Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Weatherby barrel - shorten to 24?

Title says it all. I recently ordered two new Weatherby Accumarks, one in 300 Wby and the other in 340 Wby for potential elk and Alaska hunting. I was never a fan of 26 inch barrels so thinking of having my local 'smith cut them both down to 24 and rethreading for the brake that comes with them. My gut tells me I will lose 50-75 fps going to a 24 inch tube.

My plans are to use Barnes TTSX in both. Barnes reloading data is based on 24 inch barrels and I'm happy with the velocity they reported.
Thoughts? Yea or nay?

I wouldn't but thats just Me lose the brake Accumarks are heavy enough tame some of the recoil

I wouldn't but thats just Me lose the brake Accumarks are heavy enough tame some of the recoil

MKV’s suck heavy ass,but no matter the platform,balance and handling trump a contrived velocity thresholds. 24” is more than plenty in both. Hint.

I’d get real and rethink the whole enchilada. Hint…………

A semi-custom 700 24" 300WM could replace both for your purposes and for a lot less money.

I wouldn't spend the money. Those guns are designed for that barrel.

Our 700s in .300 Roy push 200 gr NPs to 2950-2975 fps with 7828. If that's not enough don't cut the .300 down.

A 24" .340 wouldn't bother, suspect.

Chop em. The small loss of velocity will not today nor in 100 years make a difference.

The handling aspect is a given as well. We have a 24" 300 Wby in the house and I'd never want a longer barrel for it.

Gotta ask. Why buy two expensive rifles with barrels longer than you want?

Glad you’ll be using them thousands of miles away from here. I’ve been around a braked .338 or two and a couple of the big .30s at the range and even doubled up on ear-pro 20 yards away, them things is loud…

I'd get rid of the brakes before anything else. As others have said, both of those are heavy enough that they'll be fine without a brake. Only after running sans brake if they're still too long would I consider cutting them down to 24. The original MarkV from Germany in 300 WBY was 24 inches, so I don't think you'll suffer too terribly. Probably 50-75 fps.

Because Weatherby is the ONLY non custom production company who is currently making left hand rifles in both of these calibers. It was either spend $1900 and change on a Weatherby or start with a lefty donor rifle/action and spend $700-900, then another $700-900 to rebarrel, and $750-900 for a quality syn stock and bedding, and finally $300 for cerakote. Add in a couple more hundred for shipping/sales tax to gather the parts and send it off for the rebarrel and cerakoting. And, I would end up with a rifle worth 50% of what I spent to build it.

The Weatherbys have a good fan base. If you order directly from them they do not charge sales tax, they had a decent Black Friday sale, the rifle is stainless, decent stock, cerakoted, and has a 1 inch accuracy guarantee. Something good to be said about a rifle being ready to hunt with out of the box.

NOTE: I didn't disclose the rifles were left handed in my initial post as it was not pertinent to the discussion.

I don't plan on using the brake while hunting.

In my (sick twisted) mind some things just belong together.
Any Weatherby=26" barrel (sans 240 Bee)
264 Win mag =26" barrel
25-06 = 24" barrel
Heavy barrel varminters 24-26" barrels sporters 22" is ok

What does all this mean? You probably will not miss the 2" especially in the 340 Bee. Or do not use the brakes. My 300 and 340 do not have a brake.

You will love the Wyoming Bees. Criterion match grade barrels will give you easy sub-moa. Most of mine are sub 1/2 MOA with handloads. Hammers,TTSX/LRX -- and bees are made for each other.

Gotcha. I’m not up on Wby stuff as the big ones have no application for me or my location.

After cutting 2” from my 26” unfired, new Wby Mk V 7 Wby, it posted these velocities:
120’s @ 3650
140’s @ 3400
150’s @ 3250
160’s @ 3200

All of these loads were 1/2 moa or better.

Forget ALL of the Weatherby Dumbfhuqktitude and simply connect dots. Hint.

Don’t fhuqk this up. Hint…………

There can't be many of them around.

I think this concept will have to be delivered to my local gunsmith so he can take a look at the flutes in the barrel, do some measuring, and get his opinion how the barrel can be finished to make it look presentable and possibly still have the original brake fitted before I make up my mind.
Appreciate all the responses.

If you end up not needing it threaded again, it's not too bad cutting off a couple inches and re-crowning yourself. A couple folks here, including Stick, walked me through it the first time when I needed to remove a pitted and damaged muzzle end (mostly to get up the nerve to do it). Hacksaw, brass crowning bit with valve grinding compound on a drill, and then a file... and you're good to go.

Never, I tell you Never!