Whetherby .30 378
 

I am thinking about purchasing a .30 378 as my main hunting rfile. I have a Vanguard .308 and it a wonderful rifle. But I have given it to my youngest son. Now I need a new rifle. A closed friend has a .30 378 and advised me that it is great. I have shot it and it is great. But I seeking others pros and cons. I tried the .325 wsm, not happy with the performance. OK fellows, lets you commints.... Thanks

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

What are you hunting that you need so big a gun as your primary weapon? One of the cons will be the price of the bullets and the recoil. It gets expensive to shoot it very often to be able to get comfortable with the gun and know exactly what it will do. Though you can hunt anything that walks in North America with it and not be undergunned.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

The cons are,recoil,very expensive brass and loads,and short barrel life.In fact if it is your primary rifle and you use it to practise enough to learn and to actuallytake advantage of the super flat trajectory,you will be rebarreling it every few years.If you don't practise regularly,you will never develop and maintain the shooting skills necessary to take advantage of this cartridge.It is a poor cartridge choice for a one gun hunter.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

btiger53,

Let me review the facts.
You've owned a Weatherby already.
You have shot the 30-378 (another Weatherby)
AND LIKE IT!

Well, about the only parts lefts are: (1) enduring the barbs of those who don't want you to use such a big stick, and (2) some expense issues that while may be true, maybe no big deal for you, and(3) perhaps some hearing issues:

** Expensive ammo (I'm betting you may know that already, plus if your reload, then no big deal).

** Throat erosion. The 30-378 is overbore and barrels don't last a long time. Worst case, you may have to replace the barrel by 1000 rounds.When you are operating at this level, some consider it to be simply a cost of doing business.

** Muzzlebrake. When you tried your friend's 30-378 it MAY have been with a muzzlebrake and if you were at the range then you were probably wearing ear protection. If you usea muzzlebrake when you are hunting, if you wish to preserve your hearing, then you MUST wear hearing protection for EVERY shot. If the cost of a set of Walker's game ears for you AND your son is not an issue, then I think you are all set.

Dare to be different if you can handle the above; however, be prepared for criticism. Seen it before.

BTW, when you go to the range with it to practice, take along the old .308 and mix the two, the 30-378 will probably be the "work" part of the session and the 308 will be the play part. I'm a believe in skill transference between different long guns (even shotguns and 22LRs in the mix), especially if the two are sighted in the same, sayzero at 200 yards.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

I never said that the 30-378 was not a good cartridge,rather that it was a poor choice for a one gun hunter.I have owned a 30-378 and I own two 3000ultramags myself,but I have several rifles with similar trajectories to practise with in order to spread out my shooting and make barrels last much longer.The 300ultramag brass is also much cheaper than 30-378 brass.By the way all 30-378s do not wear the weatherby name.A friend owns a sako trg-s chambered in 30-378.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

I agree with everything. I think its a great cartridge, in my mind there is no such thing as overkill. I hunt with a 300 rum and here the bs of its to big for whitetails all the time I have other guns but seem to favor this one.

Also dont rule out the 300rum they are not quite as fast but still put'em down range very good, and are alot cheaper to shoot.

I was fondling a 30-378 the other night when I was picking up my new gun and she was nice. It was a accumark with a big swarovski on it, accubrake, talley rings and basesands only had a few down the tube for $2000 and you could probley get it cheaper there easy to deal with let me know and I'll give you there number they beat everyones price they also have a few 30-378'swithout scopes. GOOD LUCK with that cannon:)

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Not to be a party pooper but IMHO the 30-378 is borderline worthless unless you are planning on shooting big game animals at 500 yards and longer regularly. It is so far over bore it isn't funny. A case this large needs at least a .338 bore and that is still pushing it IMO. A .375 bore is right where it should be. For a 30 caliber bore the 300 Weatherby is at the upper limits in regards to getting great velocity with very acceptable barrel life (about 3100 - 3200 fps).

Cons are.......You will have throat erosion. That is an extreme ammount of powder and heat generated inside that huge case and it all has to be forced out a very small 30 caliber hole which eats away at the steel. Others are extreme muzzle blast, barrel that heats up incredibly quickly, high cost of ammo and reloading components when compared to other cartridges (about $4 every time you pull the trigger for factory ammo), and it probably isn't going to give you the accuracy you might be expecting out of a gun costing as much as a Weatherby.

Pros are....... It is "sexy" and it says Weatherby on it.

He hasn't owned a Weatherby before. What he has owned is a Howa with the Weatherby name stamped on it. Which IMO is a better rifle.

I completely agree with Stubblejumper. It is definetly not a good choice for a main hunting rifle or for a single gun hunter.


Let me edit the word worthless to say "extremely specialized".

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

In checking three different loading manuals, there is only 100 fps difference MAX between the 300 RUM and the 30-378. It seems like a lot of extra expense for no real difference in performance. The rifles and ammo and brass is much less for the Rem. However if you want the other one and don't get it, you may regret it later.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Couldn't have said that better myself.

