.257 Roy Loads

[duckhunter175]

Getting my hands on a .257wby--- very excited. My dad is a quarter bore fan (his .250-3000 got him started reloading). I had a 25/06 some time ago that was traded off and I kind of always regretted it.

 

That being said-- What loads are you guys using for yours?? I have a stockpile of 110gr Accubonds and powders on hand include H1000, Retumbo, RL19, H4831sc and I have RL22/25 both readily accessible.

 

Thoughts on brass as well??

[firstcoueswas80]

R22 and r25 have worked well for me.

 

Norma and Weatherby brass are the one in the sam.

[Hoss50]

H1000 and Berger HVLD. I make my brass from fire forming 7mm Rem mag brass.

 

I have a load that is sub-moa.

[Hoss50]

If you want the actual recipe pm me and I will go find it. The 7mm brass will give slightly less case capacity vs weatherby brass, but it is alot cheaper if you don't have weatherby brass. It also comes up shorter I the neck area so trimming for length isn't necessary often.

 

I have used 264 win mag brass too, but the 7mm Rem mag brass seems to last longer for some reason. The 264 brass was winchester and lasted about 4-5 loadings. The 7rm brass is remington and is doing better. The primer pockets are usually what goes. Sometimes a neck split.

 

I am not loading super hot either. I found a good load that has shot well and didn't monkey with it. I figure sub-moa at 500 yards is perfectly acceptable for a stock weatherby vanguard with 3x9 scope.

[dbengraver]

For mine I run 68gr of RL22 behind the 110 accubond and ill have to check but I think 63gr of RL22 behind 115 ballistic tips all shoot amazingly well i also shot 62.5gr of imr4831 behind the 117gr hornady bullets for years and that load was very accurate be for switching to rl22 and nosler just to try something different

[Hoss50]

I have had great luck with the 117gr Hornady BTSP for a cheaper target and shorter range hunting round. My gun likes them better than Nosler Ballistic tips and better than SST's. Berger have been the best followed by the Hornady 117gr BTSP.

[apache12]

My Mark V likes Barnes 100 grain. With H1000. Didn't have great results with RL25. But each rifle is unique. I've found the 257 to be more finicky than other calibers but when you find the right load it's legit. Be ready for some experimentation

[firstcoueswas80]

My Mark V likes Barnes 100 grain. With H1000. Didn't have great results with RL25. But each rifle is unique. I've found the 257 to be more finicky than other calibers but when you find the right load it's legit. Be ready for some experimentation

I do not disagree with this.

[Hoss50]

Find your load and sight your rifle in for about 225 yards or so. With that kind of zero you should be point of aim in the kill zone to at least 300. The round shoots so flat it is awesome.

[1uglydude]

I load the 100gr TTSX using 7828ssc. I have used RL22, H4831sc, and H1000...and all of them were acceptable, but mine shines with the 7828.

[1uglydude]

H1000 and Berger HVLD. I make my brass from fire forming 7mm Rem mag brass.

 

I have a load that is sub-moa.

 

When you make your 257 brass from 7 mag do you use new 7 mag brass, or can use use once-fired? Also, how has your neck thickness been? Are they tight? Have you had to turn the necks at all?

[Hoss50]

 

H1000 and Berger HVLD. I make my brass from fire forming 7mm Rem mag brass.

 

I have a load that is sub-moa.

 

When you make your 257 brass from 7 mag do you use new 7 mag brass, or can use use once-fired? Also, how has your neck thickness been? Are they tight? Have you had to turn the necks at all?

 

 

I only use new brass to start loads. Originally i used .264 win mag brass because I found 50rds of Winchester brass on the shelf. I loaded that for awhile. The necks were a little tight, but not bad. I got about 4-5 loads out of most of that brass before the primer pockets got loose enough to make them trash.

 

I now load Remington 7mm Rem Mag brass, and only start with new fresh brass. The necks actually seem to be better than the 264 brass was, and I am getting a little better lift out of these, probably 5-7 loadings before the pockets are loose.

