257 Roberts or 25/06

[35whelen]

Someone had finally purchased my 318 Westly.

So Im looking at getting a 257 Roberts or 25/06

I noticed there is a about 100fps difference between them.

I'm really only going to shoot 115-120 grain.

What is the best barrel length for the 25/06 22, 24, 26. I noticed most roberts come in 22

 

[MThuntr]

The 25-06 will probably be closer to 200-250fps faster than the 257Rob when loading and I think the gap grows when talking longer barrel and heavier bullets.

Although loading a 257Rob +p may narrow the gap

Super hipster now is the 25 Creedmoor

 

[cahunter805]

If you are looking for a shorter/handier rifle 22” barrel I’d choose 257Rob.
If going with a 24-26” barrel the 25-06 is better suited IMO.

 

[TN2shot07]

25-06, definitely if you are using factory ammo as there will be plenty of options. For a hunting rifle mine have 24s and that’s plenty. I also have only used them on whitetail and 100 grain partition is bad news for them. If you are chasing speed in a quarter bore just step up to a 257 Weatherby

 

[Don Fischer]

I have the 25-06 and would not trade for the 257 Robert's. Never owned a Robert's but have a 6mm Rm and had a problem. Withe the 6mm in a 700 the magazine was not long enough to allow me to get close to the lands at all with handloaded bullet's. The case I guess is just a bit to long? Or I simply had a rifle with a to long throat. Seeing as the Robert's and 6mm are supposed to be the same case, I'm thinking I'd still have that same problem! Not a problem with the 25-06 and it's longer case. Now for a shorter action the 250-3000 might overcome that! The case is quite a bit shorter. And if your after speed, I understand the 250 AI push's the 25-06 hard and surpass's the Robert's a bit. I don't know that for sure as never tried a Roberts or the 250-3000. But wish I had tried the 250-3000 years ago. It's probably a better balanced cartridge than the 25-06. The 25-06 is probably a bit over bore capacity. have to admit though that it seem's to me the Robert's was always more popular than the 250-3000 for some reason.

 

[6mm Remington]

I had a 25-06 in a Remington 700 MTN rifle which had the 22" barrel. I wish it had a 24" barrel, but it sure was a sweet rifle. IMR4350 gave me 3000 fps with the 120 gr. Nosler Partition. It killed a lot of antelope and deer and two elk. The 110 gr. Accubond or the 115 & 120 gr. Partition would work nicely.

The 257 Roberts has no dust settling on it either. If I had a choice I'd want a 24" barrel, but the 22" would work just fine. It's a great cartridge.

 

[brymoore]

Love my 257 Roberts. One of the favorite rifles in the house.

 

[lpcoutdoors]

I still deeply regret selling my 257 Roberts years ago. Though I had too many guns, what a fool I was! But the 06 is hard to beat too!

 

[elkrchr]

I have had both calibers and shot many whitetails, mule deer and antelope with both. I enjoyed both, but I'd give the nod to the 25-06. It loved 115-grain Berger's!

 

[buffybr]

Forty + years ago I bought a .25-06 barreled action and had it re-chambered to .257 Ackley Improved. With 115 Ballistic Tips , 117 Sierra GameKing, or 120 grain Hornady HP bullets it's been my favorite deer and antelope rifle ever since. I also used it for all of my Bighorn and Dall rams, one of my best 6x6 bull elk, and my mountain caribou, all one shot kills. It's also been a great prairie dog and coyote rifle.

My only experience with a .25-06, was that one of my co-workers had one and he successfully used it for many years for deer, elk, and antelope.

If I didn't have my .257 Ackley, I would probably go full out and get a .257 Weatherby.

 

[std7mag]

I have a Ruger77 MKII in 257 Roberts. I wanted this rifle/cartridge for many years.
No worries about magazine length with the Ruger.

I'm necking down PPU 7X57 Mauser casings.
Shoot everything from 75gr Sierra HP through to 120gr Sierra GK.

Favorite loading is 115gr Berger VLD-H.
Hybrid 100V is your friend in the Roberts!

 

[antelopedundee]

Someone had finally purchased my 318 Westly.

So Im looking at getting a 257 Roberts or 25/06

I noticed there is a about 100fps difference between them.

I'm really only going to shoot 115-120 grain.

What is the best barrel length for the 25/06 22, 24, 26. I noticed most roberts come in 22

If twas me I'd opt for the .257 Roberts Improved over the .257 Roberts. I have a .25-06 but have never taken any game with it. Between the .257 Imp and .25-06 there might be your 100 fps difference.

 

[44hunter45]

I watched a whitetail fall to a 25-06 with Hornady 117 grain Whitetail ammo last fall. Hammer of the gods. A 24" Mauser 98. We never chronyed my buddy's ammo, so I can't tell you what he gets out of it.

Looking at the SAAMI pressure specs for the 25's is interesting. (Transducer)
257 Roberts "Obsolete, use 257 Roberts +P Only"
257 Roberts +P 58,000 psi
25-06 63,000 psi
257 Weatherby Magnum 62,500 psi
25 WSSM 65,000 psi

 

[RevJim]

If you lean toward the "Nostalgic", then the .257 Roberts ( loaded to +P levels) is a good one. I had one of the 1982 Mod 700 Classic (24"bbl) when they first came out ( I swapped a Colt Python even for it at a GS) It shot fine with the Speer 100 BT, but I was intrigued with the Ackley Improved concept, so had it reamed out. It was chambered in the LA Mod 700 and had a long throat too. At that time, I loaded the Hornady 120HP ( discontinued long ago, why I don't know!) seated way out over a case full of IMR 4350. It was a "hum-dinger" on crows and East TX whitetails, ha. I had to sell it back then. Since then I have used standard 25-06 (24") and 257 Wby (24 & 26", I liked the 26 better). If you got a 25-06 with a 24" bbl, with today's newer powders you step on the heels of the 257 WBY! If you like boom n bluster, but stretched string trajectory, then yes, the 257 Wby with these same newer powders is dynamite! But if 22" bbl is your taste...either a Roberts or 257 Ackley Improved is your baby. Just saying. I admit that I prefer the faster "25-06" speeds (same for the Ackley Imp) over any shorter case round ( in this case, the Roberts, 6 mm Rem, .243, Creedmoor) but thats just me. Back in the 80's, guys I spoke with in the Hill Country and West Texas used the 25-06 with the 87 gr Hornady SP for deer. But those deer (unless you got to deep South or West TX mule deer) are not that big. And back then the 257 Wby was only seen in Mark Vs (spendy!) Now you can get the Vanguard in the Wby, which is the best way to get into one and see if you like it. For me, I found that the Norma cases were pretty soft, but a Collet Body Die squeezed that bulge (right above the belt) right out for a few more firings. My first one ( a rechamber/converted Mod 700 Classic 25-06 24") shot the then available Federal Premium 115 PT 3200 fps! I just used them. The second rifle was a custom Mark X (26") and it needed the Collet Body Die but it shot the 100 TSX right at 3400 too! Wow! ha Its a good one... Let us know what you decide pard. we love getting a new rifle, even "vicariously", ha.

 

[elkhnter]

Had both, I’d choose the 25-06 again. That being said, my next .25 will be a .257 Weatherby.

 

[come2elmo]

Both. Throw in a 25 souper just for the strange looks you get.

 

[std7mag]

Always the 25-284, and 25-350 Rem Mag.