Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 250 Savage vs. 257 Roberts

With all this "Bob talk" on here, who has had any field time with the 250/3000? A couple buddies prefer the 250 over the Bob as they said it is "inherently" more accurate. I asked and they said handloading was a "snap" whereas the "Bob" can be a little ornery.

Other than a little less speed, they found no reason to feel under gunned with deer sized game at sane distances.

Anyone else care to chime in? Mule Deer?

I'd like to know as well! I have a .25-06, but thinking of building a .250 on a Savage short actoin I have.

I used a 250 Savage 20 years ago on and off to take deer. I actually like it better than the Rob. Super light recoil, plenty of power for deer.

That new Lipseys K1-A in stainless is sure a cutey!

I've loaded for both cartridges for over 40 years and don't think that there is any difference in the accuracy potential or the challenge of finding a good shooting load. Load either the 75 grain Sierra HP or 75 grain VMax ahead of H4350 and it shouldn't take too long to find a combination of components that will shoot good groups from either cartridge.

The only difference is the velocity potential, because of the case capacity difference, 46 grains of H2O vs. 55 grains of H2O, a difference of 9 grains or 19.6%. Assuming all other factors being equal, the difference in velocity potential should be around 5%, assuming the 4-1 ROT.

JEff

I've had a 250 Savage for nearly 25 yrs and never felt the need for the 257 'bob. 100gr Bullets at 2900fps and 75gr Sierra HPs at 3100fps have killed anything I point them at.

Got 'em both. Would not want to be without either.

Steve

The 250 has tradition in my family for hunting whitetails and varmints. I started out with it in a Savage M99, my kids and other kids I mentored got a start with it and hoping to keep the tradition alive with some grandchildren.

The kids moved on to different headstamps, but the old man stays true to the 250. Having said all that, several Bob's have always been in the mix. When my youngest daughter moved to Texas she wanted to take a tang safety Ruger M77 257 with her. I put my foot down...looked around and bought one for her.

As far as killing deer, both cartridges do it with equal enthusiasm.

This is kinda what I'm thinking... I've got a Better Bob & a Roy, and need a standard Bob and a 'lil Savage...

I'm fallin' in love w/ quarterbores myself.

I REALLY love my Better Bob an awful lot. I wouldn't say that there is a huge difference beween the 250-3000 & the Bob; they're both awesome.

I recently did a Marlin XS-7 with an A&B 24" barrel in 257 Roberts that has shown some potential. Thinking about doing another in 25-284, using a 24" A&B 250-3000 barrel, but doubt that there were be enough difference to justify the shelf space required to store another redundant rifle.

JEff

Between my son and I, we have four Bobs. Caught the disease from my father. I've been killing central Texas deer with one since I was eight. Enjoyed other chamberings thru the years, but at the end of the day, the Bob is as good as anything else for hunting in central Texas.

Been using both for several years. The Roberts is definately faster, but not enough to put it into another class of game in my opinion. That said, they are both favorites and it's sometimes a struggle deciding which to hunt with.

I have both. One is just as easy to load for as the other. I would guess most of these wives tales come from older guns with too slow rate of twist or maybe a roberts chamber thats different specs than the dies.

I like the 250 in an 18in barrel and the roberts in a 22in barrel. You could just go 250AI and have the best of both.

Both work quite well.

When loaded to a safe maximum velocity, the .250 kicks noticeably less and the .257 shoots noticeably flatter beyond about 250 yards.

The .257 can be loaded down to .250 levels, but the .250 can't be loaded up. The recent .250 brass kind of sucks, but cases can be easily (and cheaply) made from .22-250's.

While I've used heavier bullets in both cartridges, there's really no reason to use anything heavier than 100 grains for deer hunting.

Engrave that on a stone tablet

250AI is one I'll not be without.

Hard to believe no one here hasn't used either on Grizzlies

I've been loading for a 257R for about 10yrs. Not one bit of "ornery" as of yet. Straight forward with no quirks.

If not for this favoured 257R, I'd have a 250AI. Best of both the 257R and 250/3000.

.

no problems loading for the short action bob I own, its a great cartridge, very accurate, easy to load for.

I have shot a number of Bobs over the years and all have shot very well with a variety of loads with many different bullets. Mule Deer is right about bullet weights in a Bob.