Question for all 257 WBY MAG.

[Ernesto C]

Allen got me thinking with his coments about a mule deer hunter that had to shoot at his mule deer buck 4 times in order to take it. He mentioned about the bullet lack of penetration at 500 yards.

 

A 257 WBY MAG at 500 yards has 1419 Energy ft. pounds. Which it looks to my enoug energy to take a mule deer. I personally wont hesitate to take a shot like that at a mule deer.

 

On the mentioned scenario we do not know angle of shot, shot placement, bullet grain, and rifles barrel lenght but .....who in here owns a 257 WBY MAG that can tell us their experience with this caliber? Or even if you do not own a 257, what's your opinion??

 

Ernesto C

[BRYCE CANYON]

Heck Ernesto, I don't own one but I would not hesitate to shoot an elk at that distance...

[tbrooks81]

My brother dropped his whitetail at 650ish last fall and I shot mine at just shy of 400 with the 'Lightning Bolt from God'. Can't speak for my bro's as I wasn't there but mine went through both shoulders and we found the slug just below the hide on the back side. He was as big in the body as most muleys. I'd trust the 257 mag at 500 yds as long as you can place the shot.

[Broken Wheels]

Allen got me thinking with his coments about a mule deer hunter that had to shoot at his mule deer buck 4 times in order to take it. He mentioned about the bullet lack of penetration at 500 yards.

 

A 257 WBY MAG at 500 yards has 1419 Energy ft. pounds. Which it looks to my enoug energy to take a mule deer. I personally wont hesitate to take a shot like that at a mule deer.

 

On the mentioned scenario we do not know angle of shot, shot placement, bullet grain, and rifles barrel lenght but .....who in here owns a 257 WBY MAG that can tell us their experience with this caliber? Or even if you do not own a 257, what's your opinion??

 

Ernesto C

 

The key word to all this is "at" as in "deer hunter that had to shoot at his mule deer buck 4 times in order to take it"!! Had he actually been hitting the deer in the vitals one would think the animal would have expired! Be that as it may I would think a 257 Weatherby Magnum, 7mm Magnum or a 280 (Allen's choices) would be more then sufficient to harvest an animal out to that distance! IMO, just saying, for what its worth, etc...

 

[firstcoueswas80]

I have personally taken game well past 500 with my 257. I had a shot opportunity this past hunt and nearly 700 yards on a nice buck and did not hesitate to take it. Unfortunately, I was just a little low (personal calculation error) but I have 100% in my rifle/bullet combination to ethically and humanly kill game at that distance.

[pwrguy]

I don't own a 257 weatherby, but I have taken a deer with one. Most of the calibers discussed on this forum will take big game at 500 yards. It is almost alway's about bullet placement and the shooters ability to place it there

[Ernesto C]

Or maybe.....is a good excuse for Allen to buy another rifle? Christmas is around the corner

 

Ernesto C

[catclaw]

I have personally taken game well past 500 with my 257. I had a shot opportunity this past hunt and nearly 700 yards on a nice buck and did not hesitate to take it. Unfortunately, I was just a little low (personal calculation error) but I have 100% in my rifle/bullet combination to ethically and humanly kill game at that distance.

 

 

That's the contradiction of the week! If you can't hold right to shoot 700 yds, it makes no difference the cartridge.

[480 stu-ffer]

Carried a custom .257 WBM around for a fellow one sheep season (he carried the ammo & the bolt) seem like a great cal., thought I might like to own one if I had the money... never got to see him use it though ..he shot his ram at 20yd's with his bow.

[Blade53]

Would not hesitate to take the shot at a mule deer with my 257 Weatherby Mag , have done it on many an occasion, plenty of gun for that range.....Dan

[billrquimby]

Would not hesitate to take the shot at a mule deer with my 257 Weatherby Mag , have done it on many an occasion, plenty of gun for that range.....Dan

 

I either helped or watched maybe eight or nine people kill antelope in Wyoming at 100- to 500-yard distances with .257 Weatherby Magnums over the years. All but two were one-shot, instant-death kills.

 

I also have taken a couple of Arizona mule deer, a Wyoming antelope, and two Coues deer, three or four Texas whitetails, and a couple dozen feral goats and a chamois in New Zealand with my .257 Roberts. None except the little chamois was more than 250 yards, though.

 

George Parker of Amado took everything from mule deer and desert sheep to elk, greater kudu, leopard, African lion, and giant Angolan sable with his .25-06, but I suspect he was like me and usually tried to get much closer than 500 yards before taking a shot.

 

The .25 calibers are killers because their mild recoil means most people can shoot them well. Within reason, bullet placement is always far more important than bullet size, weight, speed or brand.

 

Bill Quimby

 

[Blade53]

Great post Bill! Mr Weatherby himself was known to claim the 257 as his favorite caliber, no doubt he had taken many a game animal with the 257 weatherby.

[firstcoueswas80]

I have personally taken game well past 500 with my 257. I had a shot opportunity this past hunt and nearly 700 yards on a nice buck and did not hesitate to take it. Unfortunately, I was just a little low (personal calculation error) but I have 100% in my rifle/bullet combination to ethically and humanly kill game at that distance.

 

 

That's the contradiction of the week! If you can't hold right to shoot 700 yds, it makes no difference the cartridge.

 

 

Hmmm... I didnt know human error changes the effectivness of a particular cartridge.

[ultramag]

The .257 wby is a great round with the right bullet, I do not recommend the nosler ballistic tip for anything, my friend shot a coues at 325 yards and the bullet never made it though the the front shoulder, fragments is what killed the deer.

 

His gun is a tack driver though, light recoil, expensive as heck to shoot if you don't reload.

 

I would love to build one on a remington action. I am trying to work out some details for the build.

[120carp]

i was looking into a 257 wby mag. this is great info. thanks bj