257 Robt, in response to you last question, yes, I load the 180 gr Speer flat nose bullets, in fact, it's one of my favorites. My deer load is a 180 over 35gr of IMR3031. At the woods ranges that I hunt, this round is extremely reliable on white tails, and very accurate out of my 336. Combined with receiver sights, this is a hard outfit to beat for deer hunting in this part of the country. For bear or boar, the 200 gr round nose is the way to go.