[MacD37]

Originally posted by TheSollyLama
got a link to that thread? I'd be happy to read it.

Solly, I haven't read the srting you were invited to read, but I have hunted all over the world, and Killed my first bear at the tender age of eleven yrs. My first deer at the age of seven yrs, and My first head of African game at the age of 45 yrs. In between those years from seven to age 45, I have hunted just about everything North America has to offer, and with everything from a 22 lr to a 577NE double rifle. and have hunted Alaska, Canada, and Africa, every yr from 1982, till today.

Now why am I telling you all this? Well it is simply that I am 71 yrs old, and have some experience with not only just about every cartridge shot from a shoulder gun, and on just about every animlal. That gives me some knowledge on the subject at hand. This is so you don't get the idea I'm a lonely highschool kid trying to tell someone much older (LIKE about 20 yrs old) what is what. I'm not saying that I haven't made mistakes, some of them exactly the one you are makeing now, I have, but I learned by them.

I already went blind staring at charts. The 257 Wby is on the level of 270 win or .30-06, with better trajectory. That's all it is. Never said it was a elephant gun.

First off, the 257 Wby Mag is a varment/deer cartridge, and is certainly not on the level of the 30-06, or even the 270 Win. It is flatter shooting than either, and faster, but it doesn't have the SD to work effeciently on large heavy boned animals. You are makeing the mistake of looking a fPE and trejectory. the speed will get you on target farther out, but that 117 gr bullet will not give you the pennertation you need. A 180 gr, 30 cal. soft point controled expansion bullet will, even at 300 fps less speed!

While Wby is a magnum, I meant the Ultra Mag craze that has half the hunting world convinced you need to bring an M1 Abrams to shoot anything but prairie dogs.
Heard the same thing about my 'puny' .30-30, which has killed more game than all the big belted magnums combined, several times over.

What you say is true for some folks, who make the same mistake you are makeing! They try to replace shot placement and heavier well constructed bullets, with speed, and flat trejectory.

I'll draw an analogy. I am a biker. Lately I've liked sport bikes. Everyone of them will vastly exceed any responsible speed or lean angle. Yet the craze is there too- go bigger.
While the 600cc class used to be the street class, now everyone 'needs' the 1000cc or larger bikes. Not a one can handle the additional power or even put it to use on the street, yet the liter bikes fly out of show rooms.

I see the hunting world going the same way. Just fire the biggest cannon you can manage. I just disagree with that notion.

Your analogy, is interesting, but not valid when compared to the discussion here, The 257 Wby Mag, is not even the equal to the old 1906 30 gov(30-06) and the the 30-06 is not a cannon by any stretch of the imagination, and is a small bore on the world scale, and not even legal for any of the big five larger, or more dangerous than a 200 lb Leopard in Africa, and in some countries not even that, being restricted to plains game, and the .257 bore diameter is not either, in any country in Africa. It just barely makes the grade for elk in Colorado, and New mexico. I certainly wouldn't recomend it for Alaska's brown bear, and on really big black bear, I'd rather have the 30-30. (Coastal Grizzley)

Never bought into the hand cannon notions. I've killed plenty of game in my life and never had to use handheld artillery to accomplish it.

I do enjoy the fact that the Weatherby has a world famous reputation. That's doing one's homework.

Cannon? Nothing you have quoted here, can be considered a cannon! In fact the little 30-30 you seem to think is a whimp, is far more effective on things like black bear, and Moose, then the 257 Wby Mag, within it's range. The 170 gr soft point .308 dia bullet @ only 2300 fps is superior to the 17 gr bullet from the 257 wby mag at 3000 fps withing 100 yds, and on animals as large as elk, @ 150 yds with the same placement.

As far as reputation, yes wby has one, but it ain't what you think it is. Serious hunters laugh when Wby is mentioned, that is the rep they have.

The rifles that are actually made by Wby, and non existant, and are made by Miroku for the most part, but actually that is a good thing. Why do you think the WBY line can be bought in any Wal Mart in the world for less than $800. A rifle that qualifies as "WELL SUITED" for anything in North america, that is worth owning will cost that much for the action alone! First off any rifle used for anything that bites back, should start out with a CRF action, and the Wby isn't CRF.

And I examined my typical big game hunting now that I'm more mobility limited- and decided that old Roy's favorite was right up my alley.

As far as Roy's favorite, you are mistaken, his favorite was the 300 Wby Mag, and if he shot a cape buffalo with a 257 Wby Mag, he broke the law, because he only hunted Africa in Africa, in the countries of Kenya, and Botswana, and the minimum for buffalo is .400 cal, and even the lion and leopard were listed as .375 minimum.

As for Griz, well I don't plan on hunting them. I am a local hunter, and trips abroad for them isn't my cup of tea. I'm primarily a pronghorn and mule deer hunter. Elk and black bear on occasion.

I'm fully confident in this chambering's ability to drop anything I hunt, do it efficiently, and do it humanely. All that without toting an anti-tank weapon

As long as you stick to muledeer, and prong horn, and place your shots well, pick your shots, and don't shoot too far on your targets, you will be fine with the 257 Wby Mag, as long as you use the heaviest controled expansion bullet, and stay off the heavy shoulder bones. However, if you run onto a grizzley, I'd much rather have that 30-06 with a 220 gr Nosler partition, than any .25 cal bullet ever invented!

Sorry son,I hate to rain on your parade,And there is nothing worng with the 257 Wby Mag, but it isn't the magic cartridge you think it is, that's all.

The people here are giving you sound advice, however, you are not required to heed it, or even believe it, if you do, fine, and if not, then enjoy ......................