257 Roberts OAL and short actions

[slaroy]

Hi guys, newbie qustion here. I have been debating my first barrel swap and want a 25 cal. And would prefer a roberts.

I have heard that a 257 roberts will sometimes be "too long" for a short actions magazine well when seating longer/ heavier bullets.
Have any of you guys ever encountered this problem?

I have been debating whether I should just go with a 250 savage instead...

Thanks for your help guys I have already learned a lot on the forums already!

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have one that I made out of a .243 weather warrior. Sinarms barrel chambered in 257 Roberts. There was no problem what so ever with either the magazine or receiver length. I can seat 100 gr ballistic tips and 100 gr Barnes triple shocks to just off the lands, and still fit them into the magazine. They then feed from the mag into the chamber like normal. I didn't even have to change the feed lips on the mag. It's my daughter's rifle, and the weather warrior is a floor plate magazine. Don't know if that makes a difference in mag length, but I don't think so.

I say get either a factory .243 or .308 rifle and go for it!

[slaroy]

Thanks Slim! I already have the action but you just cleared up my doubt on taking this project on. With any luck this will be my coyote poison.

[Slowpoke Slim]

I've shot a few with my Win 70 in 257 Roberts. If your rifle will shoot them, try the 75 gr Vmax bullets. They work with authority, but I hope you're not saving pelts... If so, plan on big exit holes and lots of stitching. I think every one I shot exited. I think I had a load with the 87 gr sp too, not as dramatic, but did the job. For a combo deer-coyote load, the 100 gr Nosler ballistic tips work great, especially if you're not saving pelts.

The worst was the 90 gr Barnes X bullet (the old one, not the newer tsx's). I shot one at close range with that one, and it looked like it swallowed a grenade. "Yuck" is all I can say about that one... I haven't shot them since.

[Three44s]

Nobody mentioned a 120 grain bullet .........

I don't own a 257 Roberts in anything so that was just my observation.

But if you think about this way:

Assuming you get a .257 bob barrel.

You swap it onto your SA action.

AND worst case senario ...... you DO have clearance issues ...... the worst that can happen is that you are in the market for a LA gun or action for a re-swap.

Three 44s

[Slowpoke Slim]

I haven't loaded any 120's for my daughter's rifle. I have some factory Federal premium ammo loaded with the 120 gr partition, and it will run through the magazine and chamber just like my handloads will, I checked it with the factory 120 gr loads, also with some Hornady light magnums with a 117 gr bullet, same thing, feeds fine from the mag into the chamber. I can put 4 down in the mag and run all 4 through the action with no problem.

My handloaded 100 gr ballistic tips are seated to slightly longer than the book OAL in the Nosler loading manual anyway, and I thought that would illustrate the magazine capacity effectively. I should have been more specific. I just personally think the 257 Roberts "shines" with the 100 gr bullets, nice balance of power and recoil. This one's built for my daughter to shoot, so recoil was one of the things I was trying to watch for.

I've got my 257 Wby mag to step up to for myself, if I need more range in a quarter bore. I prefer the 115 ballistic tips in that one.