• The Shot You’ll Never Forget Giveaway - Enter To Win A Barrel From Rifle Barrel Blanks!

    Tell us about the best or most memorable shot you’ve ever taken. Contest ends June 13th and remember: subscribe for a better chance of winning!

    Join contest Subscribe

New deer gun choice?

Derrick300

Derrick300

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 26, 2010
678
10
51
Mt. Pleasant, SC.
#1
Ive want to give the 257 Weatherby a shot this year for white tail out to 300 yards and I have narrowed it down to two rifles.
#1 the Remington 700 CDL SF or #2 the Weatherby sub moa both are just about the same price. Please let me know if you guys have any experience with these 2 rifles in the this caliber.

Not interested in other calibers on this one.

Thanks in advance.
 
#5
Re: New deer gun choice?

I don't know much about the .257 WBY or how it would do out of a short barrel but for whitetail I switched from a 26" to a 20" .308 and couldn't be happier. For walking, stalking and maneuvering in the tree stand losing 6" of barrel made for a very handy rifle. Go as short as the .257 will allow.

Between the two rifle choices go Remmy.
 
#6
Re: New deer gun choice?

I now agree with the shortest you can go for a deer hunting rifle, I was slow in coming around until I spent a couple of weeks with the XM-3. I thought the XM-3 was not a great gun for ranges quoted but it would be a great deer rifle. My next deer gun build will probably have an 18 or 20 inch barrel for the reasons mentioned. None of hunting kills on deer have been over 400 yards, some cull deer harvests went to 550 yards on a KD field, but that is a different game. With those ranges in mind and knowing that deer are easily killed without going to an UberMag my deer gun will be short and fast handling.

Of the Weatherby rounds the 257 Weatherby has been the one that I thought would make a good deer round as the .257 bullet pushes at those speeds really disturb the chest cavity upon passage. I have shot a bunch with a 26-06 which is now in need of a new barrel.

Should the need arise to harvest deer at ranges beyond 600 yards I will reach for either my F-class rig or my 338 Edge.

Free advice may be worth less than you paid for it.

wade
 
#7
Re: New deer gun choice?

I know the Weatherby is a 24" and the Remy is 26" does anyone know how going with say a 20" barrel would affect the 257? The Remington would be my first choice but with the chance of wet hunting conditions I tend to lean towards the synthetic stock of the Weatherby???
 
#8
Re: New deer gun choice?

I have a MK V in .257WBY and the Remington 700 CDL Fluted in .257WBY. I like the Rem alot better, and it shoots a little better too. If your talking about the vanguard sub moa, I have no eexperince with those. I shot an antelope last fall at 503 yds with the rem and a Barnes x. I know remington made the 257 in a few different configurations like: cdl, cdl fluted, cdl sf, lss, and sps stainless. The sps has a synthetic stock, the lss a laminated. I would go with the rem. Both have a mile of freebore.
 
#9
Re: New deer gun choice?

Aren't belted cases a pain to reload?
What will the .257Wby do that .25-06 wont?
I respect the right to choose, but the belt was put there originally on the .375 H&H for positive headspace in a gently tapered case with a gentle shoulder.
I was a little surprised to open G&A today to read about the 9.3 Barsness/Sisk, another belted case.
 
#10
Re: New deer gun choice?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: frog5215</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Aren't belted cases a pain to reload?
What will the .257Wby do that .25-06 wont?
</div></div>

Belted magnum cases are no more difficult to load than non-belted cases.

Look at the ballistics of the 257 Weatherby. They are better. In real world application, it may do nothing better at the 300 yds suggested by the OP.
 
#13
Re: New deer gun choice?

To each his own, thats why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream. There is a world of good deer rifles for 300yds. I would think shortening the 257W bbl would kill the ballistics. That is why all the Weatherby's used to have 26' bbl's and the long freebore to get all the velocity they could. If you compare the better bullet selection, looks to me like a 260 or a 7mm-08 would be in my opinion a better 300yd deer rifle. More efficient shorter bbl, short action, lots bigger bullet selection, cheaper brass. Very minimal difference in ballistics at 300yds, and don't think the deer will ever know the difference.
wink.gif
Main mostist thing is someone needs to deer hunt with what they want and are comfortable with. Good Luck krw
 
#16
Re: New deer gun choice?

Hell, for 300 yards, the .257 Roberts would work great, with much longer barrel life. But, the OP wants a Weatherby.
That is an awful lot of powder to try and burn in a 20" tube. I think you'll end up with a flamethrower unless you handload fast powders. If you handload fastpowders, you might as well get the roberts.
 
#18
Re: New deer gun choice?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fdkay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hell, for 300 yards, the .257 Roberts would work great, with much longer barrel life. But, the OP wants a Weatherby.
That is an awful lot of powder to try and burn in a 20" tube. I think you'll end up with a flamethrower unless you handload fast powders. If you handload fastpowders, you might as well get the roberts. </div></div>

What fdkay says--plus I like the shorter bolt lift on the Weatherby, and their synthetic stock is good. I defintiely would not go shorter on the barrel for the Roy, it is a hell of a 300 yard cartridge at least for deer! Mine is accurate as all getout BTW
 
#19
Re: New deer gun choice?

Yes, you need the long tube for that round. I also went to a short barrel the past two years for deer, 20" 375 h&h. It is way faster shouldering, doesn't hang up in the brush, balanced better, and more accurate then before I had it cut. Do what you want, but there are more choices out there.
 
#20
Re: New deer gun choice?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hans44</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Derrick, check gunbroker there is a LSS on there. </div></div>

Just an opinion on the LSS. I don't like the stock. It is way way way to shiny. Make sure you look at one first. I let a friend borrow mine once(in 300 UM---LH). It was a sunny afternoon and I knew basically where he was hunting. I looked in his direction. That stock was shining like a large mirror, and I was probably 400 yards away. I could not believe how shiny it was. Got rid of it real quick. Great rifle but if I bought another one I would have that shiny finish removed real quick. Tom.
 
#22
Re: New deer gun choice?

For white tails at 300yds or less I'd go with something short action probably based off of a 308. (I use a 308 for white tails now) I don't see the need to run up to a magnum for shooting something you can kill with a round that has more options and is cheaper to shoot. A 7-08 would probably do the job really well out to at least 400 yds and give more options and selections that you'll ever use.
 
#23
Re: New deer gun choice?

257 Weatherby is a great performer way past 300 yards in the right package, meaning longer barrel. If you put it in a shorter barrel, it will not perform any better than a smaller round out of the same barrel. That is one reason why the 257 Roberts is a popular round.

For a compact rifle, a standard cartridge would be a better fit. A 243 Win is a great combination of high velocity and terminal effect and can run in a short barrel with less velocity loss.

243 257 260 7-08 Keeping in mind that at 300 yards anything will work...223 on up.

TC
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

3
New here. New build.
Replies
31
Views
1K
303Native
3
ut755ln
New to bolt gun thread, question about AI based on use case
Replies
17
Views
592
BurtG
BurtG
I
Help with decision on replacing barrel or new rifle
Replies
11
Views
922
Imurhuckleberry
I
Q
New Light Weight Chassis Rifle
Replies
3
Views
1K
smokinbobf4
S
MISMATCH
New Long Distance Shooter
Replies
33
Views
2K
A&8's
A&8's
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts