Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer, what is your bullet preference for a .257 Weatherby?

Do you have a bullet preference in the .257 WM for an "all around game" bullet?

I have used the 100 TTSX for quite a while but I am curious about the 110 Accubond. Salvaging as much meat as possible is important to me.

The 110 AccuBond is not a meat-saver. I've used several bullets in the .257 Weatherby over the years, and even the 120-grain Partition ruins more meat than either the 100 TTSX or Nosler E-Tip.

You might try the 115-grain TSX.

I’ve shot a number of antelope and deer, with the Nosler 100 BT. It’s not meat friendly but extremely accurate in my rifle.

Could it be that the .257 Weatherby itself is not meat friendly? Seems like a heck of a caliber.

That cartridge seems tailor made for the mono's. I have taken a truckload of critters with the 257 WBY and TTSX. It just works!

Not the .257WM, but my experience with the .25-06 aligns with this. The 100 gr TSX and TTSX are about as meat-friendly as I have found in that chambering.

Look no further and even money says it more accurate anyway... My choice for deer has always been the 100gr Hornady SP which is no longer produced?

Theres only one bullet I will shoot....257 gr 90 gr. Extended Range Raptor....https://cuttingedgebullets.com/products/257-90gr-er-extended-range-raptor

LOL, Got a brother in law that loves to hit a deer in the slats with a 75 VMax. Seldom has meat damage

There is no 100 gr cup and core at 25-06 + velocities that is meat friendly. Flame away only had to learn that the hard way, I expect anyone else to have to learn the same..mb

There is a lot of hunters using Ballistic tips in both 100 and 115 grains and happy with the performance. Not everyone is a shoulder shooter, hitting them in the lungs still seems like a big aiming point with a terminal result.

I tend to load 100gn TTSX's or Partitions, but I have used most of the others with no real complaints.

The 100 TTSX is a good choice, all the way down to the .257R.

DF

Good luck this August John. TTSX will do fine for you.

i have been hunting with 257 Weatherby mag . cartridges in 6 different rifles over 20 years have shot some very nice bucks , both whitetail and mule deer, many regular deer in the past ,antelope
and critters too. I have used Nosler 100 gr. Partitions ,Swift A-Frames , Nosler B.T. " this was a terrible meat bullet " Barnes bullets and now i use Hammer Hunter 103 gr. in my 257 Weatherby mag. very accurate bullet and this bullet does not destroy meat but the animals i have shot so far have been DRT. with these 103 gr. Hammer Hunter bullets my average velocity for accuracy has been 3680 FPS 3 shot groups at 100 yards is under 3/4 inch , i don`t shoot 5 shot groups any more with these hunting rifles don`t wanna burn the barrels out . i have also noticed seems 8 twist barrels in all 25 caliber rifles seem to shoot a little better ,but most of my 257 Weatherby mags. a 10 twist. here is a list of the 25 caliber cartridges rifles i now have 8 twist Brux barrels 1- 25 Creedmoor , 2 -257 Roberts , 1- 257 Weatherby mag. these 4 rifles seem to shoot the 8 twist a little better off the bench , but i don`t think a deer will know the difference.the best powder i have found for accuracy and good velocity in a 257 Weatherby mag. is Reloader 25 as has been posted in the Berger reloading book. you will be amazed how well this 257 Weatherby mag. cartridge hits and kills animals close and a long ways out too , my longest shots have been over 700 yards that have killed animals, 400 yards is basically a give me with this cartridge. enjoy this cartridge it is my favorite one shot buck killer, good luck ,Pete53

The 110 grain accubond is a bomb even at .257 Roberts velocity. I shot 2 deer with it one day. Both broadside or perhaps angling with their heads slightly forward, no heavy bone, nothing but ribs. Both bullets grenaded inside. There were tiny fragment holes through the .. not sure what you call it, but the sort of lining to the chest cavity .. on the off side but enough mass hitting there to completely jello .. and I mean purple soup pouring out when I quartered them .. the off side shoulder. Of the two deer, 3 of 4 front shoulders and the front half of 3 of 4 backstraps weren't even fit for a buzzard to eat.

So at .257 Weatherby velocity .. might be a good coyote bullet if you don't want the hide but that's it.

I'd go monolithic of some sort if you want to minimize meat damage and if possible, download slightly. Not all guns shoot the monolithic bullets well, certainly not well enough to need .257 weatherby velocity, but if none of them work, I'd consider the 120 grain partition or even 115 grain ballistic tip before I shoot any more animals with the 110 grain accubond.

I do shoot the 120 NPT in my .257R, because they shoot pretty well and I have a bunch of them. I loaded up from SPS when they were relatively cheap.

DF

Speaking of .25 110 grain Accubonds, I once lung shot an Antelope at 306 yards with a 25-06. Holes were reversed, i.e. entrance hole was probably 2 1/2" and exit hole was maybe 3/4".

MD,
do you reckon the 115 TSX would run well in a 1-10 25-06?

Don't know that I'll ever need that kind of performance, but I may try the bullet...