257 WBY Mag ammo??
 

I saw a Weatherby Mark V (ultra lightweight model) today for $995. The caliber is 257 WBY Mag, which I understand to be a good long range performer. Other than that, I know nothing about this caliber. I am thinking about a possible Sheep hunt in the future. Would this be good for sheep? Anything else? And what about ammo? I am not a handloader, so is factory ammo easy to find? If so, what do you recommend? Any info about this caliber would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Rob

RE: 257 WBY Mag ammo??
 

I used a 257wby for several years and took deer,mountain goat,elk and pronghorn with it.I handload and found that 100gr partitions worked well on allgame and ballistic tips worked well on deer and smaller animals.I would however not own one if I did not handload as ammo is very expensive and is not offered in many weights or styles of bullet.It can also be very difficult to find as most stores do not carry it.

RE: 257 WBY Mag ammo??
 

In the "Cabalas 2002 Shooting Catalog" (pg. 32) you can find Weatherby Ammo by Weatherby:

87 gr. SP $32.99
100 gr. SP $32.99
115 gr. BST $36.99
115 gr. XS $46.99
117 gr. RN $32.99
120 gr. NP $46.99

You can also use Federal Nosler Partition 115 gr., and Federal Trophy Bonded 115 gr. I don't know their prices.

For sheep the 115 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip (BST) will do the job, so will SP, XS, NP, or TB 100gr. +. It just depends what shoots best in your rifle.

The Mark V 257 Wby. Mag. Ultra Light Weight you are talking about only weights 6.75 lbs. it's a very good choice for sheep hunting. The Super Big GameMaster (SBGM) seems to be the same rifle except for Stock Finish and the barrel may not be stainless steel. Good luck.

Edited by - handloader1 on 12/07/2002 23:56:57

RE: 257 WBY Mag ammo??
 

I owned two .257 Weatherby's. A mark V and a custom mauser! The custom mauser outshot the mark V and neither of them showed me that they truly offered me more than a .25-06 I owned. Ammo is hard to find for the weatherby and unreasonably priced!!

I doubt seriously if you could tell the difference between a .257 Wby and a .270 Winchester sheep hunting.

I used the mauser in .257 Wby on prairie dogs once.....NOW THAT'S SPECTACULAR!!!