300 Weatherby Mag

[Devil Diver Down]

Let me start with the obvious: I'm not much of a rifle guy. I was planning on buying a new, lighter weight rifle this year to use on some bivy hunts for deer & elk (and if I ever draw antelope). My other rifles are pretty old and HEAVY. I'm also not a fan of recoil, so I was thinking Tikka T3 Lite in a 30.06 or maybe the .270WSM with a limbsaver pad.

 

Long story short: I won a 300 WBY Mag Vanguard Series 2 in the AES Banquet raffle a couple weeks back. None of my few friends who hunt own one and the feedback (about recoil) I have gotten from those who have them is mixed--some say it 'kicks like a mule' and some say it's nothing, if I put a muzzle break on there. They all seem to agree the Weatherbys are tack drivers but I'm not into punishing my shoulder to shoot. Yes, I'm a baby and it's okay to call me one.

 

I'm curious what those who have one/shoot one think about the recoil.

[briant_az]

With a muzzle break the recoil is nothing.

[257wby]

I actually preferred the 300 wby over the 30.06. Its still got a little kick, but it is manageable. A nice recoil pad is called Shooters Friend. Good luck and congrats on winning the rifle.

 

Mike

[billrquimby]

RECOIL MEASURED IN FOOT POUNDS OF ENERGY

 

.30-30 Win. (170 gr at 2200 fps) ----11.0 fpe

.30-40 Krag (180 gr at 2430 fps) ---- 16.6 fpe

.300 Sav. (150 gr at 2630 fps) ---- 14.8 fpe

.308 Win. (180 gr at 2610 fps)---- 17.5 fpe

.30-06 Spfd. (180 gr at 2700 fps) ---- 20.3 fpe

.300 Rem. SAUM (180 gr at 2960 fps) ---- 23.5 fpe

.300 WSM (180 gr at 2970 fps) ---- 23.8 fpe

.300 Win. Mag. (180 gr at 2960 fps) ---- 25.9 fpe

.300 Wby. Mag. (180 gr at 3240 fps) ---- 31.6 fpe

.300 Ultra Mag. (180 gr at 3230 fps) ---- 32.8 fpe

.30-378 Wby. Mag. (180 gr at 3300 fps) ---- 42.6 fpe

 

The recoil from the .300 Weatherby Magnum is considerable, as the above chart shows. It is nearly three times a .30-30, about 40% more than a .308, and about 30% more than a .30-06.

 

It has been said that about 15 fpe is the upper limit of "comfortable" shooting for most people, and that frequent shooting of rifles having a fpe over about 20 pounds eventually will cause a shooter to begin flinching.

 

A muzzle brake can make a .300 Weatherby bearable to shoot, but brakes present problems of their own.

 

Bill Quimby

[firstcoueswas80]

If you are recoil shy, I would sell or trade to something in the .277" class life you had planned. But, let me tell you that a light weight 270wsm does have plenty of snap to it

[billrquimby]

The weight of a rifle also directly affects recoil energy, and lighter is not better. If I were limited to just one rifle, and I wanted something light to use on everything in Arizona, I would choose a .25-06, a 6.5 Remington Magnum, a .257 Weatherby, or a 7x57. These are mild-recoiling (even with lightweight Tupperware stocks, short actions and skinny barrels) calibers shooting 120- to 140-grain bullets at acceptable speeds.

 

The late George Parker, a rancher and international hunter who lived in Amado, successfully used his .25-06 on nearly every type of animal in North America (except polar bear) and every type of African antelope, including giant sable and eland. Roy Weatherby is said to have used his .257 on Cape buffalo, and the 7x57 has killed more than one elephant. The 6.5 Remington Magnum with proper barrel length is a sleeper, with ballistics similar to many of the wildcats long-range shooters are building today.

 

Bill Quimby

[coueschaser3]

I own a REM 700 in 300 wby. It honestly is more enjoyable to shoot than my non braked 270. It's loud as all heck but I love shooting it, minus cost of ammo. If u reload and have a break put on it your sitting pretty. My girlfriend is 5' 2" and and 100 lbs and she shoots it..... on the other hand if u don't reload and don't wanna pay 70 bucks a box for good rounds get a 300 win mag, 7 mm, 280, or 270. Although I may be partial cuz I know my 300 Much better than my 270. FYI I'm 5' 11" and 130 and I find the recoil minimal.

[Ernesto C]

Aha! did you see the valuable info Mr. Bill posted? Take a look at the 30.30 Win. vs the 300 Weatherby.....do you want to trade? I also won a rifle at the banquet a 30.30 lever action.

 

Any way congratulations on yuour rifle and maybe installing a muzzle break will help you or....how much you want for it?

