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.300 Weatherby Mark V
babun
Member Posts: 11,054 ✭✭✭
I have the chance to buy an absolutely gorgeous Mark V in .300 Weatherby. It has wood on it, the likes I've never seen on a "production" gun. It's just that pretty. Price is right.
Now the question.... I would not be happy if it didn't hold under 5 inch groups at 500 yards. I am worried that the belted case and radius shoulders would hamper
handloading for accuracy. Has anyone out here loaded The .300 weatherby
and how do you handle the fact that it spaces on the belt? Thanks, Bob
Now the question.... I would not be happy if it didn't hold under 5 inch groups at 500 yards. I am worried that the belted case and radius shoulders would hamper
handloading for accuracy. Has anyone out here loaded The .300 weatherby
and how do you handle the fact that it spaces on the belt? Thanks, Bob
Comments
Most Weatherbys in most calibers(some of the german made ones have a rifling twist that isn't optimum in 300) will do MOA if the shooter and glass you put on it are up to the challenge. It isn't a target rifle though, so lots of shooting will heat up the barrel, and your shoulder. Recoil and muzzle blast are not pleasant. Not terrible, but not great for repeated target shooting. Basically, I think if you are looking for a target rifle, buy a target rifle. But buy the Weatherby just so you can have a very nice rifle.
My Japanese made Mark V is in 270 Weatherby, and is as accurate as anything else I have had. The bullet just gets there quicker with a Weatherby.
As this is a hunting rifle, my main concerns are that the first and second shots are on the money.
Sighted in at 1" high at 100 yds, it is right on at 200 yds and 5" low at 300 yds.
I have never tried a belted case with rounded shoulders in the way of fine tuning loads. And surely belted cases do give away potential accuracy. My concern is me wasting my time with a cartridge case that just would never get any better. I'm leaning towards buying the gun, and if it shoots decent, well okay then. But it would be nice if I knew it had more in it than just sending some factory loads down the barrel.
Thanks again
I am sure that weatherby rifle will be accurate enough to kill a deer or Ell out to 500-600 yards.
Best
I have made this statement a hundred times if I've written it once:
Accuracy of a rifle is a function of the entire system. The biggest unknown component is the person pulling the trigger.
We can machine and build the greatest, most accurate rifle on the planet but placed in the hands of an average shooter, the performance will not he as high as the potential.
The belted case has been and continues to be used by competitors in long range match shooting competitions and winning. The capabilities are not in question. The .300 H&H was used for decades for long range competition, now the .300 Weatherby (derived for the H&H parent case) is there along with several other variations.
I have owned and built several H&H and Weatherby match rifles. I have never hesitated to use one in the field or at the bench. However, as pointed out, the Weatherby barrels will be the controlling component here. Those skinny barrels heat up super quick when combined with the case capacity of the magnums. Testing and accuracy assessment needs to be done slowly so as not to create a heat problem. I suggest working with a cold bore shot if this is to be a true hunting rifle. Make that first shot the best. Makes sure you test for the best circumstances. Does it prefer a clean barrel first shot or should it be fouled? Many of us foul a barrel before the season starts, leaving it fouled for the rest of the season.
If you buy this rifle e-mail me and we can go over the case prep and some loads. The cartridge itself has a lot of potential.
Best.
I am getting the gun next weekend. and I have decided to use it as my friend who now owns it, uses it. With factory loads it hits a 7" pie plate at 450 yards. It will stay as a nice hunting piece, and not be "molested" by my quest for improvement. But like you said, after three shots that"s the end of it. I have come to the conclusion that not all my guns need to be handloaded for. I must be getting old[;)]
That 7"@450 yards will put a lot of venison backstraps on the table. I am with Nononsense too, that if you wish to load for it, I think the 5"@ 500, is not out of the question.
Best
I may be beating a dead horse here, but I'll give you my take on this.
In the past I had loaded Weatherby cartridges for Weatherby rifles only. They were never up to my satisfaction as far as accuracy went. So, as beautiful as they were I (keep in mind this is important) never felt it important to get one. Then a few years ago I got what I thought was a .257 Roberts. It was in a Win pre-'64 action, and the barrel was stamped .257. An, it was a heavy sporter, almost varming weight. So, I just assumed it was a Roberts. When I went to try a dummy round it fed so smooth I couldn't believe it. Then I went to eject the case and it laid there in the feed tray. Again, same thing. I then figured out that what I had on my hands was re-worked into .257 Wby.
Once I got that sorted out I had a new problem. It wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn. 8" groups actually, at 100 yds. The second time out I had loaded some Nosler bullets just to see what I could get with them. Lo and behold they shot a .5" 3 shot group. WTH?? Turns out the Hornady and Sierra bullets, with thinner jackets were coming apart. I found this out at the 200 yd. when I found an opened up jacket sticking in my target (with no bullet holes), like a throwing star. So, I then loaded the rest of the cases with some BT's. All sub inch. But it wouldn't shoot anything but Noslers between the three. I never tried Barnes. The longer barrel may have had something to do with it. Or that the barrel was rougher. But the Noslers held together and produced great accuracy.
The .257 Wby that I was loading for a friend wasn't doing too good with factory or the reloads that he had from before. But with VV150 and 100 gr. bullets his rifle was now shooting right close to an inch. I got some110's, 115's and 120's and got them all close to an inch with H1000.
The point in all this is with handloading you can certainly get good hunting accuracy with a Weatherby rifle. Even long range accuracy. But, if you get a good custom built that round will produce some very fine accuracy. I think easily the biggest factor is the action/type of bolt the rifle uses. The Mauser style with two great big lugs is a lot easier to true up than the Weatherby style of many smaller lugs. But they are built well still and produce the kind of accuracy needed for a slam dunk kill.