I have a 300 Weatherby Mark V that really needs to go on a diet. The rifle weighs 10 lbs. 11 oz. It will go 11-1/2 lbs. with sling and 3 rounds in the box. To heavy to carry around the mountains all day! It is also to heavy to shoot off hand comfortably.

The stock weighs 44 oz. I have been looking at lighter stocks and it looks like the High Tech Specialties stock is the lightest of the reasonably priced stocks. It looks like I can shed 19 or 20 oz with it. The rifle looks to be a German made rifle. It has a Canjar trigger so it has a thin metal bow wrapped around the side of the receiver to operate the bolt stop. The new stock would have to be inletted to accept the Canjar bolt stop. Would that be a problem with the High Tech stock? Would the German made Mark V's fit the High Tech stock OK?

The rifle has a 26" aftermarket barrel that measures .65" at the muzzle. The cylinder portion at the breech is over long and could probably be shortened. How much weight can I get rid of by turning the barrel down to something like a .600" muzzle and shortening the cylinder?

Thanks for your help and any other suggestions are appreciated.

I'd guess you'd loose about 6 to 8 ounces by thinning the barrel a bit.

Honestly? If you REALLY want a light rifle
Sell it and get a model 7, which can be had as light as 6.5# before scope, and you WILL save a ton of money on the deal
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_seven/

They have both the 300 SAUM and WSM available, in different models of the m7, which are right there with the weatherby, and if you cut the weatherby to 22", they will be within 100 fps, Though, personally, I would probably do the 708

Lets do the math, really quick
Stock $252
gun is now 8#

Shorten barrel and retaper OR replace barrel and refinish gun
$600
MIGHT be 1.# lighter
7#

that's 850 bucks, and its a crap shoot as to how long and how much...

or, sell the howa (i am using not best case numbers) for $350, and get a m7 for $750, and only be "out" 400 bucks, and its a KNOWN deal, and if it doesn't shoot, send it back to remington ...

What Howa?

I've heard numerous stories of rifles being sent back to Remington for shooting poorly, and the company saying, "It is within tolerances(which is apparently 3 MOA or so)." and sending it back. Do you or anyone have a different experience to relate on sending a Remmy back for accuracy problems?

I certainly agree with the thrust of Jeffe's post tho. It would be cheaper and you'd probably wind up with a much lighter rifle for less money by selling it or just outright buying another rifle. If you want really light consider a Kimber or you can pick up a Colt light rifle for about $500 or so.

Another 6 or 8 oz. off might be worth it. That would make around a 9 lb. rifle. I could handle that.

Jeff, the cost is a consideration and I have a couple of Featherweight Winchesters already. This is not a Howa. It is a German Sauer made Mark V. I don't think it would cost $600 to recontour and blue a barrel, would it? It has a good barrel and is very accurate. It has a good trigger-a CANJAR! I don't think an out of the box Remington would equal this rifle, even if I wanted a Remington, which I don't. It has sentimental value or I wouldn't bother with it.

Marc,
Sorry, I thought it was a howa ... which, while a fine rifle, is NOT anything like as good as the Sauer.

as for it shooting well, when it is shortned and recontoured, it will CERTAINLY shoot "different" and may shoot as well, but it may not, as well.

Getting the barrel done? Remember, the gun has to be refinished as well, with that price. and the gunsmith has to make a couple bucks, as you will want it to be a very well executed job..
If you knock take off $150 for the refinish (reblue right?) which is CHEAP for a reblue, you are looking at $450 for the work..
The barrel as to COME OFF, be shortened, recontoured (lots of TIME to do this right), polished, crowned, reinstalled and headspace verified... I would EXPECT it to be about 600, but I wouldn't be surprised with 700, and I would question a less than $500 price...

But, all in, you have no certainly that the rifle will shoot anything like as near as well as it had.

And, if it has sentimental value, keep it as is, and build another light rifle.

I have heard horror stories about rifles of ALL makers, but, truth be told, remington just kinds does have a reputation for wickedly accurate rifles ... i mean, why would so many benchrest CUSTOM ACTIONS be modeled off them?

Just my thoughts on it, and its your money, which means I was just mouthing (typing?) LOL, off, and it is what I would do, to fill that need.

This is a difficult decision as the sentimental meaning requires that I use it for hunting. However if I modify it, it isn't the same rifle.

Hmmm...a lightweight 300 Wby. OUCH!

quote:

Originally posted by Marc:
This is a difficult decision as the sentimental meaning requires that I use it for hunting. However if I modify it, it isn't the same rifle.

