Are the Weatherby Magnums worth the extra money?

I have never had the Weatherby fever and don't know much about them, other than they are effective (saw it when I was a guide) and frightfully expensive, both the rifles and brass. If a guy can afford it, live it up. They darn sure work.
 
I have had no problems with Weatherby rifles through the years.

My favorite Weatherby cartridge is the 340. Now, lots of people complain about the recoil of the 340 and I agree that it is stiff.

I have a lot of experience with the MK V in the Deluxe and Stainless Synthetic varieties. And a good bit with an older Vanguard VGX in 243 Win.

Freebore or not, all of my Weatherbys have been accurate rifles. The 340 will shoot surprisingly tight groups for such a big boomer but, again, it is no fun to shoot off of the bench. The 460 is an absolute beast to shoot off of the bench though the brake really does reduce felt recoil to something maybe a little stiffer than that of a 375 H&H. However, I usually do not use the brake....hell, I don't shoot that rifle much at all anyway.

The one Weatherby cartridge that really intrigues me is the 270 Wby. I know that most would rather go the 257 route but I have always wanted a 270 Wby and one day I will buy one.

Good shooting,

Landrum.
 
My old Speer #11 reloading manual explains that the .240 Weatherby is basically a .30-06 case with a belt. I would rather rebarrel a .30-06, and screw a 6mm barrel on it. It appears that a necked down .30-06 case (6mm/06) would do everything the .240 Weatherby would do, and a guy wouldn't have the long freebore to screw up his accuracy. Just my 2 cents worth. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
I have two Weatherby's which are both in the Mark V action. One is a 30-60 Ultra Light weight and the other is a custom dangerous game rifle in 416 Weatherby magnum.

In my opinion, the workmanship on the Mark V's are outstanding and I have never had a single problem.

Whether you decide on a Weatherby speciality caliber or a regular caliber, I think you will be very satisfied with any Weatherby in the Mark V action.
 
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A 257 Weatherby with zero freebore is an amazing long range yote, chuck, deer, and antelope rifle with the 100's getting 3800 fps with amazing accuracy out of a 26" barrel using reformed Winchester 7 Mag brass. 400 yards is a chip shot for the 257 Weatherby with zero freebore or very little freebore.



Don't shoot Weatherby factory ammo in a chamber that does
not have freebore. Weatherby ammo is loaded HOT. That's
how they achieve those high velocities. You shoot it
without freebore and pressures go through the roof.
A local gunsmith failed to freebore a .270 Wby. chamber
I worked with and first 130gr factory round gave 3700 fps and locked up the action.
 
Remove the freebore from a .257 and you have a 25/06.
That 25/06 will then outshoot the .257 markedly.

In this rifle nut's opinion, the Weatherbys are nothing more than an ego booster for guys more interested in the status symbol than performance.

For the money spent on a Weatherby, a guy could build a custom rifle that will blow the doors off the Weatherby.

That's not to say the rifles are not well made or won't shoot "hunter" accurately, but a Stevens M200 meets those requirements as well.
 
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Remove the freebore from a .257 and you have a 25/06.
That 25/06 will then outshoot the .257 markedly.





You absolutely couldn't be more wrong. That's not just opinion, that's fact. If you had a .257Wby - done right - or had ever loaded for one you'd know.

Addition: I don't own any Weatherby rifles. Both of my .257Wby's are built on Savage actions.
 
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My dad won a Mark V deluxe(270 wby mag) in the early 80's, he has now passed the rifle down to me. The guns are pricey, but to put them down is not giving them a fair shake.

They shoulder well, carry well, and shoot well......what else could you ask for?

Its like the guy driving the mustang gt telling you he can out run your porsche.

My budget allows for Stevens 200 (have 3), but to compare a Stevens 200 to a Mark V is ridiculous. I can get to the store and back in a Yugo, but to say that makes it as good as a BMW is a stretch.

Do some people buy them to say they have a Weatherby, probably, but what is wrong with that if you have the cabbage.

I could never afford to buy my own, but I am proud to have one.
 
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Only in your mind.



That's what makes them worth it. I have always wanted a .257 Weatherby and just got one. You can't beat the cool factor, even if it is only in your mind.


There it is.

