Weatherby Rifles....good, bad and the ugly

[jrebel]

I'm looking at a few weatherby rifles...specifically the accumark pro and elite line.  Also considering the back country 2.0 Ti. 

Never owned a weatherby and am starting the research.  Are they worth what they are asking price wise??  I hand load and would like a half MOA rifle...are they regularly capable of such accuracy??  Anything else a guy should know...good, bad or otherwise? 

Calibers I'm looking at....338 lapua, 6.5 x 300

Thanks

jrebel

[luvmystang67]

no .30-378?

I feel like if I was handloading and buying a weatherby, this is where I'd be looking. 

[jrebel]

no .30-378?

I feel like if I was handloading and buying a weatherby, this is where I'd be looking.

My only problem with this chambering is the relatively slow twist rate of 1:10.  I really wish it had a 1:9 or even a 1:8 twist.  I want to load hammer hunters and the heaviest I could get in this rifle is 182 HHT which I imagine I could push at 3600+ fps....AWESOME....but would like to push a 220 -240 grain bullet at 3200+ fps out of the lapua.  It is definitely a consideration though. 

[257wbymagkiller]

Have zero complaints about my weatherbys. They shoot great out of the factory with factory ammo. And that 6.5x300 is a wicked round! But the king is 30-378!

[str8meat]

I have two 6.5’s kinda finicky round. 300 wby shoots 200 partition at 3040 fps. Grounds .311
Also a 30-378 that drives 180 hammers at 3410. Love all 4 but the 300 was the easiest to find a load for.

[zwickeyman]

I only have 1 Weatherby and it's the Backcountry 2.0 in 6.5 RPM and I love it. My buddy only owns Weatherbys. The thing about Weatherby calibers is they are not very efficient. For instance the 30-378 takes 90.0 gr of RL25 to push a 200gr at 2980fps and my 300WM uses 75.0 gr of RL26 to get to the same speed

If look at the efficiency of all the Weatherby caliber they are all pretty inefficient. They do build a nice rifle but I wouldn't buy another unless it's a standard non Weatherby caliber ie 300wm, 270 win etc

[jrebel]

I only have 1 Weatherby and it's the Backcountry 2.0 in 6.5 RPM and I love it. My buddy only owns Weatherbys. The thing about Weatherby calibers is they are not very efficient. For instance the 30-378 takes 90.0 gr of RL25 to push a 200gr at 2980fps and my 300WM uses 75.0 gr of RL26 to get to the same speed

If look at the efficiency of all the Weatherby caliber they are all pretty inefficient. They do build a nice rifle but I wouldn't buy another unless it's a standard non Weatherby caliber ie 300wm, 270 win etc

This is solid intel....and yes, they do appear very inefficient on powder (in relation to speed) for sure.  Kind of makes me laugh as I harass my buddy for shooting a 300 RUM because it is also super inefficient and my Lapua uses less powder to run a heavier bullet at the same speeds....and really, the lapua isn't that efficient either. 

[6haase6]

I only have 1 Weatherby and it's the Backcountry 2.0 in 6.5 RPM and I love it. My buddy only owns Weatherbys. The thing about Weatherby calibers is they are not very efficient. For instance the 30-378 takes 90.0 gr of RL25 to push a 200gr at 2980fps and my 300WM uses 75.0 gr of RL26 to get to the same speed

If look at the efficiency of all the Weatherby caliber they are all pretty inefficient. They do build a nice rifle but I wouldn't buy another unless it's a standard non Weatherby caliber ie 300wm, 270 win etc

This is solid intel....and yes, they do appear very inefficient on powder (in relation to speed) for sure.  Kind of makes me laugh as I harass my buddy for shooting a 300 RUM because it is also super inefficient and my Lapua uses less powder to run a heavier bullet at the same speeds....and really, the lapua isn't that efficient either.

I mean powder is around every corner and as cheap as can be!!!! Burn it up 

[BUTTER]

Gonna get slack for this but why?? For that kind of money I'd buy in order
A fierce in 6.5 PRC
A Savage Ultralite in 6.5 prc, have new trigger installed
Or a Springfield Waypoint would by number one on this list if it came above a creed!.

Weatherbys are great and my buddy has one in the 6.5 300 but ammo is to hard to find and way to expensive. That and that round is a barrel burner!!

Go with the Ultralite have a new trigger installed and the money you save put into the best scope u can buy.

