Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .300 WBY vs. .300 Win. - Realistic Expectations

I think Weatherby used C4 in some of their factory loadings..

You reckon...

DF

Actually, I'm usually able to reproduce Weatherby factory ammo with handloads, because I have all of Norma's powders on hand.

Norma loads their ammo, so I break down a factory round and weigh the charge, then look at Norma's loading data and figure out which one matches the charge. Sometimes the match isn't exactly to the half-grain, but that's no doubt due to variation on powder lots. But so far, every time I've done this the velocity was very close to the factory ammo's.

However, some of Norma's powders aren't particularly temperature-resistant, so I often use another powder for my actual hunting loads.

Well thanks for all of the replies guys.

It seems my handloads are right where they should be. If I ever shoot the barrel out on this gun, I might just go with the 'ol Win. next time around.

On the other hand, I've got all of the brass and dies...

So are you saying Weatherby factory ammo is not over SAAMI specs?

Dwayne,

My facemask froze to my beard yesterday.

But I hiked into a favorite mountain drainage and looked over about 40 mule deer.

Needless to say, the level of warmth was certainly "acceptable" to me!

The last time I recall seeing one at the range it was fitted with a 2+ pound Nightforce scope in windage adjustable Leupold mounts.

I'm sure it'll stay put. Yeah, that's the ticket.

MRP?

DF

Unless they've changed it since I got my last batch, MRP is very similar to Reloder 22 in every way I can see and measure. In fact, my present lots of each produce exactly the same results in some recent, extensive handloading tests with the .270 Winchester.

ditto..

That was my impression as well, when I broke down a factory load.

Related topic, the manuals all seem to stop at velocities a good deal below Wby factory loads. Is that because the bullet companies are using test barrels with standard throats, and Wby loads for their rifles, which are known for really long throats?

Exactly correct. I have copies of old Weatherby Guides, where reloading data is offered to include factory specs. I've tried MRP/RL-22 loads in the 257, 300, and 340 and they all duplicate exactly.

tex n cal,

Members of SAAMI (which includes all the companies offering load data that I know of) use test barrels with SAAMI-spec chambers, which which include the Weatherby freebore. Or they do in the Weatherby cartridges which have freebored chambers. Not all do.

I have/have had a half dozen 300 Weatherbys. I have loaded thousands of rounds of ammo for them and shot a few boxes of factory stuff up.

My current 300 Wby shot the Weatherby factory 150 grain Hornady load at 3710 fps (27" barrel). I only fired three rounds as that seems way to hot to be safe. There must be no lawyers in Normaland.

I can, however, get 3450 with H4831 using Hogdon's data with the 165 grain bullets I used to use. I got about 3040 fps with 200 grain bullets using that filty dirty H870. I haven't loaded with that powder in a long time. I haven't loaded many 300 Wby loads lately myself but have been shooting 300 Winchesters a lot.

I am taking a 300 Winchester Sendero to Mexico in January and just started prepping brass for it today. I am going to start with 200 grain Bergers. In the XCR-II that I have been shooting all during the month of October, I found that I could get about 125-150 fps LESS than the typical Wby loads with the same bullet weights and that includes factory Wby ammo although it is not Norma loaded but rather Federal and others.

I like the long neck on the Wby and find it is easier to get great loads but that is just me. I will see how this Sendero does. It was the only rifle that the serial number was available for when I was out of town and the rifle permit applications needed to be made so I am stuck with it.

Haven't read thru this thread, but the 300 wby is one fine cart..If i wanted one rifle for everything it would be Roy's 300.

I currently own two, and never use them :), but for killin 30's it really aint been improved upon,i have a 30-378, and love it as well, but the imp H&H will hang right with it..

I dont have much anything against belts, but i do wish Roy would have gone beltless way back then, and worked with a shortened version of his 378, for 30cal and lower carts.

Just thinkin outloud.

Belts were part of Roy's brand. He belted the .240 when a belt wasn't needed.

Don't think you'd have talked him beltless...

DF

Belted the 224 too.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but my results with the two cartridges has been about the same as tex_n_cal's. I've been loading for the .300 Roy since 1974 and for the .300 Win since 1975.

My .300 Win is a Ruger 77 tang safety with 24" barrel, purchased in '75. I can get about 3050 out of it with IMR-4831 and 180gr NPT's. Haven't tried much else since it shoots so well with that load. I get 3000fps with 190 SMK's and Berger VLD's with a couple different powders and astounding accuracy. But I'm definitely limited by magazine length.

In the Roy (with 26" barrel), I can get 3150+fps with a couple different powders and 180gr NPT's, and 3100+ with the 190 Berger VLD's. In that particular rifle, I can just barely get to the lands with NPT's and SMK's and the rounds still fit the magazine. I always expected to be able to get about 100fps more, but can't do it without pressure signs. This is an older vintage Wby from late 60's, early 70's. I've never fired factory ammo in it.

I haven't tried any of the newer powders that have become available in the past ten to 15 years in either rifle. Maybe I oughta do that and see what I can get out of them. AFTER I change that red concrete recoil pad on that Ruger.

Yep, belts were as trendy then as beltless is today...

DF

I also got away from the one rifle for everything in the late 70s when I had my .30-06 rechambered to .30 Gibbs for elk size animals, and built a .257 Ackley for deer size critters, and a .22-250 for anything smaller.

Over the years I picked up a few other rifles like a .270 Win, a couple of 7mm Rem mags, and a .375 Ultra mag for Africa.

That battery worked great for me until about 5 years ago when I finally built a .300 Weatherby. I still consider the .22-250 my varmint rifle, but I now like shooting and hunting with my .300 Roy more than any of my other rifles.