I have gotten an occasional neck crack with both types of brass, but not often. Neither type of brass has had to be cut for length which is nice. I will true them up every 2nd or 3rd loading if they need it.

 

I form my brass by full length sizing the new brass, then load it with a lighter load and shoot it for practice. Then I load them up as normal, but I keep in mind that the case capacity is about 5% less than a true 257 case so I just load til I find pressure signs and an accuracy node. I got lucky and found a good load fairly easily that will shot well under MOA with 115gr Bergers over H1000. I can get the full load info if you need it.

 

The reason I originally loaded 264 brass was because I own a 7mm and I didn't want to mix up rounds. Once my 264 brass was toast though any brass was hard to find let alone 264 brass, so I moved to 7mm Remington headstamp because I had a bunch of it brand new sitting on my bench. At the same time though I got rid of all my once fired Remington headstamp brass that was actually 7mm Mag so I reduced the risk of mix up.

 

I load remington brass for my 257 Weatherby, and federal brass for my 7mm. That way I know what rounds are what without having to pull the rounds out of the case and look at the shoulders and bullets.

[1uglydude]

 

 

H1000 and Berger HVLD. I make my brass from fire forming 7mm Rem mag brass.

 

I have a load that is sub-moa.

 

When you make your 257 brass from 7 mag do you use new 7 mag brass, or can use use once-fired? Also, how has your neck thickness been? Are they tight? Have you had to turn the necks at all?

 

 

I only use new brass to start loads. Originally i used .264 win mag brass because I found 50rds of Winchester brass on the shelf. I loaded that for awhile. The necks were a little tight, but not bad. I got about 4-5 loads out of most of that brass before the primer pockets got loose enough to make them trash.

 

I now load Remington 7mm Rem Mag brass, and only start with new fresh brass. The necks actually seem to be better than the 264 brass was, and I am getting a little better lift out of these, probably 5-7 loadings before the pockets are loose.

I have gotten an occasional neck crack with both types of brass, but not often. Neither type of brass has had to be cut for length which is nice. I will true them up every 2nd or 3rd loading if they need it.

 

I form my brass by full length sizing the new brass, then load it with a lighter load and shoot it for practice. Then I load them up as normal, but I keep in mind that the case capacity is about 5% less than a true 257 case so I just load til I find pressure signs and an accuracy node. I got lucky and found a good load fairly easily that will shot well under MOA with 115gr Bergers over H1000. I can get the full load info if you need it.

 

The reason I originally loaded 264 brass was because I own a 7mm and I didn't want to mix up rounds. Once my 264 brass was toast though any brass was hard to find let alone 264 brass, so I moved to 7mm Remington headstamp because I had a bunch of it brand new sitting on my bench. At the same time though I got rid of all my once fired Remington headstamp brass that was actually 7mm Mag so I reduced the risk of mix up.

 

I load remington brass for my 257 Weatherby, and federal brass for my 7mm. That way I know what rounds are what without having to pull the rounds out of the case and look at the shoulders and bullets.

 

 

Does it have to be new brass? I ask because I keep seeing people write that, but no one seems to offer an explanation as to why it can't be once-fired, annealed brass.

 

I shoot the 100gr ttsx, but I have several hundred of the 100gr tsx that I would like to use for javelina. I'd like to save the firings on my expensive brass for the longer range hunting. So I'm looking to have brass that I'm not as worried about available for pig hunting. But, if I've got to buy new 7mm brass, then I'm not sure if the hassle would be worth the incremental change in cost for factory 257 brass.

[Hoss50]

I have not done it personally, but what I found from people who had done it said that the new brass is softer and more malleable. It is easier to get the soft brass to form with less issues. I have heard you can try and do it with once fired but you are more prone to cracks and such.

It is worth a shot if you have a bunch of once fired.

[257wby]

Nosler 115 BT with 69 gr of 7828 SSC are working pretty well for me.