Remington 700 .257 Weatherby
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fireroad
Well-Known Member
The rifle itself is a real nice gun and I would not hesitate to buy it. Fit and finish is very good. Wood grain can vary but is usually okay to quite nice, the later being the rarer but I have seen them. Proven M700 action and a fluted bbl to lighten the setup a bit. I have one in 260 and love it. Consider changing factory trigger for a Timney or Rifle basixs.
257 Roy is a neat caliber and one I've always wanted to own because it's a real speed demon and great for antelope and deer. The problem is the brass is ridiculously priced, and factory ammo is even worse. The round uses alot of powder and can wear bbls and throats much faster then other 1/4 bores.
If I was buying another CDL SF strictly for antelope and the occasional dear I would skip the 257 roy and go for the 264 WM. Still a powder hog, but much better component prices and selection. If less power is needed there are still alot of the CDL SF limited edition 257 roberts on gunbroker for the same price or less then the 257 roy.
257 Roy is a neat caliber and one I've always wanted to own because it's a real speed demon and great for antelope and deer. The problem is the brass is ridiculously priced, and factory ammo is even worse. The round uses alot of powder and can wear bbls and throats much faster then other 1/4 bores.
If I was buying another CDL SF strictly for antelope and the occasional dear I would skip the 257 roy and go for the 264 WM. Still a powder hog, but much better component prices and selection. If less power is needed there are still alot of the CDL SF limited edition 257 roberts on gunbroker for the same price or less then the 257 roy.
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
I love 700's, and I love the .257 Wby Mag.
I have a Weatherby AccuMark in .257 Wby Mag. When I say shooter, I mean dammit! Literally tack-driver!
J have been kicking my own butt for years for not buying a new Remington 700 LSS .257 Wby Mag when I had the opportunity...Now I can't find a NIB one anywhere.
The CDL model is also nice!
You can't go wrong, but like others have said....It's not for the faint of heart. It's about $80.00 for a box of Weatherby brand ammo loaded with the 110gr Accubonds. That's what I shoot out of mine, and it loves them.
.257 Wby Mag is, IMO, one of the top 3 deer cartridges ever. And works awesome for Elk and Antelope.
If you have the opportunity to get one, I say go for it!
I have a Weatherby AccuMark in .257 Wby Mag. When I say shooter, I mean dammit! Literally tack-driver!
J have been kicking my own butt for years for not buying a new Remington 700 LSS .257 Wby Mag when I had the opportunity...Now I can't find a NIB one anywhere.
The CDL model is also nice!
You can't go wrong, but like others have said....It's not for the faint of heart. It's about $80.00 for a box of Weatherby brand ammo loaded with the 110gr Accubonds. That's what I shoot out of mine, and it loves them.
.257 Wby Mag is, IMO, one of the top 3 deer cartridges ever. And works awesome for Elk and Antelope.
If you have the opportunity to get one, I say go for it!
Dr. Vette
Well-Known Member
$36.99 a box is hardly ridiculous:
Weatherby Ammo 257 Weatherby Mag 100 Grain Norma Spitzer Box of 20
My 257 Mark V shoots 3/4 in groups at 200 yards with 110 grain Accubond factory ammo. Even at $78 a box that's hard to beat loading it myself, though I'll try someday.
lloydsmale
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ive got one and its not a target gun but will do moa with loads it likes and is a beautiful rifle. whats not to like!
I have to ask. If you are jumping up to a CDL model, why buy a fake? Get a Mark V and have a far superior rifle that will be beautiful, built for the round the way it was meant to be, and has a faster and stronger action.
lloydsmale
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cant answer for everyone but i think the cdl is a hands down better looking gun. I destest those space ray stocks weatherby uses. dont really see where there stonger or better. If anything the lock time on a 700 is faster. they both come with a 26in barrel so velocitys sure arent faster and there still 300 bucks less then a markV. Personaly id take a 700 even if the price differnce was the other way. dont get me wrong. Weatherbys are far from junk. I own a couple myself but sure dont think there anything premium over a rem 700 or win 70
mhiltz
Well-Known Member
I sure like my Remmy CDL 257WBY. It shoots good, and looks good to IMO. That cheap ammo doesn't shoot very good in mine, but it is a few bucks cheaper than 20 new peices of brass. I will stick with fire forming the 264Win Mag brass, It works just as good. I hate the barrel wear while getting rid of the cheap ammo or fireforming though. Can't have my cake and eat it too I guess.
