Thinking of purchasing a magnum...

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deepvalley

New member
As I surf the internet I generally gravitate to gun sites and recently I found out that Weatherby sells a left handed version of their Mark V. Now this is of great interest to me as I am left handed but it appears that they only offer it in 257WBY mag, 30-378WBY mag,and 300 WBY mag. I have never owned or shot a magnum rifle and would really like some input on them. What is the difference in a standard and a magnum rifle as far as handling, accuracy, longevity, and recoil are concerned? And what can I compare these three calibers to in standard that I might have shot in the past? I am overly impressed with Weatherby's shotguns as I recently purchased a PA-08 and it surpassed all of my expectations, hence the thought of owning a rifle by them is intriguing.
Please help as I don't want to put the kind of cash they are asking on a gun that I won't be comfortable shooting long term. FYI I shoot target, big game( bear, deer, moose on occasion, and some varmint). Any thing you guys might know that would help would be greatly appreciated.
 
From the description in your profile, you don't need the Magnum for the terrain you hunt. That is unless you are shooting from mountain to mountain and even then it isn't going to do you any better than a standard round like a 30'06 or 270.

I still own a few magnums 3 7mmMags and a .338 Win but rarely use them. As a reloader I look at things like the economy and effciency of the round in terms of components and powder burn. While the bullets and primers aren't really any more expensive, those rounds take a lot more powder and achieve 400 to 600FPS max over the standards but will burn as much as 2/3's to 2X the powder.

When I was younger and easily swayed by the "magic" of the magnum, I owned and hunted a .300Wby mag. The brass was expensive, it ate powder at a rate that every round made a noticable change in the measure (like 80grns vs 57 for the 30'06). Mine wouldn't shoot a 165grn bullet worth a crap and 180grns is too much for southeastern game species IMO. Without the muzzle brake installed the recoil was substantial and with it, the concussion and noise wave went to the bone. I just got to the point that it wasn't very satisfying to shoot at the range and impractical for hunting like I do. I went from it to a 7mm08 and never looked back, game is still just as dead, maybe even quicker because I can usually count on the bullet expanding like it should and more appropriate for the weight/size animal. I sold the gun and won't have another one (that is unless its given to me, then it would probably sold again). Heck brass for those things is outrageous right now.

I'm not saying they aren't fine cartridges and probably do have their place somewhere but aren't worth it IMO. I'd find a friend that had one or something similar and pull the trigger on it before I bought. I doubt I'll even hunt with one of my 7's this upcoming season after the results of using it last season, its just too much gun for our small whitetails. Of course it would be fun to see if I could get an exit on a 400lb pig, something I didn't get on one of that size with a 30'06 at 70yds.

Weatherby makes a fine product but if I'm not mistaken, they are just Howa's with some window dressing. I also believe that everything they make also comes in standard calibers that are easier and much less expensive to shoot. Honestly, I would think it would be a mistake to spend that much money on something that you might like or not given the list of negatives that to me accompany a overbore. Besides having the extra power doesn't make up for shot placement.
 
Weatherby makes a fine product but if I'm not mistaken, they are just Howa's with some window dressing.
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The Mark V and the vanguard are not the same rifle. The vanguard is a Howa, the Mark V is a different action all together. I completely agree with Salty that a magnum is not needed for 90% of hunting situations. I would suggest that you find a left handed weatherby ( either a Mark V or a vanguard) in a non magnum cartridge like a .270 win, .280 rem, or .30-06.
 
Two things to consider in addition to the above.

1. They kick really hard, especially in a light weight rifle. I bothers some, but not everyone.

2. Barrel life will be reduced to about a 1,000 rounds.
 
Thanks guys. The only reason I was stuck on the magnums is that as far as I can tell Weatherby does not offer a left handed gun in the mark V in a standard caliber! If you know something about them that I don't please let me know!
 
This is just my opinion but unless you are buying a "pretty" rifle to look at and shoot I'd consider other manufacturers. Some might argue but, to me, Weatherby's are not all they are cracked up to be vs the money spent. Almost all of them offer a left handed version of their products in an array of calibers.

My favorite rifle is a BSA Monarch my father gave me. Next is a Sako 75 that I bought at a steal. Nowadays though, you'd be hard pressed to beat a Savage for out of the box accuracy and value of money spent, I've bought two in the last couple of months . They aren't pretty by any means but functionality seems to be what you are looking for. I don't have to worry about scratching them up or getting dings in them and .5 MOA isn't bad either.

If I were looking to drop $1000 to $1500 in a rifle only, it would be a Sako or similar platform.

Thanks for the info Mike, I hardly even look at Weatherby guns any more
 
Left Handed Rifle

Hi fellow left-hander,
Try out Kilimanjaro Rifles. Definitely my favorite. That's where I found my perfect fit. Check out their website. They have an awesome site where you can see all that they have to offer. They're even having a special right now. Might be able to find your perfect fit. Here's the address:
http://kilimanjarorifles.com
 
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