I have a friend with a 378 which he wants to sell and i have a rifle he is interested in .I dont want a 378 ,but i thought i could rebarrel it to 500A2 ! which is what i want ! Is this difficult ? or not a good idea ? Thought i better ask some advice before jumping in the deep end ! thanks for any advice on this one cheers !

Use the 'find' button on this forum. I believe you will find a few threads that discuss this conversion.

George

Mechanically it is as simple as it can get. About like rebarreling a 270 to 338/06.

However, the stock width in the forend might be a problem as the 378 uses a smaller forend than the 460 and this is especially the case with the later Deluxes of the last couple of years.

It will probably be OK if you don't have a 510 barrel any bigger in contour than the 460 and you don't free float.

One other point, which I think is marketing bullshit, but anyway, Wby will not use Claro on the 460....but Claro is standard from 416 down.

Lastly, you can buy the Accumark stock for the 460 barrel contour. In fact the Accumark stock is the one used for the Wby DGR except it has the front sling swivel removed because of the barrel band.

Also be warned that for a lot of people the comb on the Deluxe stock (and the Accumark is the same) is too high for using open sights. That is why their Safari rifle has a lower comb.

Mike

I don't think I would dare shoot a 500 A2 with a high comb Wby stock.

Mike,

What type of wood is Weatherby using on the later model 460s? I wish I had a bubinga or mesquite, but those years are long gone.

I don't think I would dare shoot a 500 A2 with a high comb Wby stock.

Dan,

Opinion seems to be split on this. I certainly prefer the Wby style stock and hate the straight stocks.

We have a glass stock maker in Australia that makes a high level stock (PC has one on his 585 Nyati) and he makes one stock in what you would call American Classic and the other is a virtual copy of a Wby. He recommends the Wby style for the big bangers.

Mike

keith

French has been used as least since the 1970 period.

I have only seen one bubinga/460 in the flesh and mate of mine owned it and was about 1968 vintage, at the end of Made in Germany period and was very plain.

Today it is is either Claro or French (in various grades from the custom shop) and I think to go outside those two woods to the birds eye, mesquite etc you would need a big cheque book.

Mike

They use claro.

I made a pool queue rack out of figured bubinga and MAN what a stock that would've made....

Ken....

Harry Lawson told me once that French is as strong as laminate. I wouldn't go so far to say that, but I would estimate that French is probably stronger than anything else out there.

Harry told me he had made several 460 Weatherby Mark V thumbholes with no problems to any of them.

If I was to own another 378, a 416, or a 460 Weatherby it will have a thumbhole stock.

quote:

Originally posted by SuperSpeed:
keith

French has been used as least since the 1970 period.

I have only seen one bubinga/460 in the flesh and mate of mine owned it and was about 1968 vintage, at the end of Made in Germany period and was very plain.

Today it is is either Claro or French (in various grades from the custom shop) and I think to go outside those two woods to the birds eye, mesquite etc you would need a big cheque book.

Mike

The mesquite stocks are gorgeous, though the price is NOT

Cheers,

capebuf

If you can get Wby to do a 460 in Claro could you let me know how to arrange this.......However, my bank account has limits

Mike