.257R or .260 Rem????

hgmeyer · October 1, 2013, 08:04 PM

Anybody ever done any "scientific" comparisons of the .257 Roberts and the .260 Remington. I have been a fan of the .257 for 40+ years, and was about to buy one for my son (Win Model 70 FW) when a friend made a critical comment that my Roberts used to be the best "mid caliber" but the .260 was better. So I am looking for some real world experiences to consider.

I won't swich, I love my .257 but for my son, I want the best.

MarkCO · October 1, 2013, 08:34 PM

For the lighter bullets, the .260 is about 200 fps faster than the .257R. If you go with Hornady +P Superformance .257R ammo, they are pretty similar, except Hornady does not load the .260Rem. The big difference between the .257 vs .264 is bullet selection. There are a few decent bullets for the .257, but a whole lot more for the 6.5/.264 size. The 6.5s (there are about 10 of them) are one of the "cool" calibers right now and the manufacturers are all trying to outdo each other with better bullets and designs for varmints, targets and medium, sized game. .257 is 75 grains and then 110, 115, 117 and 120. the 6.5s run from 85 to 160 grains with much greater choice.

If you are talking whitetails inside 300 yards, you, nor the deer, will ever be able to tell the difference between the two. If you want to stretch out past 400 or so, then there will be some difference that is noticeable. While your "friend" was probably just trying to rile you up, the .260 is a better cartridge, but not the only one to consider in a medium bore.

hgmeyer · October 1, 2013, 09:21 PM

Sierra alone has 70, 75, 87, 90, 100, 110, 117, and 120 grs. Not considering "custom" bullets I can get .257 as low as 60 grs for plinking and as heavy as 120. That is a more than adequate range of choices, so the .260 has no advantage there except at the very upper end of heavy bullets which might influence me if I were looking for a multi use rifle... But my son has a .308, 7mm RM and a .223 so it is that midrange hole I am looking to fill.

dahermit · October 2, 2013, 06:22 AM

I have killed many deer with my (now my Son's) Ruger "Liberty Model", M77 .257 Roberts. It worked very well on Michigan White Tails. Examining the load books on the two, it becomes obvious that the .257 Roberts must be hand-loaded to achieve its potential because the SAMMI specs are so low for that cartridge. A factory 120 grain .257 Roberts round will be about 100 fps slower than the comparable, albeit higher pressure .260 Remington cartridge.

If you are a hand loader, I will eat my socks if you could not get at least another 200 fps velocity out of a .257 Roberts by loading up to its pressure capability in a modern bolt-gun.

The difference of .007 bullet diameter is not likely to be a significant factor.

When it comes to a choice between a traditional .257 Roberts and the more modern, albeit not as popular (as its 7mm-08 Winchester sister), the choice is not clear-cut. They are much alike, in that both the .257 and the .260 are popular (but not to say poor choices), as more of a cult following (factory ammo not all that abundant for either, a good reason to hand load).

For the purpose of deer hunting, I would consider them different faces of the same coin. Flip the coin, you win either way.

MarkCO · October 2, 2013, 09:31 AM

I don't think any of us are saying anything really different.

As for bullet weights, I was just looking at factory ammo. If you reload, most of the differences go away.

With the other rifles he has, yep, it won't make much difference. If you already reload for the .257, it would make sense to stay with the .257.

hgmeyer · October 2, 2013, 12:14 PM

We (son and I) rweload for everything we shoot. So, yes, the potential for both cartridges is vastly improved for us. One notable difference is short v. long action. It might come down to two variables related to the rifles chambered. The .257R seems to be all 1-10 twist and the .260 seems to be 1-9 twist. My 93 Masuser is a 1-10 (Douglas Supreme barrel from the 1960s) and still shoots the 117-120 bullets very well. But I do know others who start to have groups open up and wander over 110 grs with 1-10 rates.

dahermit · October 2, 2013, 04:42 PM

Quote:

...One notable difference is short v. long action. It might come down to two variables related to the rifles chambered...

Do you mean to say that you will pass on the chance to get a Winchester M70 Feather weight in .257 Roberts? You can buy a .260 any old time.

hgmeyer · October 2, 2013, 05:47 PM

The final choice is up to my son. He is looking at a Remington Mode; 7 CDL in .260, a beautiful rifle and a 1980s FW (push feed), a very similar rifle. We are hunters and shooters but not collectors.

