.257 WBY Suitable for what game animals?
Alright guys and gals some of you probably read about my problem on General Discussions. I found something that is cheap enough and suitable for use around here, I believe. My question is, what type of game is the .257 WBY aproppriate for? I live in North Central PA, and hunt mostly deer and bear. However, as a handloader, would I be able to get it to perform on animals such as caribou, mule deer, and elk? If she buys me a gun I want to be able to use it for a wide range of animals. Now, I know some guys are going to tell me to get a bigeer gun for elk, but I doubt I would get a chance at one and if I did draw a tag, I would most likely use something .30. Mostly I was just wondering how it compares to say, my .270 Win. How tolerable is recoil? Can I load it up with quality bullets, and will it perform well enough on thin skinned game and deer sized game? How tough will it be on the meat, depending on the range? I know this is a lot of information but she wants to buy me a gun and I can't seem to talk her out of it.
0
-
don't know about bear but it should handle everything excluding elk & moose.compares real close with the 270 0 -
All.
I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.0 -
duckhunter I'm sorry but what do you mean by all? It would be suitable for all the animals I listed? How is recoil? That is my main concern, I don't like to be beaten around. 0 -
ALL THE ANIMALS. YOU DID NOT SAY WHAT KIND OF GUN AND IF THE GUN IS PORTED.
I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.0 -
You are are absoluty correct sir, I did not. The gun is a Weatherby Vanguard, non-ported, with a 24 inch barrel and synthetic stock. 0 -
G-hogs to deer size critters. Think hot loaded 25-06 class.
Maybe get somthing a little larger (sorry, but you already have a small/medium class rifle in the 270) .338 bore size is a nice step up, possiably the 338-06 or 338Win Mag cartridges (good proformance with out a major increase in recoil) or even somthing clasic like the 375H&H, which again isn't all that bad in the recoil* dept and works well on everything from deer on up.
*Note, author is used to 416Rigby recoil.
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
TailGunner I weigh 120 pounds which is why I am asing about recoil. If I had a chance at something like a big brown or black bear or elk I would go larger. I think maybe I have been bitten by the Weatherby bug. That and the fact I have'nt bought a new rifle in a few months. I was just looking for some info on the .257, ie. recoil, reach, hard on meat, etc. 0 -
Bill It does have recoil, it does have reach, and with most bullets is hard on meat. It is a high velocity 25 cal round that more than outshines the 270, as some people have compared it to. With well built bullets like Barnes X, Nosler Accubonds, Nosler partitions it will take an Elk with no trouble. Look at some stats on it. I would say with the right loads it will take Deer, Elk, Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, Caribou and Black Bear with no trouble. A little light for most Moose and way small for the Griz. 0 -
How much recoil is some? I have shot my .270 extensively, and also have run around 300 rounds through an /06. I even shot a box of .45/70 in a repro Sharps with a brass buttplate. I am used to the recoil of deer rifles. Is it on par with the /06 or .270, or more punishing? I know I am coming off as a newcomer, unknowledgable and all that but I really am interested in learning from people with more experiance. Thanks guys for putting up with me. If the general consensus is it will handle pretty much everything but big bear I may buy it. I have been looking for a rifle that can " do it all" so to speak. Is brass for it expensive? I do reload so hopefully I can cut the cost some. 0 -
Recoil is easy to figgure, as it's a fairly simple formulia.
The Wby running at full throttle is 200fps faster than the 25-06 (with 117gr bullets), and is capable of matching the 270 in muzzle energy (117gr vs 150gr). It will be MORE distructive of meat than the 25-06 due to the higher velocity.
As far as your weight is concerned, stock fit and proper technique will go a long way toward reducing the recoil you feel (as will increasing rifle weight and a muzzle brake).
Recoil formulia(s)
Recoil velocity = (Bullet weight/7000 * Muzzle velocity + powder weight/7000 * 5200)/ rifle weight.
Recoil energy = (rifle weight * recoil velocity squared)/ 64.32
Here are some max loads from the Sierra manual so that you will have some #'s to crunch into the above formulias
270Win 150gr bullet @ 2900fps = 2800fp energy, 53.5gr of powder used
25-06 117gr bullet @ 3000fps = 2398fp energy, 53.1gr of powder used
257Wby 117gr bullet @ 3200fps = 2729fp energy, 66.7gr of powder used
338-06 215gr bullet @ 2700fps = 3481fp energy, 65.8gr of powder used
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments