A couple questions on Weatherby rifles and cartridges. I'm getting interested in 6.5-300 as a hunting rifle.

1. Anyone running a weatherby LH model? If so which one and how do you like the fit of the stock? I don't have easy access to LH Wby rifles to shoulder them up.

2. If you are a LH shooter and running a RH weatherby, which model and with which stock? It doesn't seem like there are many options for aftermarket stocks, even for the RH guns. I saw a Manners on stockys website but it was SA only.

3. Anyone with experience rebarreling R700s to Weatherby cartridges and are they any specific drawbacks based on brass geometry? I have an R700 LH L/A mag bolt face and it seems a good 6.5 barrel could be a less expensive way to get what I want without spending Mark V money for a LH rifle.

Man I can’t comment on the south paw part, but I have had several weatherbys all the mark’s I’ve had shot very well.
I have only had the 300 wby mag and the 30-378, both would shoot about a 1” group at 200 yards.

A blueprinted Remington and a custom barrel will always out perform a factory rig providing the gun smith that built it does a good job. Being in DFW there are more than a few good smiths around.

I would think you would be close to new mark v money especially if you have a doner gun already.

No concerns using weatherby brass in a Remington, just get the right bolt face and your good to go, I would upgrade the estractor and get a m-16 style claw, I have both the sako and the m16 style and prefer the 16.
The factory Remington claw sometimes will leave a mark on the case head if your slow going with the bolt.. I don’t like marking up expensive brass!

Ive only shot right hand wby mkV and vanguard delux. All wood stocks. To me they are the best fitting stocks out of all the factory guns I have shot. Much prefer them to any factory rem/savage/Winchester/ruger/etc. stock I have personally shot. Not saying I have shot them all or anything but the wby's have been my favorite so far. And all the ones I have shot, shot well.

If you already have the action, I'd build on the 700.

Everybody here knows I'm a big fan of Weatherby's but my best shooting Weatherby caliber rifle is a Remington 700 SF chambered in 257 Weatherby.

Pros / Cons to .257wby vs 6.5-300?

Cons: Expensive ammo

Pros: Weatherby’s does kill them deader.

My wife hunts with a 257wby, it’s a hammerbwith the 117 grain bullets. I’d like to have a 6.5-300, but the gun I want it in is $2,600 and I need to build a shop and put a motor in a Camaro so that won’t be happening anytime soon.

No pro to a Weatherby cartridge.

Expensive brass, without superb case geometry.

Better options, that do more, for less brass cost, and probably lower ES.

While JG is right, I’ll always have a love for .257wby. I’d love to build a Sendero into one.

And what other factory rifles compare to the 257 or 6.5-300? Can’t just leave that comment open ended like that

Larger ES from wby result of a double radius shoulder or the freebore? Or just harder to tune in overall?

Seems like Weatherby's were built for light and fast, to 400-500. But the 6.5 is interesting if you can push a 140,143,147 above 3400fps.

Definitely not looking into this for a daily driver but an option to confirm zero and take hunting. I have a .308 and 6.5cm for higher volume practice.

Who else can comment on the ergonomics of the Mark V or Vanguard stock designs?

If they fit you, they fit you. If they don't, they don't. I have had a Weatherby Vangard deluxe since the first year they were available. Mine is in a 25-06 and it was my primary rifle for years. I have owned and still own many other rifles.....but when I put that rifle up to my cheek....it is like putting on my favorite boots, they just feel right. My father's 721 Remington 30-06 kicks me harder (I feel it in my cheek, not shoulder) than my Sako 338 Win Mag....because the stock on the Remington just doesn't fit me right. I have retrofit a couple of Howas ( that came with the straight "Classic" stock ) with Vangard Deluxe stocks so they fit me.
Only you can decide if the ergonomics work for you.

Shoot straight and have fun!

Scott

I like the feel of the stocks on our Mark V’s. I got my kid an Accumark in 6.5-300 last year, and so far we both like it. It shoots Wby ammo with the 140 the A Frame at .75 MOA. It is a hunting rifle for him, and we have shot it enough to be confident in it. So far, the biggest animals to fall to it are a Gemsbok and a.Barasingha, both one shot kills. The Gemsbok at 306 yards, and the Barasingha at 218 yards. I shot the Gemsbok broadside in the right sholder, caught the heart and lungs, and the bullet came out 10”-12” behind the left shoulder. The Barasingha was a quartering to us shot, and my kid hit it just at the crease of the shoulder and it got the lungs, some ribs and the bullet was in the hide 2/3 the way back on the opposite side. When we got to the animal, it’s lungs were coming out it’s nose in bite size chunks. I like Weatherbys and have always had good experiences with them. The rifle is way over bored, shoots lots of fire out the barrel and expensive to shoot, but we enjoy it. The other 6.5 that compares is the 26 Nosler. I have seen them in the X Bolt, but never shot one.

