weatherby ultra light?

19 January 2002, 06:33

R-WEST

Danny -
Recently purchased the W'by. U-lite in 7-08. It's got a McMillan stock (gray w/black spider webbing) with some kind of really soft recoil pad and aluminum bedding block, a blued receiver and fluted stainless barrel. It's got the scaled down Mark V action with 6 lugs instead of 9. It is nice and light, weighs 7-1/4# with a 4-12 Leupold in Millett Rings.

I'm not too crazy about it:
1. It cost me $1,100.00. I could have gotten two Rugremchesters for that amount.

2. All my other 7-08's really shoot. This one just will not, so far, after trying 20 or so different combos. It has an annoying tendency to put two shots touching in one spot, with the next one, or two, or three, touching in another spot about 1" away from the first two. I've been fooling around with the bedding and so on, but, no difference. The best I've gotten for 3 shots is 1-1/2" to 2", which isn't bad, but, not what I expected for the money; 5 shotters are a lot worse. It might be a barrel problem. I don't know if I should send it back to W'by or have it cryo'ed or what. I have other light barreled 7-08's (a Rem 700 Mtn. Rifle, in particular), that really shoot, so we can't blame it on the light barrel.

3. The chamber has a REALLY short throat. Rem. 150 grain Core-Lokts have to be seated at 2.680"; 145 Speer Flatbase Hot-Cors (my favorite deer bullet) must be set at 2.750" max, although I can go to 2.825" with the 145 Grand Slam and 140 Nosler B-Tip. Normally, these are things the handloader is responsible for checking, and I accept that, but, I found out about it when I loaded a factory Rem. 140 grain round in there for the initial sight-in, and it wouldn't chamber. To me, to not be able to chamber a factory round in a factory rifle, as Joe Average Hunter would do (we handloaders are still a definite minority), smacks of major QC problems.

4. Probably just an idiosyncracy, but, I am getting more velocity, with similar loads, out of the 22" tubes on 2 Rem. 700's than I am from the 24" barrel on the W'by.

5. Not crazy about the pronounced Monte Carlo. You have to really work to get your face down to see through the scope.

I am NOT a Weatherby basher, as many are. I've owned numerous W'bys, but, this is the first new one in 20 years, and, they definitely seem to have changed their standards. Hopefully, mine is just an isolated case. Perhaps they can fix this one (I think I will send it back to them, before trying anything else on my own), and everything will be fine.

Like you, I'm glad to see a major gunmaker chamber the 338-06. In fact, I have a Ruger early style 77 action lying around that I think I'll have made up in the caliber. For close to what I've invested in the W'by., I will, hopefully, have a more pleasing rifle.

My $2.95 worth.

R-WEST

19 January 2002, 11:27

<Bill>

Danny,

I am huge fan of Wby. I have found them to be a bit tempermental with certain bullets (such as boat tails) but an all around excellent hunting rifle.

I own three and plan on buying more in the future.

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Save a plant, shoot a deer!

19 January 2002, 12:21

Longbob

R-West,

Is that McMillan stock aftermarket? I believe mine came with a H-S.

19 January 2002, 13:05

HunterJim

R-West,

That two-group phenomenon you report with your W'by sounds like something is bouncing around in the rifle.

I have seen similar results with a scope with an internal problem, and also mount problems. There are probably other ways to get this to happen too, like bedding.

That Weatherby UltraLight looks so good, how could it have such a problem?

jim dodd

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"if you are to busy to
hunt, you are too busy."

19 January 2002, 17:43

<sure-shot>

I believe those factory stocks are made by Bell & Carlson. sure-shot

20 January 2002, 04:33

Longbob

Sure-shot,

I thought that it was one of those two.

20 January 2002, 04:41

R-WEST

longbob - I THOUGHT it was a McMillan, but I'm not positive. It's definitely the factory stock.

