Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Weatherby. "A rifle that would guarantee an instantaneous kill, with even a ...

What do you run in the 250ai for deer?

Roy Weatherby was long range flat shooting high speed bullets 15 years before anyone else was even half smart enough to copy him. I just sold all mt WinRemSav stuff and bought my 1st Wby. A Vanguard. From here to the end of my life I will always buy Wby rifles. Here's more on Roy, who is in fact deceased:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Weatherby

85gr X

Not being a mind reader I don't claim to know the OP's reason for posting the article. I did find it interesting on a couple of levels, however. For one thing, it's always interesting (to me) to see what they were saying and how they were saying it years ago. I find it interesting, also, that an article like this was published in a general consumption magazine like Sports Illustrated. At that time it was just kind of assumed that most men in this country were interested in these things and could read this article and understand what was being said. I've got a feeling that today a large portion of SI's readership would come to a contemporary version of this article and say, "WTF???"

Agree or disagree with the Weatherby school of thought, but there's no doubt Roy Weatherby helped make things more interesting in the world of shooting and hunting.

The OP's intention with this post was to slam Weatherby Rifles...read thru his posts and you will see this trend.

I won't take a .223 anything for hunting deer or bigger game.Way to many better choices.

Working off safariman's observations I just want to emphasize what a BIG difference better bullets have made in making this discussion more viable. A good, modern bullet that's really scooting can make a profound impression on lighter game. This has been noted by many people, including those with more experience than I.

Roy Weatherby had about a dozen deer to his credit when he developed his theory about high velocity and killing powder. Eventually even he realized that it didn't always work like magic, mostly due to his first African safari--which took place before 1956.

You can read all about this is the excellent Weatherby biography written by Tom and Grits Gresham, partly in Roy's own words, through the journal he kept on his African hunt. I don't know if it's in print anymore, but no doubt copies can be found on the Internet.

Weatherby was the first company to offer Nosler Partitions in factory loads, because Roy did recognize the problem of bullet disintegration. He also never quit preaching high velocity, because that was a big part of what made his company. I don't think he was totally wrong, either, having used four of his cartridges from .240 to .300 on a number of animals from pronghorns to elk.

After a few decades of hunting and shooting deer with rounds from the 22-250 to the 300 H&H I don't believe speed is all it is cracked up to be. I will say, however, that the only premium bullet around when I used the 22-250 was the partition and it wasn't factory loaded in the 22-250. Without good bullets speed can work against you.

I shot several mule does with the 22-250. One took the top of the heart off, but it just kept walking until it fell over. Another was shot just as she turn at 10 yards and was hit in the hip. Did not break the bone, but did not shock the animal to death either as some seem to believe. Another hit in the liver area was never recovered. (Long disgusting story there.) Just another example of speed not causing a shocked death.

I could go on with high-speed bullet failures with other calibers, but that would get long.

Hit them right with a good bullet for the speed used and good things happen.

There you go, the voice of reason once again. John, you are just NO FUN!

That book by the Greshams would be a facinating read. I will keep on the lookout for it. Thanks for the tip, and well thought out reason, backed by real world actual experience, once again.

Go get 'em boys.

http://www.amazon.com/Weatherby-Man-Legend-Grits-Gresham/dp/0944438024

Say what you want. Roy can take it. The .300WBY is a classic and will still be there when a lot of the other 30 cals are gone. To my thinking, the .300WBY was to the 50's, as the .30-06 was to the turn of the century.