I recently purchased a used Weatherby MK V in 300 Weatherby Magnum. All I can say after sighting the rifle in is wow! What an awesome caliber and rifle. Can't say I could shoot it all day as a range gun, but as a hunting rifle it has real potential. It's not only a powerful cartridge, but it is accurate as well. I'd love to have the opportunity to take a large bull elk with it. Has anyone hunted large North American game with the 300 Weatherby Magnum? I'd like to get some feedback on its performance in the field.
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300 Weatherby Magnum Owners
- Thread starter NWCP
- Start date
While still in the gun shop business, I sold 300 Wby rifles to all 3 guys in a "hunting club" group. Rifles were Mk5's but each had a different stock material. By the time I'd zeroed these rifles, I decided I didn't want a 300 Wby. Weight( or lack of) and stock shape didn't agree with me.
When using something like the 300Wby, you have to pay close attention to your bullet choices. Thirty years ago, there were only a few bullets(almost none under 180 grains) that would perform adequately out of the 300 Wby. I realize that bullet design has evolved significantly over 30 years BUT the cartridge is still quite capably of overdriving most bullets on the market.
My thoughts are that the 300 Wby does one thing extremely well--pushes a .308 bullet of high SD fast enough to use at longer ranges. If that's what you do or want and you're OK with the recoil, have at it.
When using something like the 300Wby, you have to pay close attention to your bullet choices. Thirty years ago, there were only a few bullets(almost none under 180 grains) that would perform adequately out of the 300 Wby. I realize that bullet design has evolved significantly over 30 years BUT the cartridge is still quite capably of overdriving most bullets on the market.
My thoughts are that the 300 Wby does one thing extremely well--pushes a .308 bullet of high SD fast enough to use at longer ranges. If that's what you do or want and you're OK with the recoil, have at it.
Never owned one, but have fired one a little. Recoil is more than I want. I can handle 300 WSM or 300 WM, but the 300 WBY is a noticeable step up. But there is no doubt it'll take anything in NA, and most anything on the planet at close or long range. But all of the 300 mags are declining in popularity; even the 30-06 is considered by many to be more gun than needed most of the time. Better bullets are the game changers.
How fast the bullet leaves the muzzle isn't nearly as important as how fast it is moving when it impacts game down range. Of course all things being equal the faster it leaves the muzzle, the faster it will be at 400-500 yards. But using modern high BC bullets fired from a 30-06 the impact speeds at as close as 300 yards will be the same or faster than typical 300 mags with old school bullets available when the 300's were developed. Years ago you really needed to start with a lot more bullet speed to hit hard at long range. Newer bullets can start much slower, but maintain those speeds much better downrange.
Of course these same modern bullets can be used in the 300's as well. But for virtually all shooters around 400-500 yards is the outside limit of their skills. Many much closer. None of the magnums offer any real advantage inside of 500-600 yards and few shooters can take advantage of it.
But the nice thing about hand loading is that you don't have to load it to the max. If you keep 180's at around 3000 fps recoil will be much more manageable and you'll still beat 30-06 by about 200 fps. Start pushing them to 3200 fps and it will get your attention.
How fast the bullet leaves the muzzle isn't nearly as important as how fast it is moving when it impacts game down range. Of course all things being equal the faster it leaves the muzzle, the faster it will be at 400-500 yards. But using modern high BC bullets fired from a 30-06 the impact speeds at as close as 300 yards will be the same or faster than typical 300 mags with old school bullets available when the 300's were developed. Years ago you really needed to start with a lot more bullet speed to hit hard at long range. Newer bullets can start much slower, but maintain those speeds much better downrange.
Of course these same modern bullets can be used in the 300's as well. But for virtually all shooters around 400-500 yards is the outside limit of their skills. Many much closer. None of the magnums offer any real advantage inside of 500-600 yards and few shooters can take advantage of it.
But the nice thing about hand loading is that you don't have to load it to the max. If you keep 180's at around 3000 fps recoil will be much more manageable and you'll still beat 30-06 by about 200 fps. Start pushing them to 3200 fps and it will get your attention.
Saltydog235
New member
Owned one and sold it. Never have regretted getting rid of it. Never will own another one either.
handlerer2
New member
I own and reload for 300WBY and 340WBY. The full length WBY cartridges are too intense for many shooters.
