257 cal 115 Berger

I shot a lot out of a 257 weatherby 25, and 26 in barrel, every bullet we recovered looked like this from 200-500 yards...as soon as my barrel goes south--I'll be replacing with a 1-7or 1-8 twist barrel.
 
Then you can use the 131 Blackjack and those 128 Hammer Hunters. That would be awesome!!

I just ordered a 1:8 twist carbon wrapped barrel for my 257 weatherby yesterday. I am interested to see how it turns out and shoots. My factory barrel is toast, so it is time for a custom or semi-custom or whatever they call them.

I plan to try some blackjacks and hammers along with the 115gt Bergers that I still have loaded for the old barrel.
 
I love shooting the 115's out of my 25-06! Once I got a load settled, I started shooting it a lot more. Shot last weekend and was impressed with the mid-range group it printed.
3 shot group @ 400 yds
1582084302063.jpeg



The same load works very well on coyotes as well, but they do sound different on impact.
1582084667934.jpeg
 
I have mentioned the kill list several times. First what works for the five of us. We are using 26-28" 3 groove 1 in 10 twist Liljas except for Dan's lightweight 24" version. We are also using a custom reamer with a 1 1/2 degree throat with approximately .100" jump to lands. To date 7 barrels have been chambered with this reamer. All performed very accurately with almost identical powder charges and seating depths.

Moly coated 115 VLDs and usually RL-25. We are only a grain or two above what Nosler suggests for powder charge for the 115 Nosler BT and Partition which is 72 grains. The combination of three groove, moly coating and a bullet with less bearing surface gives us some stunning velocities. The 28" barrel is 3650-3675 fps. I switched to 83 gr of RL-33 with my second barrel and getting 3685 fps. I know it sounds off the charts but primer pockets are still tight after 3 shots with Norma brass no extraction issues even up to 85 degrees. Sure barrel life is only good for 900 or so shots BUT what performance!

To date the five of us have taken:
27 coues wt
7 elk
4 mule deer
2 antelope
2 javelina

Many of these animals drop to the shot. I vividly remember one coues my friend shot with my rifle at 400 yds. I was watching through the 15X swaros and saw a huge stream of blood blast out towards us then the buck dropping instantly on its side not twitching once! Another time my spotter must have blinked at my shot at a coues buck at 475 or so. I shot and asked him what happened as the deer was no longer in view. He told me he missed seeing it! We found the deer dead in the 2 1/2 ft grass right were it was standing.

All the shots on the coues I have witnessed have always had the bullet exit. Can't speak for my friends as many hunt with others. One buck I got was 525 yds quartering away from me. Bullet entered just behind front shoulder and exited through the elbow joint completely shattering that area.

I am completely sold on the 257 Weatherby and will continue to use it for my coues hunts.
 
Great shooting, What did you to your #1 forearm for consistency?
I went with the Elmer Keith rubber washer trick between the forearm and barrel. It's pinch in there and I moved it a 1/4" at a time until it reached its harmonic happy "sweet spot" and then just cinched it in place. I don't know how fool proof it is but I can shoot under moa with both the 115 tsx and the 115 Bergers. So I have a good close range 0 to 300 yd bullet in monometal and the long range 300 to 1000 Bergers. Point of impact is only 1 inch higher with the Barnes but windage is good. I did a cold bore shot at 200 last Saturday just to double check zero and it did this. I'm shooting the bad oem trigger and a VX R 4-12x40 Firedot scope. Nothing too fancy. She just shoots.
 

Attachments

  • 20200214_161015.jpg
    20200214_161015.jpg
    915.2 KB · Views: 84
3600! How long is your barrel? That's lighting quick! Probably opens up a coyote like it was loaded with tannerite. Impressive.
 
I went with the Elmer Keith rubber washer trick between the forearm and barrel. It's pinch in there and I moved it a 1/4" at a time until it reached its harmonic happy "sweet spot" and then just cinched it in place. I don't know how fool proof it is but I can shoot under moa with both the 115 tsx and the 115 Bergers. So I have a good close range 0 to 300 yd bullet in monometal and the long range 300 to 1000 Bergers. Point of impact is only 1 inch higher with the Barnes but windage is good. I did a cold bore shot at 200 last Saturday just to double check zero and it did this. I'm shooting the bad oem trigger and a VX R 4-12x40 Firedot scope. Nothing too fancy. She just shoots.
Oh yah, well it's sure working for you. On Mine I stuck a couple stainless washers between the hanger and barrel, stiffening it up and free floating the forearm. Accuracy isn't quite as good as it once was, so thought I'd see other methods ppl used.
 
Oh yah, well it's sure working for you. On Mine I stuck a couple stainless washers between the hanger and barrel, stiffening it up and free floating the forearm. Accuracy isn't quite as good as it once was, so thought I'd see other methods ppl used.
I heard the Hicks accurizer works, but I've also read some shoot and some don't so I'm not sure what to believe.
 
I used a 25/06 for years. Somewhere around 30 deer or a little more. First deer was with a 100 Grain Partition under 80 yards. It exploded and blood shot the entire side of the deer. Change out to 120 gr. Noslers SP at the time. Under a 100 yards about 2" Dia blood shot area and beyond that almost nothing. The bullet was great. Shot out too 500 + yards. Nosler Partition if I remember correctly should be at velocity below 2900 fps. That may have changed. I haven't used partition from the 70's. 270's with 130 Sierra SPBT is a great round @ 3100 fps. I seen over a hundred deer taken by those rifles from every direction. Not much in the way of blood shot. That was one of my main things was how the bullets worked on the animals that were shot.

I read two stories on LR bullets. It seem to me that on short yards they come apart. and longer range they generally do good. I kind of think that it would be hard to get a bullet that does both.

SSS
Mike
 
25-06 Ruger No. 1 w/ 26" barrel. 54.5 grains of H4831, Win magnum primer, Hornady brass. Muzzle velocity 3205 fps avg. Just wanted to show a recovered 115 grain Berger bullet that passed thru a coyote and hit in the soft grassy hillside immediately behind him. 908 yds. Clean through the lungs killing dog ran about 30 yds, no contact with bone. Caliber hole entry, dime sized exit. Recovered weight was 37 grains and lead fell out of jacket when I was cleaning it. I didn't open up the Coyote but the bullet was only an inch or so in the dirt so finding it was really easy. Performed well I think.

What does it look like at 100 yards or less? Some of the picture I seen at closer shot there was much left. Great shot at that yards!!!

SSS Mike
 
What does it look like at 100 yards or less? Some of the picture I seen at closer shot there was much left. Great shot at that yards!!!

SSS Mike
There's nothing left at 100 and 200 yds. Just shrapnel. So I've been using the 115 TSX for 300 yds and under.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 5 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top