25-06 vs. 257 Wby

[Hired Gun]

Somebody has to be a 257Wby fan. I am one. I have a 24" 25-06AI and it doesn't hold a candle to what my 26" 257Wby will do. I use it for varmints to with 75 grain V-Max's at 3950 and hunt deer with it using 100 grain Partitions at 3650 or 110 Accubonds at 3450. To 600 yards it is devistating on deer. I use the same modified Lee Collet die to neck size both the 257Wby and the 25-06AI. The 257 is way easier to load for and my original 100 brass are still going strong after 10 years. My front row of test mule brass are up to 20 firings and the primer pockets are getting noticably looser than when they were new. The belt is a non-issue. In my experience the 257Wby will put 200fps on anything the 25-06AI will do. Winchester brass has the greatest case capacity in 25-06 from what I have found.

 

[joecool]

BC

Rebarrel with a longer barrel??

You can have the Sendaro 25/06 barrel (26") rechambered to the 25 Gibbs to see if you liked it unless your 25/06 barrel is shot out?

I would go to a 30" barrel if I were you.


The capacity of the 25 Gibbs is 7 to 9 grs More of powder over the 25/06 depending on the brass you use.
For velocity comparison, check the Sierra loading book for the 257 Weatherby and that is the velocity you will be able to get with the Gibbs. Actually when I ran them hot with good actions, I could soundly beat the 257 Weatherby by 100 FPS (or more) in most cases and in my 30 to 34" barrels.

I don't advise going that hot though. Excessive Speed kills accuracy and wears barrels very fast.

later
DC

Wow!!! That's amazing, but I think if you put that Weatherby in a 34" barrel it would pass up or Gibbs like it was standing still….Dude get a grip.

 

[4xforfun]

Hey I have a Gibbs and am having bad luck with brass and fireforming. My dad built it about 15 years ago and we started with 30-06 put in a .270 die then in the .25 Gibbs die. We had problems with the neck splitting so I bought a box of 25-06 and loaded out to the lands. The primer strike seats the bullet deeper and leaves only a light dent on the primer. Should I try the Unique and filler or different bullets? Anneal the necks? How about the lee crimp die? Am using this gun on a desert sheep hunt but running low on brass and time. Do have 30 rounds loaded for the hunt, 10 practice rounds and 6 more to load. Wish I could get the extra 100 ready though. Very accurate and nice shooting round. Dad killed his 2 biggest mule deer with it. Load is 59.0 H4831 with a Sierra 117 BT. Want to get a load for TSX's , Ballistictips, ACCU-BONDS or Swifts shooting for this gun. Seems like fireforming/wildcat help is hard to come by.Thanks for any help. Gene

I am not familiar with the gibbs. If it is an "improved" it should headspace properly when formig brass. With what you are discribing, it sounds like a true "wildcat" and will need to have specal attention to take care of the headspace issue.

You can...

(1) Put a small amount of "very fast" powder and top it off with cream-O-wheat and cotton, point the gun up, and fire form. I have never tried it, and my advice is talk to a gibbs shooter who has used this method before you try it. Use 25-06 brass

(2) Just seat the bullet long with lots of neck tension and just shoot. This sounds like what you have tried, and it didn't work. Use more neck tension and be sure to "jam" the bullets. Some of the guys out there don't believe in this method. Use 25-06 brass

(3) Buy an expander die and expand the neck up to .264, and then size them back down to .257 just far enough so that the case will just fit. Buy a true expander die with the propper expander button. I have wrecked more brass just using a regular expander button that is one size bigger. (ie..using a 264 die to expand your 25 cal.) Use GOOD LUBE. I like to feel a good amount of resistance on the bolt when closing it on the brass. Now you have created a "false" sholder in which to headspace off of. I would still jam the bullet for extra resistance. I would use max loads for the 25-06 to do the fire forming. You should get nice sharp sholders. Some of the guys out there actualy compete while FF brass. AND THEY WIN!!ge(

You might be able to use 270 brass and skip the expander step. You just size enough of the brass so that it fits snugly into the gun. You just need to form a faulse sholder in which to headspace off of. If you have a bushing die (and you should) you could buy a bushing around .260 and take it down it two steps.

Good luck
Tod

 

[dahunta]

i have been around .2506 and 257wthby both and im going to have to rule in favor of the 06.not familiar with the gibbs but im guessing since ur wanting to stay cheap you are going to be alot so barrel life will come into play.my sendero in 2506 will shoot anything u put down the barrel very well.the lighter recoil of the 2506 doesnt give much advantage but is nice.the best advice i could give u.......is get BOTH!!!good luck and happy .

 

[MudRunner2005]

Well, all I can say, is that I have a .257 Wby. and I love mine!

It is the perfect deer caliber!

I don't know alot about varmint hunting long range with a .25-06.....I've always used my .22-250.

