Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting 300 weatherby mag reloading question

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you are a great shot too, so I'd be looking at the rifle in question and loads as well. Too bad there wasn't some quick cure. As long as you have crossed every T and dotted every i, the only other option is to send it down the road and let someone else play around with it. I'm really surprised that it didn't perform well with IMR 7828 and 180gr. pills. Usually they dote on a real stiff load. I remember mine was loaded so hot that I thought of a bowling ball coming out of the barrel at mach 2 speeds... It had a certain familiar sound to it....

bsa1917hunter, I tried 7828 in everything from 159-180. I use that powder in both my 7mm Rem mags. I was actually one of the poorest grouping powders/load combos that were tried in this rifle. I thought sure that the slow burning powder would settle this thing right in there. For one reason or another the best groups with this rifle were always with IMR 4831. And by a wide margin the best. 7828 made shotgun type patterns. I will be thinking about this rifle for a while..... probably not good thoughts

Quicker powders frequently show better grouping than the slower powders in rifles that need some TLC IME.

Sounds to me like this rifle could use some stock work or other mechanical improvement.

When you have to run through a variety of powders and bullets to find a couple of things that shoot it is usually the rifle tat needs the work.

Fix the rifle first; the loads will fall into place.

This, get someone who knows what they doing to bed and float it. I would bet that you will find evidence of it moving around in the stock.

How well does the 155 Scenar work in the .300? Or would I be better off to try the 180's & heavier?

No

I like the way Bob thinks/feels about this. I always attack the mechanical aspects first before even trying to develop a load for a rifle. These are the things I'd check/correct to be certain it's not a mechanical problem vs. a bad barrel or bad loads:

1. Proper glass bedding.
2. Float the barrel, pressure point, or full length bed the barrel. Which one does the rifle prefer???
3. Mounts need to be loctited down to the receiver and torqued down. It doesn't hurt to even glass bed the mounts to the receiver. It adds structural integrity to the mounting system.
4. Rings should be checked for axial alignment to the bore. They should also be dialed in with an alignment tool. If rings are not in perfect alignment, lap in rings.
5. Torque action screws to factory specs.
6. Fine tune trigger. Should be glass smooth and break clean. I like all of my hunting rifles to be set around 2.5 pounds.
7. USE A "PROVEN" SCOPE. I can't stress this enough!!!!
8. Check to make sure mag box is not binding.
9. Be sure crown is in good shape.


Now with your handloads:

1. Adjust sizing die so it minimally sizes your cases. .003" shoulder bump back works great, even on belted cases.
2. Adjust seater die for minimal run-out (less than .004"). This can be achieved, even with run of the mill RCBS FL die set.
3. Check loads for TIR. As stated above, .004" and less is preferable for accurate hunting loads.
4. Use a chronograph. Check ES and SD's. These should be low and consistent.


Also keep in mind that the 300 WBY is prone to washing out the throat (erosion) and wearing the bore, especially if you push them like some of us have been known to do. I remember reading somewhere that accuracy degrades even after 1,000 rounds of hot 300 WBY loads. I've seen this first hand. My 300 wby went from shooting 1/2" groups to 1 1/4" groups after 1,000 rounds.

I'll reiterate what Bob said, fix the mechanicals first, then focus on the loads. Good luck with it. Hopefully it just needs to be glass bed or re-glass bed, experiment with barrel pressure points, a little trigger work, etc. etc...

Never tried one at that speed, but 3500 fps might be pushing it.

I guess I've been lucky, my Mark V 300 has shot everything I've thrown at it well.

I would send the rifle back to Weatherby and let them sort it out.

We had a similar experience with one of the new POS budget rifles from Remington in 30-06. My cousin claimed that I could straighten the gun out for him based on what he had seen me do with other rifles. Well 3 scopes, 3 mounts and many loads later he gave it back to his freind and told him to sell the rifle it wasn't ever going to be worth the $100 he paid for it.

Easy to understand a cheap crummy Remington than a better constructed Weatherby but either way it is frustrating.

I'm with BSA, Bob and others. Seems like your just burning through pounds of expensive bullets and powder. Usually if 7828 and a decent 180 won't shoot then the rifles probably suspect.

My sons 300 needed to have a pressure point added in order to be consistent. Now it shoots so darned well it's amazing. Took a couple hours and some Marine Tex but it's good.

Well....this one is obviously well behaved


If you have to sift through 5 powders, and 47 bullets,and magic incantations to get a rifle to shoot well, it has issues.

Trip it or fix it.......but good grouping does not start with "Magic Loads".That's like trying to build a house on a crooked foundation.

Amazing how long it takes people to figure that out.

My 300 Mark V Deluxe shot 3/4" groups out of the box with the cheap Weatherby 180s. I don't think I've ever shot a bad group with it.

I settled on 180 NPTs over 7828 at a touch over 3250


I'm with Bob on this.

GODOG ~
Interesting I replied to an Elk post about this subject.
I have experienced just as you described! I have a few
one shot kills with 300 Wby but 180s just do not group great.
I do not have as much confidence as my 270 WBY. Both my
Wbys are in custom 700 actions. Love the 300 hit and seek
to tighten it for long pokes. I am a beginner
reloader and like the ballistic chart of 190s and 200s in fact
they should mimic the arc of my 270 Wby with 140s. I have accubonds
and Nosler 190 Long range bullets but have not loaded them yet.
Do you have any other bullet and powder suggestions?

I use the TTSX in my Weatherby's loaded to factory length. The dont mind the free bore.

There's part of the issue right there perhaps. Quit at three shots. A fourth round out of a blowtorch like Weatherby calibers are will skew your results. Also, try this formula that has worked in ALL the 300s I've owned;

Norma/ Weatherby brass
F-215 Match primers
80.5gr RL 22 (3250 in my rifles)
180gr TTSX seated to the crimping cannelure.

If a three shot group is not well under MOA, the rifle is the issue.

Or the scope.

84.5 gr Imr 7828 with 180's has been the go to load in the four 300 Wby's I load for.