When I was 17 years old working in a sporting goods store outside of Detroit, I wrote Roy Weatherby a letter to order a left hand.300 Mark V. He figured out that I was a kid, my mom had to OK the purchase. He threw in a Weatherby case and a box of ammo. Roy sent me a Weatherby tie tack. Every Christmas until he passed away I got a Christmas card. WOW.
@@TheChattanoogaBandit Today I am 69 years old. I still have the rifle. It's in perfect condition. I have shot quite a few black bears with it. I still have the tie tack.
When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, I heard all the lore of the Weatherby 460 Magnum. My dad had a rather wealthy friend that purchased every caliber available in the Weatherby Mark V rifle lineup, in the early 80"s. Because of my childhood curiosity, I always wanted the formidable 460... Well, for my wedding anniversary in 2020, my wife purchased me a new in box 1980 Weatherby 460 made by Howa in Japan. Ammo was not obtainable at that time, so I loaded my own from new Norma brass, Hornady 500 grain 45 cal bullets, 100 grains of IMR 4064 and Magnum primers. I have no elephants or whales to kill here in Texas, but when I shoot 5 gallon water buckets, it is quite the display of obliteration! I really enjoy it just for the hell of it. I did finally find a box of factory ammo this past summer in a gun shop in Colorado and gave $181.99 + tax for a box of 20. Life is short and heavy hitting bolt action rifles are fun, just saying. Thanks Ron!
I buy stupidly powerful rifles for the same reason. The shock and awe and that smile they bring when you dump colossal energy at something that is not going to fair well being hit with it. We had similar childhoods. I too was a kid back then, admiring those amazing looking Weatherby rifles, and hearing all the stories and lore. Which is why I own a bunch of them now, and have owned many others that I shot the barrel out of I loved them so much.
My first rifle was a 340 Weatherby. Saved up every penny I could when I was 15. The guy at the gun store looked at my dad like he was nuts when he bought it for me.
@@danielcurtis1434 hahaha! I shot the heck out of that thing! Or atleast as much as a 15 year old could afford to shoot any Weatherby ;) Only sold it because I got a eye injury that detached my retena (unrelated). The doctor said I couldn't shoot high recoiling rifles anymore.
Ron, I'm one of those Weatherby diehard collectors, I have the complete Weatherby caliber collection. I picked up my first Weatherby (German Made) J.P. Sauer when I was 14 and have collected ever since. I've never been to Africa of Alaska on a Safari, but the big cats is the only thing that appeals to me anyway. I have shot many elk with my 300 Wby Mag and countless deer , antelope, bear,...etc. with 240 thru 7mm Wby Mag. Your above article indicates that there's not much difference between the Remingtons 7mm and the Weatherby, I own both and I believe the Weatherby to be more accurate, efficient and flatter shooting,....it's a deadly cartridge. I'm a collector of German made Weatherbys. I like them better than the Sheridan, Wyoming makes. Perhaps the Japanese Howas are the most beautiful stocks. The 378 is the most brutal to shoot in my opinion and the 340 is milder to shoot than my 338 Win Mag,...that thing will hurt you. I hope this has been interesting for you and your readers. Cheers!
You are totally correct sir. Several very accredited ballistics experts have sounded off the same thing about the .7mm WBY. They say the 7mm WBY Mag is still the flattest shooting, most accurate .7mm Magnum on the market today. More so, these ballistic experts sounding off are super long range target shooters and hunters. They're shooting not yards or meters, but miles with some of these WBY calibers. I'm buying a .7mm WBY at some point. Along with a .378, .30-338, 6.5-300, .416, and most likely the .338-378. I already own .300 and .257 WBY Mags. Being Canadian I cannot buy and own a .460 WBY, as our government sadly limited Joules to 10,000 J, which is around 7,300 Ft lbs of energy out of the muzzle. The 460 is sadly over buy just 200 foot lbs. I'll have to buy a .458 Lott I guess. I already own a .458 Win Mag, and while fun to plink with...I want more. Like you, I too do not hunt anything but typical North American game for my freezer. I'm not into trophy killing and collecting. Just collecting good memories in the field with my hunting buddies and family.
I know a guy here in Canada who owned a .460 Wby and that just last year became a prohibited weapon. Canada created a new law that limits firearms to 10,000 joules of energy.... well the 460 exceeds that. Illegal bolt action hunting rifle, crazy right?
NWO, (or Tikkun Olam/1 World Rule, as the Zionist perpetrators call it) our reality is waaay crazier than fiction (which the rulers constantly pass off as real/actual "events"/history). Understanding that essentially everything you have believed to be true about "history" and our world, is either an outright lie, or heavily manipulated/skewed, (propaganda) is quite alarming (but liberating at the same time). Read the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (purportedly circa 1908). It is their playbook for ruling the world, and it only covers a portion of what they do.
Not to sound like that guy....but 300 Weatherby is not taking "all game" "anywhere". 375H&H is minimum cartgridge for South African DG. The 300 weatherby is a good cartridge. You do not need to over state its abilities.
@@todsimpkins8908 Tac Man was not overstating the 300 Weatherby’s abilities. It has been used to take everything that walks at one time or another, and is better now than it ever was with the quality of bullets available with a properly placed shot. There are regions where a 375 is the minimum caliber required by regulations, but the 300 Weatherby has proven itself capable of doing the job just fine.
As a long time hand loader I chose the 7mm Weatherby because I could do so much with the cartridge, and I loved the Mark V rifle. I could load it up for bigger game and a heavier bullet or load it down for whitetail deer. I had a number of friends who had 7mm Rem. rifles, they were also hand loaders,and they could not match the combination of speed of my rifle or the accuracy. If you are not a hand loader I would not suggest buying the Weatherby as the cost of ammunition would send you to the poor house quickly if you shoot a lot. One round of factory ammo costs around $5.20. While hunting Pronghorns in West Texas, I shot one at 400 yards with a 139 grain bullet holding just above his back, he ran less than 50 yards. Talk about flat shooting!
I think the most impressive Weatherby cartridge is the 340. While I do love my 338-378 I'm not real happy with the price and availability of brass. It also uses a ton of powder. The 340 is only 200 fps slower with 250 grain bullets, it uses 20 grains less powder, and you can make brass from 375 H&H (which you may not need to do because the 340 brass is much cheaper and easier to find than the 338-378). This difference in velocity translates to about 150 yards. For example, the 338-378 is pushing a 250 Accubond at 3000 fps and it retains 2000 fps at 800 yards. The 340 retains the same amount of velocity at 650 yards. Pretty amazing that this round can keep up with the 338 Lapua and 338 RUM while using the old, traditional belted magnum case.
I've had quite a few of these , but truth be told I've never had or needed anything more than my traditional old 30-06 when it comes to power. My favorite Weatherby is definitely the .257.....it's absolutely lethal in the the lower 48 excluding the odd grizzly.....but with the right bullet and good bullet placement I think it would give him a dirt nap too...
@@MW-fl9hb reload info is limited but is out there. If you can’t find it let me know and I will reach out to a friend that has the info and has done some reloading to get some info for you.
I have had mine in a weathermark LT and love it I use 142 gr Nosler LR 83 grain US869 powder, this combination gives me 3100 fps that will not burn up my barrel, I don’t think this gun needs to be shot at 3400 fps. This is my opinion
The 257 and the 300 are the two weatherby rifles i have. My 257 is vanguard with weatherby custom laminate stock. My 300 is a 1974 Mark V deluxe 26in barrel. Love them both.
I worked in the stock dept at Weatherby's from 1981 to 1987 in Southgate Ca. I did accurizing on the stock as we guaranteed a 1 1/2"group , 5shots , 100yds.
The 240 is in deed a 06 case with a belt, I had one and used 06 necked down and headspaced of the shoulder. Worked and shot really well, good for speed goats and PD's in the wind.
My biggest problem with Weatherby is the prices they charge for their ammo. I've seen some of their ammo sale for well over $100 for a box of 20 long before the recent ammo shortages... That said the man had a very successful career and has earned a lot of praise for his contributions to the hunting world. Great video as always keepem coming brother!!
@@tomschultz2833 its a nice long range deer round. If you are to close that speed has a meat cost. But before the ammo went nuts you could get a 87gr and a 100gr load 40$ or under.
While stationed in Germany in 1968 I bought a 7MM Weatherby Mark V through a gun club for $180.00 I hunted elk with it for more than 50 years and reloaded ammo. Just a wonderful elk rifle to go to the mountain with!
I had a 300 Wby Vanguard that I bought many years ago at Walmart of all places. They even sold the ammo for it too which was Remington Core Lokt and it was surprisingly affordable.
We must have gotten our guns about the same period early 2000s. Exact same situation a black vanguard in 300 from Walmart and got the first box of Core-Lokts there at the same time
I had a 240, 270, and a 300 all Mark V's made by Howa in the 80's, I liked the 270 the most out of three, they were all great rifles when I owned them.
