Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting The 300 Wby Mag for elk- is there anything better?

Norma brass is soft, yet is expensive. This apply to the Norma brass for the 280 and the weatherby rounds. I can't speak for other calibers as I haven't used it in them.
Free bore, although results very, is not conducive to good accuracy. And I have never had a Weatherby round that was a real hummer. All of shot OK, save a 300 Alaskan that was a boat anchor, but none where exceptional. And I have owned probaly a dozen different weatherbys or more.

See above, I edited my post, RE:280 brass. On Norma, I use it for example in my 416 Rigby and some cases I've reloaded close to 20 times! Then again,the 416 is a relatively low pressure round. As to accuracy, I don't know what your accuracy standards are, but my Weatherbys overall are the most accurate rifles I own,

300:

I have zero experience on Elk with the TSX but my experience on Whitetails, Axis and pigs has not shown me any propensity for game to dash anywhere. Now, I am a confirmed shoulder shooter when it comes to deer so they usually go through bone. The couple I have recovered (120 gr from a 7-08) looked like this. The deer and pigs dropped in their tracks.





A TSX Kentucky Whitetail



I have actually had less DRT events with the 110 Accubond from my 257 Roberts than from the 85 gr TSX in the .243. This axis went about 60 yards and was a bit of a pain in the butt to find in the Texas brush with the AB.

Irrelevant to you, but not necessarily everyone else in the hunting world.
Better each individual hunter decide for themselves as to what they deem relevant.

The funny thing is, famous " larger bore for elk" advocates like Elmer Keith,
instead preferred to us his favorite custom 7mm in Africa to kill PG much bigger than American elk,
which contradicts the BS spin he was pushing to American elk hunters of the need for larger bores like .338

No, really it is. Even if Bell never existed I doubt people would freeze up and not know what to shoot elk size game with. And yes people through cognition deem what is relevant, they really don't have a choice.

Fixed that for you.

Spot on, Pugs.Every year when I go to DSC where there are LOTS of folks with hunting experience as well as PHs, I always ask about calibers, bullets, etc and more and more, the transition to the TTXS and other monometals is inexorable.

Can't go wrong with either the TSX or A Frame, 180 grain, for all of the CXP3 game.

So- what exactly is the issue with freebore? Can't be accuracy, at least in my MkV's- both my .257 and .300 are WAY sub-moa with Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets. Most of my .257 brass are on their 5th reloading, with no signs whatsoever of impending failure. IMO, Weatherby/Norma brass is among the best available, by any manufacturer.

People who talk about Weatherby freebore are just parroting crap they've heard somewhere else and it sounds good. First, even my OLD Weatherbys are all sub MOA and since about twenty years ago, the freebore in Weatherbys has been all but eliminated with the advent of more modern powders. That and the "belt" is the other red-herring. I posted targets of my Weatherbys above, and not a peep from the peanut gallery.

Echols build them with out freebore for a reason.

And so you have a few weatherbys that shoot good. I have owned more than a few. Some shot good some didn't and some where mediocre at best.

Read what I wrote, so does Weatherby.

I have not noticed that. Although. Haven't bought a new weatherby in the last 10 years.

As for belts. There is no reason for them and they do cause cases to thin just above the belt which es drives me nuts.

I doubt you've owned more than I have, and of course you've had some that didn't shoot well....

Anyway, new Weatherby 340 w/o old freebore"


German 300 Weatherby with a M98 Action and LOTS of freebore:


German 257 MKV with LOTS of freebore:


No hyperbole, just facts..

I have had many that wouldn't do that.
I have probably owned around 30 weatherbys and weatherby chambered rifles give or take. Sold many on this site. My favorite was a 7mm weatherby Rem Classic. It never really shot that great, but it was a lucky rifle. I took it to Alaska when I was fourteen and shot caribou and dall sheep with it. I took it on several more hunts in MT and always tagged out. I ended up rebarreling it to 300 win mag. Like it even better now.

One other thing to think about, Jorge. Your going on a guided hunt on a ranch in Utah IIRC. In that situation your 257 would suffice just fine. You won't be hunting pressured elk for the most part,it's likely to be less steep and you will likely have more time to set up a shot. I base this on being on multiple guided elk hints and having also done it myself multiple times. I am not saying there is anything wrong with a ranch style hunt. Just that it's a bit different deal than a wilderness style hunt like guys like Brad does.

Wow, that is a lot more Weatherbys than me. I too have a 7Mag, . Killed a some axis and a few hogs with the 140 TSX. Shoots well for me too. That said, I have not bought factory ammo in a long time.