Is The Juice Worth The Squeeze??

[kid44]

Is it worth it to step up the the Weatherby calibers in caliber for caliber, so to speak?? .270 Win to .270 Weatherby, 7MM Remingotn Magnum to 7MM Weatherby, .300 Win Mag to 300 Weatherby and so on. I see nothing more than increased velocity with the Weatherby calibers. Not to mention the cost of Weatherby ammo can certainly be prohibitive.

 

[ndlawrence]

In my opinion, no. Like you pointed out, the selling point is most often increased velocity. If you don't reload, you're often limited to Weatherby ammo, which is quite expensive and hard to find in person if that matters. Then there's also the Weatherby freebore chamber debacle.. from what understand, there is excessive freebore in their chambers to help reduce pressure.

 

[howl]

Have done .300 Win and Wby. I always thought the Wby hit harder. And the rifle handled really well. I never liked the Mark V action, though, and of the rifles I had the Win was easier to work up a load for.

 

[huntnidaho]

I went the other way. 300 Wby Mag to a 7mm RM. Less recoil, lighter rifle, cheaper/more available components, hasn't changed my effective range, etc. Yeah, I lost some velocity, but the critters haven't noticed as far as I can tell. Couldn't be happier.

 

[ELKhunter60]

I've always tried to have this reflection when selecting hunting equipment. "If something goes wrong with a hunt, will I reflect back on my equipment decision and wonder if I could have prevented the issue by selecting something different." Therefore I shoot a model 700 Remington in 300 Weatherby and I shoot a Prime Bow with Iron Will broadheads. I practice with my equipment and I exercise so I'm ready for my hunts when they come long.

All of the calibers you mention are very good. There are several things to consider when deciding on a rifle caliber. An extra dollar or two per round should not be the deciding factor IMO. We spend tons of money on weapons, gas, cloths, scopes, licenses and a bunch of other things. Bullet cost is a pretty small part of the total equation.

 

[jacknifejc]

If one is wanting to step up I’d rather step up to Nosler or PRC cartridges. Personally, I’d just stick with the Winchester and Remington cartridges before stepping up to the Weatherby cartridges.

 

[Montana Slim]

I really (really) like my 700 in .257 weatherby... however, I am aware of how inefficient it is compared to say a .25-06, and especially at the ranges I shoot game. It was my first rifle I bought myself so it isn't going anywhere. My personal opinion is that the velocity increases/improved ballistics you get with weatherby cartridges diminish with caliber.

240 way faster than 243
257 faster than 25-06
270 faster than 270 win
7mm about the same as 7mmRM
300 a little faster than 300 win

In reality, most ballistic discussions are academic, and nit-picking tiny differences - especially within the same caliber at the ranges most people shoot... Freebore and a belted case also are not much of a concern for most guys (particularly if you don't reload). Last time I checked 7mmRM and 300WM have been doing pretty well at stuff and things.
I guess the short answer is: "Shoot what you like!" If you like weatherbys go for it! And buy reloading gear...

 

[Anello]

I think that the only (2) calibers that it has made sense for me in were 25 cal and 30 cal. The .257 Weatherby Mag is a killer round. I bought a Vanguard Wilderness a while back and have been really, really impressed with the overall accuracy of the rifle/cartridge. Also, it hits hard for what it is. I've been really impressed with the performance on wild hogs with the copper rounds. Having the extended point blank range makes the cartridge really nice on a Pronghorn hunt, too, for example. I do like the 25-06, but there is a marked difference between the two, which justifies the jump in my opinion. Also, ammo is a lot cheaper than it used to be and is available in a majority of stores (sans the wal marts of the world).

The 30 cal is the other caliber that I like the jump in. Being able to get another 200 FPS or so and 4-500 LBS of energy over the win mag makes it attractive given the small increase in recoil. There are a ton of options 30 cals now, so, you can get that performance in other standardized cartridges, but, if I were to do it again, I would have bought a .300 Weatherby rather than the .300 win mag.

Also -- I agree with the above post. While I really enjoy a good ballistics discussion, the reality is that my optimal shooting range as a hunter is within 400 yards. Outside of that is really where the ballistics make a difference, so, my nitpick-y opinions on performance don't matter in the field.

 

[elkguide]

If you're just going to go from a .300 WM to a .300 Weatherby, why not go to a .300 RUM? I have all of the above (and maybe a couple other .30 calibers too) and somehow it seems that after the first hunt that I take the "new kid" out hunting, I go back to one of my .300 WM's as my go to rifle. Shoot whatever turns you on. The animal isn't going to know which one you're shooting whichever one you put into their boiler room!

 

[hodgeman]

To me, the Weatherby cartridges don't really come into their own until you get to the 300WBY and up.

The .257 is faster than the 25-06, but it doesn't really turn the .25 into something else entirely. The .270WBY adds about 100 yards to the .270 and the 7WBY is virtually the same as the 7RM.

A .300WBY really outclasses the .300WIN with bullets heavier than 180s, but above that the fun begins. The 340 WBY is quite a bit harder hitting than a .338WM with more reach. The .378 and the 460WBY are extremely powerful and specialized that really add to the .375 and .458 bores.

 

[Wrench]

The 257 can be loaded in cheap 7and 338 remington mag brass. The 378 cased stuff is pretty hungry. I'd skip anything else.

 

[CorbLand]

Depends on what you are looking to do with it. If you are looking for a caliber that is capable of all N. America Big Game out to 500 yards then no, Weatherbys arent really worth much. If you are looking to extend your range then, yes the Weatherbys should be one that you look at and consider.

The 30-378 is a sweet round that has some killer ballistics for what it is. Very little recoil and great barrel life for a round going that fast.

 

[rickjames80]

Yes and No really. I like standard calibers for the ease and economy for shooting and reloading, but I also like going against the main stream and having things that aren't supper common. Its kinda nice to have something different to talk about. From just a hunting perspective, not worth the squeze if you already have one of the standard calibers

 

[16Bore]

Nope. 99% of what you read is made up hype, the rest is made up statistics.

 

[tshunter]

Nope

 

[wind gypsy]

Not worth it.

25-06 is overbore enough in quarter bore
270 - would prefer a WSM if looking for more performance than a standard 270 win
7mm - Don't see a benefit over RM
300 - A little more juice than a WM but I'd rather have a 30 Nosler or 300 Norma which are in the same ball park.

 

[Montana Slim]

If you are really concerned with the efficiency of a cartridge (juice/squeeze), and don't reload. Go buy a .308, keep your shooting under about 300 yds, and never look back. You will have "enough gun" for 99.9% hunting in North America. If you expect shots longer (or way longer) than that - get a 7mmRM. However, I think "shoot what makes you happy", and weatherbys can definitely make a shooter happy.

 

[Dhbwa]

I have owned all the smaller Weatherby chambering and still have a 270 (Bartlein barreled Colt Light Rifle) and 300 (Lilja barrel 700). Really nice rifles that are fairly light 7.75lbs scoped but today I acquire rifles more on the rifle and less on the cartridge.
I’ll keep the 300 as my last rifle if it comes to that as it is super accurate and can be used on all NA game.