[McPatrickClan]

I was recently digging into this relatively uncommon cartridge (the .257 Weatherby Magnum) and found wonderful write-ups on it. Flat shooting, reasonable power, etc. I have always thought the .308 to be best all-around (mostly hunting, good in a SHTF scenario) cartridge. Once I started researching the comparisions between these two, a lot of people said they were like apples & oranges.

I realize the .257 is really expensive ($2+ a round!) but I am going to reload, so I think that will really keep my long-term costs low. It seems like .308 ammo is at least a buck a round anyway! :nutkick:

What do you guys think? Are these two totally different cartridges? Or are there reasons to choose one over the other for the same applications?

 

[gilliland87]

ya know...

To me that's like comparing a Porsche or Ferrari to a chevy or ford. The .257 is gonna be your Porsche hard to find but if you have a .308 and are looking to enjoy/tinker with a new round go for it you'll like what the .257 weatherby is capable of. There is a lot to be said for the .308 and all the information out there supporting the round.

 

[SleepingZ]

Whats the main "application"??? Need to know what you are going to do with it to give good advice.


Z

 

[McPatrickClan]

Mostly deer & hog hunting...

 

[gilliland87]

.308

You'll get the same outcome with less hassle out of the .308 round. My question is are you looking to be talked into or out of the .257?

 

[McPatrickClan]

You'll get the same outcome with less hassle out of the .308 round. My question is are you looking to be talked into or out of the .257?

Well, that's part of what I am thinking through... the .257 has fantastic write-ups... I really like what I have read. I did read someone referring to it as a "wildcat" round which was a term I was not famililar with.

The .257 is uncommon, I know, but since I reload, I figure that is a non-issue. The .308 is the standard in many applications and I already have a lot of that bunkered away.

I am mostly looking to be talked out of the .257, but honestly, I am just curious if you guys like/dislike it and why. It seems like a good cartridge but according to my searches of the boards, it doesn't seem like there has been much discussion of it.

 

[Cuda66]

Well, if you're going to be handloading anyway...look at .257 Ackley Improved.

Not quite as hot as the Weatherby, but regular .257 Roberts ammo can be used in it in a pinch...and also a little easier to find, perhaps (.257 AI uses .257 Roberts brass...)

Personally, though, for a quarter bore....25-06.

But yeah...kinda an apples and pears comparison.

 

[McPatrickClan]

OK... I think I am starting to understand.... cartridges that start with 25 are quarter bore? Meaning their diameter? Is that about right?

And that is how the 30-30 and the .308 are "related?"

 

[TOF]

My .308 has provided many 1 shot kills on everything from prairie dog to Elk. If you want a solid performing "General Purpose" rifle that would also be suitable in an SHTF situation as mentioned in your opening statement get a .308. You can get ammo anywhere for the .308 whether you are at home at your reloading bench or not.

If you want a more limited application screamer get the .257.

You might also consider 1 of each.

 

[gilliland87]

wildcat

A wildcat is just a term used to designate a non standard/experimantal round. (probably not a complete definition but gets ya the idea)

As for quarter bore it refers to the .25 which will represent the diameter of the bore.

The 30-30 and.308 even .303 .300 savage .338 ect ect are all referred to as thirties which corresponds to the bore diameter as well and the so forth. The slang only gets deeper from there.

 

[McPatrickClan]

My .308 has provided many 1 shot kills on everything from prairie dog to Elk.

Do you create your own "custom" rounds to kill prairie dogs with the .308?

 

[McPatrickClan]

The 30-30 and.308 even .303 .300 savage .338 ect ect are all referred to as thirties which corresponds to the bore diameter as well and the so forth. The slang only gets deeper from there.

So is the .50 cal the biggest? Or just a really big one?

 

[gilliland87]

It's the biggest within reason. I mean I can show you guys making custom 20mm bolt guns but that's just not for everyone and could not even tell you the legality without some research there is always someone going to the next level just because they can.

 

[McPatrickClan]

And am I right that after you have the brass stored up, there really is not any "special" costs associated with reloading any wildcat-type round?

 

[gilliland87]

well depends really

Some wildcats are rather notorious for being hard on barrels. 22-250(not a wild cat but has same issue), 6.5-.284 are two I personally have experience with. My 6.5-284 burnt a Lilja tube to the point my groups were spreading out again in 1400 rounds. where as a .308 shooter can get 5000-8000ish before wear and erosion become issues. All these things add up to the total cost of ownership of a rifle.
As to the brass question reloaded brass does wear out. I am not that familiar with the .257 Weatherby but a good question is Does it have a parent case of a more common caliber? Example The 270 Winchester started life as a modified 30-06 case before It became popular. What I am trying to say is make sure you can feed your gun even if you have to resort to resourcefulness.


I said the 22-250 was not a wildcat- It was originally and still is depending on your view point a wildcat (but c'mon you can buy it at walmart for heavens sake, that's pretty mainstream in chambering there)

 

[Stevew]

If you think you might ever end up elk hunting my vote would go to the 308. The 257 Weatherby is a fine round. The cost of brass, amount of powder required would have me looking at the 25-06 if I was going to go with 25 cal, it only gives up about 200 fps.

 

[HotGuns]

.The 257 Weatherby is an excellent round.
The one thing that I do not like about Weatherby's are the fact that they have a lot of free-bore. They do this to reduce pressure and it does not help the accuracy at all. You cant really "load to the lands" or set your bullet right on the lands or a few thousandths off for maximum accuracy because the bullet is usually not long enough.

Also, they tend to heat up sporter sized barrels really fast. After two or three shots you'll start stringing them if your barrel isn't free floated or a heavy barrel.

The parent case is a .300 H&H case that is shortened and necked down, so its a lot of powder in a fairly small throat which leads to short barrel life.

Reloading any Weatherby case can be a bit tricky. Rather than having angular shoulders they are radiused and they need to have a lot of case lube on them to work right, and the die settings are more critical than average.

The cases are expensive. Thats really the biggest drawback that I can see. Look at any website and Weatherby cases are at least twice as expensive as others.

 

[atctimmy]

Hello again McPatrickclan.

We've had a similar chat about rifle brands. Here is the truth. Dead is dead. A .257 WMag and a .308 will shoot through both sides of a 300 lb whitetail. High powered rifles are seriously lethal and it’s more important to have good shooting skill than what caliber you shoot.

There are two schools of thought about ballistics and you will most likely be in one or the other (I try to haunt the middle). Light and fast (9mm /.257) or slow and heavy (.45/ 45-70). They both kill animals dead.


Advantages of .257 wMag:

Light recoil.
Very flat shooting (great for pronghorn or mulies out west).

Advantages of a .308:

Somewhat light recoil.
Hits hard like a 30-06.
Made by every rifle maker.
Designed to be very efficient and inherently accurate.
Is .30 caliber so there is an almost infinite number of bullets and loads available to use.
Very flexible.
Nato uses it so plenty of ammo around in a SHTF scenario.
Cheaper than the .257.

I could keep going.

 

[atctimmy]

So is the .50 cal the biggest? Or just a really big one?

.50 cal is the largest that is legal to own (without the paperwork).

 

[McPatrickClan]

Hello again McPatrickclan.

We've had a similar chat about rifle brands.

Thanks Timmy! I know I can count on your good take on it when I show up to chat about rifles. I'm not crazy! I just love chatting about this and honestly, this is teaching me a lot about why you would choose one caliber/make/model, etc. over another. There are differences and I enjoy knowing why.

Unfortunately, I do not have as much time as I would like these days to go out & hunt/shoot so the next best thing is chatting about it!