So I'm intrigued by these rifles, but after checking out their website it looks like 90% of their rifles are a "Wby" caliber. I can't even say I remember seeing this stuff at Academy or even Bass Pro. Is it pretty hard to come by and a waste of time or are there any good Weatherby calibers? I currently own a .308 and a 30-30 and reload both. My .308 is a Savage with a synthetic stock and I was really looking for something more classic looking on a wooden stock and nicer blueing.

You can get a Vanguard in wood. These rifles come in several of the popular calibers.

Just about all Weatherby calibers will kick the snot out of thier more common competitors. Weatherby ammo is more affordable now than ever before if you look at the price increases of more common calibers like the 300 Win Mag, 270WSM, 338 Win Mag, etc. Notice that the Weatherby ammo is not much higher (if at all) than those calibers and you get better performance as well.

Bass Pro Shops carries weatherby ammo and Academy carries some as well. I know for sure Academy carries the 257 Wby ammo which is in my opinion the best Weatherby caliber and quite possibly the best whitetail caliber ever developed.

I'll look into both. Savage388, I saw the common calibers they offer, but I was more inquiring as to if the Wby calibers are worth looking into. I haven't heard much about them or fired any at all.

IMO its pointless to own a weatherby rifle in any caliber that isn't a wby mag.

.257wby and the .300 wby are probably the most popular of the weatherby line up.

257 WBY is the chit.

I own both a .257wby and .300wby, and several other "deer rifles".


I will agree with Roy weatherbys claim..."If you own a .300wby & .257wby you are covered for every animal outside of Africa".

FYI Roy Weatherby's favorite caliber was the .257wby and even used it with solids to kill a CAPE BUFFALO.

for everything smaller than an elk if I had one choice thats what I would use.

Forget your savage...its a good rifle but weatherby will own it
They have awesome accuracy
I have 2
One in 30-06 and one in 22-250
Every single hunt we've been on we have dropped each animal with one shot
Used to have a remington and could kill anything with it(semi auto)
Weatherby vanguard is the model

I know the Savage is far from a model of accuracy, just has a sporter barrel and pillar bedded stock. I was contemplating swapping to a bull barrel and a fully bedded stock but not sure I wanna carry the weight of a bull barrel everywhere.

My only concern is my Savage is cheap and gets the job done. I'd almost be afraid to take one of these nice wood stock Weatherbys out on a hunt!

when i was a kid my dad bought a weatherby catologe home i dreamt over that thing for hours

every savage i've ever encountered shot pretty dang good, there just ugly as sin, have a sloppy action and are ugly. not to mention they are ugly.

a weatherby vanguards are the economy line of weatherby rifles. good guns as well, they typically come in more standard calibers vs. the wby mags
If i were to purchase a weatherby, it would be a mark V

Reckon a dead deer knows it was killed with an ugly rifle? Just a ponderance

Life is too short to spend money on and hunt with an ugly rifle.

I guess if you hunt in a heated blind with carpeted walls, playing on your iPhone the whole time a pretty gun is important. I would just as soon buy better boots and have a gun that shoots well that I don't care about scratching up. Thats just me

i won't say i have to have the best equipment, but i consider a rifle to be a lifelong investment, and you will enjoy your time afield more with quality equipment.

that said, a savage isn't a junker, just a more economy based rifle. I've seen some upper end savages that would pass for a model 70 to the unknowing eye.

Vanguards usually have barrels that are 2" shorter than the Mark V too. Doesnt allow you to get full potential of the Weatherby Mags. Still love the Vangaurd though for the price.

257wby... 257 wby... 257wby

Haha wow all of the 257wby fans, looks like its a helluva round. I see what everyone means, its almost a toss up between a NICE rifle and a DURABLE rifle. I absolutely love the look of the walnut stock Weatherbys, but like I said I'd be scared to take it out on a hunt just due to the fact that its so damn pretty. Maybe a synthetic stock is in order...

Eveyone needs at least one safe queen.

