.257 Wby Mag. powder

kallie

I have a Weatherby Vanguard in .257 Wby Mag. I am looking for a powder to work up a load for the Barnes 100 gr. bullet. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Stout Shooting

I use reloader 22 with good results.

charliemeyer007

I like full case loads the best. In over bore ones I really like ball powders as I think they burn cooler and help extend barrel life. The book says you will happier if the barrel never gets hot. H380 is listed. H870 is too slow. Reloader 25 and 22 are listed (I like Alliant products but haven't these) IMR 7828 I have used with good results in a 7mm mag., IMR 4350 was their best load with 100 gr. Sierra SBT.

Odawgp

RL 22 and a 75 gr barnes boolit shoot good out of mine

hell on coyotes if you are into fur, but thumps deer and antelope like the hammer of thor

kallie

Thanks. Any experience with H4831?

JustC

H4831 would be good in that case capacity, but only with the heavy for caliber pills. If you plan on running 105-117gr pills, then that would be the powder I started with, or RL22

Mobuck

I've used Accurate Arms MR3100 for 100 grain loads with good results. I've also used AA8700 and IMR 7828 in some loads. Definitely stick to the manual when working with the WBY's as they are extremely intense loadings.

Mobuck

Forgot to add that the Vanguard's 24" barrel may cost you velocity. Mine doesn't, giving me nearly the same velocity as listed for 26" barrels. This concerns me but I'm not seeing distinct over pressure indicators.

44pinshooter

Hi, I am new to the forum, been buying and selling for almost 10 years on GB, and thought I should get off my butt and join in all the fun.
As for the .257 Weatherby, I just got a Vanguard a few months ago and have been playing with loads for deer and coyotes. To date, have found H4831, with the Sierra 117gr. will group 3 shotds at 100 yards right at 3/4". Have used H4831, RL22 and a favorite IMR7828 for years in all my 7mm Rem. Mags, they are all good one to work with in the .257. Still working on 87grs. for yotes, got a few that run 1" to 1&1/4" at 100.
I've got a strange Vanguard a few years back. A Vangurad Custom, black teflon finish, neat syn. camo stock, with a medium heavy 24" barrel, that puts 3, 95gr. Nosler Partitions into a wonderful 5/8" at 100 yards. Clean or dirty barrel. It is a sweet heart. Number 1 son, is trying to take it. I love the kid, but.........
I am VERY pleased with the .257 Vanguard, even with the 24" wimpy barrel.
H.C.Hawk

sandwarrior

Try some Vihtavuori N150...you'll be glad you did.

kallie

Thanks for the suggestions. With all this info, it should take about a year to try them all out! But what a fun year it will be! THANKS.

Mobuck

My thoughts on the 257 WBY is to choose a bullet that will do what you want and when you get a decent load-quit messing with it. These aren't really high volume shooting rifles and you really can take the goody out of the barrel just testing loads. I have seen some bullets that didn't "settle down" until past 100 yards-meaning 200 yard groups were about the same size as 100 yards. The Vanguard I have now is not a one hole shooter(about 1"+/-) at 100 yards but around 2-2 1/2" at 300 meters. I've put a Timney trigger and one of those rubber bumper thingies on the barrel now and haven't shot it mcuh this fall so it may be a little better. The old 257 I had that blew up had a medium heavy 26" and was bedded. It would shoot 100 grain Rem CL under 2" at 300 yards. I don't shoot as much as I used to and that affects the outcome somewhat.

kallie

I tried Reloader 19 with the Barnes 100 gr. XBT and the best I could get was outside to outside 1.16". I have tried the same bullet in my 25-06 and it would not group well. Could it be that the bullet is too "long" to stabilize? I don't know.

Mobuck

Some of the earlier 257 Wby rifles would not stabilize 120 bullets. That is why the 117 round nose is still listed in Wby ammo. It was about the only heavier bullet some of the slow twist barrels would shoot decently. I knew a guy who had one of the old 257's and all he ever shot was the 117 RN factory ammo even after newer high performance 100 grainers that would hold together were available. I could not convince him that the RN bullet was costing him a lot of on game performance. He'd pull out a Wby catalog and point out the ads for "the flattest shooting rifle" like it was law.

sandwarrior

quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
Some of the earlier 257 Wby rifles would not stabilize 120 bullets. That is why the 117 round nose is still listed in Wby ammo. It was about the only heavier bullet some of the slow twist barrels would shoot decently. I knew a guy who had one of the old 257's and all he ever shot was the 117 RN factory ammo even after newer high performance 100 grainers that would hold together were available. I could not convince him that the RN bullet was costing him a lot of on game performance. He'd pull out a Wby catalog and point out the ads for "the flattest shooting rifle" like it was law.


I never did understand what the American shooting communities fixation with slow twists was. My dad's .257 Rob (1-12" twist) will stabilize a 117 RN
Also, interesting to hear that even Weatherby had issues with bullets coming apart. I cured that problem when I started shooting nothing but the tougher skinned Noslers in my rifle.

Also, FWIW, my choice of VV N150, 59.5 gr., was for 85 gr. bullets. Start at 57 and work up. For 110 ACC's I used RE-22 (start at 62 gr. and work up)

I also found the best way to make the case work, in case this hasn't been said before, is to load it so the bullet "makes the jump". Seat it down deep and push it hard. That run at the lands won't hurt accuracy much, but it will mean a lot of difference in trying to find velocity without creating pressure problems.