Tomorrow's Rifle Today, Or Your Father's Rifle Yesterday?

12/4/2022 – It seems there are two camps when it comes to Weatherby firearms and cartridges, which has pretty much been the case since Roy Weatherby started hawking his brand in the 1940s. To some, he was a salesman, flamboyant in the representation of his products. To others, he was selling an exceptional firearm that touched on the future.

As a twelve year old with a Marlin 30-30 WCF deer rifle… my only rifle, I was impressed with what Weatherby had to offer. I read every related article I could get my hands on, visited every local gun shop that had one for sale. I don’t know why. I could not afford one.

It was never the celebrity hunter exploits or movie star friends of Weatherby that were draws. I always thought that was kind of cheesy, which is pretty much the way I feel about celebrities and celebrity endorsements today. I just loved the data and being able to recite the same with other goofy kids with similar interests. The original 30-378 WM experiment in the 1960s was the crowning glory

Weatherbys at that time did not have a good reputation with adult hunters. By reputation, they tended to be less than accurate, slender stocks cracked at the small behind the receiver tang, stock geometry increased muzzle jump and felt recoil, and they were loud. Could have been true. Could also be people who could not afford them expressing envy of others. Could be a little of both.

My personal ownership of Weatherbys did not begin until I entered my fifties. Our children were grown and married, my wife shared an interest in firearms, so why not?

The first was a 257 WM lightweight, followed by a 338-378 WM, followed by a 416 WM. Before the run was done there was a 270 WM, 300 WM, 340 WM, 378 WM, and a 460 WM, all MARK Vs of one configuration or another.

I shot them at the range, hunted with some,, handloaded for all. They were all nicely done, all very accurate, all very reliable, all a twelve year old could hope for, even when passed the age of fifty. Then I sold them all. Today, I own one firearm chambered for a Weatherby cartridge, the 270 WM. It is a custom I built and barreled on a Remington 700 action.

The Weatherby rifles were excellent. I just soured on the company that produces them. Too much cheese, too pretentious, and the rifles somehow became very ordinary… like those made by companies that sell modern commemorative firearms.

Releases like the 6.5-300 WM vs the 6.5 RPM and 338 RPM look like Remington’s old struggle with Ultra Mag versus Short Ultra Mag… jumbo shrimp with performance that follows. People must want them, because they are still selling them.

As something above the typical mass produced sporter, they give people the opportunity to buy a premium product with a $3,500 price tag, which is more manageable to more people, as opposed to paying $10,000 to $20,000 for a European import or a U.S. made custom. So the more power to them.

In any event, what follows is the data from the last 300 Weatherby Magnum Mark V. While it is no longer a handloading routine in the shop, I did not want the information to go to waste. The cartridge remains a popular with skilled hunters and Weatherby enthusiasts. It is an excellent high power 30.

Bullet Selection

Above, 30 caliber bullets with a weight range from 130 to 220 grains. They are all for hunting applications with the exception of the match bullet, second from left. They all work well with the 300 WM. Monolith copper bullets are in there for states that have that restriction. As they appear left to right above, they are listed on the table below top to bottom.

Warning: Bullet selections are specific, and loads are not valid with substitutions of different bullets of the same weight. Variations in bullet length will alter net case capacity,  pressure and velocity. Primer selection is specific and primer types are not interchangeable. These are maximum loads in my firearms and may be excessive in others. All loads should be reduced by 5% as a starting point for development where cartridges have greater than 40 grains in capacity and 10% for cartridges with less than 40 grain capacity following safe handloading practices as represented in established mainstream reloading manuals. Presentation of these loads does not constitute a solicitation for their use, nor a recommendation.