Watch out for loads given on the Internet, especially in 300 Wby. Remington cases weigh about 20 grains less than Weatherby/Norma cases, and thus will have higher pressures with the same loads. Weatherby rifles have a good degree of freebore. Others don't. It is dangerous to generalize about maximum loads in this caliber.

LE270:

Whoops! I meant to say that the Remington cases were 20 grains HEAVIER. This is based on some Remington and Norma cases I bought new in 2002 plus some Weatherby-headstamped ()Norma made) cases from the 1960s.

Tried some loads today with IMR 4831.

3/4"@100y with 80 gr IMR4831/165 bullet/215 Fed. in Weatherby brass.

Same load with 79 gr IMR 4831 and Rem brass;sticky bold,brass flow and 3" group.

Don't know if I need to look further.

Regards Martin

Yes, and I've found it to be true with signs of brass flowing in the case heads, loose primer pockets, etc. in my (Weatherby-freebored) Vanguard with Remington brass using loads still somewhat below the max of published loads developed in Weatherby brass.



As for Weatherby magnum caliber rifles made without the long freebore, I think that's just irresponsible on the part of the rifle builders. It makes it unsafe to shoot factory loads or most published handloads. The freebore is part of the Weatherby Magnum cartridges' specifications. If you don't like it, use another caliber. Cutting it down significantly poses a real safety hazard to an uninformed shooter who (reasonably enough) tries to shoot factory ammo, and the presence of these rifles could end up endangering the supply of fully-loaded factory ammo. (Remember what SAAMI did to the 8x57?) A custom rifle buyer may want such a gun and intend to handload all his ammo with the reduced freebore in mind, but what happens when he dies? That rifle's likely to fall into less well educated hands. If a short-throated Weatherby caliber rifle kabooms, any halfway competent lawyer's going to eat the builder's lunch. Knowing, willful, reckless deletion of a safety feature with utter disregard for human life and limb, that sort of thing.



Besides, they shoot just fine with the normal long throats.