257 W I owned was great and when my niece's son was broke after a divorce, I gave him the rifle. He has killed 2 deer with it and that's the best gift I could have give him. He has since remarried and has 2 beautiful children. And still hunts with that Weatherby.
One my coworkers was in a family trust/gun collection and they had a pretty extensive weatherby collection. If I recall they had one rifle of caliber and model except for the 2 largest calibers. I got to see it once, it was pretty cool. I asked why they didn’t have the biggest calibers and the father stated he would never buy a rifle that we wouldn’t actually take out and use.
My grandfather’s Weatherby was a 7mm Weatherby Magnum, now my dad has it. I did the sensible thing and bought a used Mark V in .30-06. Although I would be interested in a 6.5 RPM
I love this high speed history lesson through and through! You definitely have to appreciate everything that makes up the legacy of Roy Weatherby. Now I'm sure I'm going to get shredded for this but he he didn't really produce any world record numbers in accuracy but that was not what Weatherby rifles were about.
Fascinating! Point of interest, in contrast to the 300 WinMag vs 300 Weatherby situation, my Hornady reloading manual says one can run 375H&H in a 375 Weatherby rifle.
Thank you for providing us/me a comprehensive history and description. My mother's uncle owned and hunted with a Weatherby. When he visited he always brought a generous larder of venison for us. I have always wanted a Weatherby, and now I have a road map. I tip my hat to you.
I have 5 Weatherby's, my favorite one's are the 30-378 shooting a 180gr Swift at 3,550 fps and a 22-250 in the stainless fluted Varmint master at 4,000 fps. Both very accurate..Enjoyed your video....
Ron I've just recently started watching your channel and I must admit you've been so helpful, everybody else talks about this gun and that gun what makes it special and what caliber that gun shoots, but you're the only one I've seen that talks specifically about the cartridges themselves and I greatly appreciate your expert opinion.
I have a Japanese made .224 MK5 varmintmaster. It now sports a stainless barrel and moderator, but still has a pretty stock. Cases are expensive here in the UK £200 per 100 . It accounts for a few foxes and deer every year.
Hi Ron thanks for the weatherby tribute im a collector and user of them all I have all the calibres in the timber and synthetic stocks and used them on lots of the worlds big game and small and love them love the show Thanks Ray from Australia
My first Weatherby was a XXll, the most accurate 22 I had for many years. I went on a Moose hunt, and had a Mauser action barreled to a 340 Weatherby, still have that. I didn't see a Moose, but that fall I did take this deer hunting and shot 2 deer in about 10 minutes. The shots were taken out of a tree stand, and when I touched off the first shot, I almost fell off my stand, which scared me to no end. I was prepared for a shot for the second deer, but that first one was scary. I later purchased a 300 Weatherby, a 240 Weatherby made in Germany, a 257 Weatherby and recently bought a 378 Weatherby. I like Weatherbys.
When I was a young man my dad used to work for a guy who had taken a hunting trip to Africa and he owned a 460 Weatherby magnum rifle. He invited us to go shooting with him one time at his gun club, of course we brought some of our guns… Nothing like that, but while we were there he let my dad and I shoot the big beast a couple of times. Let’s just say it kicks like a mule. Having shot that rifle I believe you could stop a truck with it.
A friend has a complete collection plus, with spares (well over 100 in his collection) including a .460WM based on a Breve' Mauser action. It is amazing how many "collectables" there are in the Weatherby line, from engraved actions to how many panels on a Laser Mark to guns that were built for celebrities. The guy also collect Model 70's! Anyway, he got me started on Weatherby rifles and I have had my share but have since sold or traded most. Of all the rifles, my favorite was a 7mmWM in a Weatherby Fiber Mark V. It would put a 175 grain spitzer out the barrel at 3100fps plus, and shoot 3/4" groups. On top of that, for some reason, the 7mm didn't kick that much. Of course, I don't think a .338 Win Mag kicks, either.
What i really like about Weatherby is their excellent Mark Five action with the short bolt lift and a safety that locks the bolt, truly tomorrows rifle today!
It’s funny, when people talk weatherby all they talk about is speed, power, BUT expensive. Nobody ever seems to mention that action. So smooth, absolutely the best.
RON, just to clear this up for you about why Mr Weatherby didn't bring the 6.5x300 out earlier is purly due to lack of quality bullets available at that time. He had it IIRC IN the 60's. Adam weatherby spoke on this a number of times.
Great video! I too have wondered why the 460 is not more popular as a big game cartridge, I was obsessed with learning as much as I could about the 460, and in what I found is that it’s widely known as the PH killer,, as it does as much damage to the shooter as the animal, I’ve often come across PH’s saying it’s over kill, even for elephants, which doesn’t add up to me, if I ever had the chance to dangerous game hunt in Africa and life is on the line I’ll choose power ! I’m a big guy and I enjoy the recoil and sound of a powerful rifle, but it seems that many don’t feel the same way and shy away from that kind of recoil, thats what I gathered about the 460,
Nice breakdown of all the cartridges. I’m a fan of 460 and this may have been commented below but original loads of 460(not sure for how long they did this but I think a couple decades) were a 500 grain bullet at 2700 fps. Now that’s Quite the load. With a 26” barrel this power can be reached by an experienced hand loader. As an aside, in my relatively limited experience with PH’s, they are happy about me shooting a 460. That is only after they see it doesn’t have a muzzle brake.
In my area I have permission from all the farmers about deer herd reduction. I built a Ruger No 1 with a 28 inch Bartlein barrel in 257 Weatherby. I shoot alot of different calibers but when I want to really get it done this is what I take. I reload 110 gr. Accubonds with a stiff load of Re 22.I stopped counting years ago. It is the deadliest combination I myself have ever shot. Flat as a pancake just like the deer that I go get after I shoot it with this rifle.
My father had a 340 Mark V made by J.P. Sauer. He sold it. I'm still raw over that deal. But I do have a Colt Sauer bought new in 1980 in 30-06, now a safe queen.
Love the Mark V and have been fortunate to own a number of them….all left handed. The fun in tracking down mint condition lefty rifles in these magnificent chamberings is rewarding when I find a nice one. Currently have LH Mark V’s in 30-06, 300, 257, and a beautiful custom shop Lasermark in the mighty 460
I found an old (from 1957 according to the actions aerial number) rifle chambered in 300 Weatherby Magnum that is now being custom built into a 375 H&H. When I was calling in the order, it was very tempting to order it as a 375 Whtby Mag, but ammo availability as well as recoil were deciding factors in my decision. Maybe a video idea could be to compare recoil rates between "regular" and "Weatherby" cartridges. That may be one of the reasons as to why Weatherby has not taken as the most popular choice in cartridges for any caliber.
Great show Ron. 1st I think you skipped over the newest Weatherby, 338 RPM. It may not be publicly available, yet. 2nd, glad to see you touch a bit on Roy. He definitely was a gun nut and a great marketer. Belts, all the rage in the 40s. 50s and 60s. Now people are down on belts, hey if Roy designed a cartridge with suspenders, I have it. The double radis shoulder, pure marketing genius. Those racey walnut stocks with the rosewood tips, some of the best looking stocks I've seen. Cheers, Jeff
In 1994 I bought the Mark V in .416 Weatherby Magnum; it was beautiful and I loved it. BTW I think it was $1,200 (but maybe $1,400?) I do remember that ammo, was $100 for a box of 20. A few years later I got a Barrett 82A1 .50 BMG ($8,000 with scope) and I was able to get ammo for $2 per round!
I am a Weatherby fan more because of the quality build of their rifles than the cartridges but that said I have a bunch of WBY rifles. A 240 WBY, 257 WBY, 300 WBY, 340 WBY, 378 WBY and a 416 Rem in a Mark V action. All the rifles are Mark V's except the 300 WBY is a Vanguard which is much higher quality than I expected. I have taken deer with the 240 and a Nilgai with the 378 both are very impressive on game.
Excellent show there is only one name in excellent Mr Weatherby got it. And understood the game. I have two and they are beautiful addition to my collection.
I have them all except 240, 270, 7mm, and 375. I really love my 6.5x300 mag Carbonmark, it's a sweetheart of a rifle. When I was 13 I had a rem 270 but got skunked deer hunting, the last day of hunting season and the light was fading, my moms boyfriend seen how bummed I was and asked; "Hey little buddy want to hold my Weatherby 300"; I loved that beautiful rifle so I said YES, perking up fast. Walking back to the truck we rounded a corner and a 2 point black tail was standing in the middle of the dirt road, a whopping 60 yard shot, I dropped it with that Weatherby MAG, I had that hide with a giant hole tanned and hung in my bedroom for years. Now 45 years later, I have my collection of Weatherby's, and I treasure them all, especially the English Walnut ones. My 460, 416, 378, 338-378, and 30-378 I have never fired, I think this summer is the year I take my sons out and fire all of them, and see if they're smart enough to keep the scope from ringing their eye /wink. I also have a couple of the Mark XXII, they're beautiful 22's. To be honest though, my favorite 22 is my browning BAR 22, that was a hard one to find. Thank you for the great video...
