Why are Weatherby guns in 375+ calibers not liked on a Safari?

[One Day...]

Love the 375 Wby as suggested below, but your 338 Lapua bolt face is cut quite a bit wider than the .375s. It looks as though this isn't an issue with the 416 Rigby. The 54 degree bolt rotation of the Wby action is a distinct advantage; while controlled feed is nice, it doesn't offer a distinct advantage such as that. Lack of a 3 position safety on the Wby is an inconvenience. Consider carefully what magazine capacity you require, and be sure that the Wby action will accommodate....

Very good point regarding the bolt face! In my mind a new bolt body would certainly be worth it if the .375 Wby was the choice, but this is an additional critical consideration I should have mentioned.

Ah but let us be clear about the Mark V safety. It may not be a "3 position safety," but I think that we will all agree that in the "3 position safety", a.k.a. the Winchester safety, what we really like is the fact that it is a bolt-mounted, firing pin-blocking safety, which is vastly superior to an action-mounted, sear-blocking safety, where a fire pin cocking piece can conceivably jump the sear if the rifle falls hard and the sear engagement is minimum.

Behold, the Mark V safety may not have 3 positions per se, but it IS a bolt-mounted, firing pin-blocking safety that retracts the cocking piece from the sear when engaged. Once may argue that it does not offer the convenience of the intermediate third position that allows opening the bolt with the safety "on", and this is true, but in my mind it truly fulfills the true role of a mechanical safety, which is to lock the firing pin in place as close to idiot-proof as mechanically possible. This is an objective additional benefit of the Mark V action, although rarely mentioned

 

[C.W. Richter]

Think about it. Weatherby is a high dollar product compared to many other brands--even considering a non-Weatherby cartridge in a Weatherby rifle.
Add to that is the fact that some Weatherby owners I have know are(Status, try to impress) type of people. Their hunting/shooting skills often are minimal.
Put another way --as my PH said---"There are born hunters and then there are money made hunters" The born hunters know their firearm/bow and (have practiced)know how to use it. They also know how to hunt and usually the tape measure is not the most important thing. They are enjoyable to be with and when things go wrong accept it as part of hunting.
I have personally run into hunters who show up with brand new camo, a new rifle and scope(usually expensive), looking for a record book or at least super bragging animal(usually want it tied to a tree close to camp and the truck) and then complain about everything but their poor shooting ability if (Actually when) they miss. After all they had the rifle bore-sighted at the gun shop

Born hunters can show up with a Weatherby and after proving themselves leave a good impression.

Money made hunters are not really hunters in my eyes and leave a bad taste(impression) with most people in camp. Especially when they are more concerned about drinking and bragging what a great person they are, a great hunter with mounts on their office walls, who they know, how much money they make and how they are better than most others. All ego and no skill.

All the above works against the Weatherby name plus the super shiny(no help when hunting) fancy stocks and such on many of their rifles. Working people often look at those rifles "look at me", show-off rifles and not "using tools"

All that said I have a 257W that I really like. It is the cheapest MK V they make with syn stock and not highly blued barrel/action. It is a "Hunting" and used by a "born Hunter" according to my PH and people who know me.

Yes the smaller caliber Roy's are fantastic for medium game. Used to have a sticker on my motorcycle helmet that said $15K and 15 minutes doesn't make you a motorcyclist!

 

[One Day...]

Amen!

June 2010, the R1200 GSA at "the end of the earth". An 8,000 miles ride from Flagstaff AZ, most of it off pavement north of Glacier National Park in Montana.

July ‎22, ‎2020, 100,000 miles on the K1300S. My GPS attests that its electronic speed limiter indeed cuts ignition at 174 mph / 280 km/h...

Weatherby rifles & cartridges are like BMW bikes, it is true enough that many buy them for looks, but some actually use them, and both are highly specialized tools that deliver in spade in the right hands

 

[mark-hunter]

My friend did return from a SA Safari and told me that the PH in the camp told him that they did not like Weatherby guns for dangerous game.
They do not work good.
Really? Is that so?

We cannot know what that PH had in mind.
But, it could be some of the following:
- The old PF vs CRF debate. this is covered by One Day, well. Generally, there is still a stong sentiment towards CRF rifle, on african hunting grounds.

- Most of Weatherbies are meant for long rang shooting, and most will not heave mechanical sights.
This could be one of the reasons. Many hunters do not need mechanical sights and do not use them, others, traditional ,and those who hunt in close range situation, prefer them.

- Calibers and cartridges. There is a question of availability of weaherby cartridges in local gun shops, world wide, africa wide? Avaialbility of weatherby ammo, cannot be even remotely compared to availablity of 375 HH, 30-06, 300 win mag, etc...

- Muzzle brakes - Many weathebies will have muzzle brakes. PH's generally do not like that.