HunterJim -
I was thinking the same thing, so I tried a different scope, the bases seemed okay, but there was no change. It's really weird, it will make two nice little groups, but they're about 1" apart. It almost sounds like the barrel is un-kinking as it warms up.
The barrel was free floated as a first try to straighten it out. That didn't work, so I tried the old one layer of shims, then two, etc.., to try and find what amount of pressure it wanted, but, aside from changing the point of impact each time, the two-group characteristic has remained. I've been doing this for 35 years, and, every once in a while a real puzzler like this comes along.

You're right, though, it IS such a nice gun that I've got to make it work.

How about the short throat problem. Can a chamber be re-throated? I have a bunch of 7-08's, and I've never seen one that demanded less than 2.79" o'all length for spitzer bullets. Did you ever try to seat a 150 grain bullet to 2.680" over 47 grains of H4350 (which, by the way, may be the best all-around powder for the 7-08)? I think I bent the handle on the press.

R-WEST

21 January 2002, 14:45

JerryO

quote:
Originally posted by dan belisle:
Now that they are made in the states. (by SACO I believe) according to the rags the quality is better. - Dan

I have read great things about the quality from the SACO factory in maine (I think).

I was surprized by the quality of a colt light rifle I bought (cheap, about $200 MORE than I paid for a remington 700 ADL, on sale at walmart).

No comparision at all. The remington worked and has a great trigger (even adjustable) by comparison to the SACO produced colt.

The colt trigger doesn't have screws so adjustment was done with building up and fileing down as needed.

But 2 items were just plain BAD.

first. the crosspins holding the trigger unit wer not retained. Even while in the stock, one pin could (and did) slide far enough to the right that the safety jammed and the bolt release was off its pin. Very easy fix to take a punch and stake the pins, but why is it shipped like that.

second. The fireing pin spring was not strong enough to consitantly set off the primer. The best I could get by cleaning and polishing still had about 1 in 40 missfires. A ruger spring fixed the missfires, but left the bolt hard to lift as the spring is pushed back.

And all this after it had been recalled for a safety problem !!

SACO quality? well not on this gun. and it appears to me that these items are typical of these rifles.

JerryO

21 January 2002, 15:26

<Don Krakenberger>

I bought a jap built wby 300 mag just about a year or two before the production was brought over here. It was such a great shooter I bought up a Jap production 340, .270 and .257. They are ALL TACK DRIVERS. Ps- I only paid $390 for a BRAND NEW MARK v 340 OFF a bargain list. Then a few years later I said to myself--OK I love the .300 wby--time to support American production and bought a .300 wby ultralight. My friend bought one at the same time. Both are capable of 7" groups at 300 yards--No better--not acceptable. He sent his back and got it back without improvements. I took mine to a local gunsmith who did all the tricks he knows. I haven't shot mine yet. Feel bad--want to support good 'Ole American workmanship but that $1100 wby has me PO'd.I had a feeling this would happen when production came here--that's why I bought up a bunch of the japs before they came here.
Funny thing is a Jap built wby is worth $00 in a bluebook--well almost.

23 January 2002, 05:30

<Eagle Eye>

Jerry: Two years ago I bought a brand new Weatherby Ultralight in 25-06....a big departure from my usual Remingtons and Rugers. I was thinking that I finally had a superb rifle that I would be proud to own. It grouped very well (.5 MOA) and the velocities were comparable to other makes with a 24" tube. I had no failures at all at the bench but on opening day, it failed to fire when I had a nice buck lined up. The buck heard the hammer drop and disappeared before I realized what had gone down (or should I say, hadn't gone down). Seems you aren't the only one with a faulty firing pin spring. A Weatherby Auth. Depot tech fixed it and I got it back before the third week of the season. Another deer, another failure. I should point out that I wasn't sure what the problem was although I suspected the spring from the start. Headspacing was also considered but the failures should have occurred more regularly in that case. Anyway, I got rid of that dog quickly and actually came out okay in the deal. After I got the rebate cheque from Weatherby, I ended up losing $50 in the trade. Frankly, I would have been willing to lose a heck of a lot more to dump it. I was extremely disappointed.