I have a Vanguard Sporter (yes, anyone can afford a 'bee) in .257Roy. That thing is a scorcher. I celebrated the new purchase with taking an 8pt at 400yds. Perfect conditions, perfect cartridge and perfect shot. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

***disclaimer*** ammo for said rifle is costly if you like to shoot. Best to take up handloading for it if you dont already.
 
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Remove the freebore from a .257 and you have a 25/06.
That 25/06 will then outshoot the .257 markedly.



Would absolutely LOVE to hear your logic on this one, as it is total BS /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
I went with a 6mm-06 over the 240 Wby when I was hankerin' for a big 6. It makes more sense in every way, except the initial costs of the dies. It is also a hair faster than the 240 Roy, but nothing worth writing home about......
 
The Wby Magnums get their velocity from excessive freebore. Physics is physics. When you have a throat that is up to 3" long, pressures will be lower....plain mechanics.

Excessive freebore can never, that's NEVER! result in an "accurate" rifle, unless you call 2-4MOA accurate.

Removing the freebore from a .257 would result in a catastrophic KABOOM unless loads were adjusted accordingly.
A .257 chambered in a barrel with a standard throat gives nearly identical velocities as a 25/06. Pressure is pressure is pressure. There is nothing magic about a .257 WBY case. It works on the same pressures as any other modern cartridge(subjective). Introduce the .257 WBY case into a standard-throated chamber and you have an inferior version of the 25/06.

A 25/06, with it's proven, more efficiently designed case will beat the snot out of a .257 in the accuracy dept. The Wby case design is also poorly suited for tack-driving, with the belt, the double-radiused shoulder, and the extremely over-bored design of the case. Roy Weatherby was a very clever guy. He knew exactly what he was doing. Wby rifles are some of the most beautiful rifles in existence but I'm speaking from a purely mechanical POV. I've been around rifles for many, many years and I've yet to see any weatherby(except the econo-models with standard chamberings) rifle shoot under 2MOA, with most shooting around 3+MOA

I know that WBY lovers hate to hear this stuff, and they all have Wby Mags that shoot in the .2's, but physics is physics.

Chamber a 25/06 in a barrel with a 2-3" throat and you'll have a .257 as well.

Sorry to burst your bubble but it's not "BS" at all....just simple physics.
 
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You absolutely couldn't be more wrong. That's not just opinion, that's fact. If you had a .257Wby - done right - or had ever loaded for one you'd know.

Addition: I don't own any Weatherby rifles. Both of my .257Wby's are built on Savage actions.



Fact huh?
Please explain what a .257 "done right" is?

Some other "facts":

The Wby case design sucks for accuracy. They're horribly inefficient and are virtually unheard of in any competitive forum.

There is no realistic benefit whatsoever to custom-chamber a barrel in any Wby Mag. With freebore removed, the only gain is a higher powder cost. They can't burn all the powder they hold(in a standardized chamber)....fact

And BTW...I've been handloading for over 30 yrs. I've also loaded for every single Wby cartridge made, yep...even the .460 and many Wby-based wildcats. I was loading .30/.378 rounds years before it was ever standardized.

My intention here was not to diss Wby rifles....they are what they are. Well made and elegant. I must admit though, that the Wby lovers sure do make it fun..lol

From a purely performance angle.....show me how "wrong" I am about it.
 
First off, I'm not a fan of Weatherby rifles, and don't find them particularly attractive or accurate. I agree with you on some points here, but not all:

Weatherby Mags also get their velocities from larger case capacities. The 257 holds more powder than the 25-06. An AI would be a more fair comparison.

Which is more accurate, the 257 or the 25-06 totally depends on the rifle. There are plenty of accurate non-freebore and freebore Wbys out there. Ask John Barsness or Darcy Echols. They both shoot them. Talked with John about it at length a while back while his was being built. The rifle Mark Bansner built for him......

How well the chamber is cut TOTALLY determines how much the freebore will or will not hinder accuracy.

Introduce a factory 257 Wby into a standard throated chamber and you definitely have an "inferior version of the 25-06", if you call one that blows up inferior. Any respectable smith will mark such a rifle "257 Weatherby-No Free Bore"

I'm no fan of anything that headspaces on a belt.

Freeebore is nothing more of a way of reducing premature throat erosion gaining some velocity in the process......

