Hi guys,
I'm having a hard time making up my mind if I should buy this model. I hunt moose at around 400 yards. Of all the threads I have read, 50% are for and 50% against.... and all have good points.Biggest drawbacks:
expensive ammo: not that bad in some places in Alberta. About $110 Can.
short barrel life: starts to see throat erosion after about 100 rounds. Does this also apply to stainless steel barrels or just carbon steel barrels. How long has stainless steel been out on Weatherby's.
noise: tolerable with a good set of earmuffs. Which set do you recommand to keep from also using plugs. The moose should also wear a set'cause it's the noise that'll kill him, not the bullet.
recoil: Weatherby claims 55 ft.lbs without brake and 26 with brake. Is this reasonnable to believe.
Please comment. Should I be better off with another caliber like 340 or 300 W. mag. On the 30-378, it's the 28 inch barrel that makes me flip. What a field cannon. Could probably shoot a moose at 1000 yards.
The 30-378 will have a much shorter barrel life than most other cartridgeseven with a stainless barrel.If you want ballistics close to the 30-378 but with better barrel life,less recoil,and much lower priced ammunition ,consider the 300ultramag.However eventhe 300win mag will be more than adequate on moose at 400 yards.The shooters ability to place his shotswill be the most important factor when shooting game at longer ranges,and with ammunition costing $110 per box,how much practising do you think that most people will do?
The 30-378 will have a much shorter barrel life than most other cartridgeseven with a stainless barrel.If you want ballistics close to the 30-378 but with better barrel life,less recoil,and much lower priced ammunition ,consider the 300ultramag.However eventhe 300win mag will be more than adequate on moose at 400 yards.The shooters ability to place his shotswill be the most important factor when shooting game at longer ranges,and with ammunition costing $110 per box,how much practising do you think that most people will do?
Stubble you bring up a very good point, the .300 Ultra can be had in a more affordable rifle as well, if I was going to get a .300 Ultra I would get the Remington 700 SPS.
.300 Ultra Mag, I've done a lot of research on both of them and the small velocity difference does not the the 30-378 worth the extra money. The biggest difference is about 100 fps with 110 grain bullets. With just about every other bullet the difference is about 30-50 fps. Not worth the extra price.
Jeepkid
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I have used 300RUM since it came out for moose. I now have since moved back down to 300win mag and 7mmSTW. I burned the barrel out of a custom one I had built well under 800 rounds. Actually, I started seeing heat cracks in the throat. The 30-378 will be worse. I know some guys that claim they got 1500 rounds out of a RUM, maybe I had a bad ream job in the beginning. It always fouled some and thats unusual with a krieger barrel.
Actually I have heard of significant Throat Erosion at well under 100 RDS with the 30-378. I would say that for the intended purposes the .300 RUM would be a better choice, because the barrel life seems to be quite a bit longer. Factor in the cost of ammo and the actual rifle, and the Ultra Mag beats the snot out the ole' 30-378,
You have all the info you need in your post. BE VERY CAREFUL ON WHAT YOU READ ON THREADS.No offense to any posters.
Expensive ammo: Yes it is. I would take up reloading. I have a killer recipe for that gun. Yours might like it as well. A buddy of mine purchased one after a day at the range with me,same recipe works great in his gun. 101.2 Grains of RL 25 with a 200 Grain TSX. I purchased ammo for 1 year and then said 'to hell with this' and took up reloading. I have cases that I have got 6 firings out of and are still reloading them.
Barrel Life: Contact Weatherby for that answer. I put over 300 rounds through mine and was the second owner. Not sure how many the other guy put through it. It still hold an excellent group. 1.74" at 300 yds. Weatherby and only Weatherby should give you that answer. They know what they are doing and have engineers and a R&D program superior to most.
Noise: I use qb2's in the field. Yahoo search: "quiet band plugs". Lightweight and easy to use.
Recoil: Never shot it without the brake and don't think I want to. Thats why I have the plugs. As for my Weatherby, it is a gentle giant. I compare it to a hot .243.
Comment. I love mine and would buy it all over again. It is actually a 26" barrel with a 2" brake. Hope the info I gave you from my experience with a Weatherby Accumark 30-378 stainless/brakehelps.
BTW, I have a 4.5-14x40 with a boone and crockett reticle. Zero is 300.
Thank You all. I appreciate your help. But as you can see, those who have one would not trade it for anything. Those who don't, do not recommand it. And you all have good points. That's why an ignorant like me has a hard time making up his mind. I'll go with Haugenna: contact Weatherby and get their story. I didn't find an e-mail address for them. Will have to write a letter. I don't reload, but now that I'm retiring, will have time to do it. I'm glad to hear that the recoil is tolerable with the brake.... don't know if the sergent-at-arms at the local field will let me use it. Other members might complaint about the noise. Will keep you posted...might takea few months. No dealer in Canada has one but one dealer in Alberta is expecting a couple in november, and no dealer in the States will ship to Canada. Customs officers have gone crazy since 9-11. They don't even let scopes pass.
Weatherby Accumark 30-378 stainless/brake
