Texas Hunting Forum

Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection

Posted By: Booner1

Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 06:49 PM

This will be my first year of hunting some large bodied northern whitetails and I am not sure which
ammo would be best for this task. I have not yet shot any animal with this rifle so not sure what
round to shoot. I don't plan on shooting anything else other than hogs and coyotes and maybe a stray
Nilgai that roams across our ranch in south Texas. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 07:14 PM

I wouldn't take it. Sure, it's plenty of gun but those big bodied northern deer are tough and are often steps away from deep ravines (if you're hunting in the Midwest). I love to shoot my .257 WBY and have killed deer weighing between 230-240 lbs on the hoof with it.

I shoot 99% of my whitetails with a 7mm-08 and soft nosed bullet. But when I'm hunting big, heavy bodied trophy deer, I shoot a 300 RUM with a 180 grain Swift Scirocco bullet. Square through both shoulders and they never take a step. And that would be the PERFECT round for Nilgai.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 07:20 PM

If you insist on the .257, I'd shoot either a 120 gr. Nosler Partition, a 115 gr. Berger VLD or a 115 Barnes Triple Shock.
Posted By: Booner1

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 07:21 PM

Only other rifles I have are a 6mm, .243 and .22-250 and a .50 cal muzzle loader.
What off the shelf Weatherby .257 should I buy?
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 07:24 PM

Shoot any of the three bullets I mentioned and you should be fine.
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 07:29 PM

Haven't seen anything argue with a 257 Wby shooting 120gr partitions or 110gr accubonds. From whitetails to elk thise seem to work fine
Posted By: Booner1

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 08:06 PM

Thank you gentlemen, gotta go get some ammo.
Posted By: JCB

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/02/16 10:03 PM

Accubonds, Partitions, Scirroccos, A-Frame should all be good to go. Never cared for mono metal like the TSX, TTSX. VLD reports I am hearing are all over the place. Some love them, some hate them.
Posted By: LandPirate

Re: Need help with .257 Weatherby shell selection - 09/03/16 09:13 PM

For the bigger Nilgai, I'd suggest the 120 Nosler Partition for penetration. Second choice would be 110g Nosler Accubond. I have no personal experience with the other rounds mentioned above.
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