26, 28 Nosler, but get the ammo from Chad.

I have two left handed Mark V's, one a Accumark another a Ultralightweight.


The Accumark is chambered in .257 and imo is the perfect beanfield rifle. Great for covering long senderos, big oat fields, pipelines and pear flats. Lots of horsepower behind that little round, I took it to Colorado after I couldn't get my 7mm to group with some 160 grain bullets and killed a Bull Elk with it. Its a heavy gun and although I carried it in the mountains for several years, its not a mountain rifle. Great deer gun for open country though.


The heaviness of the Accumark lead me to looking for a lighter weight gun in a caliber that I could carry all over the world. I looked at Christensen arms, Fierce, Some semi-custom jobs from Hill Country rifle and Apache and eventually settled on having Weatherby build me one from the custom shop in the Ultralight weight model in .300 win. That caliber will serve me for hunting on every continent, is easy to find and easy to shoot. With the factory brake installed its a cream puff. Great shooting gun too, with the 180 grain accubond bullets accuracy is outstanding. Probably more accurate than my Accumark but I have not shot my accumark at the bench trying to get really tight groups.



one the caliber selectons….I like the .257 wby. Recoil is mild....about like a .270. round shoots flat as hell and hits hard. Probably the best .25 caliber round. I pay about $75/box from nosler so its about $3 everytime I pull the trigger but its a hunting rifle not a target gun.



I looked into buying a 6.5-300 wby but the cost of the ammo ( $110/box) the lack of availability of it and just the complete lack of need I have for one kept me from going that route. since I already had a .25 caliber rifle and a .27 caliber rifle and a .28 caliber rifle I really wanted a .30 cal magnum. I sold the 7mm after ordering the .300.


My advice on buying a weatherby…..if its a hunting gun, look strongly at the Ultralightweight line, but by all means, buy the Mark V, you won't be disappointed


Here is the .300 win mag Ultralight

You got the 26 Nosler right, it’s comparable but the edge for speed goes to the 6.5-300 Weatherby. You failed to list a gun that competes with the 257 Weatherby in the Quater Bore world.

Quarter bore does not enter my thinking, but...

It would take a necking down some other brass, to run with it. Like neck down 7 Rem Mag. So, it is the top in .257 speed, for factory ammo.

And a 147 gr 6.5mm coming out at 3300 fps is plenty. Jeremy just did it with a 26 Nosler. What would 200 fps more gain? That's only 6% more velocity. Still an overbore though. There's plenty of people saying they are finicky, which is the nature of overbore cartridges. No complaints like that with the 28 Nosler, and 180 gr + bullets. Keep in mind, it is the same exact brass, just a larger neck.

You just need to ask yourself two questions. Do you want to go fast? If so the weatherby is right for you. Yes there are a lot of haters shooting slower less sexy rounds. Do you like women with curves? I think you know the right answers get a weatherby.

Same thought process could be applied to a 6.5-284 or 6.5PRC vs 6.5Creedmoor. People want something different, that why 200fps matters

I would say its significant

If you want it and can afford it then get it.

I'd love a sweet Weatherby rifle in a sweet Weatherby cartridge.

Naysayers and competition shooters be damned!

What is best for competition out to 800+ and what's best to a hunter that only has time to zero and confirm and after that would rather be hunting than target shooting are completely different.

Some people don't understand that. Get your Weatherby, love it and cherish it, naysayers be damned!

^^And that has nothing in it that matters. No wind drift, no foot pounds of energy.

Shooters do not care about vertical, because it is easily corrected.

Whatever

The 26 nosler is an interesting thought as well. Factory ammo seems harder to find than the Weatherby when checking online but Chad loads both.

Any comments on the difference in actions between the Vanguard and the Mark V??

Seems as the barrels go the Vanguards use hammer forged and the Mark Vs are using Criterion button rifled?

Any of those differences worth the jump in price? Also noting the Vanguard doesn't offer any LH options.