I am interested in hearing from you fellows, your experience and opinions of Weatherby's .378 cartridge, not the rifle, the cartridge.

...Peter

I can see no advantage over the 375 H&H, if you want to improve a 375, go to a 416 Rem. or a 404 Jefferys.

Velocity gains little, if anything on the big stuff, thats all hype from the dark side (grin)...It does tear hell out of good bullets and stops penitration..

I have no use for Roys rifles or his cartridges, just my option and I don't have a care, if someone else wants to use them, thats why we have options, else all would be shooting 30-06's....

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

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Peter,

I have owned 2 Mark Vs and a friend on mine also had one.

As to the Mark V, it needs a heavier barrel, more like the contour used on the 416 Wby.

In all three we found accuracy could range from vey good to all over the paper. I think this is a product of the very light barrel and huge freebore in the factory rifle.

For precision shooting from improvised field rests, I think the 378 needs a muzzle brake.

Shooting a heavy kicker from controlled position of a benchrest is totally different to improvised field positions.

Personally, I think the 375 Ultra is the way to go. It should come within 100 f/s of the 378, can be had in standard rifles and brass will be cheap.

I like the idea of the 375 Ultra, especially the idea of loading it to maximum H&H ballistics but with lower pressure and a wider range of powders. The powder issue is probably more important for us in Australia.

Mike

I have a friend who can give you some insight on the .378Wby. He is a big fan, and has been shooting it for years.

Pop,
Join in on this one, please.

George

I shot a Wby Mark V in 378 with a muzzle brake and 300 grain loads, and it was a pussy cat.

However, in general the Mark V action and the 1960's style stock out of fashion are not for me. If you want a flat shooting .378 for long range shooting, why not build it on an Enfield or a CZ550? The result would be much better than a Mark V.

Peter,
For all practical purposes, I would pick .375 H&H on .378W any day. For the kind of game .375 caliber is used for, any shot over 200 yards is not advisable, and the old H&H is a gem at those ranges. If you still want something different, why not pick a .375 Weatherby instead? or maybe a Dakota? they are both very effective rounds and much shoulder friendly than the .378W.
Just last week I was doing some shooting on the range and the person two benches down my bench was shooting a .378W. A nice rifle with a KDF style muzzle brake. I had proper ear protection on but every shot out of his rifle still sent a shock wave in my brain. I really don't want to experience the full blast of that cannon in the hunting field.
BB

As far as the cartridges are concerned, the bottom line is a 300 fps edge over the 375 H&H. With a 270 Grain bullet that is a 10% increase in momentum and a 20% increase in energy. With bullets that perform as they should, those are significant increases. A recoil brake is a must for bench work otherwise your dentist will put his kids through med school putting your fillings back all the time.

------------------
Gerard Schultz
GS Custom Bullets

I have a 378 Wby Mag and I have owned some in the past. I'm absolutely in love with this caliber. In my mind it does offer a lot more than any 375 out today. The Ultra and other variations do come close but are not quite there. According the the gurus and other experienced African hunters the 375 does lack the cross sectional area to really do a job on the pachyderms. Not to say that it is inefficient for them, just does not provide the extra margin of insurance some prefer in the bush. But this is not why I love it. Where the 378 really sines is the long range ballistics it offers and phenomenal power. So far I have taken 2 elk in Wyoming with this caliber, at very long range. I know, too much gun but if I wait to go to Africa (which I hope I will someday) I might not get to shoot it at live game.

Mine is a custom with a Pac-nor ultramatch barrel, and McMillan stock. McMillan also steel and pillar bedded it. One inch groups at 200 yds are the norm, not the exception. A 300 gr Sierra bt at 3065 fps yields well over 6200 ft/pds of energy at the muzzle and over 3000 at 600 yds. This is academic but shows what the caliber can do. By the way this load with IMR 7828 does shoot 1.2" at 200 yds for me.

Yes...Muzzle break (and hearing protection) are a must, at least for me. If you ever decide to get one let me know, I have worked with just about every powder applicable. Take care.

------------------
"If guns are outlawed...only outlaws will have guns!

[This message has been edited by POP (edited 06-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by POP (edited 06-17-2001).]

Peter, Ditto what Pop had to say about 378 wby. performance. I have had mine for 9 years and it is a great cartridge. My rifle is a stock Weatherby Mark V and is not as accurate as Pop's rifle, but with 113 grains of IMR 7828 and the Barnes X 300 gr. bullet it will shoot under an inch at 100 yrds. As far as recoil goes, I don't find it too bad at all. I have no problem shooting my 378 from the bench without the muzzle brake. My rifle weighs just under 10.0 lbs. with scope.

Mike 375, the new American built 378s are built with the heavier barrel diameter of the 416 Weatherby.

[This message has been edited by Mitch (edited 06-17-2001).]

Thanks all.

Here's the reason for the question. A friend of a friend of a ... well you know, has a Model 70 CRF stainless on wood, originaly chambered in 375HH and has since been rechambered to 378WBY. The guy says it has been slicked etc. and shoots real accurate. I don't particularly need a 375 but apparently its a good deal at $1000 and you just never know when you'll need a large bullet travelling really fast.

...Peter

Pete:

Check out the rifle. If it fits you and you like it buy it! Just because you have a 378 does not mean you have to shoot 378 WBY Mag equivelant loads in it. My rifle does real well with a cupful of H870 and 300 gr Hornadies. Velocity is in the 2400-2500 fps range and shoots well enough for these Wyoming charging prairie dogs :-). Also it is nice to know that you have a whole 500 fps range to work with to find your rifle's favorite load. By the way the Montana Rifleman has been altering Win mod 70's for the 378 family of cartridges for the longest time. In fact it is his favorite action to work on. Go for it.

The 378 wby is still a medium borel, and a noisy one at that.
just my 2 cents

typo on the "bore"

Smallfry...You are right but I still would not part with mine

------------------
"If guns are outlawed...only outlaws will have guns!

.378 Weatherby kicks hard without a brake. I've never shot one with a brake.

POP has already mentioned their best use, and most people don't see a need for it. I personally love mine and plan to use it for just that someday.

BTW, 3000+ fps with certain 300gr bullets is a significant gain over the H+H, but whether you need or want it is another story.

BTW, I would post my group sizes, but I can never seem to remember them.

Well remember and post them! I love to see what these 378's do!

------------------
"If guns are outlawed...only outlaws will have guns!

"We should not say the Greeks fight like heroes. We should say that heroes fight like Greeks"... Winston Churchill