My Father has a 240 Weatherby and loves it.

lifes to short to worry about such nonsense

if you arent going to hunt with the gun, then why get it?
i mean, what's the point of a gun if all your going to do is keep it in your safe, not hunting with it, and show it off to your friends?
if you want to hunt then get the vanguard synthetic...awesome (durable) gun

When I have the choice of spending roughly the same amount of MY money on an ugly rifle or a pretty rifle, I'm gonna choose what I think is the pretty rifle every time. Sorry if that offends some of you.

I hunt hard with walnut guns all the time. If you like it, get it.


In 257 wby that is.

I do, its called a Colt 1911 ANVIII

How has the stock held up on them? I guess I could hunt the 257 and then if weather really gets nasty I can take the savage out

Well I don't have a walnut weatherby but my predator gun is a cz and it is fine. Also have a rem bdl deluxe and no trouble. They are eventually going to get a little dinged but that doesn't bother me too much.

sometimes that's where they belong b/c some guns have one purpose that's above and beyond what you expect out of your rifles in your normal hunting scenarios.

thats not what you said, you said lifes to short to hunt with an ugly rifle.
dont get me wrong. i too like purdy good lookin guns, but hunting is about the hunt, not how purdy yer gun is while doing it.
the bad thing about hunting with real nice guns is scratching them, for me it seems like the newer and purdier something is, the more it attracts scratches, whether its guns trucks boats motorcycles doesnt matter, their scratch magnets.

I don't think scratches make a gun ugly.

i've hunted with my wood stocked guns in rain/sleet,drizzle, damp conditions for many, many years, never had a problem My ruger has a few scratches and dings, but its a sign of being used.

this stigma of synthetic stocked rifles being the only choice in inclimate weather is a load of bull.

people buy synthetic cause its cheaper, not because its more durable. I have a synthetic stocked rifle and wish every day it was stocked with wood.

Word

Many, many years ago I customized a 1917 30-06 Springfield from the Eddystone Arsenal. Scoped it and installed an old time(heavy) Bishop stock. Then I had it checkered and carved. I've taken most American game with it and haven't sweated the many scratches and dings. The other 2 closets full of guns seldom see daylight. I wouldn't have a safe queen that I was to scared climb fences with.

OTOH, I bought my Grandson a Weatherby Vanguard in .243 with the composite stock. It is spooky accurate and I would never turn one of those down. Yep, ugly as homemade sin but a really great hunting rifle.

I personally like the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser as another lifetime hunter.

There's no denying the fact that wood has a higher propensity to be affected by moisture and temperature, thereby possibly changing POI. THAT'S the reason IMO someone would choose synthetic over wood. I've never really noticed a marked difference in pricing of wood stocked rifles vs. syn stocked but maybe I just haven't paid that much attention

I do know I would be hesitant to take any wood stocked rifle on an expensive hunt to say Alaska where it's highly possible that it'll be subjected to soaking rains/snow and highly variable temps. Just not worth it IMO when there are syn options available. I'm NOT saying it can't or shouldn't be done, I just wouldn't risk it.

BTW, I love my 257 WBY and agree that it's probably the best all around WT caliber (and WBY caliber!). I also have a 300 WBY that's been to AFrica with me and accounted for a few critters.

Before I purchased any WBY caliber/rifle though I would make sure I already had a .270 Win and a .338 Win mag in my safe. IMO they're more versatile.

Regards,
Scott

[/quote]

i've hunted with my wood stocked guns in rain/sleet,drizzle, damp conditions for many, many years, never had a problem My ruger has a few scratches and dings, but its a sign of being used.

this stigma of synthetic stocked rifles being the only choice in inclimate weather is a load of bull.

people buy synthetic cause its cheaper, not because its more durable. I have a synthetic stocked rifle and wish every day it was stocked with wood.

[/quote]

Don't agree at all! Drop a wood stock in your bathtub and leave it there for a day or two and tell me that you'd trust your hunt to it....I don't think so! Wood DOES absorb moisture which can effect accuracy! For crying out loud the stock changes color!!!

Go slog through the tundra for a week or two, soaked to the bone, impossible to get dry for the entire hunt and then tell me you still wish your syn stocked rifle was wood! Heck you won't even recognize your fingers and toes they'll be so shrivelled up.

