Does anyone have any experience with this caliber? I am looking for something that shoots flat and hard to hit coyotes out bast 600 yds. This seems like best of the 25 caliber offerings. I am also just looking for a 25 caliber rifle. The particular gun that I am looking at is the Weatherby Sub-MOA. I would also be interested if anyone has had any experience with this model Weatherby.
257 Wby Mag
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Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
I have a wby mk 5 257 wby mag. It shoots 100 grain barnes tsx bullets at 3780 fps into 1" groups at 400 yards. This year has taken caribou at 486 yards, antelope at 512 yards and mule deer at 356 yards. Very flat shooting and excellent performance on game.
I have heard that the weatherby vanguard is a great value and many guys report good accuracy.
I went a different route. Three years ago my friend Dan and I ordered a reamer from Dave Kiff/Pacific Tool and Gauge. We specified that it would have a slightly shorter freebore and shoot the 115 Berger VLDs. So far 5 rifles have been built with this reamer. ALL shoot very accurately and have made some amazing kills on deer and elk. The VLD would certainly work well on a coyote too. All five rifles were built on Lilja 3 groove SS barrels. Velocity is a bit stunning, and must be a factor of the 3 groove and the small bearing surface of the bullet. The barrels lengths were 24", 26" and 28". Powder is RL-25. Longest barrel shoots the 115 VLD at 3650, and shortest at 3550. Crunch the numbers with this bullet, it bucks the wind the best of any 25 cal offering. BC: G1 .466, G7 .239
I went a different route. Three years ago my friend Dan and I ordered a reamer from Dave Kiff/Pacific Tool and Gauge. We specified that it would have a slightly shorter freebore and shoot the 115 Berger VLDs. So far 5 rifles have been built with this reamer. ALL shoot very accurately and have made some amazing kills on deer and elk. The VLD would certainly work well on a coyote too. All five rifles were built on Lilja 3 groove SS barrels. Velocity is a bit stunning, and must be a factor of the 3 groove and the small bearing surface of the bullet. The barrels lengths were 24", 26" and 28". Powder is RL-25. Longest barrel shoots the 115 VLD at 3650, and shortest at 3550. Crunch the numbers with this bullet, it bucks the wind the best of any 25 cal offering. BC: G1 .466, G7 .239
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alexkeyser
Well-Known Member
I have a weatherby mark V ultralight in 257 weatherby with hart one piece ultralight ring(two rings but the base is integral to the ring) I shoot the 117 gr. sierra gamekings at 3350fps with a stiff load of H-1000 to a 3/4" group at 100yards and have held 3/4 moa to 675yds. with it. I am contemplating selling it if your interested PM me. AL
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
A 115 grain bullet at 3650 fps is incredible. My 257 STW will not do that in a 28" barrel. I have not found that much difference though between my 257 wby and my 257 STW's.
MontanaRifleman
Well-Known Member
What's the twist on that 3 groove barrel?
Nape.270
Well-Known Member
The .257 weatherby is a great round with some 115gr bergers you cood thump coyotes well past 600 yards.
I shot one this year with my .257 wby with a 115gr berger at about 125 yards in the chest left about a 4inch hole coming out the back.
I am geting a bc of about .265 G7 with the 115gr bergers.
I shot one this year with my .257 wby with a 115gr berger at about 125 yards in the chest left about a 4inch hole coming out the back.
I am geting a bc of about .265 G7 with the 115gr bergers.
Those 3 groove barrels, all five of them, are 1 in 10 twist. We too were stunned with the performance, you are not supposed to get those velocities. We are using Norma brass. My bullet jump is approx. .070". Dan's is .100" don't remember Tim's jump. I have loaded some of the brass up three times and none of the primer pockets have gotten loose, there are no bolt lift issues or other anomilies. Guess all things came together.
The most amazing rifle is Dan's lightweight rifle. He had a model 700 action lightened as much as possible, #3 SS fluted, cut at 24" in an edge stock with a 3.5-10 x 40 VX III with an M1 turret. He has killed 4 elk and three mule deer bucks in Co. He says he doesn't know why he has all his other rifles, because this is his go to rifle. He shot his muley this year on the run at 200 yds. The little VLD went through the lower part of both shoulders and exited. Velocity for this rig is approx 3550.
One of my friends used my 28" #5 profile with a turreted 4.5-14 x 40 VX III on our coues wt hunt. He had never been able to shoot very far with his rigs. He and I were together and I watched him take a small buck at exactly 400 yds, his longest shot ever. The shot was a perfect setup, broadside feeding on the fruit of a barrel cactus. He twisted up 2 MOA, prone with a bi-pod made the shot. My tripod mounted 15X binos trained on the deer allowed me to see bullet hit just behind the shoulder, the blood squirted outwards towards us, and the deer fell right there never to move again. It was as if a switch was thrown. Turns out the bullet was very close to the spine and I think that turned off the deer's system. Exit was 1" dia. Very impressive.
The most amazing rifle is Dan's lightweight rifle. He had a model 700 action lightened as much as possible, #3 SS fluted, cut at 24" in an edge stock with a 3.5-10 x 40 VX III with an M1 turret. He has killed 4 elk and three mule deer bucks in Co. He says he doesn't know why he has all his other rifles, because this is his go to rifle. He shot his muley this year on the run at 200 yds. The little VLD went through the lower part of both shoulders and exited. Velocity for this rig is approx 3550.
One of my friends used my 28" #5 profile with a turreted 4.5-14 x 40 VX III on our coues wt hunt. He had never been able to shoot very far with his rigs. He and I were together and I watched him take a small buck at exactly 400 yds, his longest shot ever. The shot was a perfect setup, broadside feeding on the fruit of a barrel cactus. He twisted up 2 MOA, prone with a bi-pod made the shot. My tripod mounted 15X binos trained on the deer allowed me to see bullet hit just behind the shoulder, the blood squirted outwards towards us, and the deer fell right there never to move again. It was as if a switch was thrown. Turns out the bullet was very close to the spine and I think that turned off the deer's system. Exit was 1" dia. Very impressive.
Long Time Long Ranger
Well-Known Member
AZshooter, thanks for posting all your info. I agree those fast 25's are very hard to beat. During the past year my 257 wby has taken elk, caribou, deer and antelope with 100 grain barnes TSX. All kills were just amazing. I have about everything in every caliber you could imagine and this rifle is becoming my go to. No recoil and quick kills. Still debating about trying it on big bull elk though. Cows and young bulls no problem. Lots of difference between a little 600-700 pound raghorn 5x5 or 6x6 and an old trophy bull. Again lots of difference between any bull in your country vs bulls further up north. Yours get fat all year and get big/heavy fast.