Just my 2cents

[jrebel]

Gonna get slack for this but why?? For that kind of money I'd buy in order
A fierce in 6.5 PRC
A Savage Ultralite in 6.5 prc, have new trigger installed
Or a Springfield Waypoint would by number one on this list if it came above a creed!.

Weatherbys are great and my buddy has one in the 6.5 300 but ammo is to hard to find and way to expensive. That and that round is a barrel burner!!

Go with the Ultralite have a new trigger installed and the money you save put into the best scope u can buy.

Just my 2cents

I hear what your saying loud and clear.  I have two ultralites currently and love them (6.5 creed and 300wsm).  I would buy the 6.5 prc but really not gaining that much over the creed with my handloads.  I'm running 124 grain HH at 2850 fps in the creed and would likely only gain 150-200 fps with the prc.  I handload everything so price per round is not being taken into account.  As for a barrel burner....you are correct with that fact....I suspect 800-1200 rounds is what I will get using 124 HH's.  I suspect I can push that bullet at 3500+ fps.  Nothing real practical about this purchase other than a super flat shooting animal slaying machine. 

[b23]

I used to have a bit of a love affair with Weatherby's but we had to break up because you pay a pretty big price for a rifle that, if you luck out and get a good one, will shoot relatively well, but, if you don't, will make you pull your hair out.

Very first one I had was a older used MkV (made in Germany) 257 Wby 24in that shot very well.  Sold that 257Wby and bought a new MkV 7mm Wby that shot groups in the inches.  Shortly after I bought that 7mm Wby mag I also bought a new MkV 257WBY that only shot slightly better then the 7mm.  Factory or loaded ammo it didn't seem to matter they both shot for sh1t.  Sold those two and bought my first Accumark this time in 300 Wby and it was one of the best shooting factory rifles I've ever owned and it shot just about any 180gr bullet I sent through it and there was nothing finicky about it.  Next one I bought was another Accumark but this time in 338-378.  That shot fairly decent, just not great.  Ended up selling both Accumarks to a anesthesiologist in Texas.  My dad has had a couple different semi custom 270 Wby mags, first one built on a Pre 64 model 70 the second one built on a Rem 700 both had Douglas barrels on them with very little freebore, couldn't shoot factory ammo in them, and both of those shot crazy good but they don't really count in this discussion because they weren't factory guns.  My dad also had a semi custom 7-300Wby built on a MkV action, I think that one had a Hart barrel, and it shot really well too but it wasn't a factory barreled gun either.

My experience with Weatherby's has been a couple different things.  First, luck of the draw on whether or not you luck out and get a good one or other but to some degree I don't believe that's exclusive to Weatherby because a lot of factory off the shelf rifles suffer from the same issue.  Secondly, all of them that I've had shot their best below max velocity.  My 338-378 did not like to be pushed very hard at all and it didn't matter if I was shooting 225's to 300's.  If I kept the velocity a few hundred fps under max it would shoot in the 1/2-3/4 range.  Sure, they'd all shoot the velocities Weatherby crows about but not with any level of accuracy.  In comparison, my 300AX (Kirby Allen's version of a 30-338 Lap Imp) shoots 230 Berger's it's best with upper end loads and my 338 Lap Imp is the same way, shoots the 300's best at nearly max load.

Weatherby Accumarks used to have Criterion barrels but I'm not sure if that's what they still use of if they've switched to someone else.

IMO, the 6.5-300 is to overbore for the factory length barrel and if I had to pick a 6.5 and it had to be a Weatherby rifle I'd go with their 6.5RPM.

I still have a bunch of new unfired Wby brass in everything from 240Wby to 338-378 and I think I've still got two boxes of new Nosler 338-378 loaded with 225 AB's if you decide to go with one of those.

FWIW, I think there are better ways to spend the same money and increase you chances of getting a rifle that'll shoot to your requirements. 

[Fidelk]

I was asked to sight in a new fairly expensive model of a .300 Weatherby prior to a hunt, since the owner was pressed for time. I was given 4 or 5 boxes of different factory ammo and decided to do it for 200 yards. I was surprised at how poorly the rifle grouped.......the only ammo that grouped well was good old Remington Core Lokt. My Walmart $300 Winchester Model 70 (.300 WSM) grouped better.....way better.

