Which 25 Caliber for a Girl?

I'd like opinions as to whether it would be worth going with a 257 Weatherby for a female shooter. I figure with that rifle she could take pretty much anything in North America with the exception of large bears and moose. I'm wondering if recoil would be a factor? I have a 25-06 and love it, but I thought the 257 Mag might be more of an all around rifle from southern deer all the way to elk.

My daughter is a tough one but has a rather small frame. Thus, I don't want to get her something that will cause recoil issues.

Thanks

I would think a 257 Mag is not going to be much fun for a girl. Has she shot rifles before? That 257 Mag is going to be a lot hotter than your 25-06.

My wife thinks my 257wby with 80gr ttsx's kicks less then my encore bull barrel 25-06 with 100gr partitions, but I think she is just trying to lay claim to the 257wby


This was an 80gr ttsx passtru both shoulders

Mine will be shooting my 257 AI . A Roberts is also hard to beat. I have a new unfurled SS Roberts barrel I might build for her

I would be more inclined to go to a 260 Remington or 6.5x55 for all around use. The 257 Weatherby is going to need a 26 in barrel to maximize it's usefulness. I don't know how comfortable a rifle with a 26 in barrel would be for a woman especially if she's petite. I would think that the difference in recoil would be negligible

Can't remember if 270 or 257wby,

.250 savage

Add .027" and make it a 7mm-08 or, even better a 280 Rem.

Nice little round

Because he obviously has taste for the finer things in life like quarter bores.

With that said if he wanted to degrade to " blah" calibers 7-08 isn't a bad option

The ammo for the Bee is more expensive and harder to find, but it's a great cartridge. If the gun is for hunting and not target shooting, then I'd say go for it.

I suppose the 257 Roberts would be a good caliber as well. I hadn't thought about the 26" barrel on the Weatherby. That could be a problem.

I have been building a good number of 6.5 Creedmoors lately. Put a break on some of them and I have had a few dads giving them to their 10-12 year old sons for birthday gifts. It is a great round with crazy good BC possibilities very low recoil and plenty of killing power. You can get up to 140 Grain Bullets for them. Definitely one to look at. The ammo is available and reasonable prices around $26 per box. If you are really wanting a 25 caliber the 25-06 is really nice.

The .257 Roberts +P is hard to beat on a whitetail.

"Finer things" Ha!

He and you like quarter bores to be stubborn, not because they are better, since they're not.

the 257wby is not a recoil monster, at least not in any of the ones I have shot. Really sweet shooting round, even though it is a belted magnum. Most people on here don't realize the bullet weight has more to do with recoil than the amount of powder your burn. If your going .25 caliber there are only two rounds that matter, 257wby and 25-06 the rest are just wannabes.

I bought a 257 Bob as the first rifle for both of my kids and my wife, no problems for any of them.

I would go 7mm/08 just sayin.....

It's simple math- you can look up
The "kick" on any recoil table. It
Does kick, even more than a 270.
With that said, I have a factory
Accu mark with brake; and it's
Deadly/ kicks like a .243, but
With a lot more muzzle blast.

Recoil will be a little bit more since it uses roughly 10gr or more powder with the same bullet as the 25-06. That being said I do like the 25-06 but hate that it needs a long barrel to shine. I love the short action rounds like the 260, 7mm-08 or 308 since barrel length isn't overly critical.

I agree with .260, 6.5x55, 7mm08, etc... No reason for the .257 wby

That Accumark is too heavy to kick much without the MB.

Smoking crack kills. The recoil tables clearly show the 257wby with less recoil

Show me a caliber that's flatter, show me a caliber that you can be 1.85" high at a hundred, which is dead on at 300 and only 6" low at 400..all that at min recoil.

Now if she is going to be shooting 600plus yards sure get a 6.5-284

Keep dailing and smiling and ill keep holding dead on

Might as well get 25-06 then

I agree, the only problem with owning a Weatherby is feeding a Weatherby. Unless you reload or shoot it very infrequently it is an expensive rifle to shoot. If cost is a concern then go with a 25-06.

The BC comparison would do it for me.
the .25 in a 117 grain = .390
The 6.5 in the closest grain 120 = .450

Again I agree, easier to find ammo for the 25-06 too.

I agree 25 aren't BC monsters but not everyone is going to push the yardage mark where it matters. But just for agruement sake you can get 125gr .4886 BC 25 cal bullets if you handload

defeats its purpose.. keep it around 90-110 and push the mess out of it.

Concur why a run 80gr ttsx, still packing 1346 at 400, if I need more i might move to the 110gr AB's

mine is too dang picky.

My daughter is small/medium frame and she shoots a 25-06 and is deadly with it.
I have been impressed with her accuracy and confidence with the gun, so I got one with a muzzle brake and a sissy pad, I am 240 pounds and she calls me a wimp.
I swear these girl hunters are tough.

.250-3000 being getting the job done for 100 years.

Only load mine won't shoot sub moa is the AB's but its close

Vld's, 80/100 ttsx, 100sp, 100 Spitzer all sub moa.

