Flattest Shooting Hunting Bullet 257 Weatherby Vanguard 26" pipe

[Quintus]

I guess with the sensitivity of some people the politically correct thing to have done would have been to say look how much better the high bc on 6.5s do compared to our lowly 257 bcs. I used the crudmoor in the example because it's a turd. A turd that beats my 257 wbys at long range. That why I now have several creeds and a 6.5 saum and a 6.5x257wby and a 6.5x284 on deck. I still have 3 257roys and always will have one of more of them. The next one definitely will have an 8 twist on it.
Shep

I have several of the 6.5s as well, but the .257Wby is a special tool. It isn't a long range match gun or a plinker. It was designed to be a laser and make what used to be a long shot - 400 yards pretty darn easy, even in the wind. Blackjacks are cool I guess, but there are alot of tools in the bag that will still do it better than the 25Bee with a blackjack. I must be getting old and nostalgic, but I hate to think of the F-16 turning into another C-130 hauling Hum-Vees to the Philippines.

 

[VLD Pilot]

I have several of the 6.5s as well, but the .257Wby is a special tool. It isn't a long range match gun or a plinker. It was designed to be a laser and make what used to be a long shot - 400 yards pretty darn easy, even in the wind. Blackjacks are cool I guess, but there are alot of tools in the bag that will still do it better than the 25Bee with a blackjack. I must be getting old and nostalgic, but I hate to think of the F-16 turning into another C-130 hauling Hum-Vees to the Philippines.

I think if companies exposed the heavy for caliber bullets for every caliber bullet available, we may have a different outlook on which cartridge is the best for the job. Given that only a few calibers offer these, they are our only options. A 130 class bullet offered in a .25 caliber with the slipperiness of the Blackjack puts the .257 cartridges in a whole different league. Having a couple 6.5-284s, it offers less recoil and flatter trajectory in the 130 grain option. The 140 in the 6.5-284 still only offers a bit better energy at extended ranges but trajectory suffers. My hope is that a few more good hunting bullet options will be released for the .25 caliber. Little heavier low drag and flat base and BT options.

 

[25WSM]

Only thing sexier than an F-16 is a P-51. These are my 2 favorite planes ever made. Although a corsair with all 4 flaps down looks pretty awesome too. I started with the 257bee in 1990 because it was flat shooting to 500 yards and range finders at the time were 4 ft long or super expensive. But now that 300 bucks gets you into an adequate range finder speed isn't on top of my list any more. And to be honest I shoot maybe 2 big game animals a yr. I shoot over a 1000 rounds at steel and paper. When I shoot steel I don't even shoot at the 500 and in plates. The long range ones are the fun zone. And even a little wind makes it interesting. That's why I want the bc now. And my matches are all 1000 yard now. All the paper and steel shooting directly translates to long range hunting. There are guys from Williamsport range that only hunt over 1000 yards. They got some serious equipment.
Shep

 

[orifdoc]

Got a ride in a P51 once. Give me a chance for another trip vs a ride in an F22 or F35 and I'd go back up in the Mustang. Pulling 4Gs doing Cuban-8's is a blast.

As for the .257 WBY, love the caliber, but as has been said it has a particular niche. Mine likes TTSX, but with a factory Vanguard barrel anything heavier/longer is a problem. As for the bullet manufacturers, they'll start making better bullets when 1:8 barrels become standard. 1:8 barrels will become standard when bullets are available....... same old problem..... the quarter-bore curse.

I shot a pronghorn 4 or 5 years ago and really wanted the cape for a nice buck my daughter had shot in the neck. I shot mine at about 75 yards behind the shoulder and the impact split the cape from the mid abdomen to right behind the ear. *!#@*! If monolithic bullets have a place anywhere, the .257 bee is the perfect fit for them. Better to be out beyond 200-300 yards though.

As for the OP's desire to use it to 800 yards, as has been amply shared, you're either stuck with tuning custom bullets to custom barrels, or choosing something else. Out to 500-600, it's pretty good medicine out of the box, at least for me.

 

[25WSM]

I talked to Randy at Bibb and he said jackets are hard to get right now for the 257s that are worth a darn. He said he will try and get some done this winter but only for previous customers. His bullets are the best bet for 10 twist guns right now if you want to shoot long. The 257RPM with an 8 twist is sounding aweful nice right now. Probably won't build another on a 10 ever again.
Shep

 

[snox801]

sir, my name is donovan wilcox. i have a 257 wby mag trued by weatherby. i have been reading your replies etc on hammer bullets. do you have any experience with 257 wby? what would your recommendations be? do you know anyone who is loading the hammers? thanks, donovan

You can contact Steve at hammer I know he has loaded and had someone with them on the African hunt use the hammers in a bee.
I'm building a new house right now and as soon as that is done my first order is to load the hammers into my 28" bee.

 

[snox801]

He's talking about drop on Mils 5.1 vs 5.9, here's how I look at if your dialing anyway, What's the difference, But that's just me

Bingo when I hear what's the flattest is how far can I get without dialing. Hence what my bee is best at. If I have to dial I can use anything but boy it's nice to pint and shoot sometimes.

 

[snox801]

110 Bibb has a .520 bc. The 131BJ is mid .6s by my calculations.

Well the appeal for me was the .257 caliber bullet and the discussion around it. Not having one yet but currently building one, I'd like to hear real life experiences on game and accuracy with all bullets used. Not trying to compare or which cartridge is better. I'm building it regardless. I'm building it off the 131 BJ bullet. Fast twist and planning on using lighter 110-120 bullets for mid range deer. Just couldn't figure out what the BC /drop numbers were for. Figured for two different .257 bullets. Thanks.

I have only got the combined tech 115 into animals and can say that I've shot everything from 80 yards to just over 600 and all end up the same bang flop with exits. Only had one big doe at 428 run about 40 yards. Lots of pigs also actually my longest over 600 was a pig that dropped in the road.

 

[ButterBean]

I have only got the combined tech 115 into animals and can say that I've shot everything from 80 yards to just over 600 and all end up the same bang flop with exits. Only had one big doe at 428 run about 40 yards. Lots of pigs also actually my longest over 600 was a pig that dropped in the road.

I've killed more animals with that bullet than anything else I have shot combined but man you better stay on top of your cleaning cause let me tell you that Lubalox don't come out without a fight

 

[tribb]

I have only got the combined tech 115 into animals and can say that I've shot everything from 80 yards to just over 600 and all end up the same bang flop with exits. Only had one big doe at 428 run about 40 yards. Lots of pigs also actually my longest over 600 was a pig that dropped in the road.

Isn't the combined technology 115 a. Nosler ballistic tip?

 

[doubledoc]

With Winchester's special coating.....Takes Kroil to remove!

 

[snox801]

Bore tech eliminator also takes it off fine for me.but I keep it on the cleaner side so it never builds up.

 

[VLD Pilot]

Bore tech eliminator also takes it off fine for me.but I keep it on the cleaner side so it never builds up.

Is that coating equivalent to moly ? Never shot those bullets. Why not just buy Nosler Ballistic tips if there the same bullet minus the coating ?

 

[ButterBean]

Bore tech eliminator also takes it off fine for me.but I keep it on the cleaner side so it never builds up.

I liked the coating but at the time I didn't clean until something went south, I worked on it 2 hours a day for a week before I got the most of it out