Weatherby 257: How important is seating depth with all that freebore?

Greg Page

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I've got my Vanguard First Lite 257 bee shooting .8s with the Nosler 100s and the Speer 120s at the manufacturer's suggested OAL. It's a pencil barrel, but I think I can tighten this up. I'm curious to hear from more experienced Weatherby loaders if seating depth is a significant factor in the Weatherby chamberings, given the extra long Freebore (and therefore extra long jump) they are traditionally chambered with. FYI, I'm neck sizing and running imr7828.
Thanks, GP
 
I just picked up the same rifle from a local gun shop this afternoon. Mine was used, but like new.

I'm looking forward to sighting it in soon.
My advice is to allow yourself a LOT of time between shots to get usable load data: that barrel is THIN. I'll shoot one round with my First Lite, then a 5 round group with another rifle before I come back to the .257 That said, it's a lovely rifle, and easy to carry up and down the hills....
 
You will never get it it far enough to make a difference with the jump. I load my bee as long as the mag will let me with the nosler 115's then just work up a load. And .8 is great. Given the max distance you will be able to accomplish with that round. That's well under 6" at 600 yards of it holds that farther out. I hit .72 groups with mine and called it good. Easy to get tinkering and quickly wear out a barrel on a new.
Enjoy I love mine
 
I just started my loads with the base of the bullet seated to the bottom of the neck/shoulder junction and adjusted from there.
 
My advice is to allow yourself a LOT of time between shots to get usable load data: that barrel is THIN. I'll shoot one round with my First Lite, then a 5 round group with another rifle before I come back to the .257 That said, it's a lovely rifle, and easy to carry up and down the hills....

Yeah, I was wondering how much and how fast that skinny barrel will heat up.

I also have a Weatherby Accumark V in .257 Wby Mag which shoots lights out. But it's god awful heavy. I love the gun, but it's the heaviest hunting rifle I own.
 
Nosler bt, regular accubonds, partitions & the Speer are all fairly jump tollerant. That's not saying there won't be a sweet spot that they absolutely love. I don't have a 257 wby but I do have a 25-06.
.8 groups with the bullets you mentioned and the 10 twist that you have is pretty good. I won't tell you what to do but after my experience with the 25-06, I wouldn't spend much more time trying to get the groups Smaller. You may be able to try a lighter bullet, less than 90 grains and get a smaller group but then it would be highly explosive on impact unless it's something like an 80gr Barnes. The 80 Barnes was the most accurate bullet for me.
 
Nosler bt, regular accubonds, partitions & the Speer are all fairly jump tollerant. That's not saying there won't be a sweet spot that they absolutely love. I don't have a 257 wby but I do have a 25-06.
.8 groups with the bullets you mentioned and the 10 twist that you have is pretty good. I won't tell you what to do but after my experience with the 25-06, I wouldn't spend much more time trying to get the groups Smaller. You may be able to try a lighter bullet, less than 90 grains and get a smaller group but then it would be highly explosive on impact unless it's something like an 80gr Barnes. The 80 Barnes was the most accurate bullet for me.
Thanks for the advice. I'm very aware of the limited barrel life and the amount of wear and tear it is taking me to work out a better load. I was hoping to get it down to .5 moa, but that may not be in the cards. That said, a lightweight bullet in this rifle could be an incredible coyote round, and I'd be willing to burn up a little barrel life to work it out.
 
My
Thanks for the advice. I'm very aware of the limited barrel life and the amount of wear and tear it is taking me to work out a better load. I was hoping to get it down to .5 moa, but that may not be in the cards. That said, a lightweight bullet in this rifle could be an incredible coyote round, and I'd be willing to burn up a little barrel life to work it out.
I loaded the 80 great Barnes to .060 from the lands buy you may not be able to get that close. Some bullets I have found a sweet spot from .100 to .120 from the lands. Did you weight sort your brass? It might or might not help. Some people say it's an antiquated method but I have found that it can help. Is your groups mostly vertical , horizontal or round (clover leaf shape / triangle)?
 
Greg, four of us are getting great accuracy with 115 Berger at mag length. We all have bedded carbon fiber stocks. Wby freebore is too long to approach the lands. If the stock can be bedded, do it. Bedding could help shrink the group. Those First-Lites sure look great.
 
You can also try 72 gr 7828, wby brass, fed 215, 100 ttsx oal-3.17 to 3.19. That or 72 gr of reloder 22 shoots very well in many rifles.
 
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