 

Ernesto C

[Devil Diver Down]

RECOIL MEASURED IN FOOT POUNDS OF ENERGY.30-30 Win. (170 gr at 2200 fps) ----11.0 fpe.30-40 Krag (180 gr at 2430 fps) ---- 16.6 fpe.300 Sav. (150 gr at 2630 fps) ---- 14.8 fpe.308 Win. (180 gr at 2610 fps)---- 17.5 fpe.30-06 Spfd. (180 gr at 2700 fps) ---- 20.3 fpe.300 Rem. SAUM (180 gr at 2960 fps) ---- 23.5 fpe.300 WSM (180 gr at 2970 fps) ---- 23.8 fpe.300 Win. Mag. (180 gr at 2960 fps) ---- 25.9 fpe.300 Wby. Mag. (180 gr at 3240 fps) ---- 31.6 fpe.300 Ultra Mag. (180 gr at 3230 fps) ---- 32.8 fpe.30-378 Wby. Mag. (180 gr at 3300 fps) ---- 42.6 fpeThe recoil from the .300 Weatherby Magnum is considerable, as the above chart shows. It is nearly three times a .30-30, about 40% more than a .308, and about 30% more than a .30-06.It has been said that about 15 fpe is the upper limit of "comfortable" shooting for most people, and that frequent shooting of rifles having a fpe over about 20 pounds eventually will cause a shooter to begin flinching.A muzzle brake can make a .300 Weatherby bearable to shoot, but brakes present problems of their own. Bill Quimby

 

Bill, that's great info. Thanks so much for taking the time to post that and your follow up about other, lighter calibers. Shot placement is everything in my mind and that means shooting the rifle enough to be comfortable and to know it well. A recoil of 31.6 fpe is a considerable jump up from the .06. A muzzle break doesn't really excite me but it's probably what I'll do if I decide to keep the rifle. I do understand the lighter Tikka will have some bite to it so that's why I'm looking at a smaller caliber. I'm not a small guy (6'1"/185) but I have started getting flinchy in the past.

 

Aha! did you see the valuable info Mr. Bill posted? Take a look at the 30.30 Win. vs the 300 Weatherby.....do you want to trade? I also won a rifle at the banquet a 30.30 lever action.Any way congratulations on yuour rifle and maybe installing a muzzle break will help you or....how much you want for it?Ernesto C

 

Ernesto, congrats on your win but I'll pass on the trade, thanks but I may end up selling it if I decide not to keep it or my oldest son doesn't want it.

 

Thanks to everyone for their input. Now I just have to decide whether I want to put some rounds through this rifle or sell it.

[billrquimby]

"I'm not a small guy (6'1"/185) but I have started getting flinchy in the past.Z"

 

It's been my experience that small-frame men and women feel heavy recoil less than I do (I'm 6 foot 3 and 285). I've not seen anything that supports this, except that I do know several guys and a couple of women who weigh 150 pounds or less who shoot .458s and .460s a bunch in Africa. They merely rock with the recoil of these big bores. I get slammed around.

 

BillQuimby

[k1dude]

The weight of a rifle also directly affects recoil energy, and lighter is not better. If I were limited to just one rifle, and I wanted something light to use on everything in Arizona, I would choose a .25-06, a 6.5 Remington Magnum, a .257 Weatherby, or a 7x57. These are mild-recoiling (even with lightweight Tupperware stocks, short actions and skinny barrels) calibers shooting 120- to 140-grain bullets at acceptable speeds.

 

The late George Parker, a rancher and international hunter who lived in Amado, successfully used his .25-06 on nearly every type of animal in North America (except polar bear) and every type of African antelope, including giant sable and eland. Roy Weatherby is said to have used his .257 on Cape buffalo, and the 7x57 has killed more than one elephant. The 6.5 Remington Magnum with proper barrel length is a sleeper, with ballistics similar to many of the wildcats long-range shooters are building today.

 

Bill Quimby

 

Sorry to dredge up this old post, but George Parker gave me his .257 Weatherby when I was still in high school about 5 years before he passed on. I still have it in my safe. Yesterday, for some reason George was on my mind, so I began digging around on the internet and came across this thread and another thread about the .257 Weatherby in this forum. It appears you, Mr. Quimby, knew him as well. I lost track of Jacque, I wonder if she's still around. Fond memories.

[billrquimby]

Yes, I knew George and Jacque. I hunted whitetails a couple of times with him, and enjoyed the menudo he served for breakfast at their home in Amado before each of our hunts before we piled into his old green Jeep.

 

I talk about George in my book "Sixty Years a Hunter" and include a photo of him with a big Coues deer he shot in Mexico. He's also mentioned briefly in "Royal Quest," my book about Jack O'Connor's buddy Prince Abdorreza of Iran. George guided the prince to two whitetail bucks (Abdorreza had diplomatic immunity but obtained museum collecting permits) in a week south of Tucson.

 

The last I heard, Jacque had moved back to their ranch at Amado. That was at least five or six years ago, though. She is a great person.

 

Bill Quimby

[roninflag]

With a muzzle break the recoil is nothing.

i have remington 700 ti in 300 rsaum. very light very accurate. the 300 wby with a break is nothing. it can be very accurate . it has been used to win 1000 yard matches.

[sjvcon]

I shoot everything from .223 to .300 RUM to 12 gauge slugs. Only time it gets tiresome is at the range, where I use brakes and/or a Lead Sled on bigger stuff. In the field, I feel nothing ... adrenaline is such a great painkiller. The. 300 RUM is nothing to shoot when you have a critters in your scope. I'd suspect the WBY is similar.