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260 Rem or 257 Roberts

steve4102
I am in the process of buying my son his first deer rifle. I am looking at the 260 Rem and the 257 Roberts. I can't seem to make up my mind. Any and all opinions would be very helpful.
Thanks
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • bpost
    IMHO.....Both are good calibers, but if you got him a .308 he could afford more ammo to practice and become a proficent rifleman. There are a lot more choices in loads available for the .308.
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  • steve4102
    bpost,
    I thought about the 308 and it is still on the back burner. I handload, so ammo availability is not a problem. I also have a 7MM-08, looking for something diff.
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  • groundhog devastation
    Steve, Get him a .260 and load it up using 100 grain Nosler Balistic Tips over 41.0-43.0 grains of VARGET. I got one for my daughter, 3 years ago when she was 13 and she shoots it pretty well! And doesn't complain at all about recoil!!! Her first deer kill(17", 8 pointer) was 271 yards and dropped in his tracks!! She's killed 3 good bucks in 3 years and has yet to see one take a step after the shot! Her rifle is a Stainless 700 BDL with Detachable Magazine. The Model 7's are nice rifles BUT due to their lighter weights, recoil is felt more than their 700 counterparts in the same calibers. GHD
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  • Kdub
    Either would make a fine hunting cartridge for your son.

    Sorta partial to the .264 calibers, myself. Nothing wrong with the .257 Rob'ts, though. Matter of fact, couldn't decide between the two at one time, so made up a wildcat in 6.5x257 Rob't Ack Imp. [:D]

    Keep off the Ridgeline
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  • Ray Boone
    It depends on what your next step would be. The 257 Roberts is the best cartridge in the world for game weighing less than 200 pounds. The 6.5 has the advantage of bullets weighing 20-40 grains more, so could be stretched to cover larger game under ideal circumstances. However, if he plans on hunting <200 lb game exclusively, or he would want a bigger gun, such as an '06,etc when he goes after larger game then that removes the advantage of the 6.5. I have rifles that shoot calibers from 22 to 458, missing only the 6,7,8mm; I find that I prefer the 257 Robts to the 6.5x54 or the 270 on all but the largest,longest deer.
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  • ghotie_thumper
    I can't speak for the 260 but know the 257 roberts is outstanding for deer. My daughters taken 2 with hers and I've taken 1 with it, all three were 1 shot kills. It really does seem to be a caliber set up with deer sized game in mind.

    Common Sense is an Uncommon Virtue.
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  • HUNT WALKERS
    Go with the 257 Roberts. Most of the folks that have a 257 rarely part with it. Mild recoil and the fact that you can get it in a fairly lightweight rifle make it a nice gun for women and kids just getting into hunting/shooting. My boy is shooting a 250 savage because it was what he picked out of the gun safe when he started shooting a hi-power, otherwise he'd of been packin' a 257 rob. or a 257 AI. About anyone that has one will swear by it,my 257 AI is in that truck as much or more than the 220 swift and none of my 25 cals. are going anywhere.
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  • Ackley Improved User
    I believe both the .257 and 260 are somewhat under powered for deer. I've used a .257 Roberts for years, hunted in the West, and had trouble killing deer-sized game, especially at over 200 yds and with the 200# bucks. It was adequate for antelope, but I had it upgraded to a .257 Roberts Ackley Improved, which turned it into a 25-06.

    I'd suggest something in the .270, .280, or 30-06 range, and load down, if your son is young and can't handle the kick. Of the three, I'd get the 30-06 - it's more available and has a larger range of bullets to choose from (best bullets found at .308). You can load the 30-06 down to kick like a .257 or up to light magnum proportions (see thread on maximizing performance with reloads).
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  • Snellstrom
    I'd be partial to the 257 Roberts. I've not seen it fail when shot properly and recoil is nice and light. As for knockdown power this year my brother killed a Mule Deer buck at 330 yards and took a cow elk at 300 yards broke the shoulder and nearly exited on the far side, knocked her right down. 100 grain bullet. If sons and daughters start off with a gun that kicks light= fun to shoot they will shoot it more often and be better shots. Just my opinion.
    Have fun[8D]
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  • Ray Boone
    I would agree that the 257 Robts is underpowered for 200 lb deer at 200 yards ONLY if the rifle is limited to FACTORY ammunition. If you want to shoot bigger animals at the outskirts of reasonable range, it can be very nickely done if you handload to get the pressure up to at least 30-06 levels, & possibly 270 levels, and use a premium bullet like a Blue Mountain, Swift- or at least a Nosler partition. Thusly loaded, MV for a 120 gr bullet will be about 2900fps, which is more than adequate.
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