Originally Posted by Big_Redhead
Originally Posted by guyandarifle
So it would appear that brass or freebore really aren't a big issue.


Wrong-O. Weatherby freebore is a BIG issue, particularly when shooting Weatherby/Norma ammo, and when exploring the upper reaches of velocity. Always has been, always will be. Maybe 50-ish FPS is a decent place to stop when working toward Weatherby velocities, but rifles without Weatherby-style freebore definitely cannot handle the same powder charges as Weatherby rifles. Case in point: When I fired Weatherby 30-378 ammo in my Sako M995TRG/S magnum rifle so chambered, bad things happened. To its credit the rifle stayed together, but just about every other pressure sign you can think of (and some you wouldn't) showed up. It pained me to disassemble those Weeatherby rounds so they could be loaded for the rifle, but that is exactly what I did. The maximum charges I came up with were a full ten grains below advertised maximum charges in reputable manuals for Weatherby rifles.


I probably worded that poorly without specific context. I have no desire to actually try to be going over 2800fps with 350's or 2700fps with 400's. Now THOSE loadings I would think that freebore (or more specifically the lack thereof in the Rigby) could very well become an issue. More likely than not actually. It does however sound as though from MD's work that practical loads can be developed that, while short of full-on Weatherby velocities, can safely dip into the lower ranges of the Weatherby's loadings. (at least on a rifle by rifle basis)

Actually to your point I've got a Lyman manual that for the Weatherby calibers specifically states that the listed loadings are ONLY for rifles with Weatherby's freebore chamber dimensions.

If there's one thing I've become certain of it's that there's too much certainty in the world.