 

[JimP]

A couple of other problems that will creep up with Weatherby's is their loads that are next to or very close to maximum pressures. When you are shooting in the heat of the savanna you may end up with a sticking bolt due to the hotter temperatures and increased pressures.

That is on reason that I do my load development for my Weatherby's and other firearms in the summer when it is quite a bit warmer than it is when I am usually hunting. I also try and to use powders that give me the performance that I want with lower pressure levels.

 

[EfRed]

One Day...'s comments are excellent.

 

[Rule 303]

I post my question here as it pertains to Weatherby, some what. I have a Weatherby mark V in .338 Lapua. I had my fun with this rifle and it is nearing a barrel change within the next 300 rounds. I have contemplated with flipping this to a DG cartridge due to having the action rather then buy another rifle. I get the control round feed vs push feed argument, so that holds here as well. I considered jumping to a .416 rigby in this action, and re bedding everything into a sporting stock. Am I off my rocker for even thinking of going in this direction seeing its a push feed rifle?

No, not at all. I have seen CRF stuff up as bad and as readily as any push feed.
If all you need is a new barrel then just re-barrel to a 416 Rigby. Just check the feed rails will not require any work first.

 

[colorado]

My two cents. If you take CRF Model 70 in 375 H&H and rechamber it to 375 Weatherby, you will gain 200 fps with 300g bullets at similar pressures. Probably the juice isn't worth the squeeze for most folks. For myself, rechambering our Rem 700 XCR II was kind of a necessity (the chamber was rough out of the factory) and it provides 338 Win mag range and hits harder. it also shoots factory 375 H&H ammo just fine.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

The only reason I would ream out to 375 weatherby would be to get more powder behind a 350 grain bullet.

 

[John458Lott]

Just don't listen to them. My PH recently bought a 2nd hand 460 Weatherby no doubt at a good price since people have been scared off by all the bad press in the forums! Nothing wrong with Weatherbys if you can handle them. The Mark V action is very strong and reliable, a bit on the heavy & long side for 375 H&H sized cartridges great for the Rigby sized ones, trigger is only fair but works and accuracy is generally pretty good. Barrels tend to be on the longish side. The stock - well you love em or hate em but they work.

 

[colorado]

The only reason I would ream out to 375 weatherby would be to get more powder behind a 350 grain bullet.

​

Good reason. I load the Woodleigh 350g HD softpoints in my 375 Weatherby (Rem XCR II with a 24" barrel) and get 2550 fps with no pressure signs.

 

[IvW]

Just don't listen to them. My PH recently bought a 2nd hand 460 Weatherby no doubt at a good price since people have been scared off by all the bad press in the forums! Nothing wrong with Weatherbys if you can handle them. The Mark V action is very strong and reliable, a bit on the heavy & long side for 375 H&H sized cartridges great for the Rigby sized ones, trigger is only fair but works and accuracy is generally pretty good. Barrels tend to be on the longish side. The stock - well you love em or hate em but they work.

He will come to his senses as soon as he starts using it on DG......

 

[revturbo9967]

He will come to his senses as soon as he starts using it on DG......

I've already started searching a model 70 in various calibers.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Weatherbys are shiny, flashy and UGLY, That alone disqualifies them IMO.

 

[BeeMaa]

Weatherbys are shiny, flashy and UGLY, That alone disqualifies them IMO.

Why not start with accurate, reliable and safe as qualifiers. Then you can worry about the looks.

 

[Professor Mawla]

- Recoil
- Muzzle brakes
- Extraction issues with large dangerous game shell casings
- Excess velocities cause bullet deformation on many lead core bullet designs . Even steel jacketed flat nosed solids

 

[Nevada Mike]

Why not start with accurate, reliable and safe as qualifiers. Then you can worry about the looks.

Because there are many rifles that offer all the above, without the penalty of being ugly. Model 70, Dakota 76, various Mausers...

 

[JimP]

When I am using a rifle for a job I could care less if it is the ugliest rifle out there, I could also care less about the wood in the stock as long as the rifle and round does its job.

The last two rifles that I have purchased have synthetic stocks on them. No fancy grain wood to scrape and scratch up, or have to worry about swelling when out in the rain for a week. They both are Weatherby's, one a Mark V with the synthetic stock and a Vanguard which also has the synthetic stock. They both are tack drivers and do the job.

 

[BeeMaa]

When I am using a rifle for a job I could care less if it is the ugliest rifle out there, I could also care less about the wood in the stock as long as the rifle and round does its job.

The last two rifles that I have purchased have synthetic stocks on them. No fancy grain wood to scrape and scratch up, or have to worry about swelling when out in the rain for a week. They both are Weatherby's, one a Mark V with the synthetic stock and a Vanguard which also has the synthetic stock. They both are tack drivers and do the job.

Exactly.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

In my opinion, things that are built to do a certain job, and do it well look good. Like a bell and Carlson CZ stock. However I can’t figure out what job a weatherby stock was designed for other than looking good,regardless of the material. Therefore I find them ugly.