Is my son's used Wxby rifle a 300 Winmag or 300 Wxby Mag?

[weaponeer1911]

My son just bought a used Weatherby Mark V at a local gunshop. Nice older gun with a nice wood stock and beautiful blueing. They said it had been there quite a while (like 11 years!). On the left side of the barrel it is marked:
Mark V
Weatherby
300 MAGNUM

on the right side is marked: P537xx Made in W. Germany

The gun shop said the rifle was chambered in 300 Winchester magnum, NOT 300 Weatherby Magnum. To prove it they chambered a round of Remington 300 WinMag factory ammo. After bringing it home I got to wondering if a 300 WinMag round would chamber in a 300 WxbyMag chamber? Looking at the cartridge dimensions it looks like it would. We did a little more research on the 'net and it seems the P serial number indicates it was built in '69-'73 in (then) W. Germany. We saw in another spot that Weatherby did not chamber rifles in 300 WinMag until the mid 90's.

I think the gun shop was wrong and we have a rifle chambered in 300 WxbyMag, not 300 WinMag. But we don't have a round of 300 Wxby ammo to check with. We will go back to the store on Monday and try a 300 Wxby round to verify, but I was wondering what the folks here could tell me about the rifle, and if Weatherby ever made 300 WinMag rifles in Germany.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[CB900F]

Weaponeer;

The following data can be found in any competent reloading manual. The case length dimensions of the .300 Winchester magnum are:
Length from base to bottom of shoulder 2.196"
Length from base to top of shoulder 2.356"
Length from base to case mouth 2.620"
The .300 Weatherby magnum has a radiused shoulder & therefore I will give only the dimensions to the bottom of the shoulder & overall case length, to the mouth. They are 2.384" and 2.825"

If the gun is indeed chambered for a .300 Winchester magnum, it's very unlikely that the .300 Weatherby round will chamber. Never say never though. Therefore, the best thing to do is have a chamber casting done & measured by a competent gunsmith. Should not be very expensive & then you'll know for certain sure. If it's indeed a Weatherby magnum chambering, the radius'd chamber neck will be a dead give-away.

900F

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, a .300 WinMag will chamber in a .300 Weatherby rifle.

But the Weatherby case is about 1/4' longer.

So a .300 Weatherby will not chamber in a .300 WinMag.

The early German MKV's .300 Weatherby's were marked .300 Magnum.

rc

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Fire a .300 Win mag in it. If the case comes out with a neck about 1/16 " long, it's a Wby chamber. I find these at the range all the time.

 

[Art Eatman]

Looking in Wikipedia, the base diameters and the rim diameters are within 0.001", so the WinMag wouldn't be a safety problem in using the test suggested by jim in Anchorage.

 

[weaponeer1911]

Thanks guys ....

Thanks for all the info. The comments here and some more 'net research I've done pretty much confirms that it must be a 300 Wxby Mag. We'll verify that by chambering a round, and then go tell the gunshop where he bought it that they were wrong. Although in this case it may not have been dangerous, but such mis-information to someone that wasn't as knowledgeable or skeptical could have created a potentially dangerous situation.

Thanks all.

 

[rcmodel]

Both rounds use the same belted case dimensions, and headspace off the belt, not the shoulder.

So there is no safety issue firing a .300 Win in a .300 Weatherby chamber.

Except for poor accuracy, and ruined .300 Win brass for reloading.

rc

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Both rounds use the same belted case dimensions, and headspace off the belt, not the shoulder.

So there is no safety issue firing a .300 Win in a .300 Weatherby chamber.

Except for poor accuracy, and ruined .300 Win brass for reloading.

rc

well you could saw you're making "improved" .300 Win brass. I really do find these blown out near neckless .300 Win cases at the range all the time. I wonder if the shooter is just ejecting the case, never looking at it and never realizing the mistake.

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: It has been my observation for many years that there are a lot of clueless gun owners in the world!!

More so now, then 50 years ago it seems.

rc

 

[Jim Watson]

Shoot a .300 H&H and it will come out the right shape AND length.

 

[rcmodel]

There ya go!!

rc

 

[Hypnogator]

Guys, the obvious answer is to buy a box of .300 Weatherby Magnums and see if one will chamber. If it will, that's what it's chambered for. If it won't it is probably chambered for the .300 Win.

