25-06 versus 257 weatherby

[300 ultra]

My father passed away and left me a rem700 ADL in 30-06 with a bushnell scope. It has been sitting in the safe so I figured I should do something with it since I will never get rid of it but definetly dont need another 30-06. So I have been brainstorming on what to build. I decided on a 25 caliber since I dont have that flavor and was looking through the Nosler reloading book and it shows that the 25-06 with a 24" barrel is 100+- Feet per second slower than a 257 weatherby with 10 grains less of powder. Is this right? I am just going to use the action off the ADL and the rest will sit in a tote. I am going to put a 24" Lilja barrel in#3 and a classic turkish walnut stock and use it as a gentleman's rifle. Any thoughts on twist rate? I am thinking 1 in 9. Appreciate responces. Thanks

 

[backwoods83]

A 1:10 twist is sufficient for either, if you want to stick with a 24" barrel the 257wby will not reach its potential of 3-400fps over a 25-06, a 25-06 or 25-06AI will work better with a 24" tube but if you go with a 26"+ barrel the wby is way more powerful and the norma cases weatherby uses can be reloaded way more than any 25-06 brass.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

If you do the 257 wby in a 26" barrel you are way faster than a 25-06. Loading manuals give you a good place to start and that is about it. Particularly with the wby calibers where they way underload them because some rifles do not have the wby freebore. You will need to open up the bolt face to do a magnum cartridge. I would suggest going to a 6.5-06 improved with the action you have. Way better bullets in 6.5 than 257 to hit harder at longer ranges.

 

[gr8whyt]

I'll play the devils advocate here. There are a couple of reasons you might want the 25-06 instead of the 257 Wby. Cheaper to shoot...Wby brass is damned expensive, and less powder per shot with the 25-06. Less recoil...not much, but some. No messing with the bolt face. With the barrel length being equal, you're really not giving up much velocity and the animal really is not gonna know the difference in impact energy.

I had the same decision a while back. And like you I chose a Lilja #3 10 twist in 25 cal. And I struggled whether the .25-06 and .257 Wby. But I decided on the .25-06 but went with the .25-06 AI. Couldn't be happier. I kept the barrel as long as possible and it finished at just over 27". And now I'm not losing hardly any velocity at all.

-- gr8whyt

 

[dig]

Great choises either. I tend to shoot a 25-06 more than any other caliber with a 100 grn Nosler BT. Its worked on everything from Couse to Elk to Sheep out to 540 yards. I have a 257 Wby as well that I am shooting heavier pellets in but just seem to use the 25-06 as my go to rilfe. You will get up to 200 ft quicker out of the Weaterby same barrel, bullet etc. . . The idea of the 25-06 AI is probably the best.


Good Hunting.

 

[backwoods83]

There is one other option as well, it'll run head to head with a 25-06AI with less reloading headache and you can use norma or lapua brass and that is a 25x284win. I have seen this round sling 100grn NBTs @ 3400+ from a 26" 10 twist. Just a thought.

 

[Buffalobob]

I have been using a 257 Wby with a 28" barrel and a 1-8 twist barrel with good success on elk.

 

[300 ultra]

great replies. This rifle will not be used as a long range rifle just to clarify but more as traditional rifle with shots less than 300 yards. I want a clean looking traditional hunting rifle to honor my father. I will more than likely just shoot at range and maybe use for hunts here and there. I already get a lot of razz for bringing 3 or 4 rifles with me when I go on a hunting trip except when I hunt canada because they charge per gun you take across the border. Dam Canucks.

 

[Edd]

A 25-06 would be a much simpler conversion and I would be surprised if you didn't like it. I have a matched pair of model 700C custom shop rifles that were built about 30 years ago. One is a 7mm Rem mag and the other is a 25-06. Those are the rifles I've hunted with most of the time. If I was going hunting for anything smaller than Elk my 25-06 would be my primary rifle.

 

[Nomosendero]

I have not had these "issues" discussed from time to time by a few with my 25-06AI, but I see you are interested in only 300yds. , therefore no need to go beyond a 25-06, a spendid round.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

If you do the 257 wby in a 26" barrel you are way faster than a 25-06. Loading manuals give you a good place to start and that is about it. Particularly with the wby calibers where they way underload them because some rifles do not have the wby freebore. You will need to open up the bolt face to do a magnum cartridge. I would suggest going to a 6.5-06 improved with the action you have. Way better bullets in 6.5 than 257 to hit harder at longer ranges.

This 25-06 thinks it's a 257 Wby

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/rl-17-25-06-a-47554/

 

[rscott5028]

I'd go with the 25-06 for a clean conversion in a "gentleman's" rifle as you put it.

There's plenty of reasonably priced factory ammo and you can get Norma brass as well.

257 Wby with the right barrel and bullets is a more potent cartridge. But if you were looking for more of everything, then you probably wouldn't be looking at 25 cal.

Good luck,
Richard

 

[bill2506]

At the range your talking about the 25-06 would be my choice. I have 2 a Rem. 700 and a T/C Encore both are great shooters.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I see no need to open up your bolt face and go to all that trouble. I have the 25-06 AI and 25 Gibbs along with some magnums. The 25-06 AI is a really nice rifle for the range you are looking at.

Montanarifleman, My 257 wby's shoot the 100 grain barnes ttsx at 3760 fps easily with great accuracy. You have a very fast 25-06. I have a 300 wby that shoots the 180's at 3450 fps and the 200's at 3250 fps. It is the only one of many over 40 years I have ever seen that would shoot that fast. Sometimes the stars just get lined up right I guess.