Synthetic stocks definitely have their place and I wouldn't trade mine for wood, ever.

Regards,
Scott

Hey Scott, we don't live in the tundra nor would it make sense to soak a rifle in the bathtub.
Regards,
Chris

My syntheitc stock Cost a whole lot more then my wood stocks.

And I do believe and know synthetic is more durable then wood. Hence duck guns

For sure they are and I do have both. But, unless you are going to soak your wood gun in a bath for a few days I don't think you are going to have a problem. Unless you are worried about a few scratches.

5 years ago I hunted 6 straight days in the rain in Oklahoma. Week long season so didn't have much choice.

I was in a tree stand. both ladder and climber.

The guy has a synthetic gun already. We are just saying if he likes the look of the wood weatherby than go for it. If he ever finds himself in the rain for 40 days and 40 nights, he can take the synthetic stock. In normal Texas hunting conditions the walnut will do just fine. Even if it does get wet occasionally.

My BDL is 40 years old, no telling what it has been through, but I know I have hunted in the occasionaly rain with it before. It's still shooting great.

...the scratches and dents on a walnut gun are what my grandad called "Character Marks with a story to tell about the gun got the CM's "...

Can't speak for all the Weatherby calibers...but in 270WCF x 270Wby and 300WMg x 300Wby mag there is only about 200fps at max diff's in the same bullet...and I ain't paying Wby prices for Norma produced ammo or brass to gain 200fps at most. For sure in 270's I'd rather use a 270WSM to get that same 200 fps back.
Now 300Wmg x 30-378Wby or even 300RUM & Westerner's is another story but at my +65 age and more and more raggedy state of grace I am not into self inflicted damage anymore and have learned the value of the old shooters adage "GET CLOSER".

For an upgrade alternative to a Wby MkV pull up www.Cooperfirearms.com and be prepared to take a deeeep breath when you pull your wallet out. Look at the Accuracy Guarantee and the who's who cartridige list to choose from.

Since I prefer handmade M70 clones like Cooper, Dakota and Kimber at anything ++ $1k, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to find that Kimber has held their prices to some degree, with a broad selection of models and calibers running from $1172 to approx $1375 MSRP's in their bottom three grades. Their African stuff in "base" grade Caprivi's starts at a little over $3K as do the Classic Grade SuperAmerica's in triple A fancy French Walnut and Limited Production stuff.

IF I can figure a way to pull it off I'll be ordering a 5lb 10oz long action Classic blue reciever & SS barrel or a blue/blue Classic Select Grade and/or a 7lb 7oz Classic LongMaster 308 with it's 24" fluted semi bull SS barrel...too many choices...or UMM??? mebbe a 9lb+ Sonora 300WMg bull barrel.

Kimber wood stocked Classic Grade non mag & WSM LA's weigh 5lb's 10oz, belted mag LA's @ 6lbs 3oz's...and are available in 338WMg!!!, & SA's @ 5lb's 3oz's. Montana SS/Syn's are the same. Go look at www.KimberAmerica.com ...since I am doing this from my already proven failable memory.

AS far a Cooper's go I would have to sell most/all 4 of my current bolt action CF or win a good sized Lottery to afford the color case hardened and engraved Cooper I am dreaming of...Now THAT is a Safe Queen & STILL guaranteed to shoot 1/2" 5 shot groups at 100yards....in your choice of 25-30 some CF calibers or 1/4" 50 yard groups in your choice of rimfires. JMHO

No doubt Coopers are pretty!!! He did lose a bit of his following however by openly supporting Obama in the election, if my memory serves me correctly.

You know what? You're right!!! Can't imagine what I was thinkin'.

lol

OK...I read everything that was going on and realized that both synthetic and wood stocks are good.
If you're waterfowl hunting, then obviously you would want a synthetic.
If you're big game hunting in extreme terrain, than you would probably want a synthetic.
If you're super rich and hunt in heated blinds, then obviously you would have a high dollar, walnut/wood stock gun.
When it comes to extreme conditions, then I think that it would be better if you had a synthetic.
If you hunt in moderate conditions, than a walnut/wood stock is fine.
That is what I observed so that is what I am writing.

