Why is there not much talk about Weatherby Rifles?

[.300 Dakota]

I have found them to be a mixed bag. My favorite of the bunch is the 240 Wby, followed by the .340 Wby. I am also a fan of the new 6.5x300. It seems slightly more consistently accurate than the .257 Wby BUT you need AT LEAST a 28" fairly heavy barrel to get it where it shines. My least favorite is the .338-.378, which I couldn't get to group inside 2 1/4". Sent it to Wby and they sent it back some months later with a test target showing a 5/8" group. I took it back out with the same ammo (tried 3 different bullts/weights in Wby brand) and got the same 2 1/4 - 3 1/2" as before. Interestingly, I left it with a Wby certified gunsmith first, and he couldn't get it to group as well as I did, so he sent it back to the factory. Not sure if they shot it out of a special vise or shot a 40yd target like Cooper, but they didn't shoot a 100yd target with factory ammo off a bench from bags. I had some issues with improper torque (or so they said) from some of the Mark Vs (circa late 90s/early 2000s).

Vanguards are all ok. About MOA. Occasionally you find one that is stellar, but maybe only around 1 in 10. My issue with both Mark Vs and Vanguards regarding the .240 is that most all of them have a 24" barrel (too short for the slow powder necessary to propel bullets out of that round, as it's close to overbore for the bore size, and they all have a 1:10 twist. With the long case neck perfect for 105 - 115gr bullets, it will not stabilize them. It did excellent with 100 grain flat base Sierra ProHunters, but that's about as long of a bullet as it will handle.

I am going to have a custom built with 26" #4 barrel and 1:7.5 twist (at least 1:8). I just had a 6mm Remington finished at 26" #4 with 1:8, but the lead is too short for 95gr Barnes LRX on up to be seated far enough out to keep them from taking up half the powder capacity of the case body.

You heard it here first, but if someone were to neck the 6mm Remington case up to 6.5 and make the throat to where 140gr bullets would seat at the neck/shoulder junction, with the 65,000 psi maximum average chamber pressure and 57gr case capacity, it would be known as the Creedmoor killer at matches...

 

[montana west]

you cad find it in the P O Aklely book, it is call a 260 AAR which is a 6.5/57 with a 40% sholder and it is = to the 6.5/284 but a better design. the also make it in a 270-7mm.

 

[.300 Dakota]

you cad find it in the P O Aklely book, it is call a 260 AAR which is a 6.5/57 with a 40% sholder and it is = to the 6.5/284 but a better design. the also make it in a 270-7mm.

Ok... so you DIDN'T hear it here first... lol! But would dominate the Creedmoor, and you don't even have to AI it to 40°.

 

[.300 Dakota]

Ok... so you DIDN'T hear it here first... lol! But would dominate the Creedmoor, and you don't even have to AI it to 40°.

As a side note, I am having a prototype made of a 6.8 Creedmoor with a special long throat that's designed to shoot 4" flatter to 500 yards than the .270 Winchester (free bore) using lighter-for-caliber bullets. The advantage is it will have less recoil, be lighter in a short action, and have the ability to be loaded with either small or large rifle primers and have brass available everywhere when the next shortage hits after the winter elections. I am giving it a 1" barrel length advantage over the parent Creedmoor at 25", and the 1:10 twist will be less inhibitory to speed. It plays on the fact that muzzle velocity trumps BC at distances to and including 500 yards. I am dubbing it the .270 SDC (Southern Deer Cartridge) because it will be ideal for most applications in the SE or Eastern US. Not so much for Western US or distances greater than 500yds because the low BC will not buck the wind out West or hold up over longer distances. Having said that, 95% of kills are made inside 500yds, if not more, so it will be a very useful design anywhere. I am thinking 110 grain Barnes, 110gr Accubond, 120 grain SST, up to 130 grain Ballistic Tip or Partition or VLD Classic Hunter. I am designing the rifle and chamber in synergy with the cartridge for optimal results. This is to be a lighter weight, low recoiling gun kept short and handy enough to be effective in brush. A specially made recoil pad will be used and a laminate stock strategically lightened to reduce weight. It will wear a fluted Rem Mag contour stainless barrel. Suppose to be a sub-7lb gun a beginner (12yo or lady or older heart patient) can enjoy at the range and afield.

