Wifes .257 weatherby Mag bullet Delima..

[EastTexasBoy]

My wife has been having trouble connecting on deer (250ish yrds) since moving to a new stand (great stand) were she can now shoot as far as 400 yards. I know this has been talked about alot but I always like to get fresh info. I had ordered her 115 grn berger for a bolt action Rem 700 cdl .257 wby mag sf we have. She was shooting an old semi 742 since most my family and friends reload for me and and already have the Nosler AB 110 and nosler 100 partitions. I want try the Partitions because it will be stronger if she has to take a 50 yrd shot on a deer at such high velocities but still at those velocities they should loose some weight and cause extra damage.. My friends love the bergers. But Im worried bout her getting a 40 yd shot on a big buck and what if her only shot is the shoulder? Im confident that at these velocities the bergers will kill well with a chest shot. But if she only get a shoulder shot they worry me. I would like to try them all but I dont like chancing wounding deer so saying that I can work up a good 33-3400 fps load for her 257 wby mag which bullet knowing that she may have to shoot her buck in the neck, shoulder or chest at up to 300 yds and farther. We live in the woods and can shoot alot and what ever load I decide she is going to practice WAY more befor next season.

 

[BEEMAN]

E-TIP has a BC of .409 in the 100 grain. Or try the new Swift Scirocco 100 grain, BC of .429. Neither of these should come apart with a shot like you are describing.

 

[Derek M.]

But Im worried bout her getting a 40 yd shot on a big buck and what if her only shot is the shoulder? Im confident that at these velocities the bergers will kill well with a chest shot. But if she only get a shoulder shot they worry me.

And worried you rightfully should be. Two cons here right off the bat: high velocity at short range, and a frangible bullet at long range and if close up, who knows what would happen. Con #3 is smaller bullet.

You wrote that she has up to 400 yards. So forget the Bergers. I've killed about 5 deer at 50 yards and under with Bergers but they were bigger bullets: 150s in .277 and 210s in .308. No problems.

For 400 and less yards, try a bonded tipped bullet like the Scirocco (my favorite bonded) or the AB. In fact, just about any good bullet will work at that distance. I'd even consider a TTSX and if I were in her stand, I'd purposely aim at shoulder.

Thinking about it, I'd go with the TTSX hands down. You can't go wrong, especially with the velocities the 257 can produce. My experience is the TTSX and TSX love high velocities in each rifle I've used them in.

 

[flur60]

I second the TTSX vote. I shot my buck this year with an 80gr. TTSX at 35 yds with my 25-06. The load cronyed at 3699 fps from my a-bolt. The deer was running broad side at 35yds and with the my scope on 12x it was hard to find him. The result was a marginal shot hitting farther back than I would have liked. The TTSX clipped the back of both lungs and turned the liver to jello. The deer kept running but left an instant blood trail wider than any braodhead I've every seen. The deer piled up about 50yds away completely drained out. Awesome performance! BTW, the bullets needed to be seated .075" off the lands to get the best groups (.495"). Try'em, you'll like'em!

 

[Guy M]

"My wife has been having trouble connecting on deer (250ish yrds) since moving to a new stand"

I'm not really making the connection here, help me understand please? Your wife isn't hitting deer she sees at 250 yards? That's how I'm reading this. Or am I getting it wrong?

If that's the case - different handloads may not really be the key - what is important is getting her some practice, and perhaps making it real easy for her by sighting the rifle in at 200 yards, then maybe even putting a marker out, showing her where 250 or 300 yards actually is. Then with almost any cartridge, she could simply hold on hair, stabilizing the rifle nicely on a rest in the blind, and gently squeeze the trigger. Done deal.

I do like the .25-06 & .257 for their highly lethal effect despite mild recoil. There's a LOT of different bullets that will perform nicely at the ranges you mention.

Then again, I might have read the post wrong. If so, my apologies!

Regards, Guy

 

[EastTexasBoy]

No, you read it right, and practice is the main thing I mentioned that. I plan to have her sight it in at 200. I plan to build something in her stand on the window the long shot is on to help her stablelize. and let her practice this offseason on jugs and hogs from her stand at long distances. Just dont have the money to try alot of bullets and dont want to wound any animals.Thanks for the help.

