best long range caliber?

[WAmuleyHunter]

257-

I shoot a 257 wby mag ultralight and love love love it. I shoot the 110 accubond and have great results but i saw that new bullet and ballistics of it the other day.  Have you or anybody else on here had success with it on an animal.  Would you shoot that small of a bullet on an animal??

[fishermanjoe]

257-

I shoot a 257 wby mag ultralight and love love love it. I shoot the 110 accubond and have great results but i saw that new bullet and ballistics of it the other day.  Have you or anybody else on here had success with it on an animal.  Would you shoot that small of a bullet on an animal??

The whole thing behind the 257 is speed. If you read up on the history of the .257 there were actually tests where they would shoot just over a goat's back and it would just drop dead as a result of the blood vessels breaking. I have a friend who loves his .257 and is very comfortable with long range shots. I would not want to go any bigger than deer with it though. You prob could kill an elk with it, but you also can kill an elk with a .22, its all shot placement.

[257 Wby Mag]

257-

I shoot a 257 wby mag ultralight and love love love it. I shoot the 110 accubond and have great results but i saw that new bullet and ballistics of it the other day.  Have you or anybody else on here had success with it on an animal.  Would you shoot that small of a bullet on an animal??

The 257 was Roy's favorite for a reason. Now, some may be impressed or not, but the old man stacked up ALOT of critters with it, and if my memory serves me correctly, he used the 87 grain hornady exclusively. I also believe he killed Africas Big 5 with that combo. I used the 100 grain hornady for 10 years with excellent success on muleys, whiteys, blacktails, bear, and varmits. I can see it coming already, buuuut the BC is only .3blahblahblah, compareable to a ping pong ball, etc. That 80 grain boolit has the same bc as my beloved 100 hornady, that has taken numerous bucks past 400, a couple at over 500, and one over 700, without turrets, mil-dots, B&C reticles, etc. Sooo, if the wind is THAT bad, it shouldn't be too hard to stay down wind of said critter, and get closer for a comfortable shot. I've also seen several bucks eat *censored* so fast from a 55 grain ballistic tip @ 4000 fps,from  243, it would leave most folks scratching their head wondering what the hell just happened. So, to answer your question, I would shoot a super fast 80 grain TTSX at any buck that walks, and any bull elk that walks for that matter. I'll report back to ya next year. Later

[jeepasaurusrex]

.50 BMG.  Go big or don't go big at all.

[257 Wby Mag]

I agree, if your gonna go big, like a 12 plus lb braked canyon buster, skip right past the 30's, to the 338's. Ie; Lapua, Edge, 338-378. 300 grain match king with lotsa powder is perty impressive. Word has it Berger has a 300 grain in the works. Been pondering a Edge, or sumthin R-Bros can cook up, either a edge or Lapua.

[Jamieb]

If your set on useing that action then I'd go 280AI, pretty much a 7mag but you have to handload. A 280 if you dont load your own.

[Bob33]

The 257 Weatherby is an outstanding long range cartridge.  3" high at 100 yards = 6" low at 400, give or take.  Yes, the bullets are light which can result in increased wind drift, but they get there pretty quick so the wind doesn't have much time to move them.

I have friends that kill elk with the 100 grain TSX, and have no complaints.  I've personally killed about 20 antelope with that combination.  I don't have any complaints either, but then again antelope can fall dead over from the sight of a sling shot.

There are arguably better "long range" calibers such as the 338s and the very hot 30 calibers (300 RUM, 30-378, Lazzeroni, etc.).  The Roy is a joy to carry and shoot, and suits me just fine.

[buckhorn2]

I shoot a 257 weatherby accumark with a 4.5 to 14 scope with a turrnet top for deer and a 300 wby with the same type of scope for elk. But in the back window is a 378=338 that shoots 117.2 grains of powder with a 250 grain bullet and a 6.5 by 20 scope if  I really want to shoot far. The 257 and 300 both shoot far but the big gun preforms better if there is any wind. I am not talking ethical shots on animals just long range shooting at water filled milk jugs at known ranges.

[MuleySniper]

I have a .270 wby mag and a .300 wby mag. I think I need a .257  one of these days. Seems like a sweet caliber.
MS

[SSG Brower]

remington 700 Long Range Sendora with a Huskemaw scope.  look it up on youtube under Navajo Resvervation Huskemaw.  pretty impressive but not at all cheap.  don't know if i'd buy anything like it but interesting.

[PA BEN]

Killed a w/t right at 325 yds w/180 gr 308. Clean pass through. Lots of kills from 200 to 300 yds w/7mm-08 and 243. Shot my deer this year at 251 yds, head shot, w/7mm rem. mag.

[Intruder]

maybe you should stick with your -06. it will do for you what you are looking for with the right ammo.

agreed.  out to 400 yards the 30-06 should be fine... 300 and in is right in the wheelhouse.

[WDFW-SUX]

My 300 Wby shoots well past 400 yards.. sometimes I do too Im flying 180 grain barnes MRX's @ 3200fps +

On a side note all of the current Weatherby family members hunt with 270 Wby's..

[bearpaw]

MuleySniper you will love the 257 if you get one. I have a hunter who uses it on everything, he has killed alaska brown bear and yukon moose with it. Last year he killed a Washington moose with my son with his 257, my son said it took a half step and fell over dead, one shot.

I have seen about 10 bear killed with the WTBY and most were one shot kills.

(Not saying it's the best long range caliber, but it's a good one to have around.)

[Bofire]

 :)I beleive Roy used the 300 for the big 5, not the 257. still an amazing feat. especially using the Powell Milton Freebore design he bought from them.
Carl