Ok, I agree with just about everything you've said above, but take issue with your Weatherby Comment above in Bold, I'd be interested in where you came by this info, so as to have this opinion.....? also FWIW, see attached.....
Lj
Note I did not say that Weatherbys or Remington 700s are bad rifles or that I don't like them, only that they are generally despised by guides in Alaska and Africa too for that matter. Truth is, I do not have enough personal experience with them to know if I like them or not. And not every guide dislikes them, but quite a few do. Note that Reminton 700s are and have been for a long time popular with resident hunters. And well they should be, they are the most common sporting rifle in the world. Guides are a slightly different dynamic and I know very few that use them.
I think this is from accidental discharges on Remingtons (49 out of 50 might be fine but one AD is all it takes, and as a guide you see all 50 rifles in action....). I realize that this is an easy fix, but that doesn't mean that a lot of guides are going to change their mind. There is also some question on reliability of extractors and bolt handles. This may or may not have merit - doesn't matter, perception is 9/10ths of the law. Once you get a bad rap in a community it's hard to fix.
As for Weatherby - from talking to others AND my personal experience, Weatherbys are most commonly seen in the hands of less experienced hunters to make up for lack of practice. This is not always the case - but it is often enough. Weatherby has always been good at marketing, and seeing the likes of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Elgin Gates, and Herb Klein use them left a lasting impression on a generation - 'buy a Weatherby - be a better hunter!'. Doesn't work like that. I have had a few clients bring Weatherbys that were excellent shots, but more often than not that was not the case. Traditionally, whenever someone shows up with a Weatherby, you brace yourself for lots of barely informed ballistic bragging, painfully loud muzzle brakes, piss poor shooting, and lots of excuses after. But I think that is changing. There seems to be a shift from that thinking, and maybe in the future guides will love Weatherbys, we will see. It seems Weatherby is making some really great products and I would love to try their 6 lug action in 338RPM. I will say that traditionally they have been more expensive and flashier than other rifles of similar capability. Same reason you don't see a lot of Hummers in African Safari camps.