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Saw this at the range once. A guy shooting a .300 Weatherby couldn't figure out why his groups were so bad until the rangemaster showed him a piece of brass that came out of his gun. He was shooting .300 Win Mag ammo in his .300 Weatherby Mag rifle. The guy said he just went to the gun shop and asked for "a box of .300 magnum" and the guy behind the counter just sold him a box of .300 Win Mag.

 

[nathan]

Weatherby and Winchester, they compete each other. It doesnt take much to have the wrong one at that ....

 

[dprice3844444]

email the factory with pics of the writing and serial number

 

[Ar180shooter]

Saw this at the range once. A guy shooting a .300 Weatherby couldn't figure out why his groups were so bad until the rangemaster showed him a piece of brass that came out of his gun. He was shooting .300 Win Mag ammo in his .300 Weatherby Mag rifle. The guy said he just went to the gun shop and asked for "a box of .300 magnum" and the guy behind the counter just sold him a box of .300 Win Mag.

Yep, you get stuff like that all the time. You also get people asking for things like 7.62 ammo. When you ask which one, they tell you their rifle is semi-automatic.

That, or they ask you for .308 and it turns out they have an SKS.

 

[racenutz]

Guys, the obvious answer is to buy a box of .300 Weatherby Magnums and see if one will chamber. If it will, that's what it's chambered for. If it won't it is probably chambered for the .300 Win.

IMHO the correct answer is to have a chamber cast done & measured. That will remove all doubt.

 

[jeepnik]

Or, you could just contact Weatherby and have them check their records.
http://www.weatherby.com/company/contactus

You might also contact the Weatherby Collectors Association.
http://http://www.weatherbycollectors.com/

 

[Willie Sutton]

Well... As far as I know, all of the 9 lug Mark-V's were/are in the Weatherby calibers. The 6 lug actions were/are used in standard calibers but .300 Win Mag was not one of them. I would bet dollars to donuts it's 300 Weatherby. German Weatherby rifles are pre-Howa, and thus pre-Vanguard generation. Those were the first real attempt to sell rifles in non-Weatherby calibers, other than a few hand built customs from the California shop. The chances of finding a non-Weatherby caliber German one is nearly zero. And as has been noted there is one-way interchangeability of calibers: .300 Wby, .300 H&H, and .300 Win Mag. Check to see the longest one it'll chamber and that's what it is.

Willie

.

 

[ball3006]

I don't think any of the Mauser action Weatherbys were in a non Weatherby cartridge. chris3

 

[Robbins290]

Weaponeer1911, I can send u a case of 300 weatherby mag to test and see if it fits in. If you don't find a "solid" answer. I'm 100% positive weatherby won't fit in a Winchester chamber.

 

[HexHead]

Well... As far as I know, all of the 9 lug Mark-V's were/are in the Weatherby calibers. The 6 lug actions were/are used in standard calibers but .300 Win Mag was not one of them. I would bet dollars to donuts it's 300 Weatherby. German Weatherby rifles are pre-Howa, and thus pre-Vanguard generation. Those were the first real attempt to sell rifles in non-Weatherby calibers, other than a few hand built customs from the California shop. The chances of finding a non-Weatherby caliber German one is nearly zero. And as has been noted there is one-way interchangeability of calibers: .300 Wby, .300 H&H, and .300 Win Mag. Check to see the longest one it'll chamber and that's what it is.

Willie

.

Not true. Just the other day I had a German built (J.P. Sauer btw) Weatherby in my hands that was chambered for .30-06. They did a couple of calibers, but I doubt .300 Win Mag was one of them.

As for the 9 lug vs 6 lug, 9 lug indicates a magnum caliber. I suppose if they made a 300 Win Mag, it would have the nine lug bolt?

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Weaponeer1911, I can send u a case of 300 weatherby mag to test and see if it fits in. If you don't find a "solid" answer. I'm 100% positive weatherby won't fit in a Winchester chamber.

I am also confused about the identity of my .300 mag. Can you ship a case of .300 Weatherby my way? I will get right back to you, much obliged.

 

[Art Eatman]

I know that in 1971 a Mark V was available in .'30-06. It was a special order deal, with a #2 profile, 26" barrel. Mine, made in Germany, cost $315, out the door. I don't recall whether other chamberings were available.

 

[BigG]

Weatherby had standard calibers like 30-06 and .270 but any magnum was a Weatherby magnum, not Winchester.