Current Production Weatherby DGR Opinion

[Schüler Jumbo]

What is your experience/opinion of the current production synthetic stocked Weatherby DGR? In particular your thoughts on the .460. Yes, I did a search and did not find what I’m wanting to read.

Thank you.

 

[etsonaut]

I know nothing of practical use but they do look cool. I ordered their wooden stock Frontier model from my dealer friend a few weeks ago and don’t have it yet but it was ordered in the smallest caliber they make in that model, 300 Win Mag. I think the that gun would look amazing in the DG calibers. Every Weatherby I’ve ever owned shot great.

 

[PARA45]

Not much of a following in this group. I'm a bit of a Weatherby snub and have Weatherby rifles from the 240 and everything in between up to the 6.5x300 and love them and have been a fan since I can remember. Unfortunately, the 460 has a bit too much recoil for me. But if I could shoot it, it would be a wood stock rifle, which I'm sure if they make them or not, oh and no muzzle break.

 

[JimP]

For me a plastic stock shows that it is a working rifle and not a safe queen. I have two Weatherby's and both wear a plastic stock and both of them have seen a good deal of hunting trips.

I would compare the weights of both since that will determine some of the recoil factor. I shot a couple of 460's and while I can handle the recoil the cartridge isn't for me. I would much prefer to drop down to the 416 Weatherby.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Mark V® Dangerous Game Rifle – Weatherby, Inc.

weatherby.com

The action is NOT controlled round feed so I would NOT consider this as a dangerous game rifle!
The Weatherby cartridges need a brake to tame their recoil. Their extra power is not necessary unless one has the habit of shooting dangerous game in the ass...

For me, if one needs a brake for hunting, they are shooting much too much cartridge!
I think most PH's and trackers would agree.
A removable brake for use in practice when no one else is on the range would be okay.

I like the option of synthetic or wood stocks.
I love the drop/coffin floor plate to provide an extra round in the magazine.
If one removes the brake, I think it would be a great looking rifle!

For $4k, I'd shop around.
Your opinion may vary...

PS: For gosh sake, do not buy a 378, 416, or 460 Weatherby rifle without shooting one first! Otherwise you may soon be trying to sell the rifle with almost a full box of ammo thrown in

Kevin Robertson wrote of his studies of penetration in dangerous game that 2400 fps is the upper impact velocity for strait line penetration. See the velocity and recoil listed below of the Weatherby cartridges! Compare those figures to the tried and true cartridges such as the 375 H&H, 416 Rem and Rigby, and any of the 458's.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

The question of price is always the last factor I consider behind the engineering, technical, and reloading component considerations. Glad that @Mark A Ouellette brought up price. $4,000 USD seems like a drop in the bucket for any dangerous game rifle; what say you?

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

Yes @JimP, it would be a “working rifle”.

 

[Riflecrank]

I agree the modern synthetic stock is much better than any wood stock, except for safe-queening.

In the 460 and 416 Weatherby Magnum DGR rifles,
they are not to be pooh-poohed for not being CRF.
They are vertical-in-line-straight-stack,
three down with the coffin plate plus one in chamber.
Reliable feeders and lots better extractors than a Remington M700.
Only a true Mauser 98 is more reliable, IMHO.
My .416 WBY MAG came before they stopped using the Wisner African rear sight.

Just a personal prejudice about the latest cheapened rear sight, so don't mind me on that. Easy to replace if Wisner stocks more of them.

 

[uplander01]

I'd use one if it was what I liked, but not in 460, I'd do a 416 Weatherby and load to my desired specs, which would be lower than published velocities. True, they are not CRF, but neither are Blasers, Remington's, Christensen, Gunwerks,.....and on and on and on. I also like the short 60 degree bolt throw on a Weatherby.

100% agree the Wisner sight is much classier looking.

Weatherby is a great American company that has managed to re-invent themselves after escaping California, I think they are worthy of some level of support. I've had 3 or 4 Weatherby's in my life and they honestly always worked as intended and were more accurate than most others right out of the box for under 2k. I also noticed that for some reason brass lasted for many firings without primer pockets getting loose or too thin at the case mouth. I think Roy Weatherby was way ahead of his time when it came to cartridge development.

