I have long wanted several Weatherby calibers - the 240, 257, and 270. However, what has kept me from purchasing is pricing and availability of the ammo. I love the ballistics and all around qualities of the 257 weatherby but it seems almost too expensive to shoot regularly unless you reload, which I don't.

I have reluctantly begun to look at a 25-06 as it seems to be the 2nd prettiest girl in the 25 category. So, guys that have the 257 weatherby or both, I'd love to hear opinions and stories. Is the extra performance offered by the 257 weatherby worth the bump in ammo price?

I don't have any Weatherby caliber's but I do have a .25-06. It's a screamin' round man. My rifle has dropped every deer in its tracks that it has ever been leveled at. It was my grandfathers before my dads, and my dads before mine. That's a lot of deer. There are lots of great calibers out there. The .25-06 is definitely one of them.

[This message has been edited by phideaux_2003 (edited 11/9/2011 8:46p).]

I honestly don't think you could go wrong with either. If you reload, go for the Weatherby. If not, 25-06. Some if the 6.5mm rounds are nice, too.

I am currently looking at the .25-06. I think this will be my next rifle purchase.

A Rem 700 with a a Shilen 25-06 barrel is my go to gun.
She is an ugly gun.
I have shot probably 2 thousand rounds through her. It has killed untold numbers of deer and hogs. She bangs around the truck all deer season and sometimes even sleeps on the floor of my pirogue on the way to the stand. She rarely gets cleaned. Her stock is scratched and she wears an experimental paint job. When I took her out prior to deer season to check zero, one shot was enough. Two inches high at 100 yds just like when I checked last year. Bottom line is when I point her at things...things die. 25-06 hits hard out to 400yds and beyond. I shoot Nosler 110gr Accubonds at about 3250fps. 2in high at 100 is dead on at 250 and about 7in low at 350.

I recommend.







[This message has been edited by swampstander (edited 11/9/2011 10:12p).]

Having just dropped $75 bucks for a box of .300 Weatherby Mag shells, I agree they are too expensive. Luckily for me I shoot my rifle once a year to make sure it's on target, and maybe two more times at pigs or culls. A box lasts me a while.

I have both, .257 Weatherby (1965 model year) and 25-06 Rem. 700 BDL (1975 model year) and they have been my go to guns for over 40 years. My Dad bought the .257 and I inherited it, he gave me the 25-06 for Christmas in 1975 when I was 12 years old. My Dad and I have shot every large trophy and game animal in the lower 48 with both of them. I have a 300 Weatherby and 7mm Rem.Mag but I prefer these two smaller rifles to anything I have ever shot. I can't recall my Dad or I ever missing or tracking one long with these two rifles, I can't say that for the other two.
I honestly don't think you would be dissatisfied with either one.

NM got confused with the .270 web mag

I'd go with a 25-06 due to ammo availability, which in that case I'd get a .270 because you can find that anywhere

[This message has been edited by Fishin Texas Aggie 05 (edited 11/9/2011 11:05p).]

Between me and my father I have a .257 weatherby and he has a 25-06 I also have a .257 Roberts. We love the .25 caliber and I hunt reguarly with all of them. We do reload that is the big factor there though weatherby ammo isn't cheap

Why not just purchase a .30-06 and cut your ammo cost in half, with the added benefits of readily available ammo and better ballistics?

^I'm looking to go smaller and flatter not larger.

I'm still on the fence. The prices aren't quite as far apart as I opriginally thought, as i can find the 100 grain 257 weatherby for about $38. Going away from the 100 grain it gets really expensive though.

Not intended to start an argument, but IMO, Weatherby rounds are over-hyped for what you get out of using 10-15% more powder and $1/brass more than the standard calibers. Even reloading, considering the cost of the brass, Weatherby rounds will end up costing 2-3 times more than standard calibers or non Weatherby magnums.

The 25-06 is good for anything you want to hunt, as far as deer size game and smaller. From what I have seen from others that have this caliber, it's a tack driver.

.25-06 guys, what brand and weight ammo do you use?

I used to lust after speedy rounds. I like to think I grew out of that phase. I've owned a 25-06 since 7th grade, and its killed a lot. 3000 fps. is about as fast as I'll ever need, so now I look to add large medium speed rounds to my collection. . .8x57, 30-06, maybe .375 HH?

As to ammo cost, 25-06 still gives me sticker shock when I compare to the .30-06

^ I don't quite understand the cost of the 25-06 ammo either. Brass for the round is ubiquitous, there are a large selection of 25 caliber bulltets, so what gives? I can only guess demand. as perhaps less demand equals the increase in price. Even if that is the case the price increase still seems drastic.

Just got me a 257 wby......it shot good at the range, taking it tomorrow for does and hogs, I'll let you know how it goes.

Btw....the one I got is a Cabelas exclusive.... Weatherby Vanguard Lazerguard...got the look of the Mark V but the cost of the Vanguard.........if nothing else it's a good looking gun

My dad had a bunch of once fired 30-06 brass that I necked down for my 25-06. Love my Ruger #1, great rifle.

pellerind. Where did you find the lazerguard. online or in a store? I haven't heard of that, very interested,

You can find it on Cabelas website, but must buy it at the store. They have it in 257 wby, 300 wby, and 30-06....I know the one in Buda had one more 257 when I got mine.

