Most accurate bullet you've used in 257 Wby?

sns2 · #1 03-21-2016, 10:36 PM

Gonna start doing some load development for a 257 Wby I've recently acquired. For those of you with experience with this cartridge, what bullet have you personally found your best accuracy with? I'd also be interested in what COL you had luck with, as this Wby freebore throws a bit of a wrinkle into my usual loading routine.

Thanks for your feedback. All is appreciated.

fish_e_o · #2 03-21-2016, 10:40 PM

I had one very briefly retumbo was my best friend. H1000 looked good but it was a brief fling so I never found out

That was with 115 Bergers

elkhunter11 · #3 03-21-2016, 10:40 PM

My most accurate lad was with an old batch of 100gr Partitions, but once that 500 ran out, I tried a few newer batches, and the accuracy was not nearly as good. The 100gr Ballistic Tip and the 110gr Accubond also did quite well in my rifle. My rifle was rebarreled with a McLennan barrel with very little freebore, which limited the velocity slightly, but the accuracy was a huge improvement over the factory barrel.

Bushrat · #4 03-21-2016, 10:46 PM

When I had a 257 weatherby the only thing I could get to shoot really good was the 117 hornady roundnose which I found kinda defeated the purpose of the 257Bee. Anyway couldn't get much of anything to shoot much less than 1 3/4 inches consistently except those roundnoses which would go under an inch regularly.

tony d · #5 03-21-2016, 11:23 PM

I have had good luck with 120 a frames and 7828 and the 80 ttsx with same powder rifle is a blaser r8

silver lab · #6 03-21-2016, 11:24 PM

Nothin fancy here, 115 ballistic tips and IMR7828. It "was" a Vanguard back country, I seated them out as far as the mag box would allow.

buckbrushoutdoors · #7 03-22-2016, 01:46 AM

I'm loving the 80gr ttsx with 7828ssc and 90gr gmx with 7828ssc the faster you push them the tighter the group gets in my rifle

gatorr · #8 03-22-2016, 02:07 AM

Yup 80 grain TTSX with IMR 7828 very accurate and fast.

spazzy · #9 03-22-2016, 02:46 AM

87 grain Sierra game kings , c.o.a.l @ Sammi spec

Ranch11 · #10 03-22-2016, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spazzy

87 grain Sierra game kings , c.o.a.l @ Sammi spec

X2, nothing runs better in my 257.

bulletman · #11 03-22-2016, 07:31 AM

In my Vanguard Stainless almost everything I tried shot quite well. My hunting load uses H1000 powder, since RL22 supply was running out. It likes both. Nosler 110 Accubonds and 115 Nosler Bt's are at the top of the list for accuracy. Hornady 90 GMX'S shot well also. I was disappointed in the 100 grain Partitions. One day they would shoot quite well and the next time they would shoot awful. The one thing about my rifle is it didn't like the bullets seated out. Weatherby Factory loaded 115 Ballistic tip is @ 3.145. I tried loads .100 longer but settled back @ 3.175. The main problem is finding those Accubonds! Fed 215 Match primers and Nosler cases.

Slash8 · #12 03-22-2016, 08:35 AM

Recently I have used 120 gr Speer SPBT and H4831 with good results. Averages about an inch at 100 meters.
It was good enough to drop an elk with at a reasonable range last fall. Turned the lungs to jelly and the bullet was found on the opposite side of the body against the hide.

bobinthesky · #13 03-22-2016, 10:43 AM

I've never really found a bullet it won't shoot to an acceptable level but I had real good results with Barnes 100 g TSX.

whitetail Junkie · #14 03-22-2016, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sns2

Gonna start doing some load development for a 257 Wby I've recently acquired. For those of you with experience with this cartridge, what bullet have you personally found your best accuracy with? I'd also be interested in what COL you had luck with, as this Wby freebore throws a bit of a wrinkle into my usual loading routine.

Thanks for your feedback. All is appreciated.

Nosler ballistic tips seated as long as they can so they just fit in the magazine of my hunting rifle.

hoyt hntr · #15 03-22-2016, 03:20 PM

nosler 110 accubonds with retumbo behind it. only downside can be finding the 110 accubonds they seem too sell fast when they do show up

25-284 · #16 03-22-2016, 04:43 PM

120 gr sgk Hp # 1650. For me a tougher bullet than most, hard to believe but it is.