The biggest problem with the frrebored Mk V's is that there is the chance of the chamber being slightly off and the freebore will only magnify this effect. Whereas, a standard chamber, seated to lands, will help reduce the effects of accuracy loss.

The other problem the Weatherby Mk V's have is that they incorporate 9 locking lugs.......'nuff said

The Vanguards will readily out shoot the more expensive Mk V's.

While I don't find them as inaccurate as you do, I'd say a lot of the MkV's will stick to around the 1.5" accuracy guarantee, or maybe slightly larger. Biggest problem here is the shooter with a magnum in his hand he can't handle...

The most accurate ones of the bunch are the German made ones(Sauer)....

Double-radiused shoulders, by the way, were designed to give a more efficient flow of gases .......

Either way, I can guarantee ther are plenty of 257's out there that will shoot as well as any 25-06, as I know many who own them........
 
When I bought my 300WBY in 1968 (made in Germany) Weatherby was the cutting edge. It shot ok but back then I wasn't interested in itty bitty groups. I was a hardcore Mule Deer hunter in Northern Nevada and wanted something that would reach out there with authority. IT DID.
I started reloading in the 70's just because of the price of ammo, and in so doing I started learning a little about freebore. An old reloader I knew helped me learn to eliminate alot of the freebore and make an honest MOA shooter out of it. I ended up only being able to load two in the magazine because of the length but it still fed correctly, and I was getting 3140 with 180gr Partitions so I was very happy.
With the advances in firearms and componets, I think there are alot of better choices out there as far as calibers go nowadays. Trey're still fine rifles though.IMO
Roy Weatherby was very inovative for his time. One of the true wildcatters that had a big effect on sporting arms. Times have changed and there are better alternatives now. Plain and simple.
The one thing that will never change is Weatherbys theory that Speed Kills and I still believe that today. The only thing different is I now shoot a 17Rem.... I haven't fired that old beast for ten years or more and don't miss the beatings I took from it for 30 years in the least.
I don't chase Mule Deer any more either.
Muley hunting with big guns is a young mans sport.

Later
 
With freebore removed, the shorter throat would create HIGHER pressures. What do higher pressures create? The problem, is that it would no longer be safe to use Wby factory ammo in the shoort throat.

"Freebore done correctly" means that it is sized just barely above the size of the bullet, and concentric.

Being an old timer, you seem to still hold some of the old Wby myths to be truths. I believe the tolerances on the freebored chambers are much tighter today than they used to be. And the Roys shoot much more accurately because of it.

That said, they are by no means any more accurate than some rifles costing much less, and are still not a favorite of mine.

Back to the original question, my answer is "No", but I could still like a 257 Roy............
 
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You absolutely couldn't be more wrong. That's not just opinion, that's fact. If you had a .257Wby - done right - or had ever loaded for one you'd know.

Addition: I don't own any Weatherby rifles. Both of my .257Wby's are built on Savage actions.



Fact huh?
Please explain what a .257 "done right" is?

Some other "facts":

The Wby case design sucks for accuracy. They're horribly inefficient and are virtually unheard of in any competitive forum.

There is no realistic benefit whatsoever to custom-chamber a barrel in any Wby Mag. With freebore removed, the only gain is a higher powder cost. They can't burn all the powder they hold(in a standardized chamber)....fact

And BTW...I've been handloading for over 30 yrs. I've also loaded for every single Wby cartridge made, yep...even the .460 and many Wby-based wildcats. I was loading .30/.378 rounds years before it was ever standardized.

My intention here was not to diss Wby rifles....they are what they are. Well made and elegant. I must admit though, that the Wby lovers sure do make it fun..lol

From a purely performance angle.....show me how "wrong" I am about it.




Well 30yrs or no, you really couldn't be wrong-er about this.

OK..."Done right." Some years ago ackleyman started fooling with a .257Wby. Performance was awesome and he told me I just had to have one. A rechambered Remington. 25-06 barrel was shooting 100BT's at 3800-3850 with excellent accuracy. He's had several of them and all got similar velocity and they all shot small groups. "Done right" means good chamber.....his reamer has NO freebore and a semi-tight neck. It was spec'd to use formed 7Mag brass and is much shorter than a standard Wby chamber. We both use PMC .257Wby brass which is a whole lot stronger than other stuff, and cases are trimmed .060" to be right for the chamber. A .283" neck gives .0025" clearance on unturned PMC brass. With no freebore and cases trimmed .060", a 100gr bullet just off the lands will seat about to the neck/shoulder radius. Both of my rifles are chambered with that reamer.

