7mm Weatherby magnum

[Birdhunter1]

Has anyone had any luck getting one to shoot sub minute? I have tried three bullets and 6 powders, played with primers etc and I just can't get anything under 1 1/2". I know Weatherby guarantee is 1 1/2 minute but surely it will do better. I've done searches on multiple forums and haven't found much on the 7 Weatherby. This is on a Mark V deluxe, scoped with a Leupold VX 3 in Burris Signature Zee rings.

I have the same rifle in a 30-06 and easily 1/2 minute with IMR 4895 and a 150 Nosler BT. My .243, .223's and 30-30 I can get sub minute, so I know it isn't me.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

What weights of bullet have you used?? wby uses a 10" twist(unless they have changed) on this one so you may have to go to a 140-150 grain pill (no heavier) to get good stability. I'd try a 140 sierra pro-hunter with rl22 and a 215 in it. I've gotten three 7rems, a 7 rum, and two 7stw's to eat this to 1/2" groups. The charge varies between cal's but all shoot it.
If you are stuck on boat tail pills I'd go nos a-bond as they have a rather short tail and usually act more like a flat base.

 

[Trickymissfit]

the B/C maybe too high for a ten twist. I shoot the 270 mag (nearly the same case), and I find the chamber wants the bullet out as far as I can safely load it. I also find that it dosn't like light weight bullets, and prefers heavy stuff
gary

 

[B23]

First Weatherby I ever bought was a MkV 7Wby Mag. I was still in high school and spent every pennie I had to purchase it. Was probably the prettiest rifle I've ever owned hands down. But, "pretty" was all it was. Unfortunately, like yours, 2in. groups were on really good days. I don't think mine ever shot as good as yours does.

But, I was 16 and all I cared about at the time was that I had a Weatherby MkV and how pretty it was. So I feel your pain for sure. Had a good friend about 10 years ago that bought one, his was about the same way as yours and mine. He actually tried to make his shoot well too. He had it bedded and a new crown cut and it didn't really change anything.

I'm not sure why they don't seem to shoot very well and I'm certainly not saying they are ALL like that but when I hear grumblings about Weatherby's that shoot very poorly, they're usually 7mm Wby Mags.

Will be interesting to hear what some of the guys here come up with for help for you. There has to be someone out there that has a decent shooting one from the factory or knows how to make one off the shelf shoot well.

 

[heelerx2]

Not sure if this will apply to your rifle, but I have a Factory Rem 700 in 7wby that loves 140 ballistic tip with 74 grains H4831 with 215m primer. I was amazed at how much the case stretches on the first firing. I bought a Wilson case gauge to set up my dies so I can extend case life. Hope you are able to find something.

 

[Birdhunter1]

The Bullets I have used were the 168 Gr Berger VLD, a 160 grain Nosler and currently now the 150 gr. Sierra Spitzer.
Powders I can remember off hand (all wrote down at home) are IMR 7828, IMR 4350, Vita Vouhri N560, 570, RE 25, H 1000, RE22 maybe RE 19 as well.

This was done in the factory configuration, I've bedded the rifle and free floated the barrel, added a pressure pad back in, took it out..... About the only thing I haven't tried is tapping my foot while shooting and wearing a tin foil hat.


This gun is about to get re-chambered in a Shilen or Krieger 7 Remington mag and a McMillan or laminated stock. Driving me nuts.

 

[Trickymissfit]

First Weatherby I ever bought was a MkV 7Wby Mag. I was still in high school and spent every pennie I had to purchase it. Was probably the prettiest rifle I've ever owned hands down. But, "pretty" was all it was. Unfortunately, like yours, 2in. groups were on really good days. I don't think mine ever shot as good as yours does.

But, I was 16 and all I cared about at the time was that I had a Weatherby MkV and how pretty it was. So I feel your pain for sure. Had a good friend about 10 years ago that bought one, his was about the same way as yours and mine. He actually tried to make his shoot well too. He had it bedded and a new crown cut and it didn't really change anything.

I'm not sure why they don't seem to shoot very well and I'm certainly not saying they are ALL like that but when I hear grumblings about Weatherby's that shoot very poorly, they're usually 7mm Wby Mags.

Will be interesting to hear what some of the guys here come up with for help for you. There has to be someone out there that has a decent shooting one from the factory or knows how to make one off the shelf shoot well.

My .270 mag started out shooting a MOA with factory ammo (wasn't Weatherby brand). With hand loads I started seeing 3/4" groups with little effort of even bullet selections. I certain it's a .60" rifle with better bullets and a little more effort. I also have a 30-06 MK.V. light weight rifle that started out with similar groups and easilly shoots under 5/8th's groups off a cold barrel. I have a Vanguard in 30-06 (wood stock mid 1970's rifle) that will shoot even tighter groups off a cold barrel. I often shot a 25-06 Vanguard from the same era, that shot sub half inch groups with junky hand loads, but once again a cold barrel is key here. To be exact, I've never seen one that would shoot 3/4" groups with hand loads from any era.