I customized my .257R over 40 yeras ago and have no desire to replace it, and won't. Over the years I have built a number of rifles and know how lucky I am that my small ring .257 is what it is, a real "shooter".

October 1, 2013, 08:04 PM	#1
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	.257R or .260 Rem???? Anybody ever done any "scientific" comparisons of the .257 Roberts and the .260 Remington. I have been a fan of the .257 for 40+ years, and was about to buy one for my son (Win Model 70 FW) when a friend made a critical comment that my Roberts used to be the best "mid caliber" but the .260 was better. So I am looking for some real world experiences to consider. I won't swich, I love my .257 but for my son, I want the best. Last edited by hgmeyer; October 1, 2013 at 09:24 PM.

October 1, 2013, 08:34 PM	#2
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	For the lighter bullets, the .260 is about 200 fps faster than the .257R. If you go with Hornady +P Superformance .257R ammo, they are pretty similar, except Hornady does not load the .260Rem. The big difference between the .257 vs .264 is bullet selection. There are a few decent bullets for the .257, but a whole lot more for the 6.5/.264 size. The 6.5s (there are about 10 of them) are one of the "cool" calibers right now and the manufacturers are all trying to outdo each other with better bullets and designs for varmints, targets and medium, sized game. .257 is 75 grains and then 110, 115, 117 and 120. the 6.5s run from 85 to 160 grains with much greater choice. If you are talking whitetails inside 300 yards, you, nor the deer, will ever be able to tell the difference between the two. If you want to stretch out past 400 or so, then there will be some difference that is noticeable. While your "friend" was probably just trying to rile you up, the .260 is a better cartridge, but not the only one to consider in a medium bore. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

October 2, 2013, 09:31 AM	#5
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	I don't think any of us are saying anything really different. As for bullet weights, I was just looking at factory ammo. If you reload, most of the differences go away. With the other rifles he has, yep, it won't make much difference. If you already reload for the .257, it would make sense to stay with the .257. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

October 1, 2013, 09:21 PM	#3
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	Sierra alone has 70, 75, 87, 90, 100, 110, 117, and 120 grs. Not considering "custom" bullets I can get .257 as low as 60 grs for plinking and as heavy as 120. That is a more than adequate range of choices, so the .260 has no advantage there except at the very upper end of heavy bullets which might influence me if I were looking for a multi use rifle... But my son has a .308, 7mm RM and a .223 so it is that midrange hole I am looking to fill.

October 2, 2013, 06:22 AM	#4
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	I have killed many deer with my (now my Son's) Ruger "Liberty Model", M77 .257 Roberts. It worked very well on Michigan White Tails. Examining the load books on the two, it becomes obvious that the .257 Roberts must be hand-loaded to achieve its potential because the SAMMI specs are so low for that cartridge. A factory 120 grain .257 Roberts round will be about 100 fps slower than the comparable, albeit higher pressure .260 Remington cartridge. If you are a hand loader, I will eat my socks if you could not get at least another 200 fps velocity out of a .257 Roberts by loading up to its pressure capability in a modern bolt-gun. The difference of .007 bullet diameter is not likely to be a significant factor. When it comes to a choice between a traditional .257 Roberts and the more modern, albeit not as popular (as its 7mm-08 Winchester sister), the choice is not clear-cut. They are much alike, in that both the .257 and the .260 are popular (but not to say poor choices), as more of a cult following (factory ammo not all that abundant for either, a good reason to hand load). For the purpose of deer hunting, I would consider them different faces of the same coin. Flip the coin, you win either way.

October 2, 2013, 12:14 PM	#6
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	We (son and I) rweload for everything we shoot. So, yes, the potential for both cartridges is vastly improved for us. One notable difference is short v. long action. It might come down to two variables related to the rifles chambered. The .257R seems to be all 1-10 twist and the .260 seems to be 1-9 twist. My 93 Masuser is a 1-10 (Douglas Supreme barrel from the 1960s) and still shoots the 117-120 bullets very well. But I do know others who start to have groups open up and wander over 110 grs with 1-10 rates.

October 2, 2013, 05:47 PM	#8
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	The final choice is up to my son. He is looking at a Remington Mode; 7 CDL in .260, a beautiful rifle and a 1980s FW (push feed), a very similar rifle. We are hunters and shooters but not collectors. I customized my .257R over 40 yeras ago and have no desire to replace it, and won't. Over the years I have built a number of rifles and know how lucky I am that my small ring .257 is what it is, a real "shooter".