My budy is considering buying a .30-378 Weatherby. Is there any other rifles that could be rechambered to acccept this catridge besides the weatherby guns themselves?
Thanks

Any action with a .590 boltface will work for a 30-378. Just be aware this cartridge will kill your barrel in as little as 500 rounds. The throat erosion is usually visable in as little as 50 rounds and progresses rapidly. Anyone who tells you differently has either not shot their gun extensively or has not looked.
I bought a Weatherby 30-378 about six years ago and it was a great looking rifle, but delivered only mediocre accuracy. I think even the NRA Magazine ran a test on them and reported > 2 inch groups. I sent mine back to WBY and demanded a new barrel.I included some bore scope pictures to prove my point! They sent me the gun back with a target that of course met their 1.5 inch three shot spec. I don't believe that target was ever shot with my gun. I took it to a gun show and sold it on the spot. I've run into three other guys at SCI who have had the same experience. Personally, I've had much better luck with a good Remington .300 ultramag which nearly matches the WBY and is a heck of alot easier to live with. For the going price of a WBY you can get one heck of a good custom gun built. Hope this helps.-Rob

Boycott Junkerby. They are not accurate. THe barrels are crap.

Rob....: what exactly does "throat erosion" look like? i have done most of the things that people say will cause throat erosion and seem to have no noticeable loss of accuracy. i own a 30-378 Weatherby Mark V and have shot probably 200 rounds from it. i still get the same accuracy i got from the start. i see nothing that looks wrong when i insopect the bore. tell me exactly what you are calling throat erosion. i'm not tryin to dispute anything with you, but i simply don't know what this "throat erosion" looks like.

Bill,
200 rounds is merely a break in on that barrel. Allowed to cool and shot properly you won't see signs of erosion until about 1000 rounds in a 30-378. Accuracy will be exceptable up to 2000 to 2500 rounds...these are just approximates as all barrels differ and shooter practices are a major factor. Keep in mind that a 30-06 will double those figures.

Throat erosion is a wash out of the lands where they begin in the rear portion of the barrel just ahead of the chamber neck where the riflings start...This is caused by heat from burning powder that has a cutting torch effect on the riflings in approximately the first 3 inches. thats the best I can describe it.

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

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

The way I judge throat erosion is on a cerrosafe cast- just beyond the end of the neck and in the chamber throat you will see a non-smooth obviously grainy look to the cast. As you keep shooting, the grainyness ( which is essentially flame eroded steel)will deepen and progress further and further into the rifling. In extreme cases ,you can even see what appears to be faint cracks/fissures. This is why I make casts of my barrels when new and then periodically with use.As Ray said it will eventually go two-three inches or more into the barrel.
Using a bore scope is easier and you can see it clearly in a well cleaned barrel.
The 30-378 is notorious for short barrel life and believe me you will see it and unless your very lucky a decrease in accuracy vs. when new in 500 rds. or so. Of course only you can deceide what level of accuracy you are willing to accept. I believe that some high Quality barrels will last considerably longer than the junk Weatherby is using and this may be the cause of the dispute on how long these barrels last. While others are certainly free to disagree, this is not a cartridge I own a rifle for any longer. Too many bad experiences.
-Rob

Ray: thanks for the information. i sure like your numbers more than those i usually hear. i think a shooter can prematurely burn up almost any barrel if he doesn't use it right. most of the time, i see shooters shooting a hunting rifle as though it was a combat weapon. most hunters won't be shooting 4 or 5 times at an animal as rapidly as a guy on a bench can shoot 4 or 5 times. if ya shoot the rifle, at the bench, as though you were hunting i guess it lasts a whole lot longer.

Rob: thanks for the explanation, i appreciate your help

thanks again......

[This message has been edited by bill smith (edited 03-16-2002).]

Weatherby claims they use Krieger barrels. Is this the cause of their problems? I'm curious because my Weatherbies still shoot well and they are between 30 and 40 years old. Maybe the German built barrels were a differant steel. Just wondering. - Dan

I also was told they were using Kreiger barrels on the 30-378, but never could substantiate it. My WBY 30-378 had an exceptionally rough barrel and I documented that the bullets were actually hitting the muzzel break on the way out. I put a thirty caliber range rod in the muzzel and sent them a picture of it touching the outside of the break. On close examination,I suspect it was because they installed the break threads using a thread cutting die (what does that tell you). Even without the break on it still shot like crap. I also talked to their technical services people and in ten seconds realized that they were incapable of even understanding what I was talking about. I got no-where fast except with one technician who privately told me that he thought their 30-378's were crap and that I would be better off trying to get a refund!

Besides the barrel erosion which by the way I accept as a matter of fact in 30-378, I suspect that my gun was never properly stress relieved following the fluting operation and this caused the barrel walking as it heated. They used an HS precision stock and the bedding was not a problem( I verified this myself). This gun was Literally the best looking, worst shooting rifle I've ever owned. It actually has been an ICON to me in building rifles myself to never have problems like that Weatherby exhibited. I have also run into more people with problems with weatherbys than any other make. With that said, I believe that if you get a good one and it shoots then keep it, but Caveat emptor. I won't but one unless I can shoot it first! Hope this helps-Rob