My hunting experience with the 300WBY is only four mule deer, but this chambering is like the fist of God! None of the mulies took a step. I was expecting long range shots, but the longest was a little over 150yds. I recommend a premium bullet, I was using 180gr Triple shock and it did less tissue damage than I expected.
IMO the 300WBY is more suited to long range quartering shots on larger game. You can't anticipate those though.
As to the rifle, the MKV is the state of the art in pushfeed designs, IMO. My 340 was left to me by my late uncle, it's circa 1970 MKV Deluxe, made by Saur and Sons in Germany, and is a work of art. I haven't hunted with it, it sits in my brothers safe in Spokane.
An old timer told me about a gimmick that will allow you to shoot longer at the range. You take a new pair of tube socks and fill one 2/3 full of #8 lead shot and sew it very well with heavy thread, put the other sock over it opposite and sew it very securely. I put it between the butt and my shoulder. This in effect adds 15# to the weight of your rifle, making recoil negligible. I like to test several loads over the chrono and this makes this testing tolerable. The shot sock will effect the length of pull and cheek weld, but it allows me to shoot 30+ rounds at one sitting.
I hope you know that you are now a rifle snob, welcome aboard.
My hunting experience with the 300WBY is only four mule deer, but this chambering is like the fist of God! None of the mulies took a step. I was expecting long range shots, but the longest was a little over 150yds. I recommend a premium bullet, I was using 180gr Triple shock and it did less tissue damage than I expected.
IMO the 300WBY is more suited to long range quartering shots on larger game. You can't anticipate those though.
As to the rifle, the MKV is the state of the art in pushfeed designs, IMO. My 340 was left to me by my late uncle, it's circa 1970 MKV Deluxe, made by Saur and Sons in Germany, and is a work of art. I haven't hunted with it, it sits in my brothers safe in Spokane.
An old timer told me about a gimmick that will allow you to shoot longer at the range. You take a new pair of tube socks and fill one 2/3 full of #8 lead shot and sew it very well with heavy thread, put the other sock over it opposite and sew it very securely. I put it between the butt and my shoulder. This in effect adds 15# to the weight of your rifle, making recoil negligible. I like to test several loads over the chrono and this makes this testing tolerable. The shot sock will effect the length of pull and cheek weld, but it allows me to shoot 30+ rounds at one sitting.
I hope you know that you are now a rifle snob, welcome aboard.
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I owned a one and sold it and bought another except in synthetic/SS (Accumark). It's my big gun in my small, medium, and big hunting bolt guns. Both of mine as well as one I got to test fire all shot sub MOA. I don't notice any recoil when shooting at game. After about a half of a box shooting off a pack I'll starting noticing it. With a lead sled, it's a matter of how much I want to spend on ammo punching holes in paper. You can off set the price the cost of ammo decently if you are smart. I buy the cheaper 180 gr spitzers for most of my practice. I bought a bunch when it was on sale at Cabela's for around $30.00 per box. I sell my once fired brass in the original box for $20.00. So that's $10.00 for a box of 20.
Elk usually take no more than a few steps before tipping over. Other times they have not got up from their bed and dropped like a ton of bricks.
I like a big round for a big animal. The .300 Wby mag is far better than my .308 win at any distance. If I have to drive a bullet through a lot of tissue because of the angle or need a little flatter round to shoot through a "Window". I have it in the .300 Wby mag. There are other (big) rounds that could have worked well for my "Big Bolt Gun" other than the .300 Wby mag. I think it's been the best round for me and I have zero regrets.
The .300 Wby mag and Mark IV gun have arguably taken more game world wide than any other combination.
Elk usually take no more than a few steps before tipping over. Other times they have not got up from their bed and dropped like a ton of bricks.
I like a big round for a big animal. The .300 Wby mag is far better than my .308 win at any distance. If I have to drive a bullet through a lot of tissue because of the angle or need a little flatter round to shoot through a "Window". I have it in the .300 Wby mag. There are other (big) rounds that could have worked well for my "Big Bolt Gun" other than the .300 Wby mag. I think it's been the best round for me and I have zero regrets.
The .300 Wby mag and Mark IV gun have arguably taken more game world wide than any other combination.
Since I took the muzzle break off of my 460, I used this x2.
Makes one whale of a difference.
https://graco-corp.com/product/14-breako/
They have different weights to suit most everyone.
Makes one whale of a difference.
https://graco-corp.com/product/14-breako/
They have different weights to suit most everyone.