I don't think Weatherby chambers the Mark V for any standard calibers today, although I might be wrong. I do remember when there were a couple of standard rounds available. One was the 22-250 which he said delivered performance worthy of a Weatherby rifle. The other was the 30-06, which he claimed offered unmatched versatility, making it a worthy addition. There might have been a third caliber, but I don't remember for sure if there was a third.
Wow…one calibre i have always wanted to shoot but it’s one of the least popular and hard to find…there seems to be a mystique about the 340 and the 7mm…what do you intend to shoot with that?
@@russellking9762 I’ve shot most of my elk with a .338 Win Mag - I will certainly use the .340 for elk too. I have an upcoming moose & black bear hunt - I might take the .340 for that. The Accumark is a really great rifle with a great trigger - looking forward to taking it hunting next season.
@@jasonf.4107 Excellent…down here in New Zealand we don’t have any game that would warrant having a cannon like that….please describe to me the recoil on that sucker and is it the same as your .338?
@@russellking9762 the .338 caliber magnums made their reputations with conventional bullets. With modern super premium bullets like the Barnes TTSX, I’m not sure there’s a need for anything larger than .270 or 7mm for any of the game I hunt. However, I use them anyway. I do a lot of cow elk hunting on a small piece of private property, and the .338 either drops them where they stand, or they stagger a very short distance. It’s nice not to have to wonder whether you hit the elk, nor wonder which elk you fired at. In terms of recoil, I sense a noticeable difference between 225 and 250 grain bullets in the .338, and neither kicks as bad as my 50 cal muzzleloader with full-power loads and 330 grain bullets. I typically only use 225’s in my .338, and the Accumark (with its muzzle brake) is more comfortable to shoot with the same 225 grain bullets. I have not yet tried shooting it without the brake.
First high powered gun i bought was a 300wsm in a Weatherby Vanguard thing shot like a lazer i loved it so much i traded it in on a vangard backcountry chambered in .300 Weatherby mag ,its my favourite bolt gun to this date a tack driver can cut each shot in the same hole at 100 no problem.
As usual, you seem to have extremely good timing and topics to discuss, to go along with a very easy to listen to way of presenting the wealth of knowledge that you have acquired over the years! I am glad that you even included the Weatherby Rocket since it's recently been covered in some of the more recent reloading magazines and it is capable of some pretty impressive ballistics! It's looks a lot like a scaled down .30/378 Weatherby! I've had all of the Weatherby Magnum calibers except for the Rocket, the. .224, .270, 7mm, and the .375! The Rocket, the .270 and the 6.5 and .338 RPM are probably going on my bucket list, though that will happen only if they come out with unprimed brass. I was lucky enough to be able to experiment with many of the calibers back before factory ammo went through the roof. I spent a lot of time doing research with the .30/378 in over half a dozen platforms, including Mark V's, Ruger No. 1's, and extremely strong (but fairly simple design wise) railguns. Of all the Weatherby calibers that I tried, I think that the .340 Weatherby and perhaps the .300 Weatherby (which I am currently revisiting) along with the .416 Weatherby, were the most impressive! The .416 seemed to our penetrate all the others, although the Woodleigh's FMJ's may have changed that. The monolithic solids would tend to deform in oak and other mediums, when the impact velocities exceeded ~ 3,200 fps... and by that I mean that they would start to mushroom. The .416 might just have been in a sweet spot insofar as velocity. The Woodleigh's almost always would out penetrate the monolithic solids. The .340 was notable because it could come within ~ 50 - 75 fps of the .338/378 (especially with RL-26) with a lot less powder and out of a 26" barrel would approach that 5,000 ft.lb. number that you referred to! That's also in a smaller diameter case with less bolt thrust. Added to the higher efficiency and less muzzle blast... what's not to like. By the way it will also easily shoot through 2+ feet of seasoned live oak with either the 250 or 300 grain Woodleigh FMJ's! As a side note, I think that the. .460 Weatherby necked up to .510" might be a viable option... since it closely mirrors my .50/416 Rigby insofar as case capacity goes and we were able to easily exceed 10,000 ft.lbs. with that round. We actually got into the low 12,000 ft.lb. range though pressures were getting warm by then. With one of the 750 grain projectiles that we tested the pressures were definitely acceptable, though the recoil was interesting. With that bullet weight the 30+ pound gun would be flipped up side down completely off of it's base and it took us multiple rounds to get over the chronograph sensors at 15 ft., due to trying to spin that weight bullet and the barrel alignment being pulled off course before projectile exit!
interesting is the 340Weath Mag handloaded will perform almost identical to a 338 lapua. I remember back when banks in Montana would give you a weatherby rifle for opening an account above a certain balance. Miss those days. if I remember correctly the 460 performance was hampered by velocity being a shade too high for 0-100yds, the impact is greater but penetration lacked because of the high impact. When they tested the 460 against slower cartridges same bullet it failed on penetration, that being said this goes back to bullet design and newer bullets cutting edge or barnes change the wound channel and the shock. So the 460 could be a diamond in the rough
Thank you putting this Weatherby video together I had ask you a question about this topic a couple weeks ago. I appreciate it your input on everything Weatherby since I just purchased my first Vanguard deluxe in 270wby. I have a feeling I might come down with the Weatherby fever and experiment with other calibers now hahaha.
I have a Vanguard (Series 1) in 300 Weatherby. While having a rifle in each Weatherby cartridge was never a possibility, I long wanted a rifle bearing the Weatherby name, and chambered in a Weatherby cartridge. A few years ago, I found mine online. It was so cheap I jumped on it without hesitation. When I went to buy ammo, I discovered WHY the rifle was so cheap to purchase. Started my progress into reloading, It did. Nowadays, lightly modified, it's become sort of a long range plinker. The niches I bought it for originally have been occupied by rifles far cheaper to shoot. But I'll keep it. It scratches a couple of historical itches for me, and boy, does it reach way out there.
I love my Vanguard in .300 Weatherby! Bought it from Walmart back in 2001. I think I payed $400 bucks for it. The Vanguard models are actually made by Howa in Japan and rebadged. Great rifles for the cost and will do anything a mark V will do without busting your wallet.
Fired my friends 300weatherby with 180 grain bullets ouch. And then built my 300wsm. I can still get a 180 grain bullet over 3000 fps in the 300wsm and recoil is much nicer on the shoulder with less powder. Deer don't know the difference dead is dead.
Always was interested in the weatherby cartridges. I have two Mark V in 300 wby and 6.5 RPM. I just recently came across a Weatherby FN round-nose build in 1951 chamber in 300 Wetherby mag in excellent condition. I always was fan of weatherby but never considered my self a collector until now.
460 WM Kinetic Energy transfer into target creates two factors, Crush Factor & Tear Factor. Nitro cartridges use brass solid rounds to create tear factor deep into the animal. Standard hunting rounds flatten out and bleed energy before getting deep into the animal. Lots of crush factor wounding, but it is not deep enough for extra large game.
In 1960 my father gave me a 257WM, 26in barrel built on a magnum Mauser action with a beautiful hand tooled leather Whalen sling. That beautiful rifle replaced my Model 70 Featherweight 30-06. I still have both rifles. I used the 257WM to harvest a lot of south Texas whitetails, and what that 100gr bullet at about 3500ft/sec (at the muzzle) did to tissue north of the diaphragm doesn't bear description in a family-oriented production. This was long before anyone ever heard of BC, and laser range finders were science fiction', but my longest shot stepped off at 427 paces. My stride is a bit longer than a yard. That deer died in his tracks. I think my experience with the 257WM is quite typical and accounts for the enduring affection that many hold for that caliber. If memory serves, the 25-06 was still a wildcat in those days. The venerable 250/3000 was available only in lever action guns, and the 257WM was the undisputed king of the 25's. Still is in my opinion.
When I was a kid in the 70's & 80's they had an advertisement is some of the hunting/shooting magazines for a bank in Colorado (I believe it was the Bank of Boulder) that would give you a Weatherby rifle as an interest payment on money that you deposited into their bank and left over several years time. Being a kid I obviously never had that kind of money to invest, but always drooled over the thought of owning one of those wonderful rifles. So as an adult I eventually was able to buy a Vanguard in .257 Weatherby and later a beautiful Lasermark in .300 Weatherby! They are wonderful rifles and have taken much game over the years, including a terrific bison bull!!! Of coarse the ammo is tough to find and even more outlandish to pay for, but I have not regretted the purchases and never looked back!
