25-06 AI Vs. 257 Wthby Mag.

yotenaylor

yotenaylor

New member
Well boys Its getting close to deer culling season again. Im thinking the 257 weatherby mark V is going to see a lot more saddle time, but Im leary about using such a beauty of a rifle for this stuff- excitement and humid dirty nights tear a rifle up pretty quick.

Im considering 2 things:

1 Find a belted magnum savage rifle cheap and rebarreling it for 257 wthby (Ackleyman, you might get a PM on this one).

2. Using a currently owned savage and rebarreleing it to 25-06 AI.

First and foremost, I like the weatherby because it brings down the thunder and recoil wise its so easy to shoot, kinda like a velvet sledge hammer. And frankly, it sounds cool to say "257 wthby mag"-LMAO.

I have no experience with the 25-06, but I know its just a smidge behind the weatherby, and Im wondering how close the game would be it it were improved.

So, if any of you guys that have chronographed your 25-06 AI's could post some velocities you get, Id really appreciate it. I looked on reloaders nest, and the AI looks a smidge better than the weatherby with a lot less powder, but Im always skeptical about anything I read there.

Thanks in advance /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif - Mike.
 
If the 257 Weatherby case will fit into your current Savage action it's a simple matter to change out the bolt face to the bigger case head. Brownell's and Midway have them. Worst case is you may need a new magazine with the magnum feed lips which is also inexpensive.
 
Bob, your right on. I had to double check, as some of the savages in WSM and RUM chamberings had a larger shank, I had this confused with belted magnums.

Might still have to go with the -06AI as overall cartridge length might get me. A quarter inch doesnt sound like much, but its always the little things.

The 257 Wby ALLLLLMOST fits in the mag, which leads me to believe the 25-06 definately will (COL is 3.25 vs 3.0), since I dont happen to have any 25-06 layin around, Ill have to scrounge one up somewhere and check.
 
Most of the long action Savages are really long actions and are used for both the 06 and cases such as the 7mm Rem mag. I haven't looked at the specs for the 257 Weatherby, but if it's the same length case as a 7mm Rem mag or 300 Win mag it might be OK for fit. Savage just varied the magazine length for different cartridges.
 
25-06AI will be close in MV with less powder used. I tend to like efficiency these days,...powder keeps goin up and if metal does too,..darn barrel blanks will be $1000 (that includes some sarcasm, but you get the point)

if you don't have any 25-06's,..run a 30-06 or 270 down the magazine.
 
Quote:
hodgdon.com is your friend...



They might be my friend, but they dont list anything for 25-06 AI. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Texas Tweeter- So far, from what I can find on the internet about the 25-06 AI it is very similar to my 257 Weatherby with about 10 grains less powder, but again I dont have anything else to prove or disprove it. In a nutshell though the weatherby does 75 grainers in the 3900 fps range, 100 grainers in the 3600 fps range, and 120's in the 3200's- not a slouch by any means- but it takes a bunch of powder to do it.
 
It seems to me that the 25-06 is about as over bore as you would wanna go(with that case) the improved version would be a waste
If you are rebarreling anyway go with the weatherby
 
I'll just quote the Sierra Manual 5th Edition here, if that's ok.

Top speeds for the AI, according to Sierra
75 grain = 3900
87 grain = 3600
100 grn = 3400
120 grn = 3200

Top speeds according to Sierra
257 Weatherby

75 grain = 4000
87 grain = 3700
100 grn = 3500
120 grn = 3200

These are safe loads written for a reloading manual. They seem pretty slow.

I have a 25-06 Ackley, but I shoot them at normal 25-06 velocities, no loads are over max in the book.
 
According to Sierra Manual 5th Edition.

The 25-06 Remington top speeds are.
75 grain = 3700
87 grain = 3500
100 grn = 3400
120 grn = 3100
 
I've carried a 25-06 for near 30 years. When I bought my rifle it was in 257 Roberts, but after a year or so I thought I needed something bigger for mule deer hunting out where there's no trees just sagebrush. So I had it rechambered to a 25-06 and while it's never failed to "reach out and touch something", and while the ballistics mirror that of a 22-250, the fact of the matter is that it's Accuracy that counts, not Velocity.
 
