Freebore in a hunting rifle.

[Ankeny]

I just got off the phone with Weatherby. I was talking with a rifle technician about the 1.5 inch accuracy guarantee on the Accumark. While I was at it, I asked about seating depth and freebore. Apparantly all Weatherby rifles have a ton of freebore for various reasons. Just how much effect does freebore have on accuracy? Why on Earth would anyone put a bunch of freebore in a Krieger barrel? Am I creating demons where none exist?

 

[Buffalobob]

Back in the good old days when everybody shot an old slow gun, Roy Weatherby decided to try something different and see if he could sell fast guns. His ammo has the term "Ultra velocity" and there are two things that get that. Large case capacity and about 0.375 inches of non-rifled "tube" which allows the bullet to get a running start before hitting the lands. This tube allows the gases to expand against less pressure immediately and then encounter pressure once there is more volume.

Many (all factory ?) rifles are freebored other than Weatherby and you just haven't encountered them yet. Rugers have a good bit. I think Sako has a lot. How much freebore varies, but the factories must protect themselves from idiots. (example of an idiot- guy at the range about three months ago buys a Weatherby rifle at Walmart but they got no ammo, so he goes to another store and wants to buy some ammo for a Weatherby 270 so they sell him some 270 Wby for his wby vanguard in 270 Win. He did his very best to get the bolt closed on that ammo). Freebore is a safety cushion for pressure.

Free bore and accuracy. The free bore area is not neck diameter so the bullet is not really rattling around in there before it hits the lands, but it does have some speed when it hits the lands and this causes a lot more stress on the jacket/bullet. Long bearing surface bullets will slide down the "tube" more aligned than short bearing surface bullets and will have more bearing surface to get everything straight once it is engaged in the rifling. I have shot 162 gr HPBTs, 168 gr SMKs and 160Accubonds at about 0.7-0.8MOA for 5 shoots for years and years. I used to shoot in my 7mm Mark V the little short Speer 115 HPs at about MOA. You will not get benchrest accuracy from a freebored gun but you should be able to stay well under MOA and down close to half MOA . Some where in the last two days Goodgrouper talks about the two sweets spots. One close to the lands and another backed off. With a lot of freebore you have to find the one backed off. Its there you just have to work at it and if you love messing around with a gun it is really not work just an excuse to have fun. A few months ago I posted a picture of a 500yds groups from my 240Wby shooting the little short 70gr Sierra MKs. Accuracy with that bullet is about 0.5 plus or minus what kind of day I am having. 7mm Wby is (was) good for 0.6MOA to 1200 yds for 5 shots. That kind of accuracy is in the kill zone for anything with hoofs and will scare the snot out of a lot of the little furry things.


One other thing you have to realize is that there are people on this forum that have recurrent rabies and will start foaming and slobbering at the mouth as soon as the word Weatherby is typed. These Weatherby bashers come in two different flavors- those that had one but couldn't get it to shoot and those who have never had one. We all have our prejudices and with me it is BMWs and Mercedes – I hate the sight of them.

For a hunting rifle if you are willing to accept accuracy in between 0.5 and 1.0 MOA a Wby will deliver that with work on your part . If you have to have one raggedy hole then good luck.

I will add one other thing, With a Weatherby you get a bolt shroud that works. Stuff will not come back into your face when a primer blows like it will with a Remington. I am one of the idiots that Wby was thinking of when he designed the gun.

 

[Ankeny]

Thanks a bunch, that's the type of info I am looking for.

 

[RBrowning]

You will also notice that Barnes recommends .030 - .070 off the lands. This may be the reason that the Barnes X-Bullets shot better in my 257 than any other.

 

[BountyHunter]

The 300 Weatherby set up in a match chamber without all the freebore will deliver one ragged hole accuracy with any other 30 cal. In fact the 300 weatherby held most of the records and is the base cartridge for most of the successful 30 cal wildcats in 1k BR.

BH

 

[Freebore]

Akeny,
Buffalobob put it right on about Weatherby's. I have 2 and found it frustrating at first to get the 'ragged' hole from these rifles. They both shot better AFTER 150+ rounds! The first two shots are cutting now, the third is at 10:00 1/2"out and these are with #1 contours at 200 yrds full house loads. (Why bother with anything else if shooting a mag, beside Weatherby's shoot at the top of the pressure curve best). They need that pressure point up front too, don't remove it, if anything, rebed. Weatherby's were deamed 1 shot kill rifles and I have found that to be true. Take your time, work up safely, they will come in as you want. I love my Weatherby's! One is a beautiful Lazermark and the other a Lightweight both .257's.
Good luck on your choice, there is help if you have issues with any Weatherby.

