Weatherby Question

[Long Time Hunter]

Are there any drawbacks to an ultralight Weatherby versus the same caliber regular weighted rifles? I like to stalk instead of sitting in front of a feeder, as most hunt here in Texas do. It seems like every rifle I have weighs in the 9 pound range, without the scope. I am thinking of either a .257 or .270 in a Weatherby Ultralight. Thoughts?

 

[Worc]

Recoil, as in more of it with a lighter gun. The barrels are also lighter/thinner and require more time to cool when target shooting/practicing. The lighter models also have thinner stocks at the front. These are the main differences to reduce weight over something like my Accumark.

Very nice guns.

 

[Wyosmith]

The ones I have seen shot fine. Some better then just fine. Weatherby is supposedly using Kregier barrels and they do a good job in the accuracy department.

If we are realistic we have to admit that ones a rifle is 2X more accurate then we are, making it 6X more accurate is only stroking our feelings, but in the hunting fields it's no different then the one that is 2X more accurate. Off the bench rest, the hunter does the shooting, not the rifle.
If you like the light Weatherby, get one. I'd bet you'll be happy

 

[NHSHOOTER]

I dont still hunt often but when I do I hunt with a Model 7 in 7-08, its a light rifle, shoots well and to be honest, when shooting at a deer I dont even notice it going off, recoil wise.

 

[jmr40]

Weatherby builds good rifles. But the Weatherby action is the heaviest made which means that in order to reduce weight you have to do a lot of work and remove weight from the wrong places. Those rifles have pencil thin barrels that do not contribute to best accuracy and the balance is effected.

If I wanted a lighter rifle I'd want it built on an action that were lighter in the 1st place. A Savage, Tikka, Remington, Kimber, or really any other rifle can be as light, or lighter than the Weatherby ultralight and still retain a standard weight barrel.

If you choose optics carefully you can keep most any other standard rifle under 7 1/2 lbs including optics. A Tikka can be kept under 7 lbs and a Kimber under 6 lbs. And all of those weights include optics and barrels heavier than the Weatherby.

 

[Mobuck]

You mention "either a 257 or 270". Do you mean 257 or 270 Wby mags? If so, I don't recommend the 257 at all for a short, lightweight, or thin barrel. Anything less than 26" medium contour is unacceptable with the 257. Too much whip and too much velocity loss. Even the factory Vanguard contour is whippy and the 24" barrel leaves you with only marginally higher velocity vs a good 25/06 24" barrel.
For a thin profile 24" barrel, the 25/06 is a far better choice.

 

[Don Fischer]

I have a Win Ftr Wt I like very well, not sure what it weight's. But the easiest carrying rifle I ever had was a 660 Rem in 308. The barrel was short but it was not one of those pencil thin barrels either. Super good shooting rifle, ugly stock! But I've seen a few in aftermarket stocks that looked great! Probably lost some weight to with the fence post gone. The barrel I'm guessing was nothing more than a reg rifle barrel cut down, it was pretty heavy. But carrying was nice and really accurate. I think a lot had to do with balance. I suspect people go overboard looking for light rifles.

 

[Worc]

Those rifles have pencil thin barrels that do not contribute to best accuracy and the balance is effected.

Not according to the couple that I have shot. Both were sub MOA shooters with factory ammo. One was a 7mm Wby mag with 26" barrel and the other was a .30-06 with a 22" or 24" barrel can't remember which. On the Mark V models, they have two actions depending on the cartridge. The Mags get the bigger action or normal Mark V and the standard calibers get a smaller/lighter action. The Mags have the original 9 lug bolt and the standard caliber get the 6 lug bolt. All of the UL's, even the .300 Wyb mag which is the biggest they make gets the accuracy guarantee of three shots under an inch at 100 yards. They are not target guns, so you want to let the barrel cool a little between shoots when at the range.

The ones that I shot all felt fine balance wise. So did did every one I've held in various gun shops. Besides, balance is purely subjective and not everyone likes the same thing.

 

[GeauxTide]

I owned a 7mm Weatherby Mark V, and it was fantastic. Remember this about Mags, you need 26" of barrel to gain the velocity over standard cartridges. Second thought is a 270, 7mm-08, 308 or 30-06 with a 22" barrel will be a much better "walking outfit".

 

[Slamfire]

Lightweight rifles are a pleasure to carry but are hard to shoot well. Just breaking the trigger makes the things move and the barrel heats up quickly. Unless the barrel is perfectly stress relieved, it will walk.

And, they kick.

 

[Art Eatman]

As long as the first shot from a cold barrel goes reliably to the point of aim, poor groupings after the second or third shots generally don't matter.

When aiming at a point on a deer's chest, being off an inch or two doesn't keep Bambi from dying.

 

[drbill]

I think that the choice of a light weight Weatherby over a MkV depends mostly on ones physical condition and hunting terrain.

If you are weight appropriate,in good physical condition,under age 50 (or 60) and hunt in the US western states a Mk V is not overly heavy. Thousands have used it successfully.

I've used a MkV .257 for Wyoming pronghorns since 1980 and I don’t shoot off the hood of a 4WD but actually crawl a few hundred yards or more to get a decent shot. Those who’ve hunted in the Medicine Bow area know that means a lot of scrub and cactus to crawl through.Crawling through scrub though is not high altitude sheep hunting often on slick shale.

I brought the .257 once to BC for a successful 15 day Stone sheep hunt. Admit that I had Chet Brown make me a custom light weight Kevlar stocked mountain rifle in .270Win for my Dall,Rocky Mtn & Desert sheep.

A now departed hunting buddy used his MkV .257 & .300 exclusivly on sheep hunts including Canada,Alaska,Mexico and Central Asia. We were both in very good physical shape. I preferred carrying a lighter rifle when sheep hunting probably because I was a flatlander from the midwest and my buddy a Denverite better acclimated to high altitude.