And was released the next day

"If you're super rich and hunt in heated blinds, then obviously you would have a high dollar, walnut/wood stock gun."

That is ridiculous.

Lol
That is the simplest version...

Who told you that????

I can think of more reasons to buy synthetic over wood and none have to do with price.

Im not going to say it is the only reason, but I bet it is the biggest! You see alot of remington savage and wby vanguard and howa rifles for sale in the mid 300 to 400 dollar range... what do they have in common, they are all synthetic. Saying cost isnt a factor is just as rediculouse as saying it is the only one.

matt

it costs alot more for a rifle manufacturer to produce a wood stocked rifle than a synthetic.....hell, mine wears a plastic stock, not a "synthetic" like a mcmillian or bell and carlson.

I've hunted in texas where it is drizzling 35 degrees in the am then warms to the 60's during the day, then back down again in the evening, for several days.

my ruger wood stocked rifle has been as accurate in cold, rainy weather as it has on sunny 70 degree days.

i don't live in the tundra, doubt any of you do either, and my wood stocked rifles, or anyone elses in my family, have failed them, including several seasons of super wet east texas novembers.

you lost me there

How are they more versatile? I could see having a .270 Win, but the .338 Win Mag is a beast comparatively. I don't have any plans on heading to Africa soon or hunting game larger than a deer.

fixed it

Oh gotcha. Hmmmm, might just have to look into a nice weatherby then with a wood stock and just mod up my Savage to be a touch more accurate. I took my first deer with this rifle, so its not going ANYWHERE but I would definitely like to have a nicer looking rifle too

i hunt with a few differnt rifles, one is synthetic, Being able to get the job done isn't an issue, but Personally, i like being afield with a nice wood stocked gun.

call it nostaglia or whatever, but i prefer wood stocked rifles 10 to 1 over synthetics.

Being a person that has actually had a wood stock split due to wet weather I prefer a synthetic over wood. I still like wood guns but when I am lookin for a work horse I will buy synthetic every time.

Someone else mentioned wood versus synthetic in duck guns. I sold all my wood shot guns after I droped my Super X2 to the bottom of Lake Cooper on a duck hunt one time. Thats when I realized how important good synthetics are.

Whose says a synthetic stocked .257wby has to be ugly?


Been thinking about selling it...time to move onto a new project.

For some super "gunart porn" check out the Blaser on the back cover of the new issue of The Texas Sporting Journal. My wife just giggles at the absurd notion that one of those will ever grace my stash!!! But then she knows that I am juat as prone to paddling pirouges if need be or beating down brush piles to make insta ground blinds out of with my rifles as not, and understands my definition of a "beater" as a rifle that STAYS UNDER the seat of the truck...at least now tha back seat 'cause of the power seat motors LOLOL!
OBTW the new '10 Ford SC I got this spring with the flat no hump floor all the way across the back seat floor sure makes it easy to keep more than one shooter back there outta sight. Just miss my ol' 70's & 80's Suburbans with it's flat overhead gun shelf from front window to front window....perfect for a flat sided lever gun.
Ron

Not looking for a workhorse per se, but more of a once in a while type of thing. If I want a rifle that has the stopping power and I really dont care if it gets beat up (minus the optics), I'll take the savage 100% of the time. This would be more for a day hunting trip, a little variety, or as my rifle if I want to take someone with me and they can shoot the savage.

I never said they were, especially with a fluted barrel. But there is just something holding it back compared to a nicely selected and finished wood stock. Ever since I got my Marlin (which is a gorgeous rifle, albeit a bit used but in great shape mechanically) I have just fallen in love with classic looking weapons. Got my ANVIII 1911 because of that as well as my Wingmaster coming soon

The .257 WBY really shines on small to medium sized game at long (>200 yds) ranges. It's extremely fast and has a fantastic trajectory which makes it a good WT cartridge and a fantastic Pronghorn choice! At shorter ranges, you have to be careful, as it is extremely devastating, making bullet selection paramount. I've shot quite afew does with it and at distances under 150 yards it is brutal!