Fowlow · #17 03-22-2016, 07:46 PM

110gr accubonds with H1000 0.3's all day long. Hanna home hardware had lots in stock a few months back

roger · #18 03-22-2016, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobinthesky

I've never really found a bullet it won't shoot to an acceptable level but I had real good results with Barnes 100 g TSX.

hi bob do you mean the TSX without the grooves or the TTSX
SNS, as we chatted via PM, i found that the more powder i used the better the results, 3750fps, 3825fps all 7828. but mine is a little different than stock.
the 257 really isnt a cloverleaf target machine, and to have an inch grouping is a win.
as for COL i used the overall length of the mepleat of a factory round, then dance around from that point... the freebore theory makes sense to me but as for a hunting gun im not into that kind of cloverleaf accuracy is not relavent and a 1-1/2" 100 yard will kill everything everywhere at alberta type yardages.
its a light kicking flatshooting meat masher!!
keep us posted as to the the adventure

Fuzzy39 · #19 03-23-2016, 12:37 AM

I have been shooting and reloading my Lazerguard Vanguard 2 in 257 WM for about 4 years. I shoots all factory Weatherby ammo under an inch with the 115 grain ballistic tips averaging 3/4 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards and the 100 gr SP (cheaper

shoots bewtween 3/4 - 1 inch. The 87 gr Hornady SP also shoots this well out of my gun. I initially was loading my 115 gr Nosler BT to max COAL but found my accuracy was worse than factory. I used the Weatherby COAL and viola, 1/2-3/4 inch with 69 grains of IMR 7828, Federal Magnum Primer and the 115 gr Ballistic tip. This is my go to load as the Ballistics are pretty nice and the bullets are decent priced. It's a lightning bolt on deer. I have also loaded the TSX 100grains with good success as well as the Hornady 120 gr SP. All I have ever used was IMR 7828 and the results are pretty darned good.... I have all my specific data if you would like. The 257 WM is pretty addictive to load and really fun to shoot. Guys look over when it goes bang. LOL.

bobinthesky · #20 03-23-2016, 08:49 AM

Roger,
I was talking about the TSX with the grooves before the TTSX came out. I had several boxes and so never tried the TTSX but I'd assume it's very close to the TSX, maybe they are not if they have no grooves. With those bullets, that 257 would easily shoot 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards right out of the box.
This was for a 257 I got rid of a few years ago, I've since gotten another 257 in an MkV Lasermark that I haven't gotten around to shooting yet. Evidently I have too may rifles and not enough range time!

roger · #21 03-23-2016, 06:53 PM

thanks bob!
i first ran the heck out of them 300 or so, probly wore out the bbl just figureing it out testing.
went to ttsx and settled in to a load in 50 rounds.
not sure if it was the ttsx vs tsx or just a combination of things, but it seemed to click.
maybe others have input. i had a 100 or so 100gr e-tips but never run them cause they appeared the same design as tsx.
sns2 all in all, the 257 is a rather easy reloader, even for a very entry level (me) reloader.
get used to seeing 3600fps on the chrony

farmer23 · #22 03-23-2016, 09:33 PM

In my Vanguard Backcountry the 110 gr Accubonds & 100 gr TTSX's shoot best (inch or less at 100m). IMR 7828 SSC or RL 25 seem to be the best powder all seated at 3.250". I just bought some Accubonds at the Provost gunshow from RaynerShine gunworks. They might still have some!

sns2 · #23 03-23-2016, 09:43 PM

Just got back from range. Gave 110 Accubonds a whirl today loaded at 3.230" COL. They yielded 3/4" group with Max load of 7828 and slightly under 1/2" with max load of RE 22. I'd say I have likely found a hunting bullet that my Accumark likes, especially considering I have not monkeyed with seating distance yet. Was a nice way to unwind after a silly day at work.

fish_e_o · #24 03-23-2016, 11:02 PM

I have lots of 115 "hunting" Berger's I could give you a handful to try if it's the type of bullet you're interested in

sns2 · #25 03-24-2016, 09:46 PM

Thank you to all who took the time to post.

elkhunter11 · #26 03-24-2016, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sns2

Just got back from range. Gave 110 Accubonds a whirl today loaded at 3.230" COL. They yielded 3/4" group with Max load of 7828 and slightly under 1/2" with max load of RE 22. I'd say I have likely found a hunting bullet that my Accumark likes, especially considering I have not monkeyed with seating distance yet. Was a nice way to unwind after a silly day at work.

It sounds like you have your bullet, I would likely try a few more groups with each powder, and choose the powder that produces the best group average . With the huge freebore in the Weatherby rifles, I actually found that the seating depth made very little difference in my rifles.

sns2 · #27 03-24-2016, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It sounds like you have your bullet, I would likely try a few more groups with each powder, and choose the powder that produces the best group average . With the huge freebore in the Weatherby rifles, I actually found that the seating depth made very little difference in my rifles.

Still gonna give the 100 TTSX a try