300 Weatherby Magnum——the bomber

[High Plains]

I wanted a 300 Weatherby for a long, long time and hen I finally got one it became my hand loading experimental rifle on steroids. Through a lot of careful tracking of old accuracy I was able to find several great loads with 180 grain bullets——the very weight Roy Weatherby had in mind when he designed the cartridge.
About 10 times a year the questions were asked concerning why I would use it when it kicks so hard and is a big bullet.(A) Recoil sensitivity varies from person to person and since I don’t mind it with a 300 Roy (because I know how to handle it), it works for me. (B) The .30 caliber bullet is the same diameter as a 308 Win, but just a little heavier than what most 308 Winchesters use in a hunting load. Thus, the overall lack of accurate information of the merits of a magnum cartridge are usually revealed quickly. I can’t guess how long they are held onto.
Accurate, long-range shots are needed here on the High Plains. The 257 Wby and 300 Wby are perfect candidates for this part of the world........and yes, so are the heavy-for-caliber bullets from the Creedmoors, the 7mm family and the tried and true 308 Win. I used a 308 Win on an Army high powered rifle team so it will always be included in a discussion about what cartridges can do the job.
Discuss, please,

 

[jmr40]

I'm not opposed to magnum cartridges. I've had several including 300 WM, 300 WSM, and 7mm Rem mag. But I came to the conclusion that I wasn't good enough to take advantages of their capabilities. I eventually sold all of mine and have decided the 6.5 CM and 308 are big enough to meet my needs. I kept the 30-06 as my big gun, but rarely use it anymore. For those good enough to make hits at extremely long range they certainly have their place. But the 308 is an elk round out past 500 yards. That's at least 100, probably 200 yards farther than I feel comfortable taking a shot. One of the moderators here has used his 308 at ranges approaching 600 yards quite effectively on elk several times in recent years.

Modern high BC bullets and modern optics have been game changers too. A modern high BC 180 gr hunting bullet fired from a 30-06 at 2800 fps will impact at the same speed at only 75 yards as an old school 180 gr RN fired from a 300 WM at 3000 fps. Fired from a 308 at 2600 fps they will match the RN load fired from a 300 WM at only 175 yards. Affordable range finders and scopes that help compensate for bullet drop have negated the advantage of flat shooting rounds too.

Back when Roy Weatherby was designing his cartridges they didn't have the same bullets we have today. The only way to improve impact speeds down range was to start the bullets faster at the muzzle. Of course those same modern bullets can also be loaded in the magnum cartridges and take things to another level. But it still comes down to the shooter having the skills to use them.

 

[Chuck R.]

I own a .300WM and have shot a .300 Weatherby side by side, both with 180s.

May have been the rifle, but the .300 Weatherby's recoil and blasts was substantially more. MV was about 200 FPS faster than the .300WM which equates to about 8" delta in drop at 500 in favor of the Weatherby. I reload so the .300 Weatherby factory ammo cost doesn't factor in, but brass is more expensive, it burns more powder, and requires a longer action. Whether the negatives are worth less drop and some more energy is an individual thing.

IMHO the .300WM is a more versatile cartridge as its easy to load down to be a "belted 30-06". Honestly most hunters have no business taking shots at game at the distances the delta between the .300WM and .300 Weatherby would even come into play.

 

[army_eod]

I have one just because everybody should. Mine is a Vanguard First Lite with factory Accubrake. Extremely accurate.

 

[Garandimal]

The .300 Roy - is a cannon.

That, to me (along w/ the 8mm Rem Mag) put the "belt" in belted magnums.

For really big stuff - out a ways.




GR

 

[.308 Norma]