++1 on the accuracy of the 25-06. and no recoil. and ammo off the shelf. and the down range punch. and the accuracy. etc. lee.
 
Love the round too. I like the fact you can see what your hitting before the shot, during the shot and after the shot, all the way through the recoil.

Watching squirrels and rockchucks explode is cool, infact I'm so sick I take pictures of the aftermath and show my mom.

Believe me, the 75 V-max is one destructive bullet.

I haven't owned a 257 Weatherby. But my good buddy, who I hunt with just chambered one up. I think they are butt ugly of a cartridge.

The 25-06 and 25-06Ackley are two sexy sisters.
 
Quote:
I haven't owned a 257 Weatherby. But my good buddy, who I hunt with just chambered one up. I think they are butt ugly of a cartridge.



Come on buster, get a clue! I'v never bee to fond of any chick I dated that had sharp angles! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif Curves or radiuses in the right places is where its at! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

That old .257 WM has all the right curves!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Quote:
Well boys Its getting close to deer culling season again. Im thinking the 257 weatherby mark V is going to see a lot more saddle time, but Im leary about using such a beauty of a rifle for this stuff- excitement and humid dirty nights tear a rifle up pretty quick.

Im considering 2 things:

1 Find a belted magnum savage rifle cheap and rebarreling it for 257 wthby (Ackleyman, you might get a PM on this one).

2. Using a currently owned savage and rebarreleing it to 25-06 AI.

First and foremost, I like the weatherby because it brings down the thunder and recoil wise its so easy to shoot, kinda like a velvet sledge hammer. And frankly, it sounds cool to say "257 wthby mag"-LMAO.

I have no experience with the 25-06, but I know its just a smidge behind the weatherby, and Im wondering how close the game would be it it were improved.

So, if any of you guys that have chronographed your 25-06 AI's could post some velocities you get, Id really appreciate it. I looked on reloaders nest, and the AI looks a smidge better than the weatherby with a lot less powder, but Im always skeptical about anything I read there.

Thanks in advance /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif - Mike.



This comes up every so often and you always see the same answers. I don't shoot a 25-06. I do have a .257AI and 2-257Wby's. The .257AI has a 28" barrel. The Wbys have 26" and 29" barrels done with Ackleyman's reamer, on Savage actions. To answer your questions....

1) Magnum Savages can be found, but it's cheaper/quicker/easier to just find a long action with large boltface and switch them out. Boltheads don't cost much. My Savages had .473 boltface and they were very inexpensive.

2) Accuracy loads in the .257AI shoot 85/87gr bullets at 3715-3775, depending..... That's equal to a 25-06 and maybe even the 25-06AI, but you can compare the numbers with someone who shoots one. The 29" .257Wby shoots 100's at 4010, and with a 26" barrel they'll do 3850. It's a whole different league. Again that's with a minimal, no freebore chamber. It's a considerable smidge past the 25-06. Improving a 25-06 boosts performance, but not that much and it doesn't compare to a good-chambered .257Wby. Choosing one just depends on how important a decent sized smidge is to you. Mine are for blowing up rockchucks. With a good chamber the .257Wby is an impressive performer.

**** That 4100fps load in the 29" barrel shoots 1/4" with 2 different bullets. The 26" barrel hasn't been tweeked yet.
 
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Ackman- thats the stuff I was waitn to hear. Its been very hard for me to get good numbers and great accuracy out of this mark V. WHile, a trip to some gunsith might remedy the situtation, It might not, and I certainly dont know of any smith who can add barrel length. LMAO.

Looks like its time to scrounge up a long action. Lucky for me theres always a ton floating around. Guys around here buy 338 win mags and the like not knowing they kick both the shoulder and the wallet like a mule. Good for me, I guess.
 
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