RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Well, I have had to replace 2 300RUM and my load was 97gr of Retumbo mainly. One lasted 1000 rounds another lasted 500 or so before seeing heat cracks in teh necks. What do you think that extra powder would do?

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Bigcountry,

Finally someone gives some valid info instead of he said she said. What kind of barrels did you replace?

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

The one that lasted 1000 rounds was a factory remington PSS heavy barrel. But I never really borescoped this one. I used it for moose. But when I couldn't hold 1.5" groups, and fouling got so bad, I couldnt' stand it, I made the gun into a longe range target gun and put a krieger on it. It was .9" at the muzzle. Started out real accurate and I was doing great at long range 500 yards. But started getting flyers and it got worse. so I finally had it borescoped. And saw the heat cracks. I have a feeling this was my gunsmiths fault. He didn't lap the throat at all after cutting it. I think it should have been hand lapped very carefully to a mirror finish. I bet it would have made it to 1000 rounds. Maybe it was the krieger barrel. I could still see the single point cut in the barrel. I would have figured that would have been lapped out. where you couldn't see it.

The first remington 700BDL 300RUM I had, I ruined and sold. I firelapped it and it littlerly ruined the barrel. don't know what went wrong here. Sold it as a doner action.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Stubble,

Here are the pics of the groups I shot with that load. Hopefully this offers some credibility. The shots on the left are 50BMG 116.8 grains, 200 Gr. Barnes XTS. The right one is IMR 7828 with 180 same bullet. Not a tack driver but it groups pretty well. Approx 200 rounds through this gun.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Haugenna - I have barreled about a dozen of these. As was mentioned earlier, this is acaliber that usually doesn't get shot very much (can you spell "unpleasant"?); so I have only had one that came back for asecond barrel. That one had a Hart 1:12 and was shot out in only about 300 rounds. The customer was using the NP3 plated OX bullets for about 150 of those shots, however; and they are known for wearing barrels out in a hurry. I would expect with normal bullets and full power loads a barrel would have an accurate life of about 500 rounds.

Count me as another poster who thinks this caliber is only worth the high maintenancewhen shots exceed 500 yards. Roskoe

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Roskoe,

Two questions.
1. Are these Weatherby Accumarks or custom jobs you are rebarreling?
2. Are these rifles being used for hunting or match?


Ehh its not unpleasant to shoot. Muffs on plugs at the range and QB2's in the field. Big believer in QB2's when I shoot any rifle.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

There is not much gain over the 300 RUM in velocity is there? According to my manuals from 50 to 100 fps seems to be the average. My Sierra manual shows a 50 fps difference in the 220 grain bullets at the cost of 10 more grains of powder. With the 200 grain bullets in only gains 200 fps over the 300 Win mag at the cost of 35 grains more powder. Not very efficient use of powder it seems to me. Interesting thouigh.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Haugenna, Since it is now very aparant to everyone that everything I have said about this cartridge is, low and behold, factual I guess I am not so ignorant, pigheaded and arrogant after all.

So, btiger53, even though we had to argue with others to get you some realevant information I hope you have come away from all of this with something useful to base a decision on.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Let me put it this way. I love big guns, and I would never own a 30-378.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Haugenna - all of them I have done so far have been hunting rifles. Most started life as a .300 Weatherby Mark V. One was already a .378 Weatherby. The 2nd one was a Remington 700 - which I'm not sure had been done before - at the time. The customer took this rifle to Africa and gave it to the guide as a tip after killing about 30 animals. I made him sign a waiver first - but it actually came out pretty good. Required an M-16 extractor and a custom magazine box. Several have been P-17 Enfields.

One thing I will say in favor of this caliber is that, with a 28" barrel, they can really stretch their velocity advantage over smaller .30 magnums. But a classic example of the law of diminishing returns at best . . . .