weatherby rifles...just curious

biggdogg

Senior Member
i've always owned savage rifles. i was thinkin about stepping up for my next rifle. just wondering what you guys think about weatherby rifles.
 

GA1dad

Senior Member
You have Weatherbys, then you have Vanguards. The Vanguards are your typical over the counter guns, no better or worse than any other gun under $500. I have one and like it fine. True Weatherbys are nice guns,,,, though highly over rated in my opinion. In their day,,,, only the rich had them. Now they seem to be everywhere.
 

dixie

Senior Member
I have two, both in standard cals. love both of them. I've never owned a mag. but if I ever do, it'll be a weatherby, like the above post says, there's weatherbys, then there's vanguards, I like weatherbys
 
I own a Weatherby Accumark in 257 Weatherby magnum 87gr. It is a great gun and has been devastating on deer. However, I hunt with a Savage Arms 11FXP in 22-250 60 gr. Hornaday. This setup is every bit as devatating on deer and hogs. To date I have never lost an animal. Why do I hunt with the Savage? Athough the recoil on the Weatherby is much lighter than the 30-06, I used to shoot. There is very little with the Savage. I watch the deer fall through the scope. Once you shoot, the deer and hogs do not seem to be able to pickup where the shot came from, allowing multiple shots on multiple targets. The cost savings in ammunition is considerable. With the 26-inch bull barrel, the Weatherby is heavy and little more difficult to use in tight quarters. Remember speed kills. At 3195 ft per sec with 1360 ft lbs of energy at 100 yds it will stop the game animals in SE Ga. I have taken deer and hogs beyond 100 yds. The ballistics out to 200 yards are equally good. 2826 ft per sec with 1063 ft lbs at 200yds.
 

Unicoidawg

Moderator
Staff member
I will say this..................I have a Weatherby Vangaurd .270 that my father gave me as a Christmas present when I was in the ninth grade. I have killed 30 plus deer with it over the years. Yes it's a vangaurd but it is a Weatherby............................it shoots good and is one on the best presents my father gave me as a kid. That being said, it had a wal-nut stock on it years ago and it devolped a crack and just broke on the grip portion while in the woods. Well I sent it back to Weatherby and their "fine" customer service said that I broke it on purpose and wanted to charge me $350 to put a new stock on it. Well dad went round and round with them and they put a synthetic stock on it for no charge :huh:. As big a company as they are I think they could have been a little more accomadating............................... It still has that sythetic stock on it and works great. One of these days, I'm gonna get me another wal-nut stock to go back on it and have it re blued and then put it up...................... Anyhow they are good guns and I have accquired another one a .300 ultra mag since
Unicoidawg:flag:
 

Robust Redhorse

Senior Member
I have a Weatherby Vanguard in 300 Winchester Magnum that I bought when I was in high school about 25 years ago. It is a great shooting gun that I've taken many animals with including some African game. I've owned 3 Weatherby Mark V's and to me they are some of the best looking guns ever made, especially the "Euromark" versions, but I have had very poor luck with Mark V's. (All of mine were Japanese or US made)

I just got through spending $250 on gunsmithing on a Mark V and it still doesn't shoot straight.

I had a friend who bought an American made "Accumark". It wouldn't shoot 4" groups at 100yds. He sold it and bought another one and the second one sprayed bullets all over the place. He got rid of that one too and replaced it with a Remington 700 VSS and it works fine (after a trigger job). He has a German-made Mark V that is a real tack driver.
 

Buzz

Senior Member
Which one are you looking at? The Vanguard is a Howa with a Weatherby name on it. Certainly nothing wrong with that but it's not a Weatherby action if that is what you are looking for. I've personally never been a big fan of the MkV action due to the way the locking lugs are designed.
 

Doc_Holliday23

Senior Member
whenever I look at a Weatherby I can't help but think that a lot of my money is going to how the gun looks and not how it functions. I might be totally off on that one, but that has kept me from ever really wanting to own one. Rugers and Remingtons will work for me.
 