Discuss, please,

I don't know what's to discuss, High Plains. But I never mind talking about my great .308 Norma Magnum, so here goes.
Sometime around 1963 (when I was 14 or 15) I started big game hunting with a .308 Winchester. I used that rifle for mule deer and elk until the late '70s or early '80s before deciding I "needed" (actually, more like wanted) a flatter shooting .270 Winchester. So I got myself a .270, and used it for deer, elk, black bear hunting (I never got one) and an antelope (pronghorn). Then, in the mid-80s, I decided 30-06s were more "versatile" than .270s and shoot almost as flat. So I got myself a 30-06, and happily used it for deer, elk and pronghorns up until the mid-90s - when I very willingly allowed a buddy to talk me into getting a .300 Win Mag like he was getting. And I've loved 30 caliber magnums ever since. BTW - if you don't know, the .308 Norma Magnum is virtually the ballistic twin of the .300 Win Mag.
For an all-around, all-purpose Idaho big game load in my .308 Norma Mag, I use a Sierra 165gr HPBT over a healthy charge of H4831. It shoots flat, hits hard, and I won't bore you by telling you how accurate it is - very. I guess my .308 Norma Mag kicks a little harder than my old 30-06. On paper, it has to kick harder because those 165gr bullets are leaving my .308 Norma's muzzle at better than 3,100fps, while they're only leaving my 30-06's muzzle at 2,800fps. But with my .308 Norma's shock absorbing synthetic stock that was custom built to fit me perfectly, I actually like how it kicks. I don't think I've ever been all that recoil sensitive anyway.
BTW, over the years I've taken a few mule deer with everything from a .44 Magnum handgun, to a .50 caliber Hawkins, to a 30-30 Winchester, to a .338 Win Mag. They all worked. I just prefer .30 caliber magnums for Idaho big game - especially mule deer. I could switch back to my 30-06, or even my .308 Winchester if I had to, but I don't have too. I'm old, cranky, and I can shoot what I want.

 

[WisBorn]

The 300 Weatherby is a great choice!!! I have owned the 300 Win Mag and 300 WSM loved them and settled in with 180 Partitions for the WM and 180 Accubonds for the WSM. The 7 Rem Mag became my favorite because of the rifle more than the cartridge, though the 7rm has never let me down.
I will say: plan and simple for a hunting cartridge make mine a magnum.

 

[EIB0879]

I have a Sako L691 in 300Wby that my wife gave me for Christmas 1994. I put a Leupy VX3 4.5-14x 40 mm on it the next year. It is a lazer but it will hammer you. In my 60s now I feel it more but have used a PAST shield when shooting from the bench.

It seems to like 180 gr loads the best but the most accurate load I ever shot through it was a Federal Premium 165 gr BTSP load that isn't made anymore.

I lugged it around on a mule deer hunt five years ago and decided it was time to invest in a lighter rifle in 30-06. After Covid tore up my lungs last year I don't think I'll be doing much walking this year so I may pull the 300 Wby back out.

 

[High Plains]

A deer hunt on the high plains usually means the animal is a long way from you and there is a minimum of concealment, minus the occasional low spot that can be used to hide your movements. This means a rangefinder and a scope with holder over points are two things I really like and use as much as possible. The long shots (+350 yards) are more common than you might think. Since the accuracy is there with a 300 Weatherby and the modern equipment takes away a lot of the guessing, a 350 yard shot isn’t that hard.
The 300 Weatherby delivers a good bullet with plenty of energy. It’s hard to beat when you’re skinning a big buck and it sure beats having tag soup.
As my buddy says, “hunting with a Weatherby means the hunt ends when you pull the trigger.”

 

[LoonWulf]

While ive used 7s from small to tall, ive really only ever used the .300WM in belted 30s.
The Wbys all have a bit of mystique, none more so than the .300, that the newer big magnums never quite achieved imo.
Were i building/buying another 30 mag (unlikely barring a steal on a gun/barrel because of my preference for .284 bullets) it would probably be a .308 Norma, but I'd like to just HAVE a 300wby in the safe, the same way i like to HAVE an 06.

 

[.308 Norma]

As my buddy says, “hunting with a Weatherby means the hunt ends when you pull the trigger.”

Well, at least the "fun" part of the hunt ends when you pull the trigger. My dad told me that a long, long time ago, and he was right!

 

[LoonWulf]

Well, at least the "fun" part of the hunt ends when you pull the trigger. My dad told me that a long, long time ago, and he was right!

Thats why you let other people pull the trigger, then heckle relentless.....fun never ends......

 

[.308 Norma]

After Covid tore up my lungs last year I don't think I'll be doing much walking this year so I may pull the 300 Wby back out.