Werid thing is 115 vld's group within a 1/2 0f the 80ttsx

You can go from varmits to elk with many rounds and calibers. Personally I think a 257 roy is a bit much for most women. Occasionally you have a real hard core woman hunter who doesn't mind, but from my experience most will tell you they don't mind the recoil but it manifests itself in the groups and shooting.

I would recommend a 243, 260, 7mm08, or 25-06 if a quarter bore is a must. I would get her a 270 before a 257 roy.

True but I like reducing margin of error in every way possible. I like a 25-06 nothing wrong with it. Personally I think its much better than the 257 roberts. My wife killed here 168 with a 25-06 and smoked it at 250 yards, deer went bout 5 steps.

If you want to get right down to it you can shoot the 129 Nosler LR accubonds with a BC of .561 I am waiting in line to try and get some of those for my 6.5. I just got some of the LRs for the 270 WSM but have not got to load them yet.

270wsm with 150 ABLR's

Since their regular ABs are off on BC, I expect the ABLRs to be too.

Well probably they are calculated, but probably not off by much

I thought this was gonna be about a 25 acp... I was gonna recomend a sling shot instead.

You keep holding dead on, and I'll keep enjoying having a bit of BC that actually cuts through the wind. And I dial to hit minute of angle, not minute of deer. There is a difference.

Not under 400. I'm not a sniper. I see, I like, I breath, I shoot

I'm not a sniper either.

What not under 400? There's no wind to hold for under 400?

Please don't whip out the weenies

Hard to beat a 6.5 but speed can equalize BC if you are willing to push a bullet fast and not worry about burning a barrel up. I haven't done that math because I don't care but you can make up some BC.

I think a .257 Wmag would be a cool gun to have...but I wouldn't want to shoot it but just to hunt with. I'd burn the barrel out FAST as I would have that bullet cooking!

To answer the original post...I don't have a clue, but you can always make a managed recoil load for her until she gets older.

.25-06 is pretty tough to beat. That being said, I'd go 7mm-08 for great ballistics and low recoil.

I've got a Mark V I might sell/trade if you're interested.

I really wanted a 257wby but I didn not like the ammo prices and trying to find it. I think 25-06 is a better option.

I personally don't like the sun in my eyes there for most set ups are north/south, second you are talking 8" with steady 10mph wind, that's not a difficult adjustment.

As I said you want to play long range over 400, build you a long range rig with optics that compliment it. I've had no issues shooting antelope, deer, and yotes at 400-500 with simple adjustments. You want to shoot 700-1000plus there are better calibers, and also better optics set ups. If you want to hunt 700-1000plus yards there are even better set ups.

But for a female that's not pushing the range past 400 257wby is a light recoiling highly effective round. Terminal on game performance is hard to beat with similar orlessor recoiling calibers

I never brought up hunting outside 400 yards 257 and .277 bullets don't have a very good BC, period. Speed will only get you so much. They all make X velocity, but the numbers simply aren't there for the 257 and 277. The reason to use either one is because you can, and because you want to. That's fine, just admit that.

Don't tell me there's no wind to allow for inside 400 yards. I've burned out barrels, I've shot competition, and I've hunted, with slow medium, and fast bullets, with low medium, and high BCs. I don't know all there is to know but I know that wind is a factor beyond 100 yards.

Quit getting your dander up. Science is beating your argument, not me.

Well if you are looking for a .257wby for her I have one for sale.

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4703925/1

Didn't say there was no adjustement just minor. Well minor for a deer, major for a prairie dog

You knuckleheads need to go back and read the original post, including you BOBO. Simple solution, buy the Weatherby for you and give her the 25-06

I read the original post. I may have thrown a hand grenade on my first, knowing it would ruffle feathers. This is all in fun and games, dude.

agree. I shoot a 270 and enjoy it. I bought it because thats what my daddy said to do... he has a 280 and hates it because ammo is harder to find. Little did I know a couple years down the road I would get into reloading etc.

Today I wouldn't buy a .277 cal.

250 savage would be a great choice

I did she needs a 257wby

get her a 25-06 now...and a 257wby for a graduation present eventually.

cruster not buy that thing? I told him to!

He made me an "offer"

Keep it simple with a 25-06 and load it down if needed.

Now wait just a doggone minute. You can say what you want about my 25, but you start insulting graddad's 270 and we are going to tangle! I love these strings!

Can't have thin skin round here.

My dad, and grandad didn't teach me. I taught myself what I know. That's why those two bullet diameters and anything that says Weatherby in the name don't interest me.

I appreciate you reigning in the hijackers. I don't know what the obsession is with 7 mm-08 fans trying to recommend it from everything from prairie dogs to elephants but I don't like the caliber, and my question was about the 25. I like the idea. Get a Roy and give the kid my 25-06. Thanks!

Hey I agree. The 25's don't have the best BC in the world, but I just like the combination of hard hitting accuracy and low (lower) recoil.