Interestingly, I have never been able to make any serious gains in velocity over the factory Weatherby ammo (loaded by Norma). If it won't shoot send it back; they'll make good on it.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

The Bullets I have used were the 168 Gr Berger VLD, a 160 grain Nosler and currently now the 150 gr. Sierra Spitzer.
Powders I can remember off hand (all wrote down at home) are IMR 7828, IMR 4350, Vita Vouhri N560, 570, RE 25, H 1000, RE22 maybe RE 19 as well.

This was done in the factory configuration, I've bedded the rifle and free floated the barrel, added a pressure pad back in, took it out..... About the only thing I haven't tried is tapping my foot while shooting and wearing a tin foil hat.


This gun is about to get re-chambered in a Shilen or Krieger 7 Remington mag and a McMillan or laminated stock. Driving me nuts.

That's the key here. The ten twist probably is too slow for those VLD's. I shoot 3/4" groups with 150 grain bullets in my 270mag without too much trouble. Try a bullet in the 150 grain area that has a B/C in the .45 range.
gary

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've been on the 150's for a while. I know VLD's like to be seated near the rifling which I can't do on the 7 wby which is why I went to the Sierra. Consistency would be nice and I think after yesterday I may have a load that is good 'consistently' from 2 shots on a cold bore.
If I could get a 2 shot cold bore tight consistent group I'd go and run with it, which I may have. Keep the fingers crossed.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I've been on the 150's for a while. I know VLD's like to be seated near the rifling which I can't do on the 7 wby which is why I went to the Sierra. Consistency would be nice and I think after yesterday I may have a load that is good 'consistently' from 2 shots on a cold bore.
If I could get a 2 shot cold bore tight consistent group I'd go and run with it, which I may have. Keep the fingers crossed.

remember you have a ten twist barrel instead of a nine twist. I also would forget the Sierra bullets. The rifle you have dosn't like them. (I don't either). VLD's work best with throats cut for them. I'd buy a box of Speer 175 Grandslams and start over
gary

 

[Birdhunter1]

An odd question, but what would be considered good accuracy for an elk load? We can't rifle hunt for deer in Illinois and I have a .243 that I have Antelope hunted with and would use on deer out of state, and I do coyote hunt with it alot. But for elk is 1 moa accuracy needed? I mean it is a huge target compared to a coyote, I realize where 1 minute accuracy would be great would 2 minute suffice to 5 or 600 yards?

 

[Trickymissfit]

An odd question, but what would be considered good accuracy for an elk load? We can't rifle hunt for deer in Illinois and I have a .243 that I have Antelope hunted with and would use on deer out of state, and I do coyote hunt with it alot. But for elk is 1 moa accuracy needed? I mean it is a huge target compared to a coyote, I realize where 1 minute accuracy would be great would 2 minute suffice to 5 or 600 yards?

I would think 1.5" groups at 100 yards would be the max for shots out to 400 yards, but an inch would be about right for 500 yards or even 600 yards. But would still prefer smaller groups. Otherguys might differ.
gary

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

remember you have a ten twist barrel instead of a nine twist. I also would forget the Sierra bullets. The rifle you have dosn't like them. (I don't either). VLD's work best with throats cut for them. I'd buy a box of Speer 175 Grandslams and start over
gary

I've had excellent luck with sierra's up to the 7rum. I've always used the 140 pro-hunter though, as some of the others are a bit hard to get really accurate. Got a few hundred sierra 140's loaded right now for my 7rem and 7stw. Some pipes simply don't like boat tail bullets; I think you may have one of these. Try the 140 sierrs fb pro-hunter.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I had similar issues this fall using a few different bullets in Dad's 7mm Weatherby. Last year I installed it in a B&C Medalist, bedded it and floated it while this year I worked up a load.

After working on loading for it every spare moment for 2 months with 160gr Accubonds and 168gr Bergers I tried the Barnes 150 grain TTSX in it at magazine length (3.360 total, though I measure each one to the ogive) and it was instantly Sub-MOA. Load is 75.0 grains of H-1000 though it's good from 74.7 to 75.5. The Barnes bullets are very consistent in weight and length, though I have had excellent results with even the few that are "less consistent" than the rest.

Give them a try and see how they work for you.

FYI I was told - and read - that rifles like or don't like bullets and that powders can then be used to fine tune a load. I have to say that with this rifle I completely agree with that.

Below are 100 yard targets from 74.7, 75.0, 75.5 and 76.0 grains. The 74.7 was a "sight in" load but obviously still within this load's potential.