[This message has been edited by pellerind (edited 11/10/2011 10:49a).]

quote:

---

Why not just purchase a .30-06 and cut your ammo cost in half, with the added benefits of readily available ammo and better ballistics?

---

Clearly hasn't compared ballitic charts or has a different interpretation of "better" than normal people.

I'd have a 25-06 if I didn't already have a Wby due soley to ammo pricing and availability. However, I shoot fewer than 10 rds a yr through it so it's not too bad over time.

Tomball, I dont reload so I stick to branded ammo. I always preferred the way the 117gr Hornady Light Magnums performed in my Model 70.

Lots of .25-06 lovers on here including me.

I don't see the difference in ammo price being worth the small difference in ballistics. I would choose the one with the most available, cheapest ammo.

The Doc said :

quote:

---

Not intended to start an argument, but IMO, Weatherby rounds are over-hyped for what you get out of using 10-15% more powder and $1/brass more than the standard calibers.

---

This is VERY dead on... Remember, rounds that are loaded hot for their typical loading range won't usually shoot well out of a rifle that is rifled for standard velocity loads. Rifles that are rifled for the hot Weatherby rounds don't typically fair well with bullets that are large for caliber or small for caliber. So if you think your .257 Weatherby might be used with 100 gr bullets for Hill Country white tail, 115 gr bullets for Colorado mule deer and 70 gr bullets for coyotes, you MIGHT be in for a surprise... Your rifle may not fire all of those bullet weights very well because of the rifling pattern being suited for a very specific velocity.

The .25-06 has a little more latitude where that's concerned.

As for what I shoot, I use 100 gr Remington Core-Lokt bullets. I know its a very simple bullet design and it's not hyper-velocity, ballistic tip, mall ninja, Hellfire rounds, but they shoot EXTREMELY well out of my Model 70.

257 Weatherby and its not close. I shoot Weatherby because I can put bullets down range and group a 3 shot group under a inch. Most of the time its less than that, I'll have multiple bullets in the same hole.

So caliber is the key to accuracy? ie a .257 is more accurate than a .243, 25-06...30-06 etc.

Got one of each, love them both. The Weatherby ammo has come down in the $40 range so not so big a difference any more. I will say that I love the damage that the 257 does to a deer.

Staff says I get the ban if I'm rude, so I'll keep the name calling to a minimum:

This thread is full of really, really poorly educated posters saying a lot of not-smart things about ballistics.

To the original poster: The caliber choice is a toss up. Mr. Weatherby was a believer in speed, and its killing power. The 257 is a hot rod round with pricey ammo.

My advice would be to choose the gun you want, then choose caliber. The firearm is more important. If the rifle you want is chambered in both rounds - then is a financial decision. The Weatherby will be more expensive to shoot.

If you're like most shooters and only put 10-15 rounds through a rifle each year, then choose what you want based on your own wants. Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle

Accuracy based on caliber choice? Rifle barrels that are twisted for hotter rounds? The OB is full of a lot of BS.



[This message has been edited by lostboy (edited 11/10/2011 3:09p).]

I'd love to hear your expert critique lostboy...

if you think you can do it without being rude... wouldn't want you to get the ban.

[This message has been edited by phideaux_2003 (edited 11/10/2011 3:36p).]

quote:

---

Remember, rounds that are loaded hot for their typical loading range won't usually shoot well out of a rifle that is rifled for standard velocity loads.

---

Not quite sure where you're headed with this, but I'm pretty sure Roy Weatherby developed the .257 Weatherby MAGNUM to overcome packing more powder in a .250 standard brass. I've shot three different grains through my .257 with no diminished accuracy.

Yes sir, I'm sorry I'll try and clarify. The Weatherby rifles are rifled at 1:10" in the .257 calibers from what I understand. With a 95-100 gr bullet, that's a great rifling rate for a standard velocity .25 caliber round. Infact my .25-06 is rifled at 1:10". The problem is a 95-100 gr bullet in the Weatherby round is doing more than 600 fps more than my .25-06 round. It needs a slower twist rate. If not, you're going to start shaving copper off your jackets in the rifling grooves, causing more fouling and an irregular exterior of the bullet while going down range.

Now what does that amount to? Not much at 100, 200, 300 yards. It's just something to consider.

Point well taken.

I have shot the factory 100 barnes tsx in the .257 wby and the 85 gr " I think or 87 " ttsx outta that gun they group differently but both are about half inch but when I hand loaded my 110 ttsx for the wby it started doing 1/4 group I'm gunna try that this year the hydrostatic shock from this rifle is killer on whitetail though I have harvested several with the 100 tsx

Cledus, I believe you got better groups with the 110 gr because the heavier bullet is traveling slower, thus being better suited for the rifling twist rate in your barrel. Neat observation! Thanks!

quote:

---

Clearly hasn't compared ballitic charts or has a different interpretation of "better" than normal people.

---

Better killing power.

[This message has been edited by Big Ben (edited 11/11/2011 9:56a).]

Yeah the heavier bullets seemed to group a little better that lite 80 grain ttsx bullet is traveling so d**n fast something like 3870 and that 110 is going like 3400-3500 it likes them alot.I also wanted to see how many times i coulod reload one piece of brass so far i am on my 5th reload of one piece looks like i may get to the 6th maybe the 7th but not too much more. luckily i can get the stuff at a good price.