I contacted Weatherby after listening to the Addicted boys talk about barrel eating. If Iinteligently shoot this gun at the range, meaning don't overheat it, I will get at least 2000 rounds out of it, but what do the folks at Weatherby know compared to the pros we have here.

If you reload 116.8 grains of H50BMG and a 200 Gr Barnes TSX. 3/4" group at 200 yards.

I left the brake on mine and use QB2's in the field. You can google them "QB2's Hearing" They are quick and comfortable.

Good luck with yours....I love mine and can't wait to get out and put the hurt to a few critters.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

That all depends on just how muchaccuracy you are prepared to lose before rebarreling.The accuracy will start degrading long before 2000rounds,but if you are willing to accept the accuracy loss you certainly could get over 2000 rounds out of that barrel.


So just how many of those groups have you fired?What is your average group at 200 yards?I have fired an .080" group at 100 yards with my 300ultramag,butit certainly is not the average group for that rifle.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Yes if you intelligently shoot this gun you will see longer barrel life. That means waiting at least 5 minutes between shots on a relatively cool day so the barrel doesn't become too hot and longer on those hot days.

You fire three consecutive rounds out of a 30-378 and the barrel will be too hot for you to hold it.

So you get aproximately 2000 rounds out of a barrel according to Weatherby if you shoot it intelligently at the range every time. If a person practices enough to get proficient with such a specialized cartridge to be able to take full advantage of its capabilites then he will be at the range firing up a box every week or more at 500 and 600 yards. So that translates to about 2 - 2.5 years of barrel life. If he isn't at the range practicing weekly then the point of having a 30-378 is pretty much gone. Any regular ole 300 magnum or 30-06 will do everything the 30-378 will.

These comments are not intended to tell him not to purchase a 30-378. They are intended to allow him to make an intelligent and informed decision regarding the type of hunting that he does. Rather than just say "I love mine you should buy one" some of us are giving real information. This is not one of those doo all cartridges. It is one of those cartridges that require a lot of dicipline while shooting, a lot of long range practice,

Perhaps his absolute longest shot oportunity where he hunts is only 300 yards. The 30-378 isn't going to kill a deer any quicker or any deader than a .270 winchester. Perhaps he doesn't have access to a range where he can shoot at 600 yards. Etc... etc...

If a person is able to take advantage of a 30-378 then by all means get one.



Oh, and BTW..... Some of us here do in fact do this stuff professionally. So there is no reason for you to be a sarcastic smart arse.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Stubble,

I am trying different powders with different bullets. I have shot two groups with that load, the other was about 1 inchto 1.25 I am tryin all sorts of powders. What I like about the 30-378 is you can push the heavier bullets a little faster. IMR 7828 was my best powder with a 180 gr. So far I have tried RL25, IMR 7828, H50BMG, and H5010 with 180 grain Barnes TSX and 200 grain Barnes TSX.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

ROTFLMFAO


Since you are a professional, how many have you rebarreled??????

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Just as I expected,you aremaking accuracy claims based on a single group.A single group reallymeans nothing unless you can consistantly repeat it.I state the accuracy of a rifle based on the average group so ifI am askedto prove it,I know that I can.A person looksfoolish when they make an accuracy claim that they can't back up.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Exactly,a 500 yard gun isno advantagewithout a 500 yard shooter.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Stubble...
So far I have shot that group TWO times. Like I said I am working up loads that give the best accuracy. That load has repeated itself. Granted I have only shot it twice, but both have been very good groups. This gun and shooter has shot three out of three shots in a 8 inch pie plate at 600 yards in the open fields of Iowa with factory ammo. The accuracy at that range is only going to get better with handloading.

Like ELKampMaster said If I were on here telling you how well I was shooting my .270 or my 30-06 at that range, the replies would be nice shooting, keep up the good work, but since I own a 30-378 this is all I hear.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

You posted

The other group was up to 1.25",it was not 3/4".

You must not have read my previous posts or you would have read that I have owned a 30-378 and I currently own two 300ultramags.I also stated that I have fired a .080" group at 100 yards with one of the ultramags but I certainly don't claim that the gun is a .080" gun since I have not repeated that group.In fact both of my 300ultramags shoot groups averaging 5/8" at 100 yards so I call them 5/8" guns.Since I own two 300 ultramags myself,I obviously don't have an issue with the big magnums.My issue is that people that buy them think that they suddenlybecome long range shooters.It takes a great deal of practise to be able to consistantly be accurate at 500 yards reguardless of the gun and cartridge that you use.If you aren't willing to practise,the big magnums are a waste.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Like Stubble, I have no problem with anyone shooting the big magnums either. I do however take issue when some mutton head tells me that you can't cleanly take game with rifles that I have taken that game with many times.:D

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

My mistake, when I said group I should have said load. I have shot that load two times. One group was .75" the other was 1.25" at 200 yards, and yes I did read your other posts about your magnums.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

If you are going to quote me and roll on the floor laughing your arse off then have the common courtesy and not take it out of context. I stand 100% behind that statement. I haven't rebarrelled any. Down here in Alabama there are very few people that have any need what so ever for a 30-378 and the ones that do actually have one never go to the range and practice with them enough to take advantage of the cartridges ability. In fact these rich, gotta have the biggest and baddest, mine is better than yours kind of people that I am refering to don't even sight their own guns in. They pay us to do it for them. Then they go on a $10,000 elk hunt and come back bitching cause they missed an elk at 600 yards and tell us it's our fault.