[jrebel]

The more I get feedback from this site and my other reloading sight.....I might just stick with the tried and trued Savage 110 338 lapua pushing a light for caliber HH bullet at blazing speeds.  Same amount of powder and should be able to push a 200-230 grain bullet at 3200 which would be pretty amazing as well.  Hell, may even try a 180 grain HH to really push the speed.  I know I can get the savage to 1/2 MOA with very little effort. 

[10mmg]

I currently own a Weatherby back country carbon 2.0 in 30-378. It took a long time to get it from Weatherby due to barrel delays from BSF. I love the looks and feel of the rifle. After barrel breakin it is shooting factory 180 accubond at 3400 fps and .75 moa. I think handloads i can get it better. If you are 100% sure you want one of the Weatherby cartridges then i think you can’t lose. For the same price point if I wanted a common cartridge or even the prc’s i’d look at fierce. As an aside i am running a Q Trash Panda suppressor on the end of the barrel. The length of the barrel and i beleive the carbon fiber resulted in nearly a 9” point of impact change. so if you are going to run suppressed (i recommend cause she’s a boomer) plan on a 9” drop at 200 yards when you attaché the suppressor.

Being nerd who likes the big rifles i do not regret buying the rifle. Even in the light configuration the recoil is manageable with the suppressor. I find that the suppressors adds 100-200 fps. I will use this on some long range trips in the future. Total weight with leupold vx6 3-18 44mm and suppressor and 3 rounds is about 8.6 lbs.

Good luck and good shooting.

[jrebel]

I used to have a bit of a love affair with Weatherby's but we had to break up because you pay a pretty big price for a rifle that, if you luck out and get a good one, will shoot relatively well, but, if you don't, will make you pull your hair out.

Very first one I had was a older used MkV (made in Germany) 257 Wby 24in that shot very well.  Sold that 257Wby and bought a new MkV 7mm Wby that shot groups in the inches.  Shortly after I bought that 7mm Wby mag I also bought a new MkV 257WBY that only shot slightly better then the 7mm.  Factory or loaded ammo it didn't seem to matter they both shot for sh1t.  Sold those two and bought my first Accumark this time in 300 Wby and it was one of the best shooting factory rifles I've ever owned and it shot just about any 180gr bullet I sent through it and there was nothing finicky about it.  Next one I bought was another Accumark but this time in 338-378.  That shot fairly decent, just not great.  Ended up selling both Accumarks to a anesthesiologist in Texas.  My dad has had a couple different semi custom 270 Wby mags, first one built on a Pre 64 model 70 the second one built on a Rem 700 both had Douglas barrels on them with very little freebore, couldn't shoot factory ammo in them, and both of those shot crazy good but they don't really count in this discussion because they weren't factory guns.  My dad also had a semi custom 7-300Wby built on a MkV action, I think that one had a Hart barrel, and it shot really well too but it wasn't a factory barreled gun either.

My experience with Weatherby's has been a couple different things.  First, luck of the draw on whether or not you luck out and get a good one or other but to some degree I don't believe that's exclusive to Weatherby because a lot of factory off the shelf rifles suffer from the same issue.  Secondly, all of them that I've had shot their best below max velocity.  My 338-378 did not like to be pushed very hard at all and it didn't matter if I was shooting 225's to 300's.  If I kept the velocity a few hundred fps under max it would shoot in the 1/2-3/4 range.  Sure, they'd all shoot the velocities Weatherby crows about but not with any level of accuracy.  In comparison, my 300AX (Kirby Allen's version of a 30-338 Lap Imp) shoots 230 Berger's it's best with upper end loads and my 338 Lap Imp is the same way, shoots the 300's best at nearly max load.

Weatherby Accumarks used to have Criterion barrels but I'm not sure if that's what they still use of if they've switched to someone else.

IMO, the 6.5-300 is to overbore for the factory length barrel and if I had to pick a 6.5 and it had to be a Weatherby rifle I'd go with their 6.5RPM.

I still have a bunch of new unfired Wby brass in everything from 240Wby to 338-378 and I think I've still got two boxes of new Nosler 338-378 loaded with 225 AB's if you decide to go with one of those.

FWIW, I think there are better ways to spend the same money and increase you chances of getting a rifle that'll shoot to your requirements. 

I'm all ears....give me your expertise and suggestions.  Don't really want to build a rifle.....but would entertain anything.