Pennsylvania Game News - December 2016 - 57

Roberts, a well-known ﬁrearms authority.
Roberts based the cartridge on the 7x57
case and stipulated a 1-in-10-inch barrel
twist that would handle bullets up to 125
grains.
In 1934, Remington modified the
design in bringing out the .257 Remington
Roberts, later called the .257 Roberts.
Factory loads included an 87-grain
bullet ﬂying at 3,200 fps, a 100-grain at
3,000 fps and a 117-grain at more than
2,700 fps.
In the bolt-action riﬂes of the time,
handloaders could boost velocities
another 100 fps.
While factory loads for the .257 Roberts were only about 100 fps faster than
the .250 Savage, the 1-in-10-inch twist
could better stabilize a 117-grain load,
making the .257 Roberts a favorite among
hunters who wanted an accurate, effective,
light-recoiling riﬂe for varmints, deer and
black bears.
I have owned several riﬂes chambered for the Roberts, but my all-time
favorite was one I built off a Springﬁeld
03 action with a lightweight 22-inch
barrel, walnut stock and a Leupold 3-9x
variable scope.
With 120-grain soft-point handloads
fired at more than 2,800 fps, it holds
groups inside of an inch and has taken
antelope, mule deer and whitetails cleanly,
out to 300 yards.
I keep it zeroed-in at 200 yards, which
makes a 300-yard shot a cinch with a little
hold-over.
Today, ﬁrearms manufacturers occasionally make runs of the Roberts, and it
still is popular with custom riﬂe builders.
A decent variety of factory ammunition is available, and reloaders can choose
from a variety of bullets.
Ned Roberts said the .257 Roberts
was the perfect 25-caliber cartridge, and
DECEMBER 2016

I couldn't agree more.

THE .25-06
Nearly 85 years ago, A.O. Niedner
necked down the .30-06 case to 257-caliber, creating the .25-06.
Remington introduced it as a commercial round in 1969.
Riﬂes for the .25-06 have 1-in-10-inch
twist barrels, and factory loads include
87-grain bullets at 3,500 fps, 100-grain
bullets at 3,200 fps and 120-grain bullets
at nearly 3,000 fps.
The .25-06 has a flatter trajectory
compared to the Roberts, and is noticeably
noisier with increased recoil.
Years ago, I hunted in Wyoming with a
guide who had one riﬂe for big game - a
well-used pre-1964 Winchester Model 70,
rebarreled in the .25-06.
He used 120-grain bullets when hunting sheep, deer and elk. For antelope,
prairie dogs and coyotes, he switched to
a 100-grain load.
Today, most, if not all, riﬂe manufacturers continue to chamber the .25-06 and
ammunition is readily available.

THE .25 WSSM
Back in 2000, Winchester came out
with the .300 Winchester Short Magnum
cartridge.
The short action delivered slightly
better ballistics than the longer .300 Winchester Magnum.
Winchester followed up with the .270
and 7mm short magnums.
All three proved that a short, fat case
and a sharp shoulder give comparable
ballistics to the longer magnum cartridges.
Winchester then went one step further,
coming out with a line of Super Short
Magnum cartridges including the .25
WSSM.
For quarter-bore fans who insist on
57
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - December 2016
