any thoughts on the new weatherby dangerious game rifle in 460.

I had one on order in 416 Rem Mag, it was taking way to lone (I wnat things now) so I canned it.

I will get one when they become more readily avaiable. From what I have seen they look nice.

Tanoose,
Welcome aboard! I'm sure its a good rifle. My only thought is I'd likely handload it down to a more managable and more effective < 2,500 fps. It'll run nice and cool and give you all you need.

Nickudu,

I have owned 2 460s and had some involvement with a third one.

All three peaked at about 2500 with 500 Hornadies and 115 grains of IMR 4350 before accuracy started to fall off. Accuracy stayed to 2550 with IMR 4350.

At just on 2600 with IMR 4350 slight ejector marks occured.

To go to 2600 you would probably need to use one of the double base powders like Alliant or the high energy Vitavouri powders.

If bedding is correct, they appear, at least when using 500 Hornady, to be one of the most accurate big bores around, in spite of the huge freebore they have.

In short, the 2500 is about their "natural" velocity.

Mike

In discussing the 460 Wby it is important to distinguish between the round and the rifle. The round is just fine. Plenty of powder capacity, good bullets available for handloading, etc.. Weatherby rifles as DGRs stink. Poorly designed stock, no controled round feeding, a small magazine capacity, and atwo position safety combine tomake it a poor rifle IMHO.Chamber a good rifle for 460 Wby and you've got hellonwheels.

Mike 375,
Sounds about right to me. We are, here in the States, blessed with so many choices in regard to powders it is not difficult to exceed 2,600 without attendent ejector marks and the like. I have notes on "early" chrono readings showing factory loadings @ 2,666! Initially, I believe it was promoted as giving 2,700 with the 500 grainers but it soon became obvious that it was in their best interest to reduce the loading.

All that aside, the < (below) 2,500 FPS velocity level is all anyone needs and is no big stretch for this casing IMHO and if you like the Weatherby rifles, this new model is attractive, I think. You are also right about the accuracy with the Hornady bullets. The freebore factor is of little consequence with the "big bores" and appears to be present on the majority of rifles.

JohnDL - I could not agree more with your statement. Weatherby's are good rifles and that shoot well, however, they do not make the cut for African dangerous game.

Nick, as we have discussed many times, 500gr at 2400fps to 2500fps knocks things down in a hurry. The problem that I see is most folks cannot handle the recoil well. Throw on top of that the Weatherby stock design and you have the makings for a muffed shot.

Tanoose - First off welcome to the forum. Second you began by opening one of the biggest can of worms on this forum - opinions on Weatherby rifles. You will find the audience clearly and decisively divided on the subject. There is no middle ground. You either think that Roy Weatherby was the greatest gun maker in the world or you think he drove a 1974 metallic purple Cadillac, highlighted with gold trim, equipped with curb-feelers, gangster white walls, crushed red velour interior, a green fuzzy steering wheel, and of course dice hanging from the rear-view mirror. If you have ever see the picture of the rifle he hunted with you would understand the vivid description.

If you have experienced hunting in Africa, you know the importance of the first shot - especially with dangerous game. Shot placement and energy delivered are critical in avoiding boo-boos. However, when you depend upon that second and third shot, a reliable gun is paramount. The .460 is an excellent cartridge capable of high energy levels. You will find plenty of case capacity to work with and a lot of load flexibility.

Good luck.

Lead, it's not just for breakfast anymore.

ZERO,
I am "in the middle", as you put it.
I like most rifles, generally and appreciate the positives in most designs. Tanoose has obviously been giving careful consideration to the purchase of this rifle. He must like something about it. I see no good reason to discourage him, out of hand.

Nick-E-Poo - The question as I interpreted it was - �Are Weatherby's a good choice for a DGR�. My answer is no, I think there are better choices available. My reason was not a blanket statement that all Weatherby rifles are crap. I just do not feel they are the best solution for a DGR. That�s all.

I hold no animosity towards anyone who owns a Weatherby - I just don�t want to be their firend . (joking, only joking. Now someone is going to get all pissed off with me... again.)

