Mike375,
I might just take the barrel off my BBK-02 460 Wby and stick it on a Mark V Weatherby action that is now a 30-378 Wby.

The barrel has six inches of straight shank muzzleward of the threads now, so there is plenty of leeway for whacking off an inch of the old threads, rethreading and rechambering, and coming up with a 24" barrel, still with room for a picatinny scout scope base on the barrel.

Then maybe a switch-barrel 30-378/460 Wby?

Can the same magazine box liner be used for a 30-378 if it is made to work with a 460 Wby?

Will both cartridges feed over the same feed ramp?

I wouldn't push the switch barrel thing, if the 460 Wby alone could be made up to work perfectly.

Will the in-line magazine box overcome all problems? Sure did wonders for the 425 Westley Richards problems with rebated rim.

Maybe the 460 Wby is a great gun in Mark V action guise. The ultimate pushfeed? More reliable than most CRF's? Eh, Mike 375?

RAB,

I have not got a 30/378 here, but the box and follower will be the same. Not sure about the feed ramp. Just see if 460s will feed from your 30/378. I am betting they will.

A couple of years back a friend of mine had a Japanese 270 Wby rebarreled to 338/378 and then 416 Wby. All that was done was to obtain 460 box and follower and have the slot on the bottom of the bolt lenghthened for the longer bolt stop position and of course bolt face and extractor. He did not get the notch cut out of the front receiver ring as he was not worried about ejecting loaded (or failed to fire) rounds.

If you want a switch barrel then you need a recoil plate around the recoil lug and epoxied into the forend. The ones I have had done had about a 1/4" machined off each side of the action's recoil lug. The only problem with a Wby Mark V for switch barrel is that it would be a bit of a challenge to have an action wrench made. Not that you need an action wrench but it does make things easier.

Weatherbys are like the old Mechano sets or those new Leggo sets

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I will be playing with me Leggos. First try the 460's in the 30-378 box, right.

Who needs a 30-378 anyway? As I see it a pushfeed in-line box 460 Weatherby is much more necessary, and the switch barrel is just too much bother for too little return, in this case.

Thanks for the idea. I don't think I would have dared without your suggestion to venture into the PF DGR zone ... The Twilight Zone ... (Eery theme music would begin here if I knew how.)

RAB,

I tried 375 H&Hs in the 416 but they were way too small at the front. But I think 375 Ultras might work from the 378 magazine. Can you try some if you have any 375 Ultra ammo there.

Just think, one Mark V action, two bolts and a magaxine box and follower for the H&H calibers and you would like a golfer if had a bag for the barrels.

Switch barrel is good for trying things as you can put the barrel on a "known to perform" action/mounts and scope.

Mike

Mike,
I tried the 460 Wby and 378 Wby dummies in the 30-378 Wby rifle's magazine. They all feed and eject like greased owl crap.

So I have a new plan, I am back full circle to a pushfeed 460 Wby where I started 20 years ago. Two vertical stacked in the box and one up the spout. Three shots will do until a banana magazine can be arranged, a la WR.

One shot, meat! See bwana grin.
Two shot, maybe. See PH shake his head.
Three shot, heap big $#!@. See Bwana run!

Afterall, Roy Vincent backed up Saeed on elephant using a PF 460 Wby.