 

[montana west]

the parent case fore the above is call a 6.5/57 a very popular round in Europe. but if you have to hand load it just makes good news to have an improved sholder. It gives better headspace and acturlly reduces recoil. here is the skinny on the375 Weatherby-- a 300 grain bullet at 2740 and in energy it is 5003 fps. That was with 88 grain of 4350 IMR

 

[sw282]

I think there are a few reasons that weatherbys don't get a lot of attention:
1. They are expensive
2. Their ammo is expensive, but recently they cut prices by 30 percent I think (about 50-60 dollars a box now) instead of about 75-85
3. Not as user friendly to reload (belted, brass doesn't last as long)
4. Most reloaders and bench rest shooters don't like a lot of freebore
5. There isn't much aftermarket support, and lately people love to customize their rifles
6. And a lot of people don't like the action, especially the idea of 6 or 9 lugs.

But weatherby has a lot to offer:
1. They offer some of the lightest back country rifles made (see backcountry Ti)
2. They now offer rifles that are very comparable to christensen arms and fierce. Trigger tech trigger, AG composite carbon fiber stock, cerakote, good brake, bfs carbon fiber stock option, titanium action option, etc.
3. They have the safest and arguably best factory action
4. They can be very accurate, one factory rifle printed a .06 3 shot group at 100 yards. Yes, that's right 6 thousandths of an inch. This was shot with a 300 wby mag in a rifle with a bfs barrel.
5. Their cartridges really are some of the flattest shooting and hardest hitting. Take the 300 wby for example, it drops about 4 inches less then a 300 win mag at 500 yards (with a 200 yard zero), but has as much energy as a 338 win mag at 500 yards.
6. Their actions offer the shortest bolt throw that I'm aware of 54 degrees
7. And their traditional deluxe models are truly a work of art in my opinion.

.06 is six hundredths or sixty thousandths--.006 is six thousandths

 

[sw282]

l shot several 460 Weatherbys from the bench while working for Kenny Jarrett 20+yrs back.. They were all quite accurate. Recoil wasn't a problem either.. Of course they were all heavy rifles with brakes... We had a 60pound leather sand bag to help endure recoil of those heavy kickers. 45cal rifles are some of the most accurate ever made... lt was the favourite caliber of the great Buffalo hunters of the past with their long range Sharps single shots and Winchester Model86 lever guns. We all remember the gunfight at Adobe Wells when the War chief was downed at around a mile with a big 45cal Sharps... 0ne of the ''Top 10'' sniper kills on record is a Union Lieutanant eliminated at almost a mile during the Siege of Charleston by a Confederate sniper. He was using a 45 caliber Whitworth rifle. Those British made Whitworths were a THOUSAND dollars in 1862... The British supplied the Confederate Army quite a few of these fine muzzle loaders during ''THE WAR OF NORTHERN AGRESSION'' 1861-1865

 

[Deadman Walking]

.06 is six hundredths or sixty thousandths--.006 is six thousandths

Yes, my mistake. Thanks for the catch.

 

[montana west]

hey 300 Dokota I knew the man who designed that cartridge a Dr. who has a degree from Auburn university..i n Forestry. The new rugers 375 - 416 copied his design. I am from Mississippi hell no do not change the flag.

 

[19 Badger]

I have used an Accumark .270 wby mag for almost 25 years. Has never let me down. Yes, factory ammo is expensive but most on this site probably reload anyway. I only recently switched to a Tikka 6.5 cm due to its overall weight if I will be on a long hike. When I rebarel the Weatherby with a faster twist it will open up my options dramatically for some of the newer high BC .277" bullets. No complaints about Weatherby from me.

 

[Quintus]

I have found them to be a mixed bag. My favorite of the bunch is the 240 Wby, followed by the .340 Wby. I am also a fan of the new 6.5x300. It seems slightly more consistently accurate than the .257 Wby BUT you need AT LEAST a 28" fairly heavy barrel to get it where it shines. My least favorite is the .338-.378, which I couldn't get to group inside 2 1/4". Sent it to Wby and they sent it back some months later with a test target showing a 5/8" group. I took it back out with the same ammo (tried 3 different bullts/weights in Wby brand) and got the same 2 1/4 - 3 1/2" as before. Interestingly, I left it with a Wby certified gunsmith first, and he couldn't get it to group as well as I did, so he sent it back to the factory. Not sure if they shot it out of a special vise or shot a 40yd target like Cooper, but they didn't shoot a 100yd target with factory ammo off a bench from bags. I had some issues with improper torque (or so they said) from some of the Mark Vs (circa late 90s/early 2000s).

