Delima on a Gun Decision.

[ShaneC]

I inherited several guns from a relative that I was very close to. One is a Weatherby Mk5 in 300wby. It was bought new in the late 70s. So here is my dilema, I want to hunt with the gun but it kicks like a mule, and it is the barrel is not free floating. Should I take the action and put a heavier barrel with a brake on a new stock or leave it as is and let it be a safe queen and go in a different direction.

I have just recently gotten back into gun hunting after mostly bowhunting for the past 30 years and I need a new gun. This will be mostly for whitetail, but over long shooting lanes and large green fields.

 

[wildwilderness]

Depends how nostalgic you are.

I say put it in the safe or sell it.

Super easy to buy a whitetail rifle that doesn’t kick at all

 

[ReddingArcher]

I'd probably let it sit in the safe most of the time and only take it out occasionally if it beats the crap out of your shoulder.

 

[Rknight]

Try a limbsaver pad?


If you do decide to sell it, shoot me a pm. I’m a weatherby fan

 

[scfreeman66]

Keep it as-is and let it ride. I have a very similar situation with one of my rifles. I hate to shoot the dang thing but I can't sell it either. Stock, barrel, trigger, and brake would make it shootable but takes away from the original gun. It's a catch 22....Buy or build what you want and keep the 300 original

Sent from my N1374DL using Tapatalk

 

[Zappaman]

IF... you know the approximate round count like my dad's "Roy" 7mm WM (where he shot it 50 times in 25 years- and he WAS a dead ringer- ranch kid who only pulled it out once a year or so)... then you can get a nice price in the market. If it's got 2000 rounds through it, then I'd sell it off (or rebarrel/brake it) and keep it in the family.

Nothing wrong with "improving" a family heirloom and (maybe) passing it down

 

[ShaneC]

IF... you know the approximate round count like my dad's "Roy" 7mm WM (where he shot it 50 times in 25 years- and he WAS a dead ringer- ranch kid who only pulled it out once a year or so)... then you can get a nice price in the market. If it's got 2000 rounds through it, then I'd sell it off (or rebarrel/brake it) and keep it in the family.

Nothing wrong with "improving" a family heirloom and (maybe) passing it down

I don't know the exact round count, but I know since the late 80's it hasn't seen a box of ammo through it. My uncle did not use it much at all. I also have 3 boxes of ammunition from when it was bought, along with the receipt from when he bought it.

A friend of mine has a Kleingunther in 300 wby and it has the same size barrel but has a brake, the brake is the same diameter of the barrel and does not take away from the looks of the rifle. I think he said it was a KDF brake but not sure. Maybe this is the route I should go.

 

[Zappaman]

I'd keep it and add the brake-- you'll LOVE it! Wish my dad's wasn't stolen, I think about his custom stock he had made for it in San Antonio, TX in 1969- inlaid pearl, babinga trim- it was a beauty. It was THE safe queen of about 8 guns (all 70s and 700s), but my brother probably traded it for a bag of crap weed back in 1978 when it "disappeared" from dad's closet- like most of those guns did.

I once saw my dad shoot a buck full run out at about 450 yards- his last deer shot in about 1990. It was already over the hill- perfect shot! I still have a newspaper clip of the monster buck he dropped in 1971 in south Texas with that same gun- he won the "Big Buck" competition in his county (why it was in the paper).

Wish I had those guns today. But my brother is straight (now) and so it's what it is... and I appreciate the guns (and gun safe) I have today

ps. sell the old ammo off- "vintage ammo"--new stuff is WAY better!

 

[ShaneC]

I'd keep it and add the brake-- you'll LOVE it! Wish my dad's wasn't stolen, I think about his custom stock he had made for it in San Antonio, TX in 1969- inlaid pearl, babinga trim- it was a beauty. It was THE safe queen of about 8 guns (all 70s and 700s), but my brother probably traded it for a bag of crap weed back in 1978 when it "disappeared" from dad's closet- like most of those guns did.

I once saw my dad shoot a buck full run out at about 450 yards- his last deer shot in about 1990. It was already over the hill- perfect shot! I still have a newspaper clip of the monster buck he dropped in 1971 in south Texas with that same gun- he won the "Big Buck" competition in his county (why it was in the paper).