Great coverage of those Weatherby speed demons Ron! Im a small potatoes cartridge collector and have been since I was a small kid. My first live cartridges came to me from my mothers brothers. Anyway Ive never built a collection of the Weatherby cartridges but I should make one up. Newer and younger hunters and shooters probably are not aware of the Weatherby influence on the shooting public and the rifle market way back in the 1940s to 1980s. Great video.
❤❤❤love these videos..always was curious to work up some loads for 460 wm using a 300 grain Barnes x driven to ridiculous velocity....probably solve its reputation for terminal performance. I load for a siamese Mauser in 4570 and using disgusting amounts of h335 and 300 Barnes....holy cow!!
Ron I believe the next Weatherby cartridge will be the 7mm-378. I’m thinking it May out perform the .30-378. A rifle with a faster twist rate so you can sling higher Weight/BC bullets. Thanks again brother for all you do, I have watched almost every one of your videos. Wish I could get you to be my mentor for a period of time. Im retired military and would love to learn a few things from you. Go on a hunt etc. just bought a new Browning X-Bolt @.Hells-canyon Speed in .300 win mag. 26 in barrel put a Vortex 4x16x50 Viper HST on it. Now I’m looking at the Christensen Traverse or MPR in either 7mmPRC or 300PRC. My ultimate dream rifle is a Proof research build
the belt on the case is not a gimmick, it replaced the rim on cartridges with shallow sloping shoulders or no shoulder so they could be reliably headspaced in bolt actioned magazine rifles
My grandfather had a collection of every weatherby rifle with exception to the new stuff made in 2016, 2019, 2022 we just lost him recently and all the guns went to my dad. I plan on buying the missing rifles to complete the collection once again.
I own a mint Mark V in 30-06 that I bought on my company’s internal website from a retired employee who had given up hunting. Saw it posted and called him about it. He simply wanted to “get rid of it” and confessed that he wasn’t accurate with it. I bought it because it was a Weatherby, paid almost nothing for it, shot it a few times and the groupings were terrible. A gun-nut friend of mine floated the barrel or action for me and it has been the most deadly accurate rifle that I’ve owned ever since.
Poor terminal performance on heavy game with the 460wby? In the words of Craig Boddington regarding the 460wby, "the few times I've used it on buffalo, it's been devastating." I agree that since it's an older round, a lot of that opinion comes down to poor bullet design for such power and pressure in the cartridge's early years. Modern heavy bonded bullets like the Swift A-Frame and others like the Barnes X would probably change their minds. I have the pleasure of owning a 460, but have never used it on game. It's a joy to shoot, not as bad as most would think and incredibly accurate for such a powerful round.
It seems that the sweet spot compromise with bullet weight, velocity, trajectory and recoil is around the .257 and .270 Weatherby rounds. Either one of these is good for deer, goat, antelope, caribou, black bear, hog, etc. The 257 is a little light for elk and moose but the 270 is fine.
The difference in the 2 elk I've harvested in the last 2 years was incredible both hard shots The 338 windmag left a golf ball sized hole in the heart 250 grand slug 2600' per 200 grain 340 Weatherby at 3000' per 2nd blew the heart in half 10 times the damage with only one Burger's lost meat and ribbed Although the heart is my favorite meat
Ron, I have a Weatherby FiberMark in 300 Weatherby Magnum ( stamped on the barrel ) I inherited a Weatherby Lazermark Mark ( made in Japan by Howa )from my brother in law where he passed away. His friend told me he could never get it to shoot. I found only 1 box of 300 Winchester Magnum with 3 cartrages missing . Looked at the markings on the Lazer Mark and found it was stamped 300WM. I contacted Weatherby and they said that they only chambered the Lazer Mark for 300 Weatherby Magnum. I know why his friend said it did not shoot he had the wrong ammunition in his rifle.
Hey Ron, loved the video! I'd like to note that there are another 3 cartridges which are between the .460 Weatherby Mag and the .50 BMG. The .408 CheyTac ,.416 Barrett and the .460 Steyr. All three are anti-material rounds like the .50 BMG .408 CT 419gr at 3000fps for 8373ft-lbs .416 Barrett 393gr at 3150fps for 8767ft-lbs .460 Steyr 600gr at 3000fps for 11989ft-lbs
My granpa bought a used 300wby rifle I used it for hunting for several years and tried so many different loads and could never get it to shoot under a 4inch group at 100yrd. Tried all kinds of bullets and loads. I’ve still taken a lot of whitetails with it. I’m wondering if it’s been shot so much it needs a new barrel? No clue on the round count but me and him probably shot it around 300~ rds
I had the same problem with a used 300 wby. I had a long-range competitive shooter take a look with his bore scope and it turned out the barrel was full of copper. A week of cleaning and scrubbing and it now shoots sub 1/2" groups all day. Worth a look.
Probably my favorite rifle is my Cooper 7mm weatherby. Gun is heavy (~9 lbs) but if I'm hunting in a blind or box stand, who cares. The gun is one of the most accurate I own and is, dare I say, pleasant to shoot and the 2lb trigger is a delight. I think the weight, stock design and recoil pad make it..not so harsh? Cons? As previously mentioned, it ain't light. Ammo is hard to get and as noted elsewhere, expensive. The gun was expensive as well. As much as I want to hate this gun compared to my light weight 300 win mag (also a Cooper), I can't, both shoot great but the 7 is as pleasant to shoot minus the awfully loud muzzle break on my 300. Just my 2 cents.
I have thought about your question on the results of the 460 and I think the thickness of the hide and meat before reaching something hard enough to get the energy and the shock that it takes to stop a big animal. Something moving over 1200 or more fps is where you get that shock and knock down the comes with the high speed. This is just an educated guess, and one thing I'm good at is math and commonsense. You take care of yourself, Mr. Spoomer
When I was 17 years old working in a sporting goods store outside of Detroit, I wrote Roy Weatherby a letter to order a left hand.300 Mark V. He figured out that I was a kid, my mom had to OK the purchase. He threw in a Weatherby case and a box of ammo. Roy sent me a Weatherby tie tack. Every Christmas until he passed away I got a Christmas card. WOW.
Now that is customer care!
Now that’s awesome
I really hope that’s a true story!!!! Customer care ain’t like it used to be!!!
@@TheChattanoogaBandit Today I am 69 years old. I still have the rifle. It's in perfect condition. I have shot quite a few black bears with it. I still have the tie tack.
Now that’s customer service on a different level!
When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, I heard all the lore of the Weatherby 460 Magnum. My dad had a rather wealthy friend that purchased every caliber available in the Weatherby Mark V rifle lineup, in the early 80"s. Because of my childhood curiosity, I always wanted the formidable 460... Well, for my wedding anniversary in 2020, my wife purchased me a new in box 1980 Weatherby 460 made by Howa in Japan. Ammo was not obtainable at that time, so I loaded my own from new Norma brass, Hornady 500 grain 45 cal bullets, 100 grains of IMR 4064 and Magnum primers. I have no elephants or whales to kill here in Texas, but when I shoot 5 gallon water buckets, it is quite the display of obliteration! I really enjoy it just for the hell of it. I did finally find a box of factory ammo this past summer in a gun shop in Colorado and gave $181.99 + tax for a box of 20. Life is short and heavy hitting bolt action rifles are fun, just saying. Thanks Ron!
I buy stupidly powerful rifles for the same reason. The shock and awe and that smile they bring when you dump colossal energy at something that is not going to fair well being hit with it. We had similar childhoods. I too was a kid back then, admiring those amazing looking Weatherby rifles, and hearing all the stories and lore. Which is why I own a bunch of them now, and have owned many others that I shot the barrel out of I loved them so much.
Love this comment !!
He's the Carroll Shelby of the cartridge world. Love this video.
That is an excellent comparison. Love it.
Very well said.
The perfect comparison.
Agreed
My first rifle was a 340 Weatherby. Saved up every penny I could when I was 15. The guy at the gun store looked at my dad like he was nuts when he bought it for me.
God, I bet it did.
One and done.
So how long did it take you to shoot it a second time? Or has that yet to happen???
@@danielcurtis1434 hahaha! I shot the heck out of that thing! Or atleast as much as a 15 year old could afford to shoot any Weatherby ;) Only sold it because I got a eye injury that detached my retena (unrelated). The doctor said I couldn't shoot high recoiling rifles anymore.
@@northernoutdooradventures3883 But did you keep shooting? and hunting? Plenty less recoiling cartridges around that can do the job. 👍
Ron, I'm one of those Weatherby diehard collectors, I have the complete Weatherby caliber collection. I picked up my first Weatherby (German Made) J.P. Sauer when I was 14 and have collected ever since. I've never been to Africa of Alaska on a Safari, but the big cats is the only thing that appeals to me anyway. I have shot many elk with my 300 Wby Mag and countless deer , antelope, bear,...etc. with 240 thru 7mm Wby Mag. Your above article indicates that there's not much difference between the Remingtons 7mm and the Weatherby, I own both and I believe the Weatherby to be more accurate, efficient and flatter shooting,....it's a deadly cartridge. I'm a collector of German made Weatherbys. I like them better than the Sheridan, Wyoming makes. Perhaps the Japanese Howas are the most beautiful stocks. The 378 is the most brutal to shoot in my opinion and the 340 is milder to shoot than my 338 Win Mag,...that thing will hurt you. I hope this has been interesting for you and your readers. Cheers!