Vanguards are all ok. About MOA. Occasionally you find one that is stellar, but maybe only around 1 in 10. My issue with both Mark Vs and Vanguards regarding the .240 is that most all of them have a 24" barrel (too short for the slow powder necessary to propel bullets out of that round, as it's close to overbore for the bore size, and they all have a 1:10 twist. With the long case neck perfect for 105 - 115gr bullets, it will not stabilize them. It did excellent with 100 grain flat base Sierra ProHunters, but that's about as long of a bullet as it will handle.

I am going to have a custom built with 26" #4 barrel and 1:7.5 twist (at least 1:8). I just had a 6mm Remington finished at 26" #4 with 1:8, but the lead is too short for 95gr Barnes LRX on up to be seated far enough out to keep them from taking up half the powder capacity of the case body.

You heard it here first, but if someone were to neck the 6mm Remington case up to 6.5 and make the throat to where 140gr bullets would seat at the neck/shoulder junction, with the 65,000 psi maximum average chamber pressure and 57gr case capacity, it would be known as the Creedmoor killer at matches...

That's too bad about your .338-378. I have loaded for 2 of them, both Accumarks and I don't know if I have ever been as impressed with a factory rifle/cartridge combo. They both shot nickles and with 225 TSx and 250 Partitions they were just amazing in velocity, energy and .75MOA accuracy to 600 yards. As is the usually the case the last one I loaded for my buddy who wanted to be prepared for anything on his Wyoming elk hunt got his shot at 180 yards. The massive 6x6 looked around as the shot echoed through the valley and blood sprayed 30 feet down hill with every pump of his heart until he wobbled and fell down 20 seconds after impact. I did love shooting the big .338.

 

[RT2506]

l shot several 460 Weatherbys from the bench while working for Kenny Jarrett 20+yrs back.. They were all quite accurate. Recoil wasn't a problem either.. Of course they were all heavy rifles with brakes... We had a 60pound leather sand bag to help endure recoil of those heavy kickers. 45cal rifles are some of the most accurate ever made... lt was the favourite caliber of the great Buffalo hunters of the past with their long range Sharps single shots and Winchester Model86 lever guns. We all remember the gunfight at Adobe Wells when the War chief was downed at around a mile with a big 45cal Sharps... 0ne of the ''Top 10'' sniper kills on record is a Union Lieutanant eliminated at almost a mile during the Siege of Charleston by a Confederate sniper. He was using a 45 caliber Whitworth rifle. Those British made Whitworths were a THOUSAND dollars in 1862... The British supplied the Confederate Army quite a few of these fine muzzle loaders during ''THE WAR OF NORTHERN AGRESSION'' 1861-1865

Billy Dixon used a 50-90 Sharps at Adobe Wells. He said "It was a scratch shot" which meant it was a lucky shot. But yes the 45 cal. was and is one good long range bullet when used correctly. The old muzzle loader Whitworth etc. and the black powder cartridge's that were used in long range shooting matches as well as hunting usually fired at least 500 grs of lead and the velocity was just under the speed of sound, 1100ish fps. Most people don't know that black powder burns at a really constant rate making very low SE and ES. Combined with not having to go through a transonic wave makes for accuracy. Trouble is one must know EXACTLY the yardage and be a good wind doper because it becomes a pretty high angle bullet approach to the intended target. I have shot 1000 yards on steel with a Sharps 45-70 with a 520 gr bullet pushed by BP, open Vernier sight. From prone off of crossed sticks I could fire then lean over and look through my spotting scope and then see the bullet fall at a pretty good angle and hit the steel then about 3 seconds or so you hear clang. If you are watching through a spotting scope when someone fires at a 200 yards target you can see the back of the bullet just before it hits the target.

 

[Privi457]

Having owned a bunch of Weatherbys (22-250 laser, FN 300, 378 on Schultz & Larsen, 257 MK V, 12x12x 30-06 drilling) I'd say they are all fine guns. Beautiful, excellent workmanship and accurate.

Certainly the MK V Carbonmark elite has all the bells and whistles for long range shooters.

The MSRP is less than many folks spend for a tuned up 700.

Many folks just don't like factory rifles regardless of quality.

 

[Shanerazzy]

I've been hunting with a vanguard 300 Weaterby mag for 12 years. My dad has had a mark 5 same caliber most of my life. All but 1 of my elk have been shot with my Weatherby. I know its capable of alot more that I am and I havent ever had a problem with it. We are both reloaders and always load under the max load. This year i stepped out of my comfort zone and bought a Browning x-bolt hells canyon long range in 30 Nosler. I hope I dont end up regretting my purchase. I guess time will tell.