Author Topic: Reloading Weatherby Rifle Calibers--?? (Read 690 times)

lancer1558 · « **on:** December 26, 2004, 05:04:29 PM »

I would like to buy a rifle in the 257 Weatherby caliber.
However, ammunition is expensive and so is brass.
Reloading appears to be the only solution. Where do you buy your brass or do you buy ammunition and after firing reload the brass?

ricciardelli · « **Reply #1 on:** December 26, 2004, 08:04:27 PM »

Well, you see, it's like this...

If you can afford $1,400 for a rifle, and $600 for a scope, just exactly how "expensive" is a $30 box of ammo (or 85 cent brass)?

Castaway · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2004, 12:07:14 AM »

Try midwayusa.com. They occasionally have Weatherby brass available. I started reloading in 89 when I got a 270 WBY. At the time, a box of 20 ran around $34 at the local shop. Don't have any idea what it's up to now.

Lone Star · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2004, 01:21:29 AM »

Quote

Well, you see, it's like this...If you can afford $1,400 for a rifle, and $600 for a scope, just exactly how "expensive" is a $30 box of ammo (or 85 cent brass)?

No, you see, it may not be like that at all. Some folks will save and save for a long time to buy something very nice which they could not normally afford, it's a one-time purchase for them. Like anyone else, they want to save money on ammo so they can shoot more.

It smacks of class envy to claim that just because someone can afford a $35,000 SUV he shouldn't worry about $2.50/gal gasoline. "Heck, it's only $3500 a year in gas....how expensive is that, Mr. Rich Guy....?"

ricciardelli · « **Reply #4 on:** December 27, 2004, 04:14:28 AM »

Well, you picked a very bad example.

Several years ago I purchased a Ford F-350 XLT with everything the factory could put in it, and then I added a bunch of aftermarket stuff.

I also threw a 12-1/2' self-contained slide-in camper on the back, again with all the factory goodies and a ton of aftermarket stuff.

About two months later one of the guys I shoot trap with showed-up in an identical rig.

During the following year my rig was on the road every day. His sat in the driveway for 364 of the 365 days. The only day he ever used it was the day he showed it off at the trap club.

I asked if he was having problems with it, and he told me that he couldn't afford to drive it, buy plates for it, or pay insurance on it.

If he had purchased a 10' camper instead of a 12-1/2' camper, gotten an F-250 instead of the F-350, and cut out some of the bells and whistles in both the truck and camper, possibly...just possibly it could have left the driveway once in awhile.

This person could have just as easily purchased an extremely nice .25-06 for half the price and a good $300 'scope. He then could have purchased factory ammo for half the price or less than the Weatherby ammo, and brass for 18 cents each instead of 85 cents each. AND he would be enjoying all the shooting he wanted.

Personally I would love to have a 60" HD television with a 14 speaker surround system and a couple of 1000 watt amplifiers. But I settled on a 37" CRT television, no HD, two 500 watt amplifiers and only 8 speakers.

"A man has to know his limitations"-(Dirty Harry)

rltaylor · « **Reply #5 on:** December 27, 2004, 04:53:14 AM »

Well, you see, it's like this...

If you can afford $1,400 for a rifle, and $600 for a scope, just exactly how "expensive" is a $30 box of ammo (or 85 cent brass)?

Ricciardelli, you have probably more knowledge on the subject than anyone on this forum and I've used your advice on numerous occasions but this guy was asking a simple question and did not deserve such a flippant remark such as the one you posted. People get on these forum for advice from people such as yourself and do not deserve an answer like the one you posted.

mountainview · « **Reply #6 on:** December 27, 2004, 05:35:38 AM »

Lancer,

If your heart is set on the Wby, by all means go for it. If you like to shoot it a lot, the ammo can be a tad pricey but the satisfaction from owning a caliber/rifle you really like may negate the ammo cost. You can either buy new brass and load it or buy factory ammo and reload it after shooting. I prefer the latter since I neck size my own ammo (non-Wby calibers). When buying new brass, it generally requires full length sizing before loading. Like Castaway, I recommend Midway.

Safe shooting.

Questor · « **Reply #7 on:** December 27, 2004, 05:48:16 AM »

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00098BRASS257

I like Midsouth Shooters Supply.