I have a pre mark v weatherby for sale if you’re interested. It’s one you’ve probably never seen before
Why don't you make TH-cam videos of your collection? There isn't enough on youtube about weatherby rifles.
You are totally correct sir. Several very accredited ballistics experts have sounded off the same thing about the .7mm WBY. They say the 7mm WBY Mag is still the flattest shooting, most accurate .7mm Magnum on the market today. More so, these ballistic experts sounding off are super long range target shooters and hunters. They're shooting not yards or meters, but miles with some of these WBY calibers. I'm buying a .7mm WBY at some point. Along with a .378, .30-338, 6.5-300, .416, and most likely the .338-378. I already own .300 and .257 WBY Mags. Being Canadian I cannot buy and own a .460 WBY, as our government sadly limited Joules to 10,000 J, which is around 7,300 Ft lbs of energy out of the muzzle. The 460 is sadly over buy just 200 foot lbs. I'll have to buy a .458 Lott I guess. I already own a .458 Win Mag, and while fun to plink with...I want more. Like you, I too do not hunt anything but typical North American game for my freezer. I'm not into trophy killing and collecting. Just collecting good memories in the field with my hunting buddies and family.
@@Tigershark-qy2gq .378 kicks more than the 460. , wow does that one nail you if not held properly.
Thank you
Absolutely love my 257 Weatherby
I know a guy here in Canada who owned a .460 Wby and that just last year became a prohibited weapon. Canada created a new law that limits firearms to 10,000 joules of energy.... well the 460 exceeds that. Illegal bolt action hunting rifle, crazy right?
NWO, (or Tikkun Olam/1 World Rule, as the Zionist perpetrators call it) our reality is waaay crazier than fiction (which the rulers constantly pass off as real/actual "events"/history). Understanding that essentially everything you have believed to be true about "history" and our world, is either an outright lie, or heavily manipulated/skewed, (propaganda) is quite alarming (but liberating at the same time). Read the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (purportedly circa 1908). It is their playbook for ruling the world, and it only covers a portion of what they do.
That’s what happens when you vote for communists.
Thats crazy.
@@differentfins Canada is gay.
Insane. World is ran by idiots
I am a Weatherby fan. For me the 257 and 300 Wby are the perfect combo for a hunter wanted the ability to take any game anywhere.
Not to sound like that guy....but 300 Weatherby is not taking "all game" "anywhere". 375H&H is minimum cartgridge for South African DG. The 300 weatherby is a good cartridge. You do not need to over state its abilities.
I thought it was the .264 Win Mag and 300 H&H Mag :)
@@todsimpkins8908 🤣🤣🤣 You are that guy!!!
@@todsimpkins8908
Tac Man was not overstating the 300 Weatherby’s abilities.
It has been used to take everything that walks at one time or another, and is better now than it ever was with the quality of bullets available with a properly placed shot.
There are regions where a 375 is the minimum caliber required by regulations, but the 300 Weatherby has proven itself capable of doing the job just fine.
@@sha6mm You do you! All good 👍
As a long time hand loader I chose the 7mm Weatherby because I could do so much with the cartridge, and I loved the Mark V rifle. I could load it up for bigger game and a heavier bullet or load it down for whitetail deer. I had a number of friends who had 7mm Rem. rifles, they were also hand loaders,and they could not match the combination of speed of my rifle or the accuracy. If you are not a hand loader I would not suggest buying the Weatherby as the cost of ammunition would send you to the poor house quickly if you shoot a lot. One round of factory ammo costs around $5.20. While hunting Pronghorns in West Texas, I shot one at 400 yards with a 139 grain bullet holding just above his back, he ran less than 50 yards. Talk about flat shooting!
I think the most impressive Weatherby cartridge is the 340. While I do love my 338-378 I'm not real happy with the price and availability of brass. It also uses a ton of powder. The 340 is only 200 fps slower with 250 grain bullets, it uses 20 grains less powder, and you can make brass from 375 H&H (which you may not need to do because the 340 brass is much cheaper and easier to find than the 338-378). This difference in velocity translates to about 150 yards. For example, the 338-378 is pushing a 250 Accubond at 3000 fps and it retains 2000 fps at 800 yards. The 340 retains the same amount of velocity at 650 yards. Pretty amazing that this round can keep up with the 338 Lapua and 338 RUM while using the old, traditional belted magnum case.
Agree. Very underrated and practical round.
Btw , you can neck up 300 WBY brass to 340 . Easy one pass .
Agree. It's my favorite elk hammer. Peterson makes new brass for the 340 Wby. Very good brass, I might add. Now if i could only find more Norma MRP!
I've had quite a few of these , but truth be told I've never had or needed anything more than my traditional old 30-06 when it comes to power. My favorite Weatherby is definitely the .257.....it's absolutely lethal in the the lower 48 excluding the odd grizzly.....but with the right bullet and good bullet placement I think it would give him a dirt nap too...
My friends dad has a 257. Weatherby mag, we shot it at my gong and it went thru the thick steel like a cutting torch much to my surprise.
In the chart, it says the 338 rpm has a 225 grain going 3825 I think you meant 2825! Love the show Ron!
No imagine if it was going 3825!
Yep he is 1,000 fps off
But accidents happen
I have the 6.5-300 and it’s is a very pleasant rifle to shoot. I use it for target and whitetail and it does well for both.
Just purchased one myself. Finally got the rifle set up. Having to dig a little on reloading information let alone powders to work on different loads
I shoot a 6.5-300 too great round for hunting.
@@MW-fl9hb reload info is limited but is out there. If you can’t find it let me know and I will reach out to a friend that has the info and has done some reloading to get some info for you.
I have had mine in a weathermark LT and love it I use 142 gr Nosler LR 83 grain US869 powder, this combination gives me 3100 fps that will not burn up my barrel, I don’t think this gun needs to be shot at 3400 fps. This is my opinion
.257wby definitely drops them in their tracks. At least it does for me. I have the .257 the 6.5-300 and the 300wby and the .257 is my favorite too
The 257 and the 300 are the two weatherby rifles i have. My 257 is vanguard with weatherby custom laminate stock. My 300 is a 1974 Mark V deluxe 26in barrel. Love them both.
I worked in the stock dept at Weatherby's from 1981 to 1987 in Southgate Ca. I did accurizing on the stock as we guaranteed a 1 1/2"group , 5shots , 100yds.
The 240 is in deed a 06 case with a belt, I had one and used 06 necked down and headspaced of the shoulder. Worked and shot really well, good for speed goats and PD's in the wind.
My biggest problem with Weatherby is the prices they charge for their ammo. I've seen some of their ammo sale for well over $100 for a box of 20 long before the recent ammo shortages... That said the man had a very successful career and has earned a lot of praise for his contributions to the hunting world. Great video as always keepem coming brother!!
Ammo prices now make Weatherby seem too untermenschisch.
I always wanted a 257 Weatherby ,but probably never will.
Thankfully I have seven boxes of factory cartridges which will be handled in the tumbler upon firing.
@@tomschultz2833 its a nice long range deer round.
If you are to close that speed has a meat cost.
But before the ammo went nuts you could get a 87gr and a 100gr load 40$ or under.
Well to be fair some bullets in some loads are 3-5$ per bullet. Thats not the same a as cup core 30-06.
While stationed in Germany in 1968 I bought a 7MM Weatherby Mark V through a gun club for $180.00 I hunted elk with it for more than 50 years and reloaded ammo. Just a wonderful elk rifle to go to the mountain with!
I had a 300 Wby Vanguard that I bought many years ago at Walmart of all places. They even sold the ammo for it too which was Remington Core Lokt and it was surprisingly affordable.
We must have gotten our guns about the same period early 2000s. Exact same situation a black vanguard in 300 from Walmart and got the first box of Core-Lokts there at the same time
@@thenarrowgate6995 Those were the days!
.300 Winchester Mag. is not to be confused with. 300 Weatherby Mag. Two vastly different cartridges
@@danchristopher7957 Wow, really? Good thing I bought 300 WEATHERBY ammunition for my 300 WEATHERBY chambered rifle then!
I think the vanguard is the most underrated action in the business
I had a 240, 270, and a 300 all Mark V's made by Howa in the 80's, I liked the 270 the most out of three, they were all great rifles when I owned them.