 

[Nhoro]

Weatherby actions are often fast on the reload and pretty reliable. Not as reliable as a mauser action but close. It just depends on what you value and what suits you. If you can handle the recoil and are willing to compromise on reliability then buy one and enjoy your purchase.

 

[analog_peninsula]

Okay, I’ll disagree on the .460, if you reload. You can easily drop velocity down to 2300 fps, still enjoy excellent component availability, reliable feeding and the other benefits offered by Weatherby. And, yes, you can always shoot their excellent factory ammo if you must. I’d personally prefer a magnaported barrel to one with a brake, but that’s individual preference.

 

[Schüler Jumbo]

Thank everyone for your comments thus far. A point that caught my attention was how highly valued the Blaser is and it is push feed. I am a dyed-in-the -wool CRF guy so thinking that point through. Reading Woodleigh load data I like the idea of a 550 grain bullet at 2200 fps in the .460 Weatherby.

 

[analog_peninsula]

There's been a great deal of discussion about the true value of CRF. Bear in mind, the exact geometries were designed for specific cartridges and then the actions were then adapted to use other cartridges of different geometries. Unless your rifle is in one of those original cartridges, or your rifle has been worked over by a genuinely good 'smith, does it really work the way you think it does?

While it's anecdotal evidence, there are plenty of posts about feeding issues with the CRF designs, and if CRF was the magic wand some seem to believe ... would we really see all of those problems?

Anyway, just a (heretical) thought.

 

[mms45]

agree with the above CRF is only superior when the geometry is perfect... which in todays world of mass production is rare. I have had more issues with CRF actions then push feeds.

had a cz550 in 404J that i never trusted even after a trip to a well respected smith.

 

[skydiver386]

As @Mark A Ouellette stated, at the going price of 4k, I'd consider carefully. The bad news is there are few African caliber sized actions available right now in a new rifle. The CZ is gone, which leaves the Ruger, Winchester and Weatherby if you want new. Anything used in 375 H&H upwards will usually be 1,500-2k. The new rifles mentioned are 2-4k depending.The next step up is a custom rifle from ParkWest or another small builder at 7-8k.

I think the Weatherby rifles deserve more love than they get around here, but I'm just not a fan of the Weatherby calibers and the pressure level they are loaded up to.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

As @Mark A Ouellette stated, at the going price of 4k, I'd consider carefully. The bad news is there are few African caliber sized actions available right now in a new rifle. The CZ is gone, which leaves the Ruger, Winchester and Weatherby if you want new. Anything used in 375 H&H upwards will usually be 1,500-2k. The new rifles mentioned are 2-4k depending.The next step up is a custom rifle from ParkWest or another small builder at 7-8k.

I think the Weatherby rifles deserve more love than they get around here, but I'm just not a fan of the Weatherby calibers and the pressure level they are loaded up to.

I know @skydiver386 shoots a 450 Rigby. I have and shoot a .458 Win, ,458 Lott, and a .450 Rigby. These propel a 500 grain bullet at 2150, 2300, and 2400 fps respectively. For me, my rifles without brakes, each small step up in velocity provides a large increase in felt recoil!

I know @skydiver386 shoots a 450 Rigby. I have and shoot a .458 Win, ,458 Lott, and a .450 Rigby. These propel a 500 grain bullet at 2150, 2300, and 2400 fps respectively. For me, my rifles without brakes, each small step up in velocity provides a large increase in felt recoil!

If the OP can handle the recoil of a .460 Weatherby and hit center for the first and any necessary subsequent shots, good for him! For me, I love my .450 Rigby built on a South African Vektor magnum action but... Its recoil produces huge muzzle rise resulting in a seemingly long recovery time for a second shot. I know a brake would tame that rifle but I would never shoot a braked rifle anywhere near my trackers. Those guys do not have medical insurance and will never be able to afford hearing aids!

