Why not Weatherby

[Big Norm]

Why not Weatherby rifles.. I hear and read a lot about shooters using Weatherby caliber cartridges but no Weatherby rifles.. I handled an Mark V Accumark today and it seemed put together very well, and the price sure reflected it...

Someone help me... Why not Weatherby?

 

[extreme]

If you have the money go for it. Great rifles i own ( 14 ) mark v and accumarks.

 

[WildRose]

Other than budget and personal preference there is no "why not".

Weatherby makes fine rifles. I'm not a fan of the weatherby calibers though because it can be extremely difficult to find ammunition for a lot of them when you are off on a long trip somewhere and happen to get separated from your own ammo.

 

[WildRose]

Dupe.

 

[Scot E]

Probably the biggest reason, at least on this forum, is that there aren't a whole lot of smiths that work on them, and most guys doing the LR gig are going to want work done. Having said that, for a factory gun they are nice.

The Vanguard line is a Howa action and barrel with an upgraded stock. Howa's are probably the best bang for the buck IMO in a factory gun. I have had a few 1/2 MOA shooters straight from the factory, some even better. The problem for many guys looking at Weatherby is that the Howa can be had for much cheaper and if you plan to do a stock upgrade or spend the money to bed/float it why spend the extra money for a Weatherby.

The Mark V's are very nice and very tough actions. But they aren't perfect out of the box and often need some work to get the real tight groups desired for the LR game. If you are going to start spending that kind of money the semi customs like Cooper and even a full custom gun starts competing much more.

Also, there are very few heavy barreled versions in any line which keeps them from being pure LR rigs.

My take anyway.

Scot E.

 

[Dr. Vette]

The problem for many guys looking at Weatherby is that the Howa can be had for much cheaper and if you plan to do a stock upgrade or spend the money to bed/float it why spend the extra money for a Weatherby.

My take anyway.

Scot E.

I have never found that to be true.

Cruise around Gunbroker comparing Vanguards to Howas in the same caliber. The Howa rifle is almost always more expensive. There is only one seller I find that regularly has them less expensive. Why is the Howa more money? I don't know. But I have found this to be consistent.

In addition the Howa rifle is limited to a 22 inch barrel while the Vanguard has a 24.

Otherwise they are essentially the same rifle.

 

[Scot E]

I have never found that to be true.

Cruise around Gunbroker comparing Vanguards to Howas in the same caliber. The Howa rifle is almost always more expensive. There is only one seller I find that regularly has them less expensive. Why is the Howa more money? I don't know. But I have found this to be consistent.

In addition the Howa rifle is limited to a 22 inch barrel while the Vanguard has a 24.

Otherwise they are essentially the same rifle.

Interesting. I have never bought a rifle online but always at local dealers. That shouldn't make a difference but I am not sure what the difference would be.

Scot E.

 

[FEENIX]

I have never found that to be true.

Cruise around Gunbroker comparing Vanguards to Howas in the same caliber. The Howa rifle is almost always more expensive. There is only one seller I find that regularly has them less expensive. Why is the Howa more money? I don't know. But I have found this to be consistent.

In addition the Howa rifle is limited to a 22 inch barrel while the Vanguard has a 24.

Otherwise they are essentially the same rifle.

I think he meant the Vanguard line by Howa/Howa vs. the non Howa Weatherby line ... but I could be wrong.

 

[Big Norm]

The Weatherby's that im refering too were $1800 and up on gun broker.. the Mark V Accumark with fluted barrel and brake...

I favor medium to heavy fluted barrels in stainless... in other words.. a "PRETTY" gun, as my daughter calls it.. I thought about a custom build but the wait time would kill me!!! I have accepted the fact that most box guns need some work to achieve custom accuracy but I am not trying to shoot the hair off an ants ***..

I have another thread asking about the Sendero SF II and Savage Bear hunter. They are both known for there "out the box " accuracy, just deciding on the platform to build from

 

[Scot E]

just deciding on the platform to build from

If this is the case you may want to decide what smith is going to do the work for you. He may only deal with certain actions so that may help you narrow it down.

Scot E.

 

[FEENIX]

For that price range, you might want to checkout custom options from www.redhawkrifles.com.

 

[436]

Why not Weatherby rifles.. I hear and read a lot about shooters using Weatherby caliber cartridges but no Weatherby rifles.. I handled an Mark V Accumark today and it seemed put together very well, and the price sure reflected it...

Someone help me... Why not Weatherby?

Why not??? Can't think of one good reason not to.

I've owned and own... many of the Weatherby's models and calibers over the past 45 years.. from .22 LR's to .340 Wby. made in South Gate, Ca round the world back to Paso Robles, Ca.
Their economy line is functional and nice looking, there has to be a physical appeal involved.

The higher grade rifles like Mark V's in wood is were Weatherby made it's bones. I'm a giant fan of the Wearthby Mark V in wood, as well as their Mark V Accumarks for out and out shoot ability and accuracy out of the box.

I don't think anyone would argue as to the Weatherby developed cartridge(s), an their out of the boxe power for an off the shelf loaded cartridge. The re-loaders can; in most cases'.., put a little more giddy up in Wby case, using the Mark V's action due to their extremely strong action.

Sure ammo is expensive in the Wby case.. but they do chamber the good old standby in standard case's & calibers as well.

So again... can't think of any reason not to; Roy had it right.
Cheer's
436

 

[25elk]

Can't argue with the Mark V comments and don't know much about the Vanguard series, but my very first large caliber rifle was a .300 Weatherby that I got in 1963. My dad picked it up somewhere in a "deal" and gave it to me for my birthday. It was built on a hand-lapped Mauser action, probably a '98 but I didn't know the difference then, and it was a tack driver. It was also the most beautiful rifle I ever owned. It was factory production, Weatherby scope and all, so that must have been one he made before he started making his own actions. There was a 200 yrd range where we lived (it was the only one I knew of longer than 100 yrds back then) and that rifle would shoot 1.5" groups at 200 yrds. with factory ammo all day long. Being young, I left it as collateral for a motorcycle I bought three years later and by the time I had saved up the $500 for the motorcycle the guy I left it with had sold it without even contacting me. I still miss that rifle 50 years later.

 

[Big Norm]

I guess like everything, the more you dig for info the deeper you put yourself in a hole of indecision.

Everything everyone says helps so much that it makes it harder....