257 W I owned was great and when my niece's son was broke after a divorce, I gave him the rifle. He has killed 2 deer with it and that's the best gift I could have give him. He has since remarried and has 2 beautiful children. And still hunts with that Weatherby.
One my coworkers was in a family trust/gun collection and they had a pretty extensive weatherby collection. If I recall they had one rifle of caliber and model except for the 2 largest calibers. I got to see it once, it was pretty cool. I asked why they didn’t have the biggest calibers and the father stated he would never buy a rifle that we wouldn’t actually take out and use.
My grandfather’s Weatherby was a 7mm Weatherby Magnum, now my dad has it. I did the sensible thing and bought a used Mark V in .30-06. Although I would be interested in a 6.5 RPM
I love this high speed history lesson through and through! You definitely have to appreciate everything that makes up the legacy of Roy Weatherby. Now I'm sure I'm going to get shredded for this but he he didn't really produce any world record numbers in accuracy but that was not what Weatherby rifles were about.
Fascinating! Point of interest, in contrast to the 300 WinMag vs 300 Weatherby situation, my Hornady reloading manual says one can run 375H&H in a 375 Weatherby rifle.
Thank you for providing us/me a comprehensive history and description. My mother's uncle owned and hunted with a Weatherby. When he visited he always brought a generous larder of venison for us. I have always wanted a Weatherby, and now I have a road map. I tip my hat to you.
I love my Mk V 240 WM! Its amazing!
The .257WM is an amazing round...my fave as well!!
I have 5 Weatherby's, my favorite one's are the 30-378 shooting a 180gr Swift at 3,550 fps and a 22-250 in the stainless fluted Varmint master at 4,000 fps. Both very accurate..Enjoyed your video....
Ron I've just recently started watching your channel and I must admit you've been so helpful, everybody else talks about this gun and that gun what makes it special and what caliber that gun shoots, but you're the only one I've seen that talks specifically about the cartridges themselves and I greatly appreciate your expert opinion.
I have a Japanese made .224 MK5 varmintmaster.
It now sports a stainless barrel and moderator, but still has a pretty stock.
Cases are expensive here in the UK £200 per 100 .
It accounts for a few foxes and deer every year.
How hard is it on foxes. Kinda wanted to get a round inbetween my 22 hornet and 22-250
Hi Ron thanks for the weatherby tribute im a collector and user of them all I have all the calibres in the timber and synthetic stocks and used them on lots of the worlds big game and small and love them love the show
Thanks Ray from Australia
Thank you for the video Ron, I've been waiting for you to do this for a couple years
I have the .257, 300, and 340 Weatherby. Awesome cartridges and I love the Mark V action.
My first Weatherby was a XXll, the most accurate 22 I had for many years. I went on a Moose hunt, and had a Mauser action barreled to a 340 Weatherby, still have that. I didn't see a Moose, but that fall I did take this deer hunting and shot 2 deer in about 10 minutes. The shots were taken out of a tree stand, and when I touched off the first shot, I almost fell off my stand, which scared me to no end. I was prepared for a shot for the second deer, but that first one was scary. I later purchased a 300 Weatherby, a 240 Weatherby made in Germany, a 257 Weatherby and recently bought a 378 Weatherby. I like Weatherbys.
When I was a young man my dad used to work for a guy who had taken a hunting trip to Africa and he owned a 460 Weatherby magnum rifle. He invited us to go shooting with him one time at his gun club, of course we brought some of our guns… Nothing like that, but while we were there he let my dad and I shoot the big beast a couple of times. Let’s just say it kicks like a mule. Having shot that rifle I believe you could stop a truck with it.
A friend has a complete collection plus, with spares (well over 100 in his collection) including a .460WM based on a Breve' Mauser action. It is amazing how many "collectables" there are in the Weatherby line, from engraved actions to how many panels on a Laser Mark to guns that were built for celebrities. The guy also collect Model 70's! Anyway, he got me started on Weatherby rifles and I have had my share but have since sold or traded most. Of all the rifles, my favorite was a 7mmWM in a Weatherby Fiber Mark V. It would put a 175 grain spitzer out the barrel at 3100fps plus, and shoot 3/4" groups. On top of that, for some reason, the 7mm didn't kick that much. Of course, I don't think a .338 Win Mag kicks, either.
What i really like about Weatherby is their excellent Mark Five action with the short bolt lift and a safety that locks the bolt, truly tomorrows rifle today!
It’s funny, when people talk weatherby all they talk about is speed, power, BUT expensive. Nobody ever seems to mention that action. So smooth, absolutely the best.
Don't forget, the safety also locks the firing pin!
RON, just to clear this up for you about why Mr Weatherby didn't bring the 6.5x300 out earlier is purly due to lack of quality bullets available at that time. He had it IIRC IN the 60's. Adam weatherby spoke on this a number of times.
I got 2. 6.5x300 and 338-378. Love them both. Fantasticly accurate
The San Diego Zoo used to have a Weatherby arsenal that was given to them by Weatherby in case of emergency
Great video! I too have wondered why the 460 is not more popular as a big game cartridge, I was obsessed with learning as much as I could about the 460, and in what I found is that it’s widely known as the PH killer,, as it does as much damage to the shooter as the animal, I’ve often come across PH’s saying it’s over kill, even for elephants, which doesn’t add up to me, if I ever had the chance to dangerous game hunt in Africa and life is on the line I’ll choose power !
I’m a big guy and I enjoy the recoil and sound of a powerful rifle, but it seems that many don’t feel the same way and shy away from that kind of recoil, thats what I gathered about the 460,
Nice breakdown of all the cartridges. I’m a fan of 460 and this may have been commented below but original loads of 460(not sure for how long they did this but I think a couple decades) were a 500 grain bullet at 2700 fps. Now that’s Quite the load. With a 26” barrel this power can be reached by an experienced hand loader.
As an aside, in my relatively limited experience with PH’s, they are happy about me shooting a 460. That is only after they see it doesn’t have a muzzle brake.
In my area I have permission from all the farmers about deer herd reduction. I built a Ruger No 1 with a 28 inch Bartlein barrel in 257 Weatherby. I shoot alot of different calibers but when I want to really get it done this is what I take. I reload 110 gr. Accubonds with a stiff load of Re 22.I stopped counting years ago. It is the deadliest combination I myself have ever shot. Flat as a pancake just like the deer that I go get after I shoot it with this rifle.
My father had a 340 Mark V made by J.P. Sauer. He sold it. I'm still raw over that deal. But I do have a Colt Sauer bought new in 1980 in 30-06, now a safe queen.
I am tempted to try out a .30-378 Weatherby. Those seem cool, as long as the barrel will hold up.
338-378!
I bought a 30-378 for my father when they first came out and for elk they are fantastic!
Equivalent to using a .300 Rem Ultra Mag (or 30 Nosler which is based on the Rem case), but ~200 fps more.
With weatherby break it hardly kicks...loud!!!! Everyone I know that has one loves it 10+. Plus me
Love the Mark V and have been fortunate to own a number of them….all left handed. The fun in tracking down mint condition lefty rifles in these magnificent chamberings is rewarding when I find a nice one. Currently have LH Mark V’s in 30-06, 300, 257, and a beautiful custom shop Lasermark in the mighty 460
I love when I sit down to reload and there’s a new RSO video.
6:28, grandsons name is Adam, not John.
I had one of every Weatherby caliber, but with recent Canadian gun laws I’ve off loaded some of the big ones.
I found an old (from 1957 according to the actions aerial number) rifle chambered in 300 Weatherby Magnum that is now being custom built into a 375 H&H.
When I was calling in the order, it was very tempting to order it as a 375 Whtby Mag, but ammo availability as well as recoil were deciding factors in my decision.
Maybe a video idea could be to compare recoil rates between "regular" and "Weatherby" cartridges.
That may be one of the reasons as to why Weatherby has not taken as the most popular choice in cartridges for any caliber.
I think the 7mm Weatherby would be my choice overall.
Great show Ron. 1st I think you skipped over the newest Weatherby, 338 RPM. It may not be publicly available, yet.
2nd, glad to see you touch a bit on Roy. He definitely was a gun nut and a great marketer. Belts, all the rage in the 40s. 50s and 60s. Now people are down on belts, hey if Roy designed a cartridge with suspenders, I have it. The double radis shoulder, pure marketing genius. Those racey walnut stocks with the rosewood tips, some of the best looking stocks I've seen.
Cheers, Jeff
In 1994 I bought the Mark V in .416 Weatherby Magnum; it was beautiful and I loved it.
BTW I think it was $1,200 (but maybe $1,400?) I do remember that ammo, was $100 for a box of 20. A few years later I got a Barrett 82A1 .50 BMG ($8,000 with scope) and I was able to get ammo for $2 per round!