I would never consider buying a Weatherby again and now use Sako 75's exclusively....they are superb rifles. They are also in the untralight business now as well with their Finnlight model. A 7mm-08 goes 6 pounds in stainless and a 20" tube. Very nice.

23 January 2002, 06:29

Frank Nowakowski

I have owned a few WBY's back in the 70's and 80's but traded into them, stripped off scopes and resold them at gun shows. Never hunted with them or even shot them much, I was always a Rem 700/ Win 70 guy. With several Sakos and a few Steys thrown in from time to time.

As a matter of fact I secretly laughed at most Wby ownerrs as I felt they had bought these shiny, expensive guns due to advertisements and bragging rights and not because they were a better weapon or better cartridge.

A few years ago I traded into a new Wby Ultra Lt Wt in .280 Rem at a gun show. Mounted a 2.5-8X Leupold,on 2 piece bases, with steel rings, a lt nylon sling and 5 rds of Federal ammo, and it weighs 6 pounds 15 ounces.

The first time I fired it I was rather surprised the Federal factory 150 partitions exceeded 3000 fps, and my group was under an inch. I broke in the barrel a bit and it just shot better. Hunted with it but shot nothing, end of story for 2000.

This past year I carried it a few times when guiding and finally shot a nice 10 pt whitetail at a non challenging 100+ yards. Then it was used on a wounded bull elk at 450+ yds with good hits, semi amazed me.

I came home from the elk hunt and the next day shot a few groups at 200 yds, off the bench,@ 8X with zero wind and very good conditions. At least for Montana in December anyway. The two , three shot groups at 200 yds were all under an inch, microscopically, but under an inch. Like .990" and .970" , don't have them handy, but under an inch, and with FACTORY Federal PARTITIONS.

The gun has always worked well, no complaints on fit or finish. I see them out here at gun shows for a bit under a Grand. Even a few at $950 from time to time. I am not a big Weatherby fan but strongly recommend the Ultra Light Weights. I have spoken with several U Lt Wt owners and have not heard of a single gun that was inaccurate or had malfunctions. I have posted glowing accounts of mine before. Maybe I just got a dandy and they are all dogs. But I can state that mine is accurate, the POI doesn't change and it has not malfunctioned in any way.

23 January 2002, 09:09

R-WEST

Frank -
Is your U-Light American or Jap made?
R-WEST

24 January 2002, 09:00

Frank Nowakowski

Made IN The USA!!! It doesn't state WHERE though. I'm somewhat surprised that your so unhappy with yours, too bad. As a long time WBY basher, this gun has surely changed my mind. I know of three other Montanans who bought ULW's and all of them shoot very well. Two .280's, mine included, two 06's and the other is one of the magnum calibers, forget which one.

I also applaud WBY for chambering a rifle in .338-06 a truly great wildcat. I rebarreled a current m70 and after one short RSA trip, taking four species and an elk, I'm very pleased with the round. It appears to work much better than its moderate velocity and pleasant manners tell us it should. Maybe all these huge, hyper velocity rounds are really not whats needed??

Oh Boy! There I go now, that will start something.

[This message has been edited by Frank Nowakowski (edited 01-24-2002).]

24 January 2002, 10:08

R-WEST

Frank -
I e-mailed W'by and they responded by providing a data sheet on the torquing procedure for the action screws. They did NOT tell me to return it to them if that didn't work.

I'm no Weatherby basher, for sure, but, all the other ones I've worked with are over 20 years old, and, this new one definitely is NOT the same quality. The safety is gritty, the bolt's got a lot of slop and wants to bind up, for starters, but, it really is a nice, light weapon. I'm going to keep fighting with it until one of us gives up.

R-WEST

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