Superpig

I was getting the same results you were when I was using 100 gr. Noslet B-Tips. They were wonderfully accurate and over my chrony I was getting a little over 3100 fps using RL19. I moved to the 117 gr. Hornady SST and worked up a load with H4831 that gives me 2898 fps for a 10 shot string average. The accuracy was almost as good and I much prefer the performance on deer and feral hogs. Over the last two years I have shot better than fifty feral hogs and this is mostly what I base my findings on. The small hogs really don't count as any bullet takes care of them. I have although killed 7 large boars with broadside shot ranging from 15 feet to 300 yards. All of the boars have been pretty much broadside. The ones that were relatively close 100 yards or less I got complete pass thru's. The lone boar shot at 300 was hit very well and the bullet was lodged under the skin on the offside. The recovered bullet weighed 97 gr. and was a good mushroom. The other bullet I tried was the 100 gr. barnes X. I got good accuracy and velocity. I did manage to shoot one hog when trying this load and it was a Texas heart shot on a 125 lbs. sow. The bullet enetered a little under the tail and exited out between the front shoulder at about 65-70 yards. Needless to say the hog never moved. The only reason I don't use the barnes is that my neighbor quit reloading and gave me about 500 of the SST's. To me the SST's work well. If you like the 100 gr. bullets I would go with the A Frame of X because the velocities you can get might be too high on close shots with the SST. From a few years of owning one and using good reloading practices you can come within 75-100 fps of what the 25-06 will do. The only reloading manual that gives and ado to the Roberts is the Barnes manual. I also have with chrony data come within a few fps of 3000 fps with the Nosler 115 gr. B-Tip. This is in a rifle with a 22" barrel. If I had 24 I would have been there. All of my handloads exceed maximum published loads for the Roberts. My powders of choice are RL19, IMR4831, & H4831. For deer and antelope the Roberts is one of the finest calibers to use if you are a handloader.

One final note is that I have tried the Hornady Light Magnum load with the 117 gr. SST and in my rifle it shoots 1" and over my chrony I get 2883 for a 10 shot string average. I reload all of my ammo but am glad to know in a pinch I can go to this load if I need to.

PaJack

I guess everyone has there favorite,mine is the Hornady 120gr HP...

CZ2506

I've always used 100 gr Nosler bullets in my 25/06, (Browning A-Bolt, composite stalker, 22" bbl.) ballistic tips for range and 'chucks, partions for deer.
BUT, (and this is the really cool part) yesterday I loaded some 117 gr. Hornady SST's with 52 gr of 4831 extruded powder and Rem 9 1/2 M primers. The first three grouped 1 3/8" at 300 yards! At 400 yds they dropped a little more than I'm used to but still stayed sub MOA. Guess which bullet I'm going to use from now on.

Jason N

Wow, great write-up Superpig. I'm a fan of R19 in this caliber as well. When I first started loading I couldn't get a group with 117's or 120's, so I droped back to 100gr and haven't had a problem. It was still finiky to work up a load though. Maybe I'll try again with the SST's at 117 and see what happens. I know the 257 is way underrated and under loaded by the manuals, so I'm not afraid to push the envelope a little. I figure if the same rifle can handle a 308 at something like 60,000 CUP then surely the 257 can be loaded to more than 45,000 CUP. +P is 50,000 CUP(I think). Anyone have a CUP chart online link? Or a manual handy to verify my number....they're only coming from memory and my memory is generally lacking?[&:]

Ironically, I could group about 1 MOA with Fed. Premium's with 120gr NP's, but I could load anything to group well at all.

CZ, I've been hearing good things about the SST's from all over, but I've been afraid to try them since I can't get 100gr. After reading this I guess I'm going to have to give it a shot.

Thanks guys!

ike1371

go to the remington web site they have online videos and charts on all their ammo.

www.remington.com

driftrider

I've started to play around with the Barnes TSX 180gr bullets for my .300 WSM, and they are wicked accurate. I chose them for general use on elk and mulies, and I can't wait to see how they perform on either one (heck, I can't wait just to SEE a live elk, let alone harvest one!) I like the idea of virtually guaranteed pass through penetration combined with excellent expansion. I've never heard anything bad about them, and the accuracy potential over the conventional X-bullet is turning out to be very true. I'm sure a TSX would work very well in your .257. I might even step down a notch and use maybe the second heaviest bullet for a little more velocity since the TSX's are supposed to penetrate so well.

Mike

Jeep4x4

Scirrocco (sp?) bonded is the bullet fer you if thats the case.

Jason N

I've looked at the Barnes family of bullets, but I've been a little sceptical about an all copper slug. I know I've only ever heard two bad things about them....heavy copper fouling and accuracy. I've also heard the opposite about 50% of the time. I may look them over agian though....especially the Triple Shock's.

Jeep, I would love to shoot a Scirrocco, but they don't yet have production of a 25 cal. Coming soon they post on their website....I'm just waiting. Otherwise it would most certainly be on my list.

Coleridge

I saw on one of these sites that the .257 Scirrocco will be 115gr.

If you are worried about the separation, but like Sierra, try the Pro-hunter. I talked to a tech at Sierra (concerning terminal ballistics for 300wsm) and he stated that their flat base bullets wouldn't separate. (???what he said, I've never shot any???) If you want to stay with Sierra, that may be something to try. They offer a 100gr prohunter. So there you go!

I tried the Scirroccos and then the Barnes for a couple years, in a 7mag. In my experience the gamekings seem to dispatch deer more quickly. I guess from the fragmentation creating more wound chanels. I do realize the bonded bullets may penetrate more and have a "prettier" mushroom, but like he said; Hard to ague with proof. Just make sure you are not getting caught in the hype.

I just got a 25-06 last year & have shot 7 deer with it. I shot the 117gr gameking with amazing results. All but one were shoulder impacts (the other was a head shot, so I guess it don't count) and all piled up right were they stood. Even a 184lb 8-point. That .257 caliber has quickly become one of my favorites!

driftrider

With the few TSX's I've shot through my Tikka, I haven't noticed any more copper fouling than with conventional lead cored bullets. Barnes claims, and from what I've seen concurs with this, that because the grooves cut in the shank of the bullet significantly reduce overall bearing surface area while preserving the critical bearing surface length, it reduces pressures and allows the copper to flow much more easily when the rifling engraves it, thus reducing copper fouling. It seems to work. After I get more TSX's through my rifle I'll know more.

Mike