.257 roberts OAL

reddnek

I'v read several times that to reach full potential the 257 nedds a longer OAL can anybody tell me whats a good OAL for a 257 in a ruger model 77??

dcso3009

Almost every firearm will have a different optimum OAL. My best advice is to buy ro make an OAL guage. They are easy to use and then you know how long is too long.

mrbruce

Insert a bullet in your chamber and hold it in there with a chop stick or whatever, then insert a cleaning rod down the barrel and mark it when it reaches the bullet. Load your shells to use this as a maximum OAL.
Leave the bolt out of the gun, and push a loaded shell into the chamber
and remeasure the distance on the cleaning rod, keep adjusting until you have it where you want it. Usually a little off the rifling is a good place to start.
That will vary with different guns.
It may be to long if you have a magazine to contend with.

Gun control is hitting what your aiming at.

Snellstrom

All the Ruger 77's I've seen in .257 Roberts came in a standard length action, so the magazine length should not be a problem. I load mine out until they are almost on the lands and I recheck this everytime I load a new style, weight or brand of bullet because it's not really the "overall" length that needs to be considered but the length to that specific point on the ogive of the bullet that is going to make first contact with the lands that really matters. [;)]

JustC

do a search on the "split case method" if you don't wish to buy an OAL tool (I strongly suggest you invest the $20 from sinclair for their model). I find that factory seating depths will work well with the charges they have experimented with, but for accuracy work, closer to the lands is better. Buy the tool, seat maybe .010-.020" off the lands, and work the powder charges.

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sandwarrior

reddnek,

I've found two things really help the .257 Roberts.
One; seating the bullets out as far as they will go then backing them off to the accuracy desired (.010-.050). Follow the other posts for good advice on that.

Two; having a barrel that is long enough to accomodate the burn of powder you use. Quick powders in heavy loads don't work so well in my short little ultralight 20 in. barrel in .257. I think a 22-24"(preferably the latter) barrel is much better for the versatility of the .257 Roberts.

The best load I've found for powders is Vihtavuori N140 with 100 gr. bullets. I haven't gotten to experimenting yet with 115's 117's and 120's with VV. I have used Win 760 and 4350 with Sierra 120's.
The longtime family standard recipe is 41 grs. of 4895 behind a Sierra 87 gr. I have used that with 85 gr. Noslers too...great deer bullet.

We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>

D.S.COLE

If you want to put the money into it,the best thing to do is send it to a good custom barrel man and have the throat reamed out . Tell him to lengthen it so you can seat the heavier bullets all the out without touching the rifling. This in effect makes your case "bigger" . you can then, if you are an experienced reloader, work up loads that are almost equal to 25/06 performance. The original specs on the Roberts were extremely mild as compared to modern rounds,with modern brass and powders huge improvements can be made. Ive shot it for years and had mine built with a long throat. You can work up good loads ,better than factory, but the short AOL in the factory specs limit you a lot.

JustC

or have the chamber set back and punched to the 257Ackley improved with the 40* shoulder. This is one of the cases that P.O. Ackley said gained the most from the conversion. 25-06 in a shorter case with better burn characteristics. NOW that thing will sling the heavy bullets out there with authority[8D]

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D.S.COLE

JustC you are righ about the Ackley improved chamber making a big difference , when they cut the Ackley chamber a knowledgeable smith makes the throat the proper length.
However after owning and experimenting with both the standard and Ackley versions for the past 20 years I can tell you that the standard chamber with a properly lengthened throat and judiciously worked up loads will give you for all practical purposes the same performance. Ive shot them both through the chronograph and with lighter bullets there is no difference . with the heaviest bullets some rifles may give a slight increase in the Ackley version, but not enough to make the trouble of fireforming the brass and special dies worth doing.
This is my experience after a lot of using both.

reddnek

Ballpark figure how much to have the throat reamed out???

JustC

$50 if that is all that he does. However, I would have it at least bedded while it was there. My.02

D.S. Cole,..youever work with the magnum powders in the ackleys? I don't really see any advantage until you start using heavy powders that you have been previously taught, wouldn't work in those small cases. I jump to magnum powders like RL22 and 4831sc and have even run H1000 and RL25. A HEAVY pill and tight twist, and pack her pert-near full of powder and baaaawhoooom,..they start cookin[:p][:D] At least that is what I have seen. I ran the 6.5-06AI up to 3200fps in a 26" 8 twist with the 140gr a-max[:0] but better judgment tells me that is too hot, so that recipe will not be revisited. The primers were NOT all the way flat,..only just barely. But, prudence pays off, so that load has been recorded, and discontinued.

What did you get out of your 257AI?? with heavy pills how did fast was she? barrel length?

Thanks

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D.S.COLE

JustC: my Ackley version and standard 257 both are 22 in . With the 117/120 gr. bullets I get 3100 FPS i the Ackley and slightly over 3000 in the std. With Varmint weight 80/87 gr the Ackley can run 3500/3600 and the std around 3500 with worked up to loads. Most people dont believe this but I have seen it with my own eyes.
You can put a 24 or 26 in bbl on the Ackley and use a casefull of slow powder and get more but I get good accuracy with the std. at these high velocities and unless I change my mind when my ACKLEY wears out I will just stick to the standard Roberts for simplcity of no fireforming and less trouble.
You are right about how they crack and boom with these loads. The noise is like the 25/06 and recoil is felt .

JustC

I do notice a bit more recoil, even in my barrels that are 1" at the muzzle some 26" away. That sharp shoulder changes the burn characteristics something heavy. I like em though,..but I am still a hopped up wildcat, new design, try for that last fps, loader[:p][:D],..so I have fun with it. If these ackleys ever become a PITA, I may just jump back to the regular versions. I might however go to a 40* on my 300RUM one day, so maybe I get more than 6 firings before the primer pockets crap out[V]

Parker was one smart guy, I wish I had some time to sit down with him and absorb some of what he had an excess of[:(]

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
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