The link says that it's $20 for 20 brass cases for .257 Wby. They generally have excellent prices. You may also want to check grafs.com and midwayusa.com

lancer1558 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 27, 2004, 08:06:47 AM »

Ricciardelli,
After reading your posts, it looks like you were just having a bad day. I was asking about Weatherby ammunition not pickups.
Gary

Lone Star · « **Reply #9 on:** December 27, 2004, 11:46:24 AM »

Lancer, he was replying to my post about the pickup. Some people just have to manipulate a topic to make their own flippant remark seem intelligent and superior - they cannot stand to be called to task or accept responsibility for themselves. Others just admit they were out of line and get on with life....

skb2706 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 27, 2004, 11:57:55 AM »

Assuming that you pay out $1.00/case for brass and over the course of your life you shoot that rifle 2000 times. ....after all its not a full up varmint rifle. If you load prudently and keep track of all your brass it would go something like this........

if you got five loads to the piece that would cost you $400 for a lifetime of shooting the gun you so dearly saved for.....if you keep the gun for 20 years it will have cost you $20 year for brass....or $40 a year for 10 years ......sweet deal. Go for it....even Steve can't complain about that.

Ron T. · « **Reply #11 on:** December 29, 2004, 09:41:17 PM »

Lancer...

If you decide to reload for the .257 Weatherby cartridge, please be AWARE that many reloading manuals show reloads SPECIFICALLY for WEATHERBY RIFLES which are built with a considerable amount of FREE-BORE.

This FREE-BORE enables the Weatherby Rifles to handle the increased (and often some relatively VERY high) chamber pressures to which Weatherby ammo is loaded and reloaded.

While WEATHERBY rifles are built with this free-bore included, some other brands of rifles in Weatherby calibers MAY NOT BE "free-bored".

Therefore, I wanted you to be aware that you must check YOUR individual rifle (if it is not specifically a Weatherby rifle) to determine if it is FREE-BORED or not.

If the rifle you buy is NOT free-bored, then you MUST reduced your handloads by AT LEAST 5% (or more) at all levels (starting loads to maximum loads) to insure your handloads won't cause dangerously high chamber pressures in your rifle.

Again... if you purchase a WEATHERBY-built rifle, the free-bored is supposedly already designed & built into the rifle.

Now... as to the costs. Even a man of modest means CAN own a Weatherby rifle since it, like most high-quality rifles, will most likely last its owner a life-time. Therefore, it's a "one-time" purchase.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive than many other excellent brands of big game rifles, but then... they ARE a "Weatherby". There's "magic" in that name, isn't there?

Do I own one? No... but I WISH I had purchased a fancy Mark V when I first decided to buy a big game rifle.

But back in those days (the late 1950's), a fancy mesquite-stocked Weatherby rifle in .300 Weatherby caliber with the high cheek-piece and the diamond-shaped insert inletted in the center of the butt-stock was (I think) about $350 while the "Alaskan" Model 70 Winchester (the "Rifleman's Rifle") in .338 Win. Mag. was only $149.95... and being just married and mostly broke, I opted for the fine pre-'64 Model 70 that I eventually put additional money into to customize it into something more than a "plain jane" rifle.

While the old Model 70 has served me well, if I had it to do over again... I would squeeze out the extra "frog-skins" for the Weatherby... and enjoyed the "pride-of-ownership" for all of these years.

But... as they say... "Hindsight is 100%"... or should be unless one is dumber than a rock.

Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

Howard · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2004, 03:30:46 AM »

Nice Rifle, great cartidge. I purched 100 brass from Midway Federal Manfacture. Devastating on deer with 100 grain Barnes coated bullet at 3600 fps. Same load on Jack rabbits, - Where did he go?? :lol:

Lone Star · « **Reply #13 on:** December 30, 2004, 04:47:57 AM »

I have two .257 Weatherbys, one a Mark V Accumark, the other a custom Ruger No. 1 rebarreled by Jerrett. The Ruger has no freebore and is more accurate than the Mk V - but if it were not I'd be pretty disappointed! I find that I must back off on loads which were okay in the Mk V by 5 to 7 grains in the Ruger for equal pressure signs (expansion ring diameter). I knew this going in so I did not have any problems, but had I just used reloading manual maximum data I'd have frozen the block on the Ruger....

As far as I know, all reloading manuals list data for the Mk V with freebored throating. That throating did change in the early 1970s from 3/4" to about 3/8" in length, but this did not seem to make much difference.