I am a Weatherby fan more because of the quality build of their rifles than the cartridges but that said I have a bunch of WBY rifles. A 240 WBY, 257 WBY, 300 WBY, 340 WBY, 378 WBY and a 416 Rem in a Mark V action. All the rifles are Mark V's except the 300 WBY is a Vanguard which is much higher quality than I expected. I have taken deer with the 240 and a Nilgai with the 378 both are very impressive on game.
Excellent show there is only one name in excellent Mr Weatherby got it. And understood the game. I have two and they are beautiful addition to my collection.
I have them all except 240, 270, 7mm, and 375. I really love my 6.5x300 mag Carbonmark, it's a sweetheart of a rifle. When I was 13 I had a rem 270 but got skunked deer hunting, the last day of hunting season and the light was fading, my moms boyfriend seen how bummed I was and asked; "Hey little buddy want to hold my Weatherby 300"; I loved that beautiful rifle so I said YES, perking up fast. Walking back to the truck we rounded a corner and a 2 point black tail was standing in the middle of the dirt road, a whopping 60 yard shot, I dropped it with that Weatherby MAG, I had that hide with a giant hole tanned and hung in my bedroom for years. Now 45 years later, I have my collection of Weatherby's, and I treasure them all, especially the English Walnut ones. My 460, 416, 378, 338-378, and 30-378 I have never fired, I think this summer is the year I take my sons out and fire all of them, and see if they're smart enough to keep the scope from ringing their eye /wink. I also have a couple of the Mark XXII, they're beautiful 22's. To be honest though, my favorite 22 is my browning BAR 22, that was a hard one to find. Thank you for the great video...
i have two custom-built rifles in 257 wby and 30-378 wby, and they are awesome!
I am a bit of a weatherby buff and have one of every caliber except 375. I love the history and the guns. My first was a 30-378 and was hooked.
I’m glad I have a 220 rocket reamer. Fast booger!! I’m missing the 224 weatherby!
I would love to see you cover the Remington ultra magnum story. There’s another powerhouse that outperformed the Winchester magnum’s.
I don't think Weatherby chambers the Mark V for any standard calibers today, although I might be wrong. I do remember when there were a couple of standard rounds available. One was the 22-250 which he said delivered performance worthy of a Weatherby rifle. The other was the 30-06, which he claimed offered unmatched versatility, making it a worthy addition. There might have been a third caliber, but I don't remember for sure if there was a third.
I'm sticking with my Heritage. In my 7th decade I'm partial to 25-06, 264wm, 35 whelin. Rock chucks get my hotrod...220swift/22-250 rem
Finally bought a .340 WM Accumark after wanting one for 25 years. I’ll probably get a .257 WM at some point too.
Excellent choices, they're mine as well!
Wow…one calibre i have always wanted to shoot but it’s one of the least popular and hard to find…there seems to be a mystique about the 340 and the 7mm…what do you intend to shoot with that?
@@russellking9762 I’ve shot most of my elk with a .338 Win Mag - I will certainly use the .340 for elk too. I have an upcoming moose & black bear hunt - I might take the .340 for that. The Accumark is a really great rifle with a great trigger - looking forward to taking it hunting next season.
@@jasonf.4107 Excellent…down here in New Zealand we don’t have any game that would warrant having a cannon like that….please describe to me the recoil on that sucker and is it the same as your .338?
@@russellking9762 the .338 caliber magnums made their reputations with conventional bullets. With modern super premium bullets like the Barnes TTSX, I’m not sure there’s a need for anything larger than .270 or 7mm for any of the game I hunt. However, I use them anyway. I do a lot of cow elk hunting on a small piece of private property, and the .338 either drops them where they stand, or they stagger a very short distance. It’s nice not to have to wonder whether you hit the elk, nor wonder which elk you fired at. In terms of recoil, I sense a noticeable difference between 225 and 250 grain bullets in the .338, and neither kicks as bad as my 50 cal muzzleloader with full-power loads and 330 grain bullets. I typically only use 225’s in my .338, and the Accumark (with its muzzle brake) is more comfortable to shoot with the same 225 grain bullets. I have not yet tried shooting it without the brake.
First high powered gun i bought was a 300wsm in a Weatherby Vanguard thing shot like a lazer i loved it so much i traded it in on a vangard backcountry chambered in .300 Weatherby mag ,its my favourite bolt gun to this date a tack driver can cut each shot in the same hole at 100 no problem.
My first experience with a rifle was the 7mm WM. I was 13. That was 40 years ago. Still have it today
We love what ya do keep it up. Listening from Iroquois SD
As usual, you seem to have extremely good timing and topics to discuss, to go along with a very easy to listen to way of presenting the wealth of knowledge that you have acquired over the years! I am glad that you even included the Weatherby Rocket since it's recently been covered in some of the more recent reloading magazines and it is capable of some pretty impressive ballistics! It's looks a lot like a scaled down .30/378 Weatherby! I've had all of the Weatherby Magnum calibers except for the Rocket, the. .224, .270, 7mm, and the .375!
The Rocket, the .270 and the 6.5 and .338 RPM are probably going on my bucket list, though that will happen only if they come out with unprimed brass. I was lucky enough to be able to experiment with many of the calibers back before factory ammo went through the roof. I spent a lot of time doing research with the .30/378 in over half a dozen platforms, including Mark V's, Ruger No. 1's, and extremely strong (but fairly simple design wise) railguns.
Of all the Weatherby calibers that I tried, I think that the .340 Weatherby and perhaps the .300 Weatherby (which I am currently revisiting) along with the .416 Weatherby, were the most impressive! The .416 seemed to our penetrate all the others, although the Woodleigh's FMJ's may have changed that. The monolithic solids would tend to deform in oak and other mediums, when the impact velocities exceeded ~ 3,200 fps... and by that I mean that they would start to mushroom. The .416 might just have been in a sweet spot insofar as velocity. The Woodleigh's almost always would out penetrate the monolithic solids.
The .340 was notable because it could come within ~ 50 - 75 fps of the .338/378 (especially with RL-26) with a lot less powder and out of a 26" barrel would approach that 5,000 ft.lb. number that you referred to! That's also in a smaller diameter case with less bolt thrust. Added to the higher efficiency and less muzzle blast... what's not to like. By the way it will also easily shoot through 2+ feet of seasoned live oak with either the 250 or 300 grain Woodleigh FMJ's! As a side note, I think that the. .460 Weatherby necked up to .510" might be a viable option... since it closely mirrors my .50/416 Rigby insofar as case capacity goes and we were able to easily exceed 10,000 ft.lbs. with that round. We actually got into the low 12,000 ft.lb. range though pressures were getting warm by then. With one of the 750 grain projectiles that we tested the pressures were definitely acceptable, though the recoil was interesting. With that bullet weight the 30+ pound gun would be flipped up side down completely off of it's base and it took us multiple rounds to get over the chronograph sensors at 15 ft., due to trying to spin that weight bullet and the barrel alignment being pulled off course before projectile exit!
interesting is the 340Weath Mag handloaded will perform almost identical to a 338 lapua. I remember back when banks in Montana would give you a weatherby rifle for opening an account above a certain balance. Miss those days. if I remember correctly the 460 performance was hampered by velocity being a shade too high for 0-100yds, the impact is greater but penetration lacked because of the high impact. When they tested the 460 against slower cartridges same bullet it failed on penetration, that being said this goes back to bullet design and newer bullets cutting edge or barnes change the wound channel and the shock. So the 460 could be a diamond in the rough
Very interesting, especially the comparison between the 7m Remington vs the 7mm Weatherby, thanks
Thank you putting this Weatherby video together I had ask you a question about this topic a couple weeks ago. I appreciate it your input on everything Weatherby since I just purchased my first Vanguard deluxe in 270wby. I have a feeling I might come down with the Weatherby fever and experiment with other calibers now hahaha.
If you ever get another start with the 257. It was Roys favorite for a reason. One of the best deer and antelope rounds ever made.
love this. Weatherby Cartridges are some of my favorite.
I have a Vanguard (Series 1) in 300 Weatherby. While having a rifle in each Weatherby cartridge was never a possibility, I long wanted a rifle bearing the Weatherby name, and chambered in a Weatherby cartridge. A few years ago, I found mine online. It was so cheap I jumped on it without hesitation. When I went to buy ammo, I discovered WHY the rifle was so cheap to purchase. Started my progress into reloading, It did. Nowadays, lightly modified, it's become sort of a long range plinker. The niches I bought it for originally have been occupied by rifles far cheaper to shoot. But I'll keep it. It scratches a couple of historical itches for me, and boy, does it reach way out there.
You need to handload or buy one of their rifles in a common round.
@@WayStedYou it’s headed me into reloading. I have some other big dollar cartridges that demand it. .375 Ruger for one.
I love my Vanguard in .300 Weatherby! Bought it from Walmart back in 2001. I think I payed $400 bucks for it. The Vanguard models are actually made by Howa in Japan and rebadged. Great rifles for the cost and will do anything a mark V will do without busting your wallet.
