25-06 vs .257 Weatherby

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Ruger1nut

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
766
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Honeoye NY
For any of you guys that have either of these rifles or have taken a 25-06 and punched it out to .257 Weatherby what are you getting real world velocity's? Accuracy?

I have a 25-06 I am considering doting this too but not really sure I should other than I have always wanted a .257 Weatherby.

I am sure not a whitetail or speedgoat in the world can tell the difference but still not sure that is not a good enough reason not to do it

Dave
 

Eddies M77

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Messages
56
Location
Central Louisiana
I have shot a .25/06 for years and can tell you that IMO it would be hard to find a better whitetail cartridge. I have killed deer with several different calibers including .284 Win., .270, and .30/06 and have never had as many deer drop in their tracks as with the .25/06 and with the lowly 120 corelokt. I do not see where it is enough difference in velocity to make much, if any difference and since you cannot shoot heavier bullets with it, I wouldn't do it. A better conversion to me would be to convert a .257 Roberts to a .257 Ackley. With that being said, it is always cool to tinker and try out new calibers. If money is no object (both with rechambering and ammo), go for it!
 

Guy M

Bearcat
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
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8
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Pacific Northwest
I've had great success on coyotes and mule deer with my .25-06 Rem 700 CDL, and toyed with the idea of turning it into a .257 Wby, but I'm very happy with it as a .25-06... It will not be changed.

My son though, inherited his great grandfather's 1940's era Mauser '98 based .257 Weatherby... That rifle was a local legend in the late 1940's and through the 1950's and even in the 1960's. He's got it now, and we're bringing it back, as it hasn't been shot much for the past 25 or 30 years or so, and needed some upgrades. Even with the same 24" barrel, it's loafing to produce the velocity my .25-06 manages with max level loads.

So... If a couple of hundred more fps excite you - go for it. In reality, will you see a huge benefit in the field? I sort of doubt it. They're both great cartridges.

FWIW, Guy
 

Heavy Barrel

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Messages
428
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South Central,PA USA
Dave,I have two 257 Wby's.First is a Winchester Model 70 Winlite rebarreled with a 26" Hart stainless barrel.Top rifle in second picture is a 98 Mauser,Canjar single set trigger,28" Hart heavy barrel.Both will shoot .500 M.O.A.with the heavy barrel around half of that most times.Wouldn't trade either for any other 25 caliber out there.The Winlite is the best deer rifle I have ever owned and I had/have a bunch.

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MVC-027S-1.jpg
 

picketpin

Buckeye
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Jun 29, 2006
Messages
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Owyhee County, ID, USA
Nut: Take a look at the reloading manuals. The 25-06 is overbore. It has to be if a 30-06 is bore balanced. It like all over bore cartridges works best with the heaviest bullets for caliber with slow powder. I own several, okay maybe 5 or 6 in #1s and 77s and they are fine deer/antelope rifles.

Now take a look at the 257 Weatherby. It is grossly over bore. Yes, you will get a bit more velocity than with the same weight bullets than you can with a 25-06. It will also cost you a bunch in terms of increase in powder and thus recoil.

MY personal rule with wildcats is that I need to get 10% increase with about the same powder increase to make it worth while to do. If you look at the 257 Weatherby you'll see it takes somethinglike a 30% powder increase for a 7% velocity increase.

I'm not sure it's worth the time. effort money and additional espense for brass.

As a side note, I own 3 Weatherby MkV rifles, a 224, a 240 and a 270. I do NOT own a 257 Weatherby Mag.

Unless your goal is the absolute velocity possible regardless of anything else, it's not a project I'd do.

Ross
 

Lloyd Smale

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 10, 2003
Messages
555
Location
munising MI USA
the new slower powders make the rounds that were considered grossly overbore in the past not so much so anymore. I own both and love both of them but theres no way a 2506 will run with a wby in the same barrel lenght. One of my 2506s is a 26 inch no 1 and it wont come close to top end loads in my 24 inch 257. I hear all the time the argument that it takes alot more powder to get the extra 200 fps but it isnt like a guy goes out and shoots 200 rounds a day out of one and in all reality it probably cost about 10cents a round more to load. Only downfall i see to the weatherby is if a guy wants properly headstamped brass you have to pay out of your teeth for it. But again if a guy picks up a 100 of them they last a long time and what i do is do inital load developement with necked down 7mag brass. Dont get me wrong. the 2506 is one of my favorite rounds. Ive shot a truck load of deer with both and dont let anyone tell you the 2506 hits deer like a wby though. Especially when the ranges are stretched out past 300 yards. What i like about the 257 is it hits deer with just as much athourity way out there as the 7mag and 300 mag do and it does it with much less recoil. Step up in animal size and the bigger guns have a distinct advantage but for deer the 257 is about as good as it gets.
 