That might want to be a caliber to look into???

Either way, I'd use a .257 Wby, or a .25-06 for deer or antelope......and I'd use a .22-250 for varmints.

I've shot prairie dogs, coyotes, etc....at 500-600 with my .22-250 with standard Hornady V-Max 55gr. ammo! And it did a number on them!


Regardless, good luck with your decision.

But I'd get you a .22-250 for varmints and a .257 Weatherby for deer.

 

[Dean2]

Somebody has to be a 257Wby fan. I am one. I have a 24" 25-06AI and it doesn't hold a candle to what my 26" 257Wby will do. I use it for varmints to with 75 grain V-Max's at 3950 and hunt deer with it using 100 grain Partitions at 3650 or 110 Accubonds at 3450. To 600 yards it is devistating on deer. I use the same modified Lee Collet die to neck size both the 257Wby and the 25-06AI. The 257 is way easier to load for and my original 100 brass are still going strong after 10 years. My front row of test mule brass are up to 20 firings and the primer pockets are getting noticably looser than when they were new. The belt is a non-issue. In my experience the 257Wby will put 200fps on anything the 25-06AI will do. Winchester brass has the greatest case capacity in 25-06 from what I have found.

Spot on. I have shot 25-06, and a few other 25 Ackley's. The 257 kicks their butts easily, in the same length barrel. The 257 Bee was also easy tyo load for, non-picky in powder or bullets and will consistently clover leaf three Horn 117 grain Interbonds at 200 yards, at 3450 FPs. It makes whatever I shoot with it DRT and it feeds WAY better than the Ackleys. Slick as butter every time.

It shoots from 75 gtain to 117 grain equally well and the only bullet it didn't seem to like was partitions, they were still under MOA to 400 yards. Horn, Sierra, Barnes, Speer and Nosler all shot well under 1/2 MOA out of a factory stock Weatherby Ultralight that is Devcon bedded and pillared. If you don't reload the Weatherby Select cheapie ammo does 3580 FPs in 110 grain and will clover leaf at 100 yards.

 

[4xforfun]

WOW....10 year old thread (+ 2 days).

I don't think they even make the 257 WBY or the 25-06 anymore!!

 

[Edd]

Well, all I can say, is that I have a .257 Wby. and I love mine!

It is the perfect deer caliber!

 

[Dean2]

WOW....10 year old thread (+ 2 days).

I don't think they even make the 257 WBY or the 25-06 anymore!!

Didn't notice how old the thread was. It came up on the regular new post notices so just figured it was current topic. Sorry about that.

 

[MudRunner2005]

That was before the barrel went to crap in less than 100 rounds. As a matter of fact, that was posted within a month of me purchasing the rifle. I never really shot the gun more than about 50 rounds prior to 2011, when I started shooting it more at the range and not just a couple shots a year in the woods for hunting. That's when everything went downhill.

Also, I still like the cartridge, but I have no problems pointing out the flaws in it either...Like lack of efficiency and archaic shoulder design, and the old way of doing things for performance, like just shoving more powder behind it to make it go faster, and add 2" of freebore to keep pressures down.

 

[TG-5150]

I'll jump in. Ha ha
I have owned several 25-06's. Enjoyed them all. First one I bought was from an old sheep herder living in a camper in N.W. Montuky. It was a push feed winnie. Tack driver too. 150.00 scope and all.
Now there are two in the house, a Ruger and a Tikka. Both are spot on.
I shot a .257 Weatherby for a season and enjoyed it. Never loaded for it but it shot 120 gr. Partitions very well.

 

[TG-5150]

I have never found the 25-06 hard at all to load for.
I did have a .30 Gibbs I bought at a gun show many years ago. It came with dies and brass and some caveman load data. All before the internet, haha. I would like to have that gun again but will try the Sherman line before that happens

 

[Edd]

.........Also, I still like the cartridge, but I have no problems pointing out the flaws in it either...Like lack of efficiency and archaic shoulder design, and the old way of doing things for performance, like just shoving more powder behind it to make it go faster, and add 2" of freebore to keep pressures down.

What are the things you like about it?

 

[MudRunner2005]

What are the things you like about it?

The fact that it's a 1/4-bore, the fact that it's fast, and the fact you can get decent barrel life out of it, despite being grossly overbore. It also is an excellent whitetail deer cartridge. Very flat shooting. And kills very effectively with a good behind the shoulder vitals shot.

These are the same reasons I love my .25-06 AI as well. But I also love the fact that it does the same as the .257 Wby (within 50-75 FPS MV), but with cheaper brass, better brass life, better barrel life, less powder, less muzzle blast, and less recoil.

I still have all my .257 Wby brass, ammo, reloads, and dies, because I plan on getting another one someday, as well. But it will be a custom, and most definitely NOT a Weatherby brand rifle.