243 or 257?

[Va varminter]

I am planning on getting one of these very soon but can't make up my mind. I have had experience with the 243 before. But not the Roberts. It will not be a varmint gun, but rather my other deer rifle(7mmSTW). Is there anyone out there who has shot/ hunted with both? My heart says Roberts, but want to hear from experience. And I do reload, if that matters. I know the 257 is hard to find on the shelf.

[Rafter CT]

A friend of mine and I finished tuning a 257 Roberts up for my 11 year old son. It's an FN Mauser with a Timney trigger and glass bedded in a Bell Cerlson stock. I haven't quite found the "sweet" load for it but it sure is a pleasure to shoot. My son got a 1/2" group at 50 yards with it the other day. Not bad for his first time shooting a centerfire rifle. I'm a big fan of "Quarter Bores"

[Lee C.]

I can't help you out with the 257 Roberts at all. But I have been hunting deer a long time with a 243 rem. And they are easy to reload for. They have very little recoil to them. That should help when starting some one out shooting a rifle. And i haven't seen a 243 that couldn't shoot. I've got one for deer and a H. B. 243 for coyote's that's how much i like them. I hope this has help you out some with what you wanted to know.

[22shooter]

I have had my .257 Roberts for over ten years now. It is a Ruger Model 77 bolt action. The big advantage over the 6mm and .243 is that you can load heavier bullets, up to 120 grain. It is an excellent old timer. It kills deer quickly. I have a 243 but I wouldn't use it for a mule deer unless I used Nosler partition bullets.

[Rick in Oregon]

VA Varminter: All good advice. I have both a .243 Win, and a .243 Ackley, but if I was faced with your decision, I'd go with a .257 Roberts, and the first thing I'd do to it would be to send it to the smith of choice, and have it rechambered to .257 Ackley Improved.

I'll freely admit that I'm a big fan of Ackley calibers, and consider them to be worth the tiny extra effort required to care and feed them. Do consider though, that the .257 Ackley was P.O.'s favorite medium caliber, and he considered it the best example of an improved cartridge, offering the best return for the improvement. You'll gain right at 200 fps extra, possibly better accuracy, longer brass life, and the satisfaction of having something a bit different in deer camp.

It will shoot the heavier bullets faster, flatter, and have more punch downrange too, no small matter. Good luck with your choice.

[Rafter CT]

I've got a sweet load for my sons .257 Roberts. 48 grains of 7828 CCI 250 Mag primer and 100 grain Sierra Game Kings. Just shot a .442" group Sunday.

[Arizona Hunter]

Go with the 257. In modern action you can get some good velocity, or you could opt for the Ackley version.

Now, my friend has a 243 and it shoots great, but I have a soft spot for the 25 cal.-maybe because I've never had a 25.

[Ahab]

Or go one step further and get the .257 WBY magnum.

[Vartarg]

.257 Wby Magnum: a white horse of a different color for sure!!!!!!

I'd say go with the .257 Roberts....mainly for the heavier bullets...

[glenn asher]

Put me down on the list for the Roberts, I like .25s. I have a .25/06 I'm very fond of. It ain't pretty (Savage in tupperware) but it shoots well. For the Roberts and deer, I think I'd use a good 100 grain bullet, I've seen my cousin kill a couple truckloads of deer with the common 100 corelokt Remington .25/06 factory load. It's a darn good bullet, and it works.

[.204 Sniper]

Remember, if you opt for the Ackley version you can still shoot factory ammo out of her - it won't make much of a difference in the accuracy department and you'll get fire formed brass.

Mine had a .280" neck.
.257" (bullet diameter) + .022" (neck wall thickness = .011" each side) = .279" loaded round diameter.

I had to turn the necks on new .257 brass - load with the cheapest bullet I could find (Remington 100 grain bulk soft points) and fire those. THEN I could load with the 100 grain Nosler's. This was in a custom 15" XP-100 (center grip). I could shoot 1" groups at 150 meters ALL DAY LONG from Creedmoor!

Get the Ackley version of the .257. If you want superior accuracy, get a tight neck chamber like I had. If it's main purpose is for deer hunting DO NOT get the tight neck chamber - it can be next to impossible to chamber a round with just a hint of dirt in the chamber. You only have .0005" clearance on each side of a loaded round.

Have fun....................it's a great little round!

[bones]

The 243 was my first centerfire rifle. I have fired the 257, but hunted with one. In my opinion, and I have killed many deer with the 243, I would buy the 257 if deer is your primary object. The 243 is great, but light on bullet weight for deer. I have seen one buck killed at a measured 1/4 mile(fenceline to fenceline) with a 243, but that was a master marksman on a calm day. Either one will work, or not work, if you don't shoot accurately!!