Bruz

Gone but not forgotten
I have owned Howa's and Vanguards....The are GREAT shooters out of the box normally....I have never owned a Mark V because if I'm spending that much for a factory rifle I'm buying a Kimber.
 

birddog1

Senior Member
I have owned several Weatherbys over the years.I have never had one that would not shoot a 3 shot group between 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards.If I was buying a vanguard I would buy a sub moa.If was buying a mark v I would get a ultra light weight accumark or If you like wood a mark v deluxe.Weatherbys are good guns but so is browning,remington,ruger,kimber etc. I do not think you can go wrong with one.It comes down to what you like and what you want.
 

dixie

Senior Member
I have owned several Weatherbys over the years.I have never had one that would not shoot a 3 shot group between 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards.If I was buying a vanguard I would buy a sub moa.If was buying a mark v I would get a ultra light weight accumark or If you like wood a mark v deluxe.Weatherbys are good guns but so is browning,remington,ruger,kimber etc. I do not think you can go wrong with one.It comes down to what you like and what you want.

Yep, one thing that really hasn't been mentioned about the weatheby's in the mark V's, is the bolt throw, it'll spoil you quick if you shoot much. One other thing, you'll see weatherbys chambered for both rem and win mag rounds, ever see a remington or winchester chambered for a weatherby mag round?
 

Buzz

Senior Member
ever see a remington or winchester chambered for a weatherby mag round?

Yes on both accounts - I've seen both in .300 Weatherby.

Remington still offerers the .300 Wby in several of their custom shop rifles. I think it was the "Classic" M700 in 1989. I've seen a couple of Winchester Sporters in .300 Weatherby as well. I am not sure if they were special runs or not.
 

Dub

Senior Member
I have owned several Weatherbys over the years.I have never had one that would not shoot a 3 shot group between 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards.If I was buying a vanguard I would buy a sub moa.If was buying a mark v I would get a ultra light weight accumark or If you like wood a mark v deluxe.Weatherbys are good guns but so is browning,remington,ruger,kimber etc. I do not think you can go wrong with one.It comes down to what you like and what you want.

Well said.

The only Weatherby that I've owned was a Vanguard blue synthetic in 300 wsm. It was a fairly decent shooter after reducing the trigger pull. Very smooth bolt for whatever that is worth and the stock was the most solid synthetic stock I've ever owned...not the hollow plastic feeling ones like a couple of my Remingtons have.

I've always drooled over the Accumarks for some reason. They are great looking guns imho.

They do freebore their barrels so you can forget about seating out to the lands. I'm confident that you can find a sweet shooting load in one, though.:p
 

dixie

Senior Member

LOL I pulled up a NEW one, for 2400.00 I'd buy a weatherby instead!!!!!:bounce::bounce::bounce: Now I know why I've never seen one, nobody I know can afford them! I used to hunt with a guy whose wife gave him a new lazermark and made him promise he'd hunt with it, he wouldn't even put it in a case, when I'd go by and pick him up he'd sit holding that thing all the way to the woods, I never did find out how he pulled it up or climbed with it.
 

QuakerBoy

Senior Member
I have a weatherby mk V chambered in 7mm-08....I really like it.

I would not go out looking to buy a weatherby...but this was a used one with a great scope for a fair price..so I said what the heck...
 

Dub

Senior Member
LOL I pulled up a NEW one, for 2400.00 I'd buy a weatherby instead!!!!!:bounce::bounce::bounce: Now I know why I've never seen one, nobody I know can afford them! I used to hunt with a guy whose wife gave him a new lazermark and made him promise he'd hunt with it, he wouldn't even put it in a case, when I'd go by and pick him up he'd sit holding that thing all the way to the woods, I never did find out how he pulled it up or climbed with it.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I can certainly understand that. Those are works of art. I can see why the fella fretted over it so. That's pretty stong that his wife got it for him and made him hunt with it. Sounds like a great gal.:biggrin2:
 
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