Accurizing my weatherby

[sirmissalot]

I've been wanting to do this for a couple years now, and I want this winter to finally be the year.

I shoot a 300 weatherby in a Mark V, the lightweight version. My dad and I shoot the same rifles, and same loads, and have struggled to get decent groups but have manged to find a load that is OK to us, which still only gets around 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Its not bad but I would really like to tighten it up.

I wanted to try Rbros after reading so many good things about him, but I spoke with him last year and he told me he didn't have the tooling for weatherby actions, and was going to be focusing on full rifle builds anyhow.

My next thought was to try Benchmark. I emailed them and heard back from Chris, he has told me they can do everything I need. Awesome.

Is there anyone else I should consider? Maybe someone a little closer, although I really don't mind the drive up there since from everything I have read, it will be done right.

There are a lot of things I think could be improved on this rifle, and I am not against getting a new barrel, however I was considering trying to accurize the rifle and see what kind of improvements we can get with the factory barrel, hoping that I can do this in two stages just to help the wallet out. Thoughts?

[kentrek]

Is selling the rifle a option ?? I have never seen/heard of a weatherby shooting one hole....it might be worth it to just take the money you were gona put into the rifle an buy a new one 

[DRobnsn]

What bullet are you using? How many different bullets have you tried?

[sirmissalot]

That's certainly an option as well. I've heard the same thing, but I also imagine there is plenty of room for improvement. There isn't a whole lot of sentimental value in this rifle, but it has been with for for a lot of kills, and it shows it so to sell it the price would have to reflect that.

I'm open to ideas of all sorts though. I do not need a 1,000 yard rifle. I want to be completely confident at up to 500 yards is all, and currently I am not.

My dad has a Cooper chambered in 220 swift that I shot a 300 yard group the other day that a quarter could darn near cover, shooting off a bipod. I've really been wanting a Cooper ever since he got that rifle  maybe thats a better option 

DRobnsn I am shooting a 180 Barnes TTSX. When we first started developing loads we tried several bullets, but really wanted to make the Barnes work so we stuck with that. A 1 inch group is as good as we have ever got out of any load and any bullet combination.

[jay.sharkbait]

I'd s-can the Barnes bullets.

[Bob33]

My dad has a Cooper chambered in 220 swift that I shot a 300 yard group the other day that a quarter could darn near cover, shooting off a bipod.

With all due respect, most rifles can (occasionally) shoot a group of that size, but not every time! I suspect if you fired a few more groups you would find that most did not match that performance.

If that is your standard you will most likely need to start over.

A more realistic standard for a 300 magnum is probably 1/2 to 3/4 MOA, and that's more than adequate for big game to 500 yards and beyond. After all, a 1 MOA rifle should in theory place the shots in a 5" circle at 500 yards, which in theory means that the shots are within 2.5" of the aim point (+ 2.5", -2.5").

Ammunition can play a very large role in group size. I've seen many rifles that would shoot some loads into an inch or less, while the same rifle and shooter would group over 2" with different ammuntion.

A good barrel is probably the best place to start, and you won't go wrong with Benchmark.

[sirmissalot]

I realize that 300 yard group was not the norm and I'm not saying I want that with my hunting rifle, just saying how impressed I am with that little gun.

If I could get a 3/4 MOA with this rifle I would be absolutely tickled.

[Bluesdude]

Sirmisalot,
I shoot a Weatherby Vanguard Sub-Moa in 300wsm.  I had a muzzle brake installed, a trigger job to 2.5 lbs and handload Berger VLD 185s using Norma Brass and 67 grains of Hodgen 4781 powder.  My gun touches paper at 200 yards now after extensive shooting and playing with bullet weight and powder.  I havent shot mine past 600 as the BDC retical is limited to that yardage. I am comfortable to 500 as long as wind isnt a big factor.

Todd

[snowpack]

are you reloading with the barnes?  Typically barnes reloaders are packing in powder to get really high velocity and don't get good groups until they establish a distance off the lands that the gun-bullet combo likes.  The barnes are longer, less dense bullets than the match bullets that are used for tournaments and such.  I think Weatherby mk Vs are standard 1-10" barrel twist, so if you're using those long barnes at high speed it might be on the low side for spin.
If the gun is factory and not bedded you could look into doing a bed job with something like Devcon.

[JLS]

I believe Weatherby's also have a longer freebore in the throat.  Have you taken this into account with your loads?  I don't use all that hot a loads with Barnes and they suit me fine, but I'm not shooting 500 yards either.

[jackelope]

How much money are you willing to spend to take the gun from 1 moa to 3/4 moa and is it really worth it? I think if you spent some more time on the load building/bullet choice, you could accomplish your goal. Not sure I'd be willing to spend $1k or more to achieve such a small difference when you might do it with some tinkering and a different bullet.

[Bill W]

You say "the rifle shoots around 1 inch".   How much does it deviate from 1 inch?

I shoot a Model 70 Featherweight 7mm Mauser and I had a choice between two different loads.   One averaged 1.1MOA and the other was at best 1.5MOA.   I settled on the 1.5MOA as I wanted a tad more throttle power.  I've used this rifle to shoot deer out to 525 yards in field conditions and never had a miss attributable to the load or the equipment.  Two deer were missed in 30 years of use and the reason was hasty shots at running deer and starting out with the scope not turned back down after glassing at 9X power.

If I was only trying to improve rifle accuracy by 1/4 MOA I'd spend my money on trigger time and buy components for more shooting time.   If jackrabbits were still legal game I'd focus on them.

[coachcw]

how clean are your first two shots ? whetherby dosnt float the barrel on the lightweights ? I free'd mine up and the three and four shot groups improved 

[sirmissalot]

Well, I would say a 1 inch group is a dang good group. Always has been with either of these rifles. I say around 1 inch because to be honest I haven't shot a 100 yard group in I don't know how long and have never busted out the calipers to tell since we developed the last loads. Even then, I never have had a load shoot anywhere near under a 1 inch group. We have tried I don't know how many combinations of bullets and powder, seating depths etc. Finally just said ok lets stick with the Barnes because thats what we wanted anyhow and one particular load it was really shining on. We are shooting 78 grains of RL 19, so its on the low end of the load chart because that is where it shot best. The thought of starting all over again with developing a load, after already having tried dozens, makes my head hurt. And its not just me because I can shoot other rifles great. This gun has a muzzlebreak, 2 lb trigger and if I'm not shooting off a bipod on the ground its locked in a vise, obviously some of it could be me but pretty sure its not all of the problem.

I just can't imagine most people trying to work up this many loads just to get a solid 1 inch group? The only bullets we have left to test (that I would shoot) are the Swift Scirroco and a nosler partition. We tried the accubonds, they were my second favorite to the barnes.

And before someone suggests copper fouling, I learned that lesson already and I'm quite certain that isn't the issue, although my groups really do open up fairly quick with these barnes.

Coach this barrel is nowhere near floated, that is one of the things I was hoping to have done

[RadSav]

how clean are your first two shots ? whetherby dosnt float the barrel on the lightweights ? I free'd mine up and the three and four shot groups improved 

That's a good question!  Many of the Remington and Ruger guns I've had will shoot sub MOA in two shot groups.  Shoot a third too quick and it climbs leaving 1.5". 

I'm surprised that you improved things by floating the lightweight barrel coach.  Was that in a Wby Magnum offering?  26" whippy barrel free floated has never worked out for me unless full length bedded neutral.