There are few manufacturers of rifles in .300 Weatherby these days. Winchester, Savage, Remington and Ruger used to but no longer list them. Sauer ($$$$$$) still does. Not sure who else but unless you want a used one or a custom you will probably end up with a Weatherby.
Freebore has never bothered me much. I've often joked that in my .257 Roberts Ruger M77 the bullets couldn't touch the lands with a stick. Some of my other Rugers are the same, yet they are all very accurate with my handloads.
Weatherby ammo? Unless you reload, you are going to pay a significant premium for ammo, regardless of the manufacturer.
Like you, I never figured out what the problem is with the belt other than it isn't needed on modern (non-H&H) cartridges.
Midway offers .300 Weatherby brass from Norma, Nosler, Hornady, Weatherby and Remington. Remington is the least expensive at $92.99 per 100, only about $0.20 more per piece than Winchester .300 Win Mag brass. Not a big concern.
You are correct that the .300 WBY can be judged on performance alone, but that doesn't help the guy that has to buy the ammo, carry the rifle or deal with the recoil. If such factors weren't a concern we could all be shooting 29" barreled $11,000 CheyTac M300 rifles chambered in .408 CheyTac with $4,200 Nightforce scopes and ammo that costs over $6 per round. But hey, such a rig would be effective out to 2,500 yards in the right hands...
Argument noted. 😃 Blaser chambers for it too. And, you can still take a standard 700 action, add a bigger box if you want, and rebarrel to 26" for the "B" for not too much. That's not too difficult or much for the avid elk hunter. For the one weekend a year, casual hunter, yes, probably not a good idea.
But, all of the "don't do" arguments doesn't detract from the cartridge's capability to deliver a "ton" of energy to 500-600 yards with a very slippery bullet. I know this not from so much experience with the 300 itself but with its bigger brother, the 340, with "less slippery" bullets.
Anyway, on this fall's elk hunt, again, my only chance was at a partially exposed, branch antlered bull at 500+ yards in a cross wind at dusk. I considered only momentarily BECAUSE I had a 300 Why in hand.
No shot taken; no bull for me. My partner, on the other hand took a grand 6x6 at 216 yds with a....270. Died in his tracks...like they always do.😄 That typifies elk hunting--you just don't know so prepare for the least ideal shot and that's where the bigger 300's and 33's come into their own if you can get along with them. And Why's 300 is still one of the very best.