I'm not sold on the rifles, a little to modern for my taste and no control feed..The caliber doesn't impress me much, The extra velocity gains absolutly nothing in killing power over a hot loaded 458 or 458 Lott...the 460 is just too fast...If one wants more power then go up scale to the 500 or 577, the recoil is about the same...

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

ZERO,
Watch that Nick-E-Poo business.
You promised, "not in front of the guys" remember? Looks like it's back to the playground after school for us, buddy-boy.

Will,
You do know I am playing, don't you? Your silence is ominous. Cut it out, will ya?

I have owned my 460 for more than 11 years and it is one of my favorite rifles. I find that it is very versatile, and very accurate. This not say that CRF is not better but there are plenty of push feeds that have been used as DGRs with great success I might add. So I think it really comes down to what kind of rifle appeals to you. As far as recoil goes my 460 does not kick anywhere as hard as my 500 A2 or 577 Tyrannosaur. If you have the chance shoot a 460 and see if you like it, that is the best way to see if you like the rifle.

Have owned many Weatherbys and Winchesters. Both have worked well.

Reading these posts, I'm not sure how some of you hold a rifle, but the Weatherby stock was designed to move the comb away from the shooter's face during recoil. Straight comb Winchesters (and Remingtons) batter you under heavy recoil. I know several other shooters that agree. My Weatherby ULW in .300 WinMag weighs 6-3/4 lbs and felt recoil is LESS than the 8-1/2 pound Winchester it replaced.

As for controlled round feed, having used both, I can't see a difference in performance. Bolts are made to be worked briskly when shooting, so there is no problem with push feed designs such as Weatherby, given the necessary practice any rifleman should have. In addition, in the push-feed design the cartridge is still controlled by the feed lips until it is halfway into the chamber. Is there some reason you would STOP chambering that round?

The short bolt lift of the Weatherby is also significantly faster than the 90 degrees of controlled-feed bolts. I think that is a safety factor and an advantage getting to that second round.

I have seen many more push feeds fail on Dangerous game during Safari than control fed rifles,by a sugnificant number, I might add, so based on that I'll stick with a control fed rifle or my double, an gladly allow you children to use whatever you desire.....

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Just an observation ... not trying to stir the pot but the comments of Kuduking have more merit than meets the eye in that the 60 degree short stroke bolts, such as Weatherby and Browning, certainly do cut down on both feeding and extraction time. They accomplish this by cutting down on total mechanical movement, which is always desirable when functional reliability is key. No?

Additionally, if one employed the use of a hi-speed camera, while cycling a "CFA" as fast as possible, I'll wager a surprising number of cartridges are actually "push-fed" into the chamber anyway, as very few "CFA" are hand fitted well enough to ensure that the rims of ALL cartridges pop up smartly, between boltface and extractor, as intended.
In a safe setting, watch very closely as you rapidly run a dozen rounds through your action and you see what you think.
The longer and heavier the cartridge the more prevalent this condition, as variable cartridge position and inconsistent follower spring tension come into play.
While I've always been a strong supporter of "CFA", just having one guarantees nothing.

As to stocks and recoil, I am with Kuduking on the Wby stock.

I find the very straight stocks greatly increase recoil for me. Such a feeling is also backed by some simple physics.

Mike

I own two Weatherbys, a .378 barreled action placed on a H-S Precision stock and one of those new DGR in .416 Wby, and I love them both.

Tanoose: I can recommend Weatherby's DGR to you...it is beautiful, with a traditional cut and style, even with a composit stock. And the .416 Wby is enough cartridge for me right now. I cannot speak about the .460 because I have not shot one. But if you buy this rifle, I am sure you will love it. As far as cartridges go, the .416 Weatherby is not a whimp! But it is not nearly as bad to shoot as some would have you think and I think that is so because of the design and composition of the rifle. There are plenty of grown men that whence at the thought of shooting a .338 Win. Mag in a traditional model 70, and this is because the thing can hurt you after about 5 shots. But with Weatherby's DGR, that is not the case. I am one of those that absoluting believes in Weatherby rifles, as a general rule.

Good luck.

Robert Jobson