@@kentearly805 a Mark V was never in my budget. Why I went with a Vanguard.
Fired my friends 300weatherby with 180 grain bullets ouch. And then built my 300wsm. I can still get a 180 grain bullet over 3000 fps in the 300wsm and recoil is much nicer on the shoulder with less powder. Deer don't know the difference dead is dead.
Always was interested in the weatherby cartridges. I have two Mark V in 300 wby and 6.5 RPM. I just recently came across a Weatherby FN round-nose build in 1951 chamber in 300 Wetherby mag in excellent condition. I always was fan of weatherby but never considered my self a collector until now.
460 WM Kinetic Energy transfer into target creates two factors, Crush Factor & Tear Factor. Nitro cartridges use brass solid rounds to create tear factor deep into the animal. Standard hunting rounds flatten out and bleed energy before getting deep into the animal. Lots of crush factor wounding, but it is not deep enough for extra large game.
In 1960 my father gave me a 257WM, 26in barrel built on a magnum Mauser action with a beautiful hand tooled leather Whalen sling. That beautiful rifle replaced my Model 70 Featherweight 30-06. I still have both rifles. I used the 257WM to harvest a lot of south Texas whitetails, and what that 100gr bullet at about 3500ft/sec (at the muzzle) did to tissue north of the diaphragm doesn't bear description in a family-oriented production. This was long before anyone ever heard of BC, and laser range finders were science fiction', but my longest shot stepped off at 427 paces. My stride is a bit longer than a yard. That deer died in his tracks. I think my experience with the 257WM is quite typical and accounts for the enduring affection that many hold for that caliber. If memory serves, the 25-06 was still a wildcat in those days. The venerable 250/3000 was available only in lever action guns, and the 257WM was the undisputed king of the 25's. Still is in my opinion.
When I was a kid in the 70's & 80's they had an advertisement is some of the hunting/shooting magazines for a bank in Colorado (I believe it was the Bank of Boulder) that would give you a Weatherby rifle as an interest payment on money that you deposited into their bank and left over several years time. Being a kid I obviously never had that kind of money to invest, but always drooled over the thought of owning one of those wonderful rifles. So as an adult I eventually was able to buy a Vanguard in .257 Weatherby and later a beautiful Lasermark in .300 Weatherby! They are wonderful rifles and have taken much game over the years, including a terrific bison bull!!! Of coarse the ammo is tough to find and even more outlandish to pay for, but I have not regretted the purchases and never looked back!
I still want to get a 460 WM.
Great coverage of those Weatherby speed demons Ron! Im a small potatoes cartridge collector and have been since I was a small kid. My first live cartridges came to me from my mothers brothers. Anyway Ive never built a collection of the Weatherby cartridges but I should make one up. Newer and younger hunters and shooters probably are not aware of the Weatherby influence on the shooting public and the rifle market way back in the 1940s to 1980s. Great video.
❤❤❤love these videos..always was curious to work up some loads for 460 wm using a 300 grain Barnes x driven to ridiculous velocity....probably solve its reputation for terminal performance. I load for a siamese Mauser in 4570 and using disgusting amounts of h335 and 300 Barnes....holy cow!!
Always been interested in the .240 Weatherby. Feel it would be an excellent long range coyote gun.
Ron I believe the next Weatherby cartridge will be the 7mm-378. I’m thinking it May out perform the .30-378. A rifle with a faster twist rate so you can sling higher Weight/BC bullets. Thanks again brother for all you do, I have watched almost every one of your videos. Wish I could get you to be my mentor for a period of time. Im retired military and would love to learn a few things from you. Go on a hunt etc. just bought a new Browning X-Bolt @.Hells-canyon Speed in .300 win mag. 26 in barrel put a Vortex 4x16x50 Viper HST on it. Now I’m looking at the Christensen Traverse or MPR in either 7mmPRC or 300PRC. My ultimate dream rifle is a Proof research build
the belt on the case is not a gimmick, it replaced the rim on cartridges with shallow sloping shoulders or no shoulder so they could be reliably headspaced in bolt actioned magazine rifles
My grandfather had a collection of every weatherby rifle with exception to the new stuff made in 2016, 2019, 2022 we just lost him recently and all the guns went to my dad. I plan on buying the missing rifles to complete the collection once again.
I like the 257 and 240 alot.
I own a mint Mark V in 30-06 that I bought on my company’s internal website from a retired employee who had given up hunting. Saw it posted and called him about it. He simply wanted to “get rid of it” and confessed that he wasn’t accurate with it. I bought it because it was a Weatherby, paid almost nothing for it, shot it a few times and the groupings were terrible. A gun-nut friend of mine floated the barrel or action for me and it has been the most deadly accurate rifle that I’ve owned ever since.
my collection of Weatherby's are 220 Wby.Rocket Imp.Ruger#1 , 35 - 378 Wby Sako , 375 Wby. Rem 700,
Poor terminal performance on heavy game with the 460wby? In the words of Craig Boddington regarding the 460wby, "the few times I've used it on buffalo, it's been devastating." I agree that since it's an older round, a lot of that opinion comes down to poor bullet design for such power and pressure in the cartridge's early years. Modern heavy bonded bullets like the Swift A-Frame and others like the Barnes X would probably change their minds. I have the pleasure of owning a 460, but have never used it on game. It's a joy to shoot, not as bad as most would think and incredibly accurate for such a powerful round.
Love this content and topic. Love the Weatherby cartridges
It seems that the sweet spot compromise with bullet weight, velocity, trajectory and recoil is around the .257 and .270 Weatherby rounds. Either one of these is good for deer, goat, antelope, caribou, black bear, hog, etc. The 257 is a little light for elk and moose but the 270 is fine.
What about the 338 RPM cartridge? Looks like the velocity was off a lot on it 3825 fps with a 250 grain bullet more like 2825fps maybe. Good video.
The difference in the 2 elk I've harvested in the last 2 years was incredible both hard shots The 338 windmag left a golf ball sized hole in the heart 250 grand slug 2600' per 200 grain 340 Weatherby at 3000' per 2nd blew the heart in half 10 times the damage with only one Burger's lost meat and ribbed Although the heart is my favorite meat
Breezed right over 338 RPM….numbers look crazy!
Ron, I have a Weatherby FiberMark in 300 Weatherby Magnum ( stamped on the barrel ) I inherited a Weatherby Lazermark Mark ( made in Japan by Howa )from my brother in law where he passed away. His friend told me he could never get it to shoot. I found only 1 box of 300 Winchester Magnum with 3 cartrages missing . Looked at the markings on the Lazer Mark and found it was stamped 300WM. I contacted Weatherby and they said that they only chambered the Lazer Mark for 300 Weatherby Magnum. I know why his friend said it did not shoot he had the wrong ammunition in his rifle.
Hey Ron, loved the video! I'd like to note that there are another 3 cartridges which are between the .460 Weatherby Mag and the .50 BMG. The .408 CheyTac ,.416 Barrett and the .460 Steyr. All three are anti-material rounds like the .50 BMG
.408 CT 419gr at 3000fps for 8373ft-lbs
.416 Barrett 393gr at 3150fps for 8767ft-lbs
.460 Steyr 600gr at 3000fps for 11989ft-lbs
.375 CheyTac, too, just barely.
My granpa bought a used 300wby rifle I used it for hunting for several years and tried so many different loads and could never get it to shoot under a 4inch group at 100yrd. Tried all kinds of bullets and loads. I’ve still taken a lot of whitetails with it. I’m wondering if it’s been shot so much it needs a new barrel? No clue on the round count but me and him probably shot it around 300~ rds
I had the same problem with a used 300 wby. I had a long-range competitive shooter take a look with his bore scope and it turned out the barrel was full of copper. A week of cleaning and scrubbing and it now shoots sub 1/2" groups all day. Worth a look.
Probably my favorite rifle is my Cooper 7mm weatherby. Gun is heavy (~9 lbs) but if I'm hunting in a blind or box stand, who cares. The gun is one of the most accurate I own and is, dare I say, pleasant to shoot and the 2lb trigger is a delight. I think the weight, stock design and recoil pad make it..not so harsh? Cons? As previously mentioned, it ain't light. Ammo is hard to get and as noted elsewhere, expensive. The gun was expensive as well. As much as I want to hate this gun compared to my light weight 300 win mag (also a Cooper), I can't, both shoot great but the 7 is as pleasant to shoot minus the awfully loud muzzle break on my 300. Just my 2 cents.
I have thought about your question on the results of the 460 and I think the thickness of the hide and meat before reaching something hard enough to get the energy and the shock that it takes to stop a big animal. Something moving over 1200 or more fps is where you get that shock and knock down the comes with the high speed. This is just an educated guess, and one thing I'm good at is math and commonsense. You take care of yourself, Mr. Spoomer