If she needs a short gun, no question the SA 22-24" barreled 7-08, but if she has style and likes to cook, sterilize, and shoot them at the same time it's easy she gets the 257wby death ray

On a serious note my wife had never hunted or shot a gun before she married such a big deal with that said the 25-06, 257wby, 7-08 etc recoil isn't bother some. Get her some good electronic ear muffs and she will be fine. I think the noise bothers them worse then the recoil

I think you should get a 270 or a 30-06 and throw a muzzle-brake on there. Mossberg sells 270 that comes with a muzzle-brake and scope for $500. It is a very sweet gun for the price.

270 is the best sell job Winchester has pulled off in the last 60 years. Good Caliber, Great for Whitetail, ballistics wise a real dog. Hey 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Yep, all because they didn't want to pay Newton for the rights to use the .256 Newton!

I have a 25-06, 257 Weatherby and a 7mm-08. I have 3 daughters who hunt. 2 of my daughters have used the 25-06 since they were 10-12. The only reason I bought the 7mm-08 is just for bigger bullet with better ballistics. They have not even shot it yet. I always used a 223 for them when they were younger. No kick, No kick, and they do not get scared. I let one of my daughters shoot the 25-06 once, after she had. Even shooting the 223 and she said the Kick surprised her (11 years old). I do not like the 223 much for deer because it does not leave a good blood trail, if any. And I handload Barnes TTSX's. We have shot deer and found all with the 223, but no blood.

I'll always say the 257 wtby mag. Always. It's a friggin hot little round that does the trick. Sure wish I kept mine out of the hands of the crook who has it now. One of life's lessons I reckon. Don't trust anyone and do your homework.

I am partial to the 6.5 by 55. Very mild recoil and covers a wide variety of game.

Y'all know I have a passion for fast movers and the 257 Roy fills the bill nicely. Started Mrs B with a 243 no problem, then bumped her up to a 7mm08 no problem. Well I really screwed up when we went to the ranch to check rifles and she shot my 257 Roy. Guess who was caring the 257 Yesterday and probably the rest of the season? Thank GOD she didn't want to shoot my 300 Roy or I wouldn't have any rifles left. The 257 Roy is in a Rem 700 CDL-SF and she handles it fine even with the 26 inch barrel. Only time I ever had a problem with barrel length was an old Marlin Goose Gun I used for varmint hunting at night, jumped in the truck with it across my lap and knocked my window out when I shut the door

Mrs B is 5'-2" and weighs less that 120 lbs.

Let me add one more thing, make sure it fits her that goes a long way as far as felt recoil.

Ya know Bobo that's the part these long range boys just don't understand. Give them their long range guns but take away their fancy scopes, calculators, range finders and tell them not to touch the turrents on that scope and give them 3 seconds to get a shot of at 450 yards. I probably could have worded that a little better but I suspect ya know what I mean. My longest shot with my 257 was about 462 yards on a big dog yote and he gave me about a 2 second window. I sight my Weatherby's in at 3 inches high at 100 yards, due to the terrain I hunt we rarely get a shot less than 150 yards. I put the crosshairs even with the top of the shoulder and hit him about 2 inches below where I was aiming. When I shoot my fast movers there's just some things I don't have to worry about inside 450 yards and that's elevation and wind. Bullet selection is another I don't worry about, I shoot the bullet that performs the best on game not on paper. I've mentioned here many times I choose Nosler Partitions over any others offered, they give me exactly what I'm looking for. Are there bullets out there that are more accurate have better BC's hell yea! But they don't deliver the versatility of the NP. I can explode the heart lung area or I can bust the shoulders up if need be. I will now prepare for the onslaught I'm sure to receive.

Let me add the factory 87 grain SP's are absolute grenades to the heart lung area of a whitetail, mulie or antelope.

You sound like you hung around Harold and Elbert with the Partions, Mike. I keep my Broughton 257 AI loaded max with 100gr Partions. Dropped one antelope 380yds and heart shot my last Oklahoma whitetail at 360. I do use a Leica range finder when possible but no mildots or turrent adjustments. Hopefully it will be dropping a Panhandle Mulie in a few weeks to add to it's resume.

Does it show that much?

I'm amazed at the debate over calibers. There is no substitute for a well placed shot, so teaching your daughter to shoot well with confidence and control is paramount. I have not owned any of the quarter bores, but have always wanted one, and my choice would be the .257wby. Ballistics for the .257wby are incredible, and has become legendary as Mr. Weatherby's personal favorite caliber. It's a cool little round, and her friends will be impressed that she is hunting and killing deer with a .257wby. As she gets older, I would be willing to bet, that will always be her go to rifle when she wants to hunt deer with her Dad. Granted factory ammo is more expensive than others, but when you figure that most hunters don't shoot a lot, the difference is hardly noticeable (ammo is the cheapest part of hunting).

I recently jumped into the Blaser R8 rifles and one of the calibers I bought was a 6.5x55se. I topped it with Leupold's VX-6 3x18 scope and it's the sweetest rifle I have ever shot, but I'm still on the hunt for the .257wby barrel too.