Ruger1nut

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
766
Location
Honeoye NY
Thanx Guys, HeavyBarrel what cartridge are yours chambered in?

I guess nobody is telling me anything I did not already know.

I will keep thinking about it but for now I guess it will live on as a 25-06.

Now if it were a 257 Roberts I would make it an Ackley in a heartbeat

Next to a 280 AI I also really like the 6.5/.257 Roberts Ackley Imp.

Dave
 

Heavy Barrel

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Messages
428
Location
South Central,PA USA
Ruger1nut said:
Thanx Guys, HeavyBarrel what cartridge are yours chambered in?

I guess nobody is telling me anything I did not already know.

I will keep thinking about it but for now I guess it will live on as a 25-06.

Now if it were a 257 Roberts I would make it an Ackley in a heartbeat

Next to a 280 AI I also really like the 6.5/.257 Roberts Ackley Imp.

Dave

Dave,both 257 Wby.The bottom is a 30-378,that one you don't carry. :)
 

Major T

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
622
Location
ft worth, tx
I was introduced to the .25-06 back in the 60s by a fine family doctor who was also a damn fine emergency room physician. He was small of stature and used the .25-06 for all his persuits, including elk and moose. He swore that elk usually were DRT and that moose just kind of wobbled off from a few to several yards and collapsed. I was young and strong in those days and liked bigger cartridges. I did try a .257 Wby in the 80s, but it was a 24" lightweight tubed Mark V. I could never wring the kind of accuracy out of it that I expected-even after bedding, floating, different scope, and etc. My friend had a 26" .25-06 that came real close to my numbers. I finally became aggravated with that rifle and sent it thataway. I suspect that Wby brass is not the hassle that it was back then as others began loading it. Dont ruin a good .25-06 for a few fps. (My advice is worth what it cost.) Wby puts them out in the Vanguard. My understanding is that all Mk Vs now come with 26" tubes. Either way, best wishes, Jack
 

roofinspector

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Messages
282
The 25/06 as is a fine case. Somewhat overbore, but pretty flat shooting type of thing. The Ackely Improved version is as well, just a bit more zip and has the shoulder. Next step up really is the 257 Weatherby. There are other larger cases with the 25 cal neck; one only has to peruse the net.

I believe that the 257 Weatherby is of course more over bore, but few really care. The case is all about speed. I would favor a 26" or more barrel, but that is just my perference, trying to get all the speed I can get. One might cruise the net for experiences with some of the later slow type powders.

One does not need to purchase factory ammo or factory brass for this case, if one has some reloading experience. I think the 7mmRemMag comes out a touch short in length when formed, one might watch the neck thicknesses as well, but everyone has their own thing about such. Other longer cases can be used to make up Weatherby brass.

To me, "want", trumps practicality. Will it recoil more than the 25-06?, yep; but is not bad to most in the properly stocked rifle. Barrel life will be shorter than the 30-06, but barrels are a dime a dozen; perhaps a worsecase? 500-1000 round barrel life is what you will need in your lifetime, if you are a deer/pronghorn or even coyote hunter. When the throat wears, set it back or buy a new blank; both approaches are available with a flip of the wrist.

I see that Remington is offering the 257 Weatherby in their 700 CDL? series from the Shot Show.

People that rechamber or move up from the 257 Roberts to the AI version will notice a recoil increase. Will it cause most not to try the AI?, probably not. Likewise, moving up from the 25-06 to the Weatherby; the prices of different types involved will vary from individual to individual. To me owning a Weatherby type chambering at least once in ones life, is like wondering what a Ferrari or a Lambo is like; never know until you try it for yourself....... :)
 

308longdistance

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
879
Location
Stoneham
Here is one of the early (about 3 years old) Remington all weather 700 SPS stainless 26" 257wby limited's. I had the barrel & bolt fluted and skeletonized. I don't reload. Shoots Weatherby factory 110 Accubonds, accuracy is more than acceptable for a hunting rifle. Never cronoed it.

Don't know that I would punch out a nice 25-06, but would have no problem building a 257wby mag.

257mag001.jpg

257mag002.jpg
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
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Location
missouri
Having both calibers and reloading for both, I found the Wby really needs at least 26" of barrel to exceed the 25/06 by a significant amount. Both my rifles are 24" and the difference is mostly in muzzle blast and cost of brass and powder. That's the downside of the Wby Vanguard=24" barrel.
 

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