, at least in .243.
Click to expand...

The 117 interlock is inconsistent at .257 Roberts velocities, probably designed for the Weatherby. I hit a deer about 75 yards, velocity about 3000 fps at impact. Went in just behind the shoulder between ribs and out just behind the last rib, no expansion at all. Deer went about 100 yards and fell dead anyway, but I wasn't impressed with the performance of that bullet in the Roberts on thin skinned critters. That 7 point dressed out about 120 lbs, big for around here.

BTW, I saw that picture and knew it was the King or the Kennedy. :D Weren't you guiding there or something or was that someone else?
 
:D that was me, last hunting season.

EDIT: highest dressed weight that season was 153 for a 10-point buck, here in Vermont it seems that deer under 175 lbs are considered scrawny.
 
Quote:
"Everyone says "the south" like it's all one kind of terrain. There are places in "the south" where there's no room to swing a barrel, and there are also places in "the south" where you can practice 2000 yard shots without needing to clear any brush."



Well, that would about cover it for somewhere like Texas, which is really more like "southwest"...But like I said in the opening post, here in the true "south" (DEEP SOUTH.ie.Tenn, Ga, and Al.etc...), you "typically" get 150 yd shots or less, and "generally" under 100 yds. (There are exceptions, yes...)I'd love to have 2000 yds to plink on...I'd be popping some Barrett .50 caps, and the new Savage 6mm Norma like it was going out of style...But since I don't, I think the .257 Weatherby Mag will work great, as I could go out several hundred yards if needed...My main concern is ruining meat at closer range...Those of you that have open distances like the moon, count your blessings...I count mine (locality wise) in that I think I live in the prettiest part of the country, even if our deer aren't huge. Thanks again,everybody...I'll keep you posted...:cool:
 
As McGunner pointed out, the new .25 caliber bullets are not going to ruin a lot of meat. If they have a fault it will be the "pass-through-with-lesser-expansion" scenario.
The alternative will be to use the older, standard designs and that isn't anything bad except if you load 'em super hot. The "standard" designs were brought out with the .250 Savage and .257 Roberts in mind so how they'll hold up at Weatherby velocities is something you'll just have to experiment with.
I don't think I would go to any of the varmint designs (eg. the V-max). I would expect a huge amount of fragmentation and really unpredictable penetration.

On the bright side - I've never seen or heard of a .257 Weatherby that wasn't pretty darned accurate with just about any bullet you could wedge down the barrel. So even if you decided to use the old 117-gr. round nose bullets at less-than-max velocity I'd bet you'll still have a very accurate combination.

Good Luck !

:cool:
 
quote:
"On the bright side - I've never seen or heard of a .257 Weatherby that wasn't pretty darned accurate with just about any bullet you could wedge down the barrel."


Your right, Shawnee...I'll have to mess around with different loads, but I'm sure I will find something that works around here..Thanks again, everyone...:)
 
I hate to throw a wrench in things but I have to show my love for the .270 Wby. You may want to give it some thought. I actually went looking for a .257 and found a deal on a .270. Best decision I have made in a while. It gives you a little more versatility on the top end of the spectrum. I just got back from a trip where I tool an elk with mine. Not trying to say anything bad about the .257, I actually have no experience with it, I just really love my .270 Wby.
 
Why not the 7mm Weatherby? Heck, gotta stop somewhere, right? LOL But, 7mm gives you a better selection of bullets and bullet weighs. Nothing wrong with the .257 Weatherby for deer and you can load it light to .25-06 levels if you want. I'd think it could take elk to several hundred yards with a good controlled expansion bullet like the Barnes. If that's whacha got, I'd stick with it. You can run yourself ragged with the nuances of different calibers. They'll all do the job. Deer ain't that hard to kill.

I don't have any Weatherbys, but they're good calibers. The 7 Weatherby ain't a whole lot different from the 7 Rem Mag, though and I have one of those.
 
I used to be a .257 Weatherby guy. That round is an absolute deer swatting death ray. If you are looking for some impressive one shot slama jamma DRT deer action this is the round for you!

With conventional soft points like we had back in the dark ages when I was using one you can expect some serious deer jelly under the hide.
 
Down South

I'm in South GA ..and no I don't own a 257 WbM, but I do own a 25/06 and I used to hunt on a propane pipe line and I've made some shots down it that all my friends would call me a liar...so I won't say any yardage but some well over 300 yds. I have used a 117 gr. BT Sierra over a heavy dose IMR 7828.. Chrono'd @ near 3100fps...also a Nosler 115 gr. BT @ same speed...both dropped deer as dead as dead could get. You should get quite a bit more Vel. with the 257. I always wanted a 257 WbM but made do with the 25/06. I would worry more about long yardage bullets if I was shooting a 257, just eat less deer @ short yards or neck shoot only. Just my thoughts.

Jimmy K
 
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