300weatherby vs 300WinMag
I recently came into a really nice custom Mauser in 300 Weatherby, the deal was to good to pass on and it shoots ok to boot. What I wanted was a 300WSM or even a regular 300Mag. My reloading manuals (Nosler, Speer, Hornady, and Sirra) mostly suggest that there is only something like a 100fps difference between the 300Mag and the Weatherby. I also have a really great custom 300Mag barrel sitting aside that I could put to the project. So the question: How much more practical performance can I get from the Weatherby then the Mag? Is it really only on the order of 100fps when shooting 180g bullets? I've heard and read that to get 3100fps out of the 300Mag isn't all that easy and that 3200fps out of the Weatherby is standard. The barrels are 26" and 24" respectively. Also I am myself competent to change out and re-head space the barrels if I so choose, so gunsmithing expenses are not a factor. Opinions please.
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Hello most of the long range bench rest guys use the WEATHERBY as they feel the longer neck give more uniform bullet pull The only reason I can see any use for the win mag is it will fit in a shorter action but if you have the long action to begain with why go to the trouble?You don't have to load to the MAX so if you want WIN mag vel load to that you can't go the other way around. 0 -
Personally, I'd stick with the 300 Wby. Take into account the whole mass x velocity issue and you'll still have 'Y' ft-lbs of energy downrange. I think Weatherby was concentrating on the use of a lighter bullet with a higher velocity to achieve a flatter trajectory out to longer ranges while still retaining sufficient energy to down the game in question. We converted an old Eddystone P17 in 30-06 to 300Wby for my brother and with the original barrel and 165gr Hornady InterBond slugs it shoots like a dream out to 400 yds+.
Men, like bullets, go farthest when they are smoothest.0 -
[8D]I collect WEATHERBY, Roy Weatherby, in the early 1940's used FN actions for his initial Weatherby customs.The 300 WSM is a great cartridge and SO close to the 300 WBY that its only for argumentative reasons (with nothing else to do) that we compare.You have a great rifle -AS IT IS- and you will see only a smal finacial saving if you chang the BBL now + cost of gunsmith- Leave it alone! JIMBO[:D][:D][:D][:D]
On your mark-get set- go away!!0 -
Ok, let me clarify. This is not a Weatherby rifle, it is a custom rifle with a standard length Mark X Mauser 98 action with the extra long mag for the "magnum" length cartridges. This means that it is factory spec in length for most 180g loadings that are commonly available. If I start handloading for it, I expect that I will easily exceed the max mag length if I step up to a 200g slug. There is no collector value in this rifle except as a "custom" what ever it is at the time. As a 300WinMag I would think that I could handload cases with 200g slugs and never cramp the mag. So agin, tell me why the 300Weatherby cartridge is better then the 300WinMag. If it only comes down to 100fps or less, then I'm not impressed. 0 -
[8D]It's like Corvettes /Miatas like Weber/Wolf stainless barbeque, they all do almost the same- any thing with WEATHERBY name attached to it will resale for a little more. You can "safely" handload for higher velocity and power because of chamber design![:D][:D][:D][:D]
On your mark-get set- go away!!0 -
in REALITY the weatherby and the win mag are nearly the same round. The weatherby only gains it's minimal increase in speed due to the freebore design of the weatherby chamber. The CANYON that the bullet has to jump before contacting the rifling in a freebore chamber increases the muzzle velocity due to the lesser resistance at ignition. IF you were to freebore the win mag chamber,..your chronograph would have it's work cut out to tell the difference between the two. Most gunsmiths (unless they know you are a serious handloader) will NOT chamber a weatherby barrel without the freebore. This is because all of weatherby's claims of speed come from MAX powder charges,..which don't present pressure signs due to the aforementioned freebore. The bullet has left the neck by the time it is forced into the rifling lands. If one were to fire factory weatherby ammunition in a NON-freebore chamber,..pressures would be dangerously high!!!!! These two features (bullet jump due to freebore and the opportunity to become off-center with the bore before entering the rifling,.....AND the MAX powder charge) are the reasons that the factory will only garantee 1 1/2" groups.
There are equally as many win mags as wthby mags on the 1000yd circuit. When chambered without the freebore,..a bit more slower powder along with heavy VLD pills can be put in the wthby case,..which in that very specific circumstance, will give it a slight edge in MV and a bit better neck tension with a bullet seated with it's heal at the neck/shoulder junction. I doubt one will EVER see a freebore chamber on the competitive firing line,..it just doesn't lend itself to accuracy,...however Roy was after the hunting crowd,..not the BR guys. the BR sport was an infant during Roy's tenure,..so who knows,..if he had been around another 30yrs,..he may very well have been a player in the "out of the box" accuracy game. My pard in the 1000yd game uses a Stolle action with a 30" kreiger in 300wthby with a .337" neck and it has gone ~4" at 1000yds (no freebore obviously) with 210gr Berger VLD's. Either choice in a good chamber will be more than satisfactory unless you wish to compete.
your mileage may vary[;)]
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
I have a 300 weatherby and have shot the 300 mag. I think the accuracy
of both is almost the same.Some do not like the belted case but iv'e
never seen a problem with it. If your going to shoot alot you need to think about all the powder your going to use,my average load took
84 grains of hogdgon 4831sc. With the Winchester you will save some money down the road,if thats any facter to you.So the metiphorical question is why pull out the hemi to drop in a 318? Anyway weatherby is my choice just my $0.02 [8D]0 -
Ream your new custom barrel out for a .308Norma Magnum. A bit shorter still than a 300Win, way more fun to work up loads for, and with better ballistics to boot. You can load 220gr slugs and have a ton of room to spare in mag length. The Norma is very popular up in my neck-of-the-woods. Just a little food for thought.
Men, like bullets, go farthest when they are smoothest.0
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