You don't have to rebarrel a gun to know what happens inside the bore when you pull the trigger.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Thanks guys for all the infor on this rifle. Good hunting and be safe..

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Bigbulls,

So why do you always claim these as barrel eaters if you have never replaced one. You talk like you are stayin in business replacing the barrels on Weatherby 30-378s. HAS ANYONEREPLACED A30-378 BARREL??????? Like I sarcastically said earlier. The folks at Weatherby know what they are doing. Sorry to say but probably more than anyone on this site.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Thanks for your insight on this rifle. I will go over the information gather and make a choice a little later.


Good hunting

RV

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Call a few of the larger gunsmiths and barrelmakers and you will find out the answer for yourself.I talked to a few before building my 300ultramags,and they were replacing 30-378 barrels with far fewer than 2000 rounds through them.Keep track of the shots fired inyour own rifle,then post some groups firedwith over 2000 rounds through the barrel.That is if you have not already replaced the barrel by then.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

I never said or acted like I was in the business of replacing Weatherby barrels. I claim they are barrel eaters because compared to other cartridges they are.

Even though I do replace and rechamber barrels a person doesn't have to replace any specific barrel from any specific manufacturer to know what happens inside the barrel when you pull the trigger. All you have to do is ook inside and see the results.

I am fully aware that Weatherby obviously knows what they are doing and 2000 rounds is a very very short life for a hunting barrel. A barrel chambered for a standard cartridge like a 308 or 30-06 can be expected to have a life expectancy with acceptable accuracy of 10,000 rounds or even more if taken care of properly.

The smaller the bore for any given case capasity, the higher the bullet speed, and the more powder burned to achieve those speeds in a given bore diameter the quicker the erosion and wear of the barrel. It's that simple.




The thread was started wanting to know about the pros and cons of owning a 30-378. Rather than just say "Don't buy one, they suck" or "I have one and you should too" some of us are trying to give him factual information so he can make an informed decision.

I honestly don't care if you have a 30-50BMG. Just don't advise anyone and everyone to purchase one just because you have one. Cartridges like this are very specialized and few people actually have any sort of need for one. Same thing would apply to anyone wanting to know about a 416 Remington to hunt elk. What's the point other than to say you have the biggest and baddest?

Heck, you haven't even hunted with yours yet and you are telling him how wonderful it is.



Any how, btiger53, even though there has been some arguing about this I hope that what ever you choose to purchase you have a great time with and I hope we have given you something to consider for your next rifle purchase.

Good luck with what ever you get.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Bigbulls,

Says who. Man you guys know so much on here its crazy. I actually hunted with it last year. I was shooting factory loads last year and now am reloading cuz its cheaper. Arrogant and ignorant. Too smart for your own good. Also ELKampmaster summed it all up real good in his entire post. What more is left to say.

Fact? No. I shoot three shot groups. Some of them hot loads. I can easily grab the barrel. Its not cold but not so hot you can't touch it.

You state little if any facts, most of them are ignorant, pigheaded, and arrogant opinions.

Figure out the difference between a fact and an opinion. You list many CON opinions but not one PRO opinion or fact. Figure it out.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Has anyone put 2000 rounds through a 30-378?:)

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

I'm a big magnum fan. The 30-378 is expensive to shoot and they do eat barrels. Most people that have them can afford there habits. I would like to have one but like I said the 300rum does all I ask it to And its alot cheaper to shoot however if I could afford to shoot a 30-378 I would have one. I was reading were with only 125 shots down the tube they already had very noticable throat damage. My vote buy a 300 rum it can shoot just as far alot cheaper. Check out the new rem sendero in 300 rum I would put it against the weatherby accumark any day. My sendero shoots great. but if you want the big 30 get it and have fun.


Ps. I'm not anti magnum like alot of people

Most the guys like stubble, bigbulls, bigcountry all have big guns so you can listen I'm sure they know what there talking about.

Dam stubble .08 out of the 300rum thats a mighty fine piece of shooting.

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Thanks for the foresight on this rifle. My base rifle has always been the .308 all my life. I will recheck my facts again. Thanks guys..


One Shot One Kill...
Good hunting
;)

RE: Whetherby .30 378
 

Sometimes its just better not to say anything on here at all.:):):):)

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 . . . .