When it comes to selecting a rifle cartridge for hunting or long-range shooting, there are many options available on the market. Two of these options are the 257 Roberts and the 6.5mm Creedmoor. Both cartridges have a loyal following and are widely used by hunters and long-range shooters alike. In this article, we will compare the 257 Roberts and the 6.5mm Creedmoor in terms of their history, ballistics, and applications to help you make an informed decision.
Here is the short answer:
The 257 Roberts is a classic cartridge that has been used for hunting medium-sized game for decades, while the 6.5mm Creedmoor is a newer cartridge that has gained popularity in long-range shooting competitions due to its excellent accuracy and low recoil that is ideal for hunting deer sized game.
Since we have looked at the short answer, we can look in depth at each cartridge like their best uses, their history, their ballistics, and compare both cartridges in-depth to see which one is better and when you would want one over the other.
In-depth Look at the 257 Roberts
The Roberts 257 is a rifle cartridge that’s been around for over 100 years and was designed by gunsmith Ned Roberts in the early 1900s. This made it one of the first successful short-action cartridges to be used with bolt-action firearms, which quickly saw it become popular among hunters and target shooters alike. It’s generally chambered in guns based on either Mauser 98 or Remington 700 actions.
The 257 Roberts cartridge has a case length of 2.23 inches, a rim diameter of 0.473 inches for added accuracy, with an overall loaded round length measuring 2.775 inches when using standard bullets. The 257 Roberts has a bullet diameter of .257 inch (6mm) in diameter which is a caliber that is becoming more popular.
The 257 Roberts is a cartridge that can be used to hunt deer-sized game within 300 yards but loses a lot of energy thereafter. So it is ideal for most hunting situations for deer but not much else.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 257 Roberts with a 100-grain spitzer bullet:
| Range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 3016 | 2020 |
| 50 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 2868 | 1827 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.9 | 2726 | 1649 |
| 150 | -1 | 2.1 | 2587 | 1486 |
| 200 | -3.2 | 3.8 | 2453 | 1336 |
| 250 | -6.9 | 6.1 | 2323 | 1198 |
| 300 | -12.2 | 9.1 | 2197 | 1071 |
| 350 | -19.3 | 12.7 | 2074 | 955 |
| 400 | -28.4 | 17 | 1956 | 849 |
| 450 | -39.7 | 22.1 | 1841 | 753 |
| 500 | -53.9 | 28.2 | 1732 | 666 |
In-depth Look at the 6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5 Creedmoor was introduced by Hornady ammo in 2007 and was made to outperform its parent case, the 308 Winchester. The Creedmoor became popular among long range shooter and hunters soon after its release.
The 6.5 Creedmoor has revolutionized modern rifle cartridges mainly because of its amazing long range performance in a small cartridge. The 6.5 Creedmoor ballistics is mainly contributed to its high bc bullets propelled by an adequate powder load.
The 6.5 Creedmoor is a popular round for long range shooting and long range varmint hunting. This round is also more popular among deer hunters because of its high close-range energy and flat trajectory.
Here is a ballistics chart of the 6.5 Creedmoor with a 140-grain soft point:
| range (YD) | drop (IN) | wind drift (IN) | velocity FPS | energy ft-lb |
| 0 | -1.5 | 0 | 2750 | 2351 |
| 50 | -0.1 | 0.2 | 2647 | 2177 |
| 100 | 0 | 0.8 | 2546 | 2014 |
| 150 | -1.2 | 1.7 | 2447 | 1861 |
| 200 | -3.8 | 3.1 | 2350 | 1717 |
| 250 | -8.1 | 5 | 2256 | 1582 |
| 300 | -14.1 | 7.4 | 2163 | 1455 |
| 350 | -21.9 | 10.3 | 2073 | 1336 |
| 400 | -31.7 | 13.7 | 1985 | 1225 |
| 450 | -43.5 | 17.5 | 1899 | 1121 |
| 500 | -58 | 22.1 | 1816 | 1025 |
In-depth Answer
When it comes to selecting between the 257 Roberts or 6.5 Creedmoor, several significant factors should be considered.
The main divergence is that 257 Roberts has less energy and worse ballistics than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Even though the 257 Roberts has a higher muzzle velocity than the 6.5 Creedmoor, it has less energy and worse energy retention. So for a hunter, the 6.5 Creedmoor is the better cartridge.
When it comes to recoil control and overall shooting comfortability both cartridges offer their own advantages and disadvantages depending on your needs or setup with your rifle. For instance, if you want less kickback, then 6.5 Creedmoor would probably be preferable as it has a lower recoil force.
Cost and availability-wise, the 6.5 Creedmoor is the better round. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a far more popular round and because it is so popular it often costs less than the hard-to-find 257 Roberts.
Conclusion
Both the 257 Roberts and the 6.5 Creedmoor are excellent cartridges that have their own unique strengths. The 257 Roberts is a classic cartridge that is great for hunting small to medium-sized game, including deer, antelope, and coyotes. On the other hand, the 6.5 Creedmoor is better for long range shooting and big game hunting.