my bros-n-law and myself went to check our rifles at the range. we both sighted in at 2" high at 100yrds. we then went to the 300yrd range to see what kind of drop they would have. i had checked the ballistic charts prior to going so we would have an idea of what would happen. man that 257 shoots flat.

257wby = 1" drop @ 300. shooting 80gr ttsx at almost 3900fps
7mag = 7.5" drop @ 300. shooting 139gr hornady spbt @ 3200fps

we had a very slight cross wind from left to right, more of a tail wind - our bullets were still dead center.

I agree that the 257 Shoots flat.

But I think you were comparing apples to oranges, i.e., a very light-for-caliber TTSX in the 257 vs a mid range leaded bullet in the 7Mag.

Put a 110gr TTSX in your 7Mag and load it to equal pressures as the 80gr TTSX in the 257, and the difference will be much less.

yeah I have a .257wby and with 100gr TSX at 3,550fps its still a screamer.

the 7mag has always been my goto rifle for years. i have taken lots of deer with it out to about 400yrds. i have not pulled the trigger on the 257wby on any game yet. we both wanted to make sure we knew where our bullets were dropping to, at 300yrds. even though i was shooting probably the flattest round for the 257wby, that 7mag was only off about 6" and with a lot more bullet weight behind it @ 300.

if anyone shoots out past 200, its worth finding a rifle range to see where you print at 300 or 400 yrds.

I agree 1000%!

In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's unethical to shoot at any distance that you haven't practiced at; so that you know what the trajectory is and you know that the rifle (and shooter) are capable of making a humane hit at that range!

Soapbox moment:

I highly dislike the term "flatter" shooting. The "flatness", i.e. the lack of bullet drop, is not really a function of a particular caliber. It is a function of muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient, and weight as JJH pointed out. It's all a function of how much horizontal distance a projectile object can cover, inclusive of frictional considerations, in a given amount of time. If a gun barrel was completely sitting level and you could drop a lead weight at the exact same time the bullet left the barrel, both bullet and lead weight would hit the ground at the same time.

When people say that a 270 is superior bullet over a 30-06 because it shoots flatter is what really annoys me. At the same weight and same bullet type (TSX, power point, ballistic tip, etc.), over 500 yards the difference in drop is literally only a few inches.

All I'm saying is that sometimes it's an unfair assessment to discount a complete caliber for not shooting as flat. Every caliber has there advantages and disadvantages when compared to a similar caliber; 270 vs 30-06, 7mag vs 257wby, 223 vs 243, etc.

Ok, now I'm off my soapbox.

Where did yoy go around Pearland?

we went to American Shooting Cntr off Westheimer.

thanks