I have said many times, and just said it again not more than a week ago, " I don't think I'll ever own anything Weatherby just because of the cases."

I'm so tempted to buy a .300 Wby right now it's stupid! I ran into a decent condition user that looks to be a Rem 1917 thats been rechambered and stocked. I don't know much about these but I have a soft spot for the old mausers, Enfields, etc. I wish I new more about the 1917 itself. Twist rate, and what bases would fit it, might make me want it even more.
WHY did it have to be a Rem 1917 in a .300WBY?!!! Nate

I lucked into a real great deal on a Mark V Deluxe in 300 weatherby Mag 15 years ago or so, and I am still glad that I got the opportunity. With your fondness for the action and its history, I think you will enjoy the rifle.

Okay, I'll try to help you. Just think about all this stuff:

The ammo is very expensive.

There's a lot more recoil than a .30-06.

You need a 26" barrel.

There's a lot of muzzle blast.

And if you handload, it burns a lot of powder and the brass is expensive.

There now. All better. Just post the location of the gun and someone else will buy it before you realize that all those reasons aren't good reasons not to buy the gun you want!

LWD

I have friends that have a fondness for Weatherby cartridges and even talked me into trying a couple of them, but they didn't offer any real advantages for me over "standard" cartridges.

I tend to do things on the cheap, and you can't do that if you use Weatherby calibers.

If the barrel was just rechambered you should have a 1:10 twist barrel 26" long. Sounds like a pretty decent deal. I picked up one a few years ago in .300 H&H for $99 in a used rack. Cost me a lot more to get it into hunting shape though.

Sure .300 Wby is expensive but if you reload it will be managable. Brass and dies can be found all the time used for reasonable money. Plus if the deal is right you can always rebarrel into something else anyway. The 1917 action can be used for a lot of magnum cartridges.

It looks to be the original barrel at first glance. It has the original front sight, rear has been ground down and profiled to what appears to be a Large ring Mauser shape. It's barrel is marked @ TDC with .300 Wby Mag in old english scroll. Stock is a pretty traditional line, walnut. Asking was $250

Thanks Taylorce1 for the 1:10 info. I probably wouldn't rebarrel, and would look at the bore first but.....

Anybody have any knowledge of what scope bases were usually used when they sporterized these? Nate

BigNate,

This is EXACTLY how I came about my love affair with Weatherby cartridges and M70's. I had sold my previous elk rifle to keep a roof over my head, and I was in need of another one. I liked modern cartridges, synthetic stocks, and stainless steel barrels. I had no desire to own a Weatherby, for all the same reasons people list here...expensive, too much recoil, its all smoke and magic, its got a bigger blast and blah blah blah. I didn't want a wood stock. Didn't want a Winchester....but when I found a Winchester XTR in 300 Wby with veyr nice wood and great blueing for a STEAL of a price...well, the rest is history. Love that gun, love that cartridge. So it kicks a bit more? Get a better butt pad. Ammo is expensive you say? Well sure, if you are getting factory ammo loaded with Barnes or A-Frames or such, then yes, it is expensive...and so is 300 Win Mag, 30-06, 7mm Rem Mag or ANY other cartridge loaded with super premium bullets. Weatherby 180gr Norma SP's are 32$ a box most places. Bitter Root Valley ammo from Cheaper Then Dirt is like 35$ for 165gr or 180gr bullets (forget what bullet, but good bullet). Most of the factory Weatherby ammo is in the 45-50$ range. Unless you want a special hitech bullet, you'll pay a bit more, but its not bad.

Like you said, never say never! I also used to say this about a 30-06...and well, I have one on layaway that was too good of a deal to pass up! It had a nice piece of wood, someone has already bedded it, free floated it, re-crowned the barrel and added a nice pad on the back. Its a Win 70 SS Featherweight classic. If it doesn't shoot well then I still have my most desired action to build another gun on...if it DOES shoot well...I'll eat my "never" for lunch with a nice cold beer and itty bitty groups on targets.

Go for it. You only live once

It amazes me how so many people are so critical of Weatherby cartridges. They are excellent cartridges and no more expensive to handload than any other cartridge series of similar performance.

If you don't want to pay Weatherby prices, don't buy Weatherby brand ammo or components. Use Remington "Weatherby" brass, or any make of full length belted magnum brass, such as .375 or .300 H&H, 8m/m Remington Mag, that sort of thing. Once it is trimmed and run through the die set it will work just fine, and last almost forever unless one uses almost insanely hot loads in it.

I have been doing that for over 50 years, and am still using some of my original reformed magnum brass cases which are well over 50 years in service now!

My standard hunting load is actually hotter than most .300 Weatherbys can safely live with...84 grains of H-4831 and 180 grain bullets, so don't misread into my comments that you will have to use MILD loads. Not so! But, Like any other rifle, yours will require loads worked up especially for it.

AC makes a good point. Sometimes you can REALLY push the Weatherby's (or really any cartridge) while it might not be the most advisable situation, I tend to think a lot of reloading books take it a bit easy on the Wby's not knowing if its a factory gun with free bore, or a custom gun without free bore. This can make a world of difference in pressure and speed. I remember looking at 3-4 different books for 165gr loads with the same powder, and each one was different by several grains for very similar bullets. I pushed past all of them without any signs of high pressure at all. I'd have to find my notes but I do believe I was at about 86-87 grains of RL22 and was just starting to creep up on factory speeds. Most of the book maxes were 150-200fps slower.

quote:

Originally posted by BigNate:
Anybody have any knowledge of what scope bases were usually used when they sporterized these? Nate

I had to take my 1917 into a gunsmith and have him measure the screw spacing and figure it out. I can't tell you what my rifle took for a base. All I can tell you is my base is a standard Redfield one piece style with windage adjustments. I wish I would have been more specific as I'd have liked a dual dovetail base.