 

[Hired Gun]

The freebore hurts nothing. My 257Wby Accumark just loves little short bullets. This .263" group is typical of 75 grain V-Max's at 3960 fps out of my Accumark.

This one is nice too. The spot is 2"

Next weekend I'm Wringing out the Barnes Triple Shocks. The Partitions only shoot half inch for me in this one.

 

[Guest]

Akeny, one thing to note is that weatherby rifles come with a "krieger creiterion" barrel this is not the match krieger barrel. Just posting this fYI. Not looking to start a peeing match.

 

[uncleB]

Ankeny,
Freebore is just like a belt on a magnum case, it is old school technology that does not really work but on the other hand it is not a death knell either, you just learn how to deal with it. but if you are putting on a new barrel DONT use a weatherby reamer (freebore) use a custom reamer so your bullet can touch the land's if you so choose. it does make a difference.
good luck, UB

 

[ricka0]

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="purple"> I will add one other thing, With a Weatherby you get a bolt shroud that works. Stuff will not come back into your face when a primer blows like it will with a Remington </font>

[/ QUOTE ]
I believe that is incorrect - one of the many fine smiths on this forum can verify who is right. I know the LAR Grizzly and other bull pub guns vent in your face of case failure, but not Rem's.

Roy built dragsters the old fashioned way (dragsters in that they go straight but don't turn, not a corvette), the only way you could in the old days, with lots of free bore and belted rims - both anathema for accuracy. Weatherbys are like Harley's vs Jap/Italian bikes. The Jap/Italian bike handle better, are much faster, far more reliable, cost less and get better fuel economy. Other than that, Harley's and Weatherbys can't be beat. Oh, and Harleys come from the factory running crappy so they make a really cool sound, sorta like most Weatherbys are loud and inaccurate compared to putting the same money in a Browning, Rem or other gun.
Sure you can find useless personal anecodote of tack driving Weatherbys, but as the famous Bart Bobbet said, sometimes the worst built gun shoots the best (but very rarely).
I've been pontificating like this every since that dog with foam in his mouth bit me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Buffalobob]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that is incorrect - one of the many fine smiths on this forum can verify who is right. I know the LAR Grizzly and other bull pub guns vent in your face of case failure, but not Rem's.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't need to ask a gunsmith, I have wiped the crap off of my face. Fortunately, when a 17 Rem melts down a primer it is not too much stuff coming back at you. With a Wby, it is your trigger hand that gets the stuff.



[ QUOTE ]
Roy built dragsters the old fashioned way (dragsters in that they go straight but don't turn, not a corvette)

[/ QUOTE ]


The 454 did not have a carb at the time of the picture. It is now sporting a nice 750 Holley. I actually have a truck and my daughter finally let me drive it hunting yesterday. I needed all of the payload load capacity of the truck to haul that one lonely wood duck home. Good thing my wife knows something about my hunting skills and bought a turkey from the grocery store.

But now it does

Thanks Big Bore, it has been a while since anybody has given me an opening to paste up my cars. Everybody just talks about guns and guns and guns.


Have a happy Thanksgiving

Jim

 

[jro45]

One thing I have found is that a rifle with deep freeboar will not shoot a Serria boat bullet accuratly the flat baces
yes but boat tails no. I have nothing against WBY. I own a WBY rifle.

 

[Mysticplayer]

Just think of freebore as Factory supplied throat erosion.

At some point, the bullet leaves the neck before engaging the lands and accuracy goes for a dump.

so you could just buy that Wby and set back the barrel /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jerry

 

[Hired Gun]

"Just think of freebore as Factory supplied throat erosion."

It's not like that at all. The bullet is fully supported by the bore until it engages the rifling. It is a very close fit in there. Not like jumping across a gap like a revolver does. Even if it did I have seen some long barreled Ruger Blackhawks doing some pretty effective long range work shooting silhouettes.

My most accurate load in my .257 is with the super short 75 grain V-Max. It consistantly no matter what shoots under .5" In my targets above the second group is a five shot groups shot rapid fire. I called the pulled shot that went high and left. I don't do that often but I wanted to see if the hot barrel wandered. It was so hot you couldn't put your wrist on it anywhere.

By what your saying the short bullets should be even worse for accuracy as they are even farther from the lands. I have not found this to be true. I shoot this same bullet in my 25-06AI where it is also my most accurate load and I seat it at .150" off the rifling with most groups in the 3's.