Wish I had those guns today. But my brother is straight (now) and so it's what it is... and I appreciate the guns (and gun safe) I have today

ps. sell the old ammo off- "vintage ammo"--new stuff is WAY better!

Thanks I think that is just what i am going to do. I have been debating what to do with it for a few months now.

You think people would actually buy that vintage ammo?

 

[Zappaman]

Probably... or you could just put it on the mantel- right under the gun

 

[h2so4]

Yes, people love vintage ammo.

 

[sndmn11]

Put a brake on it for $250 and go hunt.

 

[EdP]

I don't think there is anything in La that requires a .300 Wthby Mag. Sell it and get a nice rifle that better matches the game you are going to hunt. Your shoulder and ears will thank you.

 

[ShaneC]

I don't think there is anything in La that requires a .300 Wthby Mag. Sell it and get a nice rifle that better matches the game you are going to hunt. Your shoulder and ears will thank you.

Nah nothing is too big. Besides selling it was not an option for me.

 

[Centralcoastca]

Try a limbsaver pad?


If you do decide to sell it, shoot me a pm. I’m a weatherby fan

This would be the cheap easy thing to start with. More than likely it still has the now hardened rubber pad from the 70s. I was surprised at the difference with just putting one of these on made. It made my .280 a pussycat and an
un braked .300wm that wasn’t fun, good enough not to mess with. Definitely takes the edge off and something that you’d probably want to do anyway with an older gun so for $40 or $50, if it works great, if it needs more move on from there… my grandpa used to get some of his bigger hitters magna ported. It might be a good way to go to keep everything original if that’s important to you being an heirloom.

 

[davsco]

yep have it threaded and throw on a brake. and a better recoil pad.

a word of warning. i had a smith thread and add a brake to my 300wsm. he thinned it down to match the barrel profile and it literally blew apart the first time i shot it! he did the honorable thing and replaced it, and i told him to not turn it down at all. performance over aesthetics!.

 

[Zappaman]

I'd send it off to a GOOD smith, replace the Pachmyer kick pad (with another one) and have it threaded for a brake (if you want). Personally, I don't have a problem shooting a 300 a few times a year at the range to check POI. Then... you WON'T feel it on the hunt anyway

 

[BAKPAKR]

I had a Mark V in 300 Weatherby from the late 70s. It easily shot sub-MOA without any smithing. I kick myself for getting rid of that rifle.

Before you send yours off to get a brake, and assuming you don’t reload, I would suggest that you contact some of the custom ammo makers and inquire about getting some rounds loaded with 130 gr Barnes TTSXs or 124 gr Hammer Hunters. Dropping bullet weight has a big effect on recoil. Since you will mainly be going after deer, the mono bullet will likely not damage as much meat as a light weight cup and core bullet starting out at a similar velocity.

 

[roosiebull]

I don't know the exact round count, but I know since the late 80's it hasn't seen a box of ammo through it. My uncle did not use it much at all. I also have 3 boxes of ammunition from when it was bought, along with the receipt from when he bought it.

A friend of mine has a Kleingunther in 300 wby and it has the same size barrel but has a brake, the brake is the same diameter of the barrel and does not take away from the looks of the rifle. I think he said it was a KDF brake but not sure. Maybe this is the route I should go.

i say brake it and use it. if accuracy isn't up to par, it probably would take much to fix that.

i can't stand guns that sit around, if a gun sits with me, i sell it and buy a more useful one, but understand your hesitation in your scenario.... still not that hard to justify, guns are built to be shot

 

[ShaneC]

i say brake it and use it. if accuracy isn't up to par, it probably would take much to fix that.

i can't stand guns that sit around, if a gun sits with me, i sell it and buy a more useful one, but understand your hesitation in your scenario.... still not that hard to justify, guns are built to be shot

And this is what I am going to do. I can't see it sit in the safe and not be used at all. And i can't sell it. My uncle would pick me up when in was a kid and take hunting every weekend when my dad was on call. I was also the only nephew or niece to actually be named in his will, leaving me all his guns and reloading equipment so they mean a little something to me. I made a promise to myself that this year I would get new glass for the guns, learn how to reload put everything to good use.

Thanks for all the replies.