Sorry to hear that about what covid did to your lungs, EIB0879. A bout with a bacterial pneumonia back in 2005 left the lower thirds of each of my lungs filled with scar tissue. And because my wife has been struggling with atrial fibrillation, as well as an atrial flutter for a few years, neither of us gets very far from the truck when we're hunting anymore. In fact, my wife got herself a Disabled Hunter Permit so that she can legally shoot from a motor vehicle as long as it's not moving or on a public road.
With our underlying health issues, we we're pretty worried about covid. We got the second shots 2 weeks ago last Thursday though, and today we took a drive down to Logan, Utah because we knew of a large sporting goods store there that I figured had some .257 Weatherbys in stock. They didn't, but they did have a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in .300 Weatherby, and a Weatherby Mark V chambered in 6.5 Weatherby. Both rifles were interesting to me - I'd never actually looked at Weatherby rifles up close before.
BTW, they had stacks of some off-brand of .223 ammo lining one whole aisle. I wasn't interested, so I didn't pay any attention to the price. I did however, look at the price of a 20 round box of 6.5 Weatherby Magnum ammo - $55.00!
I've figured all along that I'll be loading for a .257 Weatherby if I get one though. So the price of Weatherby factory ammo doesn't much matter to me when it comes to making up my mind whether or not I buy myself a Weatherby rifle.

 

[MachIVshooter]

The .300 Roy - is a cannon.

That, to me (along w/ the 8mm Rem Mag) put the "belt" in belted magnums.

For really big stuff - out a ways.




GR

The 8 mag is the direction I went. Definitely not as punishing as my .375 RUM, but it sure ain't a pussycat.

Despite owning those two and other sledgehammer rounds, I do most of my big game hunting in the rockies and on the eastern plains of CO with my .25-06. I'll take the 8 mag when I'm after bull elk, but for cows, mulies and speedgoats, the quarterbore is plenty, even at considerable ranges.

 

[eastbank]

who in the hell shoots round nose bullets in their 300 wby for any distence shooting? i know i don,t. on a hunt that can cost you thousands of dollars and a one shot chance comes quick at 400-500 yards from a good rest, you can bet your butt i,m not shooting a round nose bullet out of my 300 wby.

 

[Gordon]

I always wanted a .300 Weatherby since a kid in late 50s, I also wanted that leather and grained Scandinavian chair and foot stool too! I got the .300 Weatherby Deluxe Mark V Sauer German built in late 70s and took it to Africa on first safari in 82 and killed everything thru Eland with it like the hand of G-d, only one animal required two shots because I pulled a long shot and I shot another Kudu twice because because it was still kicking in circles .. I used the factory 180 load with the Norma bullet it had during the times. I shot a couple elk with it in Colorado in the 80s and 90s with equal great results with no trailing needed. I also have an original Southgate FN Mauser actioned one I got from an old Weatherby gunsmith who made it in the early 60s with a prototype stock trying to convince Roy not to go the nre Mark V design ! I still have the old Southgate rifle and it is a tack driver. I sold the Deluxe German Mark V 5 years ago for $1500 and it had a few light bumps and bruises but still pretty and it had the big German Weatherby Imperial scope on it in Bhuleur mounts . I also had a Winchester 1955 .300 Mag that was converted to Weatherby but sold it to a friend 10 years ago. I have worked up .300 Weatherby loads since the 80s and still am . The 180 and 200 grain Sierra Gamekings are my favorite tho a 208 Grain Amax is flatter shooting farther out but they are not cheap to buy ! . For years I used a full case of H870 powder but started with IMR 4831 . All my Weatherby made rifles had 26" barrels, which really helps tame the beast along with a Gentry Quiet brake.
I like the .300 Weatherby for Elk above all else except maybe a good .375 Weatherby (or a .358 Norma) which is also great bear medicine. The .300 Weatherby kicks less for me than a .338 Winchester ! I highly reccomend a .300 Weatherby as a super duper long range hunting gun you are not going to put a big round count on , . Just keep it sighted in with a good scope like the Zeiss Conquest 3-15 HD 5 with Z800 , which is designed for that caliber it seems like, with great mounts and keep your self familiarized with a box of 20 a year or so and know your hunt will be a success if YOU measure up !
I really like the Weatherby .300 (and the .257 ect. ) for hunting up to 1000 pound game up to 600 + yards , what more could you ask for ?
It is not a featherweight short barrel rifle cartridge like a .308 tho.

 

[Gordon]

Here is the add that got me lusting in 1963:

 

[Gordon]

My old German MK5s ! .300 and .224 , they could do anything in the USA but were just so pretty !

 

[IdaD]

It's my favorite flavor of 300 magnum, I guess for mostly nostalgic reasons. I mostly hunt deer these days and mostly not with a 300 Wby, just because I have other rifles that are a lot handier and easier to carry. A Mark V with a 26" barrel is not exactly a carbine. The next time I draw an elk tag I'll probably pull out the Weatherby, though. It's an accurate and hard hitting rifle.