30-06 to 257 Weatherby....

[BKMFR]

Has anyone went through the process of converting a 30-06 to a 257 Weatherby? Any concerns?? I'm just a little nervous about opening the feed rails and having proper feeding.... Looking at a Dakota 76 (controlled feeding) 30-06 to 257 WM......

[dontgetcrabs]

IMO you should go with a 25-06AI. So close to the 257 you wouldn't know the difference and much less expensive all the way around.   

[coachcw]

what about necking it down to a .260-06 ?

[bobcat]

I was going to say go with the 6.5/06 but I guess that'd be the same as what coach said. 


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[arrowflinger]

Changing mine over to a 280AI.

[lhrbull]

so you are adding a new barrel and keeping the action and chamber the same ?

[BKMFR]

Plans for the 257 wm is to have a Krueger/shilen quality octagon barrel 1/10 twist-24-6" (?)barrel, open bolt face, fit feeding rails, just nervous about making sure gun will feed correctly with zero problems....

[Guy]

A GOOD rifle builder can do all that and have your rifle function properly.

Others... perhaps not. The fatter case & more abrupt shoulders of the Weatherby can be a bit of a difficulty to make work, but it can be done! I have an old Mauser 98 that was re-barreled & had bolt face opened up for the .257 Wby. Works just fine.

Choose your rifle builder with care. Would Dakota do it, since they built the rifle?

And yes, and easier conversion would be sticking with the '06 case, and just re-barreling to .25-06, which is a fine cartridge though a little short of the Weatherby. I've had great success afield with the .25-06 myself.

Regards, Guy

[BKMFR]

Thanks for the reply's. I am checking with Dakota, figured they would be the safest, if they will perform the work. I have had 25-06's as well as a couple of 257 STW's. The 25-06 makes sense as well as a 25-06 AI, but I have had such good luck with the 257 WM, that I am going to go with it. I actually just bought a used Rem. 700 in 7mm Rem. Mag to be the bases for the project(which would be a easy conversion), then came across this Dakota and would really like to use it, just a little nervous about the end results having feeding issues.....

[b23]

My vote would be for 6.5-06 or 6.5-06AI.  Bullet selection for the 6.5mm/.264 is MUCH better than it is for the .25cal.  My dad has a 6.5-06AI built on a Howa donor gun that was originally a 270Win. and it shoots the tightest groups of anything he owns. 

The 257 Roy is a fun little gun but ammo is uber expensive as is the brass and the durability/quality is only mediocre. 

Also, if you have something rebarreled into a 257Wby make sure you talk to the "Smith" about freebore length and whether or not you will use reloads or factory ammo.  Long freebore, like what comes with factory rifles, allows you to shoot factory ammo but will likely compromise accuracy.  Short freebore generally shoots better but won't allow you to shoot factory ammo.  Factory ammo, especially the Weatherby stuff, is usually loaded pretty hot and I've seen guns that were rebarreled and chambered in 257Wby. that couldn't shoot factory ammo.  Well, they could but at the rate of one round every 30 minutes and it required a pretty hefty chunk of wood to beat the bolt open.

[257 Wby Mag]

After shooting a 257 for almost 20 years, I'll gladly take a 6.5/06 AI over the 257...

[mountainman]

I picked up an Al Beisen 25/06 Ackley,  that puts me close to the Weatherby with a lot less powder, Throat erosion, and close to equally performance..and, well it's a Beisen! J.O.C. would be proud!

[257 Wby Mag]

I pickle up an Al Beisen 25/06 Ackley,  that puts me close to the Weatherby with a lot less powder, throught erosion, and close to equally performance..and, well it's a Beisen! J.O.C. would be proud!

What's a throught?

[mountainman]

Throat.....

[257 Wby Mag]

Oh, ok... Grin