 

[Guy M]

OK - If I lump 6mm, .25-06 & .257 Wby experience together, I've seen very good success with Nosler Partitions (including surprising accuracy), Nosler Ballistic Tips (surprisingly tough anymore), the Barnes TSX (tremendous penetration) and the 115 Berger VLD. My closest shot with the 115 Berger was about 100 yards, into a large mule deer buck I'd dropped from farther out with a spine shot. Had to finish him. MV was about 3200 fps, and the bullet did a great job of penetrating the chest cavity and killing him quickly. My other shots on mule deer with that bullet were at 175, 230 & 400 yards.

I've not yet tried the 110 Accubond you mentioned, but if it shoots as well as a Ballistic Tip, yet holds up well because of the bonded construction, it sounds like a winner. As far as holding together on a near shot, I've never had a problem with the Partition in various calibers, and the Barnes TSX is in a class of it's own.

I lumped all three of those cartridges together because I've been using them for quite a few years off and on and in my opinion they're fairly similar in the field - all .24 & .25 cal high velocity, flat shooters. One thing great about the .257 Wby is that it's such a flat shooting cartridge, aiming and/or distance estimating errors are minimized.

Seems to me that you're headed in the right direction, with an easy-kicking, flat shooting, accurate rifle.

Regards, Guy

 

[Dgutter]

So from my limited experience with the bergers in .257...they are a little inconsistent. My theory is there is just too small of a meplat for consistent expansion. Now the experiences thus far...
.25-06 115gr. Berger VLD Hunting @ approx. 3040fps.
Whitetail buck at 55yds. Shot through the heart. Entrance and exit were both pencil holes. Zero expansion.
Pup coyote at 200yds. Shot right behind the shoulder. Exit hole size of 1/2 dollar.

.25-06 85gr. Varmint ballistic tip @ approx. 3200fps.
Mature whitetail doe shot at 80 yds mid-rib. Entrance size of half dollar. Exit size of my pinky.

All three animals died within 50yds or less of where they were shot.

My conclusion. I'm going to continue to use the bergers since I still have them...and if I get a 50 yd shot...I'm putting it through the shoulder. It may sound strange but I want positive expansion regardless. I don't believe the bullet is too frangible for such shots. Good luck!

 

[jsthntn247]

Several people have already suggested you you best option, the scirocco. Bc just as high as the Berger and bonded. I shoot it in mine at with 72.5 gr of re 22 and it is the hammer of Thor at 3750 fps, I get exits every time.

 

[RT2506]

Which ever bullet you decide on I would sight in 3" high at 100 yards. With that 257 WM you will have a point blank hold that will not be over or under 3.5" all the way out to 350 yards and at 400 you can hold right on top of a deers back and still smoke him. I would give the 110 Accubond a looooog look. I have not used it in .257 but have used the 130 in .264 at 3350 fps and it works perfectly close up and at longer ranges.

 

[sp6x6]

I shot the 85 BTip, 87 Berger,110 nab, and 115 Barnes tsx, also the 115 Berger, which they recommend 1-10 or faster. That was the only one I did not get to fly 1/2 moa @ 100. I shot antelope out to 550 w/ 87 berger. But I favor the nab or scirrocco.

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

We have been shooting the 100 grain Barnes ttsx out of ours at near 3800 fps for about four years. It is a great point and shoot deer rifle that can be sighted for virtually dead on holds to 400 yards. We have never lost a deer or antelope out of many. They may run a few yards but will be dead not far from where you hit them.

 

[Dalebow]

I have the exact rifle in Remington 700, well customized but same rifle, I also have a Weatherby Deluxe, Weatherby Accumark, all in 257 Weatherby. I have found the factory Weatherby 80gr TTSX is a death ray. Ive killed goats and deer out to 487 with it, bang flop dead and shot an antelope at 7 yards (thats a story in inself) and a buck at 45 yards. the antelope dropped in his tracks the littel 80grain TTSX went thru the heaviest bone of the on shoulder, blew up and destroyed the heart and lungs and several peices exited, freaking unreal. The buck turned as I shot and I hit just to left of center looking at me and the bullet went out the back ham, full penetration and the buck fell as if God took his breath. I am know loading the TTSX 80gr for my little Browning lever action in 257 roberts.

 

[mike33]

I use the 100 grainer sierra bt spitzer. Might laugh but i have taken over a dozen deer from 10- 450 yards 1 shot kill. Also took my only elk with it at 400 yards. Let the bullet come apart and fragment, it did its job than. No need for a large exit hole for blood it will be desad with in eye site.