Hey Marc, I've been through that before. I don't believe there is a universally answer to fit everyone in a similar situation.

One was a very old Double Barrel Shotgun that belonged to one of my Grandfathers. He enjoyed it just like it was and never considered trading it for anything else. Even had a new Butt Stock whittled out for it when the old one developed a split. I kept it like it was for about 25 years and ended up giving it to a cousin who I knew would also appreciate it.

Another was a M12 Winchester that was my Father's. I swapped it for an Over/Under and as I held the new one in my hands I was thinking how much he would have enjoyed shooting the new one. Didn't concern me at all that the old M12 was used in the trade, because he also enjoyed swapping guns.

I do understand that some things are best left as is and some are better to alter, sell or trade, depending on the situation.

So, if it was like my Grandfathers shotgun, it would not be altered in any way. But if it was like my Father's, and if I still wanted the 300WbyMag in a light package, the rifle would be swapped in on a Made-in-the-USA 300WbyMag Ultra-Lightweight and retain the heritage of the Cartridge and Manufacturer.
-----

As a side note, when you change the Barrel contour, there is always the possibility that some internal stresses will make significant changes. I've not had to send one to a Cryogenic Treatment, but if you alter it and the accuracy goes away, you "might" be able to bring it back that way. Of course, once you begin changing the stock, a new barrel might be a better option.

Best of luck which ever way you go.

Well, for the $$ you're planning on spending on modifying an existing MkV, you could just trade it in on a MkV ultra lightweight in the same caliber. Much lighter, same make, same caliber, same good quality.

Can't sell it. It belonged to a good friend who died of cancer a few months ago. If I don't keep it, it will go to another of his friends. Since I have nothing in it, it doesn't seem unreasonable to put a few dollars into it.

Is a 9 lb. rifle light?

A good stock guy should be able to get at least 6oz out of the wood, and probably more. Depending on the particular piece of wood and the style of stock, it would not suprise me if you could get 1/2 a pound out of the wood by hollowing parts of it. The stock will be the same externally, but have holes bored in the butt and spots milled out of the barrel channel.

Another advantage is that a good stock guy can also improve the balance. If the rifle is correctly balanced then it will definitely carry better and feel lighter.

quote:

Originally posted by Marc:
Is a 9 lb. rifle light?

Hey Marc, It depends on what you are doing with it and if you have the Scope on, magazine loaded and a Sling attached.

We already know it is a 300WbyMag, which generally has a noticable recoil. But, that can be adjusted through Reloading.
-----

For BenchRest - Yes, very light.
For at the Range - About midstream.
For Hunting - toward the Heavy end.

Predictions: If you "carry" it just as it is, enough afield and make some Kills with it, then you will be able to make a better decision about the weight. If it Kills well and holds steady for longer shots, you might be reluctant to change anything and it will begin to feel lighter. If you do not Kill anything, it will be like toting an anvil.

Marc,

In my view the rifle was made as it is. For me a MkV with its heavy action is never going to be light anyway. Just use the rifle as it is or sell it. For hunting not that far from the vehicle some might consider its weight an advantage.

I would look at the rifles chambered in the WSM's or other short magnums. The WSM's and RCM's don't have belts either and therefore are better for handloading.

May I suggest a Kimber Montana in 300 WSM. They have that nice soft Decelerator recoil pad.

Kimber

Someone suggested this dealer as showing the best prices on Kimbers. I have not used them.

300WSM $1,065.99

http://www.whittakerguns.com/

Mark,

I do not know of any drop-in synthetic stocks available for the Colt-Sauer-built Weatherby rifles.

The Bell & Carlson stocks for Japanese- and U.S.-made Mark Vs can be modified to fit the Colt-Sauer versions, and I presume the same would hold true for most other synthetic stocks.

Swapping the stock and putting a smaller, lighter scope on that rifle would help, and they are available without altering the barrel or action.

George

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
... The WSM's and RCM's don't have belts either and therefore are better for handloading....

I am going to use it as is this year. Just not enough time to work on it.

The Mark V actions has the same mesurements wether it is made by Sauer in Germany, Howa in Japan or Sarco in USA.
Colt Sauer has nothing to do with Weatherby.

The Sauer manufactured Mark V is far better than the Japanese version.

Keep this rifle as it is the best version of the Weatherby Mark V.

Dont know what scope you have installed, but without scope the Mark V european version with 26" barrel in standard conture should weigh about 8 pound.
Barrelprofile originaly about
Muzzle .63
5" from action .75"
Cone to chamber
lengh of cylindrical part 1.6" dia 1.14"

The stock seems about 10oz heavier than avarage