Like Goldilocks, I think the .458 Lott is just right for the heavy .458 caliber rifles.
Contrary to rumor, these cannons still require proper shot placement for a one-shot kill.

 

[Beck]

I have a 6.5 x .300 Weatherby, and that guns shoots very f***king well. Tiny little groups, and I think it is the flattest shooting commercial out there. I like the actions on my Sako 85's, and CZ's better, but I think Weatherby makes a fine rifle. A lot of people make a big deal out the CRF, in my opinion it's all about what you shoot well, and what functions for you. Not sure I'd go the direction of the .460 Weatherby as I think bullet selection becomes a problem - most .458 bullets are not designed to fly that fast - plus my recoil tolerance tops out at .505 Gibbs.

 

[skydiver386]

I worked my way up the ladder on recoil tolerance. First my 375 H&H then 416 Rigby, then 458 Lott, lastly the 450 Rigby. Starting loads in the 450 Rigby around 2200fps are stout, but nothing like the 2450fps factory loads. The 460 Weatherby at 2700fps probably isn't beyond me, but when 2400fps will blow holes completely through any Buff, Hippo or Elephant with the right bullet, the question becomes why?

 

[One Day...]

A few thoughts, Schüler Jumbo ...

As much as the .378 Wby is by any rational analysis a flawed design, and is responsible for the Weatherby dismal reputation in Africa, the .460 Wby actually has a small but very loyal following amongst old hand PHs with extensive DG experience. This is a fact.

The modern CRF debate is not as much a practical debate as it is a cultural debate. As noted by analog_peninsula, rare are the CRF rifles, including modern Mauser, Rigby, etc., that actually respect the original Mauser geometry where the diameter of the case dictated the width of the magazine box, the shape of the follower, the geometry of the ramp, and the geometry of the feeding rails.

Observe that in order to deliver truly reliable CRF function, Mauser was offering 20 DIFFERENT actions, each designed for its own specific caliber.

Do not believe for a second that a modern 'one-does-it-all' Mauser action achieves anywhere near the level of CRF reliability of the originals, regardless of caliber, and regardless of whatever name is engraved on the barrel, including the most prestigious ones.

That too is a fact.

Yes there are perfectly tuned CRF actions out there, but they are rarer than a hen's teeth and darn few rifle-smiths still know, and take the time, to do it right, the greatest culprit being the universal size magazine box. Diving into the real world, many are those, like mms45 who never found in their CRF the level of comfort they sought. Not surprisingly, and easily explained by the above...

And do not believe that this only affects lower priced CRF actions. Try for example to feed a flat nose solid through a 1930's genuine H&H made .375, and come back to tell us...

Having personally owned and hunted genuine Mauser (H&H), FN (Dumoulin), Brno, and CZ CRF actions in .375 (above mentioned), .416 and .458, and having renounced all of them (and a K Gun .470 double) for a R8 with a handful of barrels, including .375 and .458 Lott, I am personally completely comfortable that I am not sacrificing an ounce of safety.

Not to mention that the tens of thousands of rounds I fire with the R8 (including practice with .22 LR and .223 by the cases) have made me infinitely more proficient with it than I ever was with any other rifle, by necessity shot a lot less...

I understand that some will forever feel (note that I write "feel", not "be") better equipped with a CRF action, but this is more in the spiritual rather than practical domain. I do respect that.

Where I completely agree with Mark A Ouellette, is the muzzle brake. Enough said about this deafening monstrosity...

 

[PARA45]

I have a 6.5 x .300 Weatherby, and that guns shoots very f***king well. Tiny little groups, and I think it is the flattest shooting commercial out there. I like the actions on my Sako 85's, and CZ's better, but I think Weatherby makes a fine rifle. A lot of people make a big deal out the CRF, in my opinion it's all about what you shoot well, and what functions for you. Not sure I'd go the direction of the .460 Weatherby as I think bullet selection becomes a problem - most .458 bullets are not designed to fly that fast - plus my recoil tolerance tops out at .505 Gibbs.

You are correct on the 6.5x300 Weatherby. I have an Accumark in that caliber, and it's a tack driver.