Rifle#1 has a HV 29" Hart barrel with a big brake, trued Savage 110 single shot, SSS trigger, dropped into an unbedded SSS glass stock.....it's nothing fancy and certainly nothing anyone else couldn't duplicate. Accuracy is just under 1/4" with either of Sierra's 100gr boattails. The load I use is 100's at either 3982 or 4010fps. This gun is very effective on rockchucks.

Rifle #2 has an old 110C action with SSS 26" heavy sporter barrel, same chamber. It's shot only a few groups without chrono.....best loads were in the .4"s. So far I've spent almost no time with the gun.....7 groups, that's it.

There's nothing wrong with the Wby case design, what you say about that is just nonsense. Those big radii might even contribute to both accuracy and velocity, who knows. But there's sure's hell nothing inaccurate about that case.

I'm not interested in fancy Weatherby rifles. It's not a matter of talking up the .257 because I have one.....it's a matter of having one and liking it because of what it'll do. Done right, it's an awesome performer. Do one right and find out for yourself.
 
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Ok guys... Is this interest I have stupid b/c I can get a really close caliber (22-250,.223, .243 ect) and get brass for 1/2 the price or better.
I dont know why I like them. Maybe b/c I could go to the range a 100 times and never see one.
Any thoughts?



No, not stupid, you're spot on.

But if you are the type of person that gets off on the "wow" factor, the Wby. might be right for you.

I personally would shy away from the Wby. My buddy has a beautiful older .300 with the German (Kreiger?) barrel, and it sure is pretty. But he ran out of ammo on our hunt in MT, and had to kill his animal with my '06.

Do what you think will make you happy, because life is short, and there's no such thing as too many guns.
 
Boy, it sure his hard to believe just people have come to the wrong conclusions on the 257 Weatherby!

The first 257 Weatherby that I shot with zero freebore was on a Mauser 98 Action, in a Brown precision stock, 26" Douglas barrel with a muzzle break. My first shot, I popped a crow sitting on the top of a cactus at 300 yards, and I saw the bullet hit the crow, the gun barely recoiled.

My hunting partner that had the custom 257 W was a gunsmith in San Diego and had built many of the 257 Weatherby's for customers over the years that were throated with zero freebore. His load was a nosler Ballistic tip going 3800 fps, boy did it turn a coyote inside out! We shot crows and coyotes all weekend with the rifle, and on Monday, I ordered a Match reamer with minimum spec dimensions, zero freebore. Prior to ordering the reamer, I ran some new 7 Mag Winchester brand of brass into the 257 Weatherby full length sizing die, and the double radius on the shoulder was perfectly formed. So, I sent the re-formed brass off to Pacific Precision, and he ground a reamer off the short neck 7 Mag brass that had been necked down to 257 Weatherby.

My first barrel chambered with the reamer was a3 Groove Pac Nor 26" Select Match, 10" twist, fluted #6 taper with a muzzle break. On the first trip to the range, I worked up a load (following my gunsmith's instructions) and within 15 shots, I had 3 shot groups in the low .300 range with a velocity of the 100g Nosler Ballistic tip at 3850 fps. I next tried the 100g Partition and accuracy was 1/2" at the 3850 fps.

I next tried the Sierra 100g Spt BT and the 100g Sierra Match bullets, and they shaved about .040 off the group size of the 100g Nosler Ballistic tips getting 3 shot groups down in the two's at 3850 fps.

You can say what you will, but since I had my 257 Rifles built, I know of more than a dozen done the same way by different gunsmiths all over the country.

I sight in my rifle 1/2" high at 200 yards and I am 4" low at 300. A deer's legs fly out from under them when hit with this kind of load at 300 yards.

Since you start off with zero freebore, you get great barrel life out of this round as a hunting round. I have 237 rounds through my barrel now and the leade has grown about .035 in the Pac Nor 3 groove Super match barrel. Pac Nor's Rockwell Hardness is somewhat harder and a different kind of material than some of the conventional barrels.

Those of you wanting to try a custom 257 Weatherby, I strongly urge you to do so on what ever action that you have. Send me a PM if I can be of any help.
 


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