There is no way that lock time is faster on a 700. The bolt lift alone makes it faster. I know if I was in Africa and a lion was zeroing in on me, I would want my Mark V anyday over a 700. Faster cycling and my hand easily clears the scope with bolt in hand. A 700 cant say that. Dont get me wrong the CDL is a fine rifle. I like them. To me though it is like putting a Duramax motor in a Ford truck. That isnt right. I just feel for a factory rifle, Weatherby belongs in Weatherby.
lloydsmale
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well ill go this route with you. How many custom comp rifles are built on wearthby actions. NONE. How many are based on 700 actions? MOST. WHY? Because nothing has a faster lock time. Id also argue with your african choise. For one most serious african hunters use mauser action not either of these two. speed of running an action and lock time come in a distant second to reliablility there. I seriously doubt that the .10s of a second differnce it takes to stroke the action on a weatherby means a pinch of &&&. I even have to doubt that there is a differnce in how quick a guy can run one and its not even a consern to me as i dont see myself going to africa and if i do the chances of me getting into that situation are far less then being struck by lightning while there. My take on them is this. there a good gun. No better then any other production gun though. What you pay for is the name and that fancy stock. If thats what floats your boat theres nothing wrong with it. If you want my real opinion on what is the best out of the box HUNTING rifle its a model 70 winchester or even a sako as i see your a fan of them. Much nicer rifle for the money. . For the same price as a weatherby you can get a super grade winchester thats better looking, has just as nice of wood, has a control round feed action and just as good or better fit and finish. Might not impress the guys at the local guns shop as much because its a little more conseritively styled but in my opinion AND the opinion of just about EVERY african hunter is the better choise for a rifle. I will once more state that i think there a good gun and wouldnt mind another as long as it was a classic mark or even a fiberglass gun. Anything but a monte carlo stocked one. I think there homely and in heavy recoiling calibers beat my face up.
The .257 Weatherby is a GREAT long-distance antelope & deer cartridge. Some stretch it into a tolerable elk cartridge, but you won't see me in favor of that. It's (like all high-velosity cartridges) hell on meat if you shoot an animal up close and personal. I love the cartridge. Ammunition is expensive but this isn't a chambering you will be burning a lot of ammunition in. I ignore the cost of shells for big-game rifles because, after initial set-up, I don't put many shells through them.
The CDL SF is a great rifle with a classic walnut stock. The metal is stainless to make it corrosion resistant and the stock is sealed (even inside the action) to help keep it stable in weather changes. It's a good rifle.
If you are hunting in continuously wet conditions you would be better with a composite stock, but many use wood stocks in wet hunting, even in coastal Alaska.
I don't like a shiny stainless barrel and would Duracoat (or similar) if I had one.
I would throw away the trigger and replace it with a Timney or Jewel. The trigger, although good, is the weak link in this rifle.
Expect this rifle to shoot 3/4" 100 yard groups if you do your part. With tweaking (and money) you might get this down to half that.
There is one very good argument for buying a Remington in .257 Weatherby over a Weatherby Mark-V — PRICE. The price of a Remington is much lower than a similar Weatherby Mark-V. If you consider the Weatherby Vanguard, you may find the Vanguard is cheaper. Too bad Savage isn't chambering rifles in .257 Weatherby!
The CDL SF is a great rifle with a classic walnut stock. The metal is stainless to make it corrosion resistant and the stock is sealed (even inside the action) to help keep it stable in weather changes. It's a good rifle.
If you are hunting in continuously wet conditions you would be better with a composite stock, but many use wood stocks in wet hunting, even in coastal Alaska.
I don't like a shiny stainless barrel and would Duracoat (or similar) if I had one.
I would throw away the trigger and replace it with a Timney or Jewel. The trigger, although good, is the weak link in this rifle.
Expect this rifle to shoot 3/4" 100 yard groups if you do your part. With tweaking (and money) you might get this down to half that.
There is one very good argument for buying a Remington in .257 Weatherby over a Weatherby Mark-V — PRICE. The price of a Remington is much lower than a similar Weatherby Mark-V. If you consider the Weatherby Vanguard, you may find the Vanguard is cheaper. Too bad Savage isn't chambering rifles in .257 Weatherby!
MudRunner2005
Well-Known Member
It's not bad on meat at all, if you shoot them behind the shoulder in the ribs (vitals). I've shot a few with my .257 Wby, and it did virtually no meat damage, even up close, with the 110gr Accubonds.
After building my .25-06 Ackley Improved, I would be hard-pressed to buy another .257 Wby. I can get .270 Win brass very easily, and forming them is just a little extra work. My velocities are eerily close to my .257 Wby velocities with both when pushing identical bullets. Both push over 3,300 fps with Berger 115 VLD's, but the .25-06 AI does it with about 10gr less powder. And brass life on the .25-06 Ackley is better thanks to the 40* shoulder, as compared to the radiused (venturi) shoulder on the belted Wby case. Also, not to mention the significantly lighter recoil and smaller muzzle blast, when compared to the .257 Wby.
Don't get me wrong, I still love my .257 Wby, but the .25-06 AI is slowly becoming my number one 1/4-bore caliber.
After building my .25-06 Ackley Improved, I would be hard-pressed to buy another .257 Wby. I can get .270 Win brass very easily, and forming them is just a little extra work. My velocities are eerily close to my .257 Wby velocities with both when pushing identical bullets. Both push over 3,300 fps with Berger 115 VLD's, but the .25-06 AI does it with about 10gr less powder. And brass life on the .25-06 Ackley is better thanks to the 40* shoulder, as compared to the radiused (venturi) shoulder on the belted Wby case. Also, not to mention the significantly lighter recoil and smaller muzzle blast, when compared to the .257 Wby.
Don't get me wrong, I still love my .257 Wby, but the .25-06 AI is slowly becoming my number one 1/4-bore caliber.
