257 Weatherby factory ammo

[Ken gun]

Picked up a Cooper rifle in 257 WB Mag with a 26" barrel. Just breaking in the barrel with 100 gr Norma Spitzers and holding 1/2 group at 100 yards.
Need help with which ammo to use for fall hunting in Michigan for Whitetails.
Shot as close as 50 yards out past 300 yds.
Choices
Current 100 gr Spitzers

110 gr Noslar Accubonds

115 gr Noslar Ballistic tips

120 gr Noslar Partion tip

100 gr Barnes TSX

Hopefully can use the same round for a trip west for Mule deer hunt if I can work it in.
Not getting into reloading so thee seem best choices.

 

[Dosh]

KG, I only reload for my .257 Wby, but found three boxes of the Nosler Partition at a shop going out of business, cheap. They shot quite well for factory. My hunting hand load is the 115 gr Berger and H1000 which are extremely accurate. The factory ammo I bought was for the brass.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I wish I had experience with factory loads so I could provide data based suggestions.

Like Dosh, I reload for my 257wby.

I prefer copper if I'm gonna eat it so I always go that way. The TSX is devastating but I'm not sure of the 50 yards shot.

The 110 Accubond has the best reputation for your parameters.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I would go for either the Accubond 110 or the Barnes 100.

 

[RT2506]

The 110 Accubond or the 120 partition. If you are only going to be shooting out to 300 yards if I could get the 120 partition shooting well that is the one bullet do it all that I would pick. Sight in 3" high at 100 yards and hold center of front shoulder on a deer and have a sharp knife ready.

 

[jrsolocam]

Ive shot about 20 WT bucks with the 257, from 20 yards to 500. I had a bad experience with the factory 100 gr Hornady, switched to the 120 partition and it killed drt at any angle. Im sure the factory Accubond and Barnes will do the same. At close to 3400 impact velocity the controlled expansion is a must...

 

[MudRunner2005]

When I had my .257 Wby, I was shooting factory Weatherby brand ammo with the 110 Accubonds, and it was good until the barrel started caving in. Killed a few deer with it from 80-250 yards, and it worked fine at those distances and everything in between.

When I started handloading when factory ammo became $80 a box, I started using the Berger 115's, but the barrel got increasingly worse and caved in more. So, I never got a good group under 1.5", so I never took it hunting again. Traded it last November, and haven't looked back.

But I built a custom .25-06 AI back in Feb 2013, and I shoot the 115 Bergers in it, and it is a phenomenal shooting rifle. I might buy another .257 Wby some day to justify still having all this ammo and brass and dies just sitting here. But if I do it won't be another Weatherby, it will be a Remington 700 CDL SF .257 Wby, since they still make those.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Mine shoots equally well the 110 NAB or the 115 NBT. I used the NBT (Nosler Ballistic Tip) ammo this year for a mule deer / antelope hunt, and it performed extremely well.

I wish that Barnes would make a 110-120 gr TTSX for the 25 caliber, but no such luck.

I would buy a box of each of the NBT and the NAB and see which one shoots the best out of your rifle. Buy more of that and go from there.

FYI I handload as well, but my 257 shoots the factory ammo VERY well (under half inch at 200 yards) and I have not yet been able to get anywhere near the same accuracy with my loads to date. So, for now I suck it up and buy the factory ammo, realizing that I won't need to shoot that often per year. And, ammo is still one of the least expensive parts of a hunt, so...

 

[Ken gun]

My son is torn between a 257 WB Mag in the Remington or a Sako 25-06.
We does not hand load so wanted to shoot the Hornady Super Performance factory ammo. Sounds as if will be very happy with either.

 

[Dr. Vette]

My son is torn between a 257 WB Mag in the Remington or a Sako 25-06.
We does not hand load so wanted to shoot the Hornady Super Performance factory ammo. Sounds as if will be very happy with either.

He should shoot whatever is most accurate in his rifle. I say this because I have yet to see the Superformance shoot well in any of several rifles. I usually end up buying a few different brands and testing them, then buying a few boxes of the ones that shoots best at 200 yards and beyond.

 

[MudRunner2005]

My son is torn between a 257 WB Mag in the Remington or a Sako 25-06.
We does not hand load so wanted to shoot the Hornady Super Performance factory ammo. Sounds as if will be very happy with either.

You will get better barrel and throat life out of the .25-06, and the ammo will be significantly cheaper. Also, velocities will not be that far off. My .25-06 AI will run within 100 fps of what my .257 Wby did, but the .25-06 AI will do it with 14-15 grains less powder. The .25-06 also has a lot less recoil, a lot less muzzle blast, and is a smoother shooting caliber (not as snappy as the .257 Wby).

Now, I am not hating on the .257 Wby... Just pointing out noticeable differences that I have noticed over the time-span of having both. If you read my last post, you will see that I am considering getting another .257 Wby, just because I have so much money tied up in components and factory ammo that are just sitting around.

 

[stonehands1]

He should shoot whatever is most accurate in his rifle. I say this because I have yet to see the Superformance shoot well in any of several rifles. I usually end up buying a few different brands and testing them, then buying a few boxes of the ones that shoots best at 200 yards and beyond.

X2 on this. I've yet to see any rifle shoot Hornady Super performance very well. 100 fps is not worth an inch or or more in accuracy.

 

[Ken gun]

I will get a box of each and see how they both group.
Question on a 25-06 AI, it is a different case than 25-06 Remington?
He will shoot factory ammo and pretty good options for that caliber.

I am very happy with the Weatherby, shooting 100 gr Norma Spitzers off a bipod at 100 yards held 1/2 group on 3 shots. I can't wait to get the sled out and try it stepping back to 500 yards. On get it out to 350 on my home range.

Mounted a Night Force 3.5 x 10 NSX scope so very happy with the glass!

 

[stonehands1]

I have a 6mmAI and it shoots factory 6mm ammo at about an inch. Once I shoot them they are fire formed and ready to resize and reload. I can't see why a 25-06ai would be any different. But don't quote me on it.