The 270, on the other hand, excels at short to medium (also a great long distance caliber but not as flat as the 257)distances on anything from small to Elk sized game due to the myriad of cartridge choices available, including reduced recoil.

As to the 300 WBY vs 338, I submit basically the same argument as above.

They both excel at killing things that are a long ways away.

BTW, I think the 338's recoil is much more tolerable than the 300 WBY, and if I had to choose just one caliber and get rid of the rest that would be my choice.

My .02 cents.

Regards,
Scott

I go ahead and post pic of my 257 too.
Mark V stainless fluted. They only made them for 2 or 3 years and I was lucky enough to find a brand new one in 257 Wby.

Thanks for putting this up, Its a good reference to what i was referring to

my synthetic rifle, shoots great but its getting a wood stock when I can find one thats resonably priced.

Hell yeah. That is awesome. Still a bigger fan of the wood
We were saying Savages are ugly. Good guns, just ugly.

My 257 that I traded recently. I will have another 257 but it will be a CDL SF.


Not as pretty as this though

Which 338 are we referring to here? Lapmag or Federal? Because I am fairly certain I can get Wby ammo for less than $7 per round like the Lapua rounds

I have a weatherby markV in 300wby mag.it has not kicked me so bad i didnt want to shoot another round through it....and what can you not kill with 300wby ???

remington sps 257wby

80gr TTSX is bad medicine..

Ugh just went to Weatherby's website again. Looks like they ONLY offer LH models in the custom shop. Yay for a $1000 extra on the tag just because its "custom" made

Maybe a Remington like that one up there is in my future...

bottlerocket,

I'm left handed too, I just gave up trying to tailor my arsenal to be all left handed. I only have one left handed gun, all the rest are righties.

i can cycle a right handed bolt action pretty darn fast.

Nooooo, dont give in! Thats the reason more manufacturers don't make lefty models is because of the lower demand since most lefties break down and buy a righty model

Same for me .i grew up shooting right hand rifles left handed.now a left hand rifle feels strange to me.

not a matter of that. only a few make lefties, and you'll pass up some incredible deals because a rifle isn't left handed. they are also offered in less calibers.

the next rifle i buy, will probably be a custom shop weatherby or mauser, either one will be ordered lefty.

Get the new Series 2 Vanguard in .257 wby. It is guaranteed to shot less than 1" out of the box and has a two stage trigger that is incredible. Mine has a 2.85lb trigger from the factory. The two stage takes a little getting used to but a few shots and no problem.

BR, the left handed Weatherby's from the custom shop do not cost an extra 1000.00. They are expensive but they are all Mark V actions which are a lot higher than the vanguard action. On average they cost about 10% more than a stock right handed version. They rae available in the Mark V Ultralight and Mark V Acuumark. If you want wood they are a lot higher because the stocks are hand made.

As far as the discussion on cost of wood vs synthetic it depends on the stock. If the gun says it has a hardwood stock it is not going to be american walnut or in several cases is not walnut but birch. In any other case if it is an american or french walnut stock it is at least 40% more cost to the manufacturer just in the material. The exception being a hand made fiberglass/kevelar stock like an HS precision. There is also a higher reject rate with wood. Basically a synthetic stock is high strength plastic. Once the mold is built it cost very little to make one. Synthetic is a lot tougher than wood and does hold up better in extreme climates like Alaska. I shoot both.

Its a Mark V action, but the "custom costs" like the shop fee and build fee or whatever are around $700-800. You can go build a rifle thats EXACTLY the same as a factory produced one, but if you go through the custom shop, it will always be significantly more.

I work for them. I know the cost. The website pricing is full suggested retail and there are lots of options. A full line Weatherby dealer can save you some money.
Weatherby also produced left handed Ultralights two years ago and left handed Accumarks in 2010. They only built them in .257 wby and .300wby. If you shop around you can still find them. If you want to shoot me a PM I will try to locate one for you and send you the dealers info. Being a Mark V they are still expensive but only by 10 or 15%.

Man, I'm really close on this one, only our blinds have rubber mats in them instead of carpeting and I usually take my net book and air card with me to play with - the iphone starts to strain my eyes after a while (probably time for readers but I'm waiting as long as possible...).



David