[Drue]

A buddy has a Mark V in .300 Weatherby for sale at $850 which includes a Leupold VariX III, 3.5-10, 50mm, heavy duplex scope. It has really handsome wood and the action, including the trigger, is slick. I have shot a few 1.25" 3 shot groups at 100 yards with it using 180gr handloads. Is this a good, bad or indifferent deal? Has anyone here used one for hunting? Does the power or trajectory of the 300 really make any difference in deer hunting? I don't see any really big critters in the sights in the immediate future. I realize that there are some people running around loose who want to substitute power for shooting skill and I don't want to lapse into that group but the idea of 180s at 3200 is facinating and the gun is pretty to boot. What do y'all think?

Thanks

Drue

[Steve Smith]

The deal is probably decent, but since its something I'd pass on I'd call it indifferent.

Does the power or trajectory of the 300 really make any difference in deer hunting?

No.


I'd get a $250 gun show job for justing. That's just my 2 cents.

[rugerfreak]

A lot of power for just shooting bambi----I'd just get a regular deer rifle---cheaper ammo and easier on the shooter.

[cratz2]

I'm not a fan of objective lenses that big on hunting rifles but the deal itself seems pretty good to me. If the rifle is in good condition, you could probably buy the gun and scope, sell the gun for $600 or $700 and get a nice $500 scope for $150. If you have time to sit on it.

300 Weatherby Magnum seems like a bit much for deer. You could use that $600 or $700 to buy pretty much any rifle in your choice of chambering. If you're not looking to hunt anything larger than large deer, a 30-06, 270 Win, 25-06, or even a 243 or 260 might be a better choice. They won't knock you around as much as the 300 Weatherby and will still kill 'em just as dead.

[Shootist45]

I worked for Weatherby in the early 1990's. The .300 Wby is the one that started it all. It can be the best .300 out there if you don't reload and if you do reload!

The price is "fair" and the glass is good but, I don't like a thick duplex. Just my opinion. The 180 gr. is the one used the most for game but, I like a 165 gr. for all around shooting on thin-skinned game. Where the .300 Wby shines is with the 200 and 220 grain bullets. These, the Wby can push along at 3000 fps+, and really make the .30 caliber become a heavy weight hitter and a long range, accurate shooter.

I say go for it if you are going to be hunting in the far west and you are going after large deer. If you are going after the deer in the south, learn to reload and load the lighter bullets at slightly lower velocities (3000 minus) so as to not destroy meat.

Also, if the rifle looks good to boot, so much the better!!

Enjoy

[Gordon]

I like .300 Weatherby and have one in a old southgate Mauser f.N. actioned Roy Weatherby special. I think that Leupold is perfect for the caliber. I used my .300 with a 2.75-10 Imperial(about same as your scope) for african plains game and it was perfect with Nosler 180 Partitions in 1975 in Rhodesia. I have used it on elk and it is perfect especially with the Barnes X bullet. I used to shoot .300 H&H factory ammo in mine to get the brass for reloading. Mine shot the .300H&H real good too just a little higher grouping with mellow(!) recoil.I still have it and if I didn't shoot .375H&H on elk and in Alaska I'd consider using it. My son wants to get it for christmas next year. I don't like the Mark 5 Action personally but a German one will do.

[Marshall]

You didn't say which Weatherby Mark V? These are the wood models they still sell:

A LazerMark retail @ $2,058.00

A Delux retails @ $1,891.00

A Sporter retails @ $1,223.00

The Vari-X III retails @ $535.00 roughly

Then you have base and rings $$


Used:

LazerMark Ex conditon = $825.00

Deluxe Ex condition = $795.00

Sporter Ex condition = $595.00

*Nib condition add approx $200.00 to each

300 WBY MAG Ammo: $37.00 - $53.00 a box online from Weatherby


For a nice gun and a great scope it sounds like a good deal to me. Yea, a little too much umph for whitetail, not for mule deer though and you have a caliber you could take to the rockies some day. It's not like you're considering a .460 WBY MAG

More important, you like it and want it! ;)

[Drue]

Thanks for the replies. I don't exactly "need" another deer rifle but I learned a long time ago that need often has nothing to do with gun purchases. I am going to go for it.

Thanks

Drue

[Gewehr98]

I noticed that nobody ever talks about Weatherby accuracy in the same light as the Remington 700's, Winchester 70's, Sako's, Tikka's, and so forth. Even the American Rifleman's review of the Weatherby synthetic varmint model gave groups in the 1.25's, is this because of the freebore?

[Art Eatman]

My Mark V has the 26" #2 Profile barrel, the only way I could get a Mark V in .30-'06, back in 1970.

Dunno about freebore, but after I tweaked the bedding of the forearm and installed a Canjar trigger, it gave ten-shot groups in 1-1/4 MOA and five-shot groups in 7/8 MOA. I still get three-shot groups in an average of around 3/4 MOA, with the occasional 1/2 MOA. I guesstimate about 4,000 rounds through it, roughly...

My main happiness is that it doesn't seem to care what you feed it, insofar as group size. Primer brand, bullet brand or weight: It's easy to load for tight groups. :)

Art

[Lee Woiteshek]

Well, I've got a 300 Weatherby, and until last week, I had two. Both MKV's one a Euromark, and one an Accumark. Both my scopes were Swarovski's with the heavy 7A reticle. I used both for whitetail. Both could dump three rounds into your watch crystal at 100 yards with factory ammo. Stick with the 180 grain bullets. Anything lighter and you will have meat loss. For your use know that this is a beanfield rifle. With a 200 yard zero, with 180 grain factory your only 5 inches down at 300 yards. Which is what a 22-250 shoots. My longest shot was 346 yards from a permenant stand. The price that was asked is certainly fair. There is a recoil factor, but it won't kick you any more than a 3 inch 12. I hope you enjoy your new rifle as much as I have mine. Lee Woiteshek