New to me weatherby range report

[double bogey]

I picked up a Mk V ultralight in 25-06 two yrs ago from a good friend that needed money. Due to health issues myself, I haven't been able to shoot it. I loaded a ladder test with 7 loads of H4831 3 each in 1/2 gr. increments, using 115 gr. nosler ballistic tips.

Since I haven't shot this rifle, I took along a partial box of Federal ammo to check it out and make sure it was on paper. Well, first shot, not on paper. I use the targets with a bull in the middle and bulls on the corners. The shot on the bottom left bull hits about 1:00 4" from the center bull. So I try another, and it hit about 3" from that one, ditto for the next shot. So I get out a proven load for my Tikka 25-06, and it shoots at 12: 6" high from the center bull while aiming at the bottom left, same 4" pattern. Cant say groups, looked like a shotgun.

There isn't enough adjustment in the turrets to get it where it needs to be so I get it best I can, and everything got worse.
Now, I was with my buddy when he bought this rifle, and I have shot it a few times although it was 20 yrs ago. The scope is a Zeiss Diavari MC, made in U.S.A.

So for a sanity check, I get out my Tikka, Shoot a few 3 shot groups to see if its me, and 4 groups range from 5/8" to 1 1/4".

So we stay at the range a couple of hrs so my son in law can get his 30-06 dialed in, and I shoot a bunch with my Ruger American ranch 5.56. Dang that little gun is fun to shoot, bit the 75 gr Amax bullets are single shot due to magazine length.

So I go home and remove the scope, take the rifle out of the action and don't find any loose screws or anything else to cause the erratic shooting. I checked all the scope mount screws, as I knew they would be, all were properly loctited, and none had come loose. I helped him mount this originally, but I had to check.

Took a Zeiss Terra I had off of another rifle and mounted it on the weatherby, taking pains to boresight as good as possible at home.

I guess I will put the "bad" scope on another rifle and take it to the range next week. No way I would go to the range today, this close to deer season.

[double bogey]

This pic shows the weight of the rifle, I don't have a good pic. It has a black receiver and a stainless fluted barrel. Pencil barrel.

7 lbs 3.75 oz.

[texas shag]

I have the same gun in 270 weatherby. I couldn't get it to shoot for about 3 years. I about lost my sanity trying to get the thing to shoot. Tried three different scopes, over 20 different hand load combinations, and I finally sent it in to weatherby to have it looked at.

the looked it over, and sent me back a message telling me they set the actions screws at the exact tolerance they were supposed to be set at from the factory. Also, they suggested I shoot Barnes TTSX bullets out of it, with the bullets seated a good distance off the lands with plenty of freebore. Lo and behold, the things shoots groups like a gnats ***. So make sure all your screws are set at the exact setting recommended by weatherby, and do it with a high quality torque wrench. Also, make sure you are shooting ammo that is seated deep enough to provide you a good amount of freebore.

if the above doesn't solve the issue, you may ask you buddy how many rounds he put down the barrel. If he shot it quite a bit with hot hand loads over the past 20 years, and it is still the factory barrel, it may be starting to get shot out.

good luck!

[MUZZYSLINGR]

Weatherby factory barrels have the largest amount of freebore in the industry. Why they do them like that I don’t know.

If you have a gage, measure how far you are off the lands then put a few loads together based on your measurements before you give up on it. May not have been your scope.


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[double bogey]

Anybody know what the action screws torque at? They were tight when I inspected the action. and I tightened them as close as my calibrated hands felt.

Also I know the gun only has a couple of hundred rounds through it. We used to hunt and shoot together. The rifle shot sub 1" 100 yd groups. Mostly handloads with interlock bullets, not pushed passed max loads. He hasn't shot it since 2001.

Barrel isn't free floated, there is a wedge at the end of the stock.

[twosixteens]

Weatherby factory barrels have the largest amount of freebore in the industry. Why they do them like that I don’t know.

If you have a gage, measure how far you are off the lands then put a few loads together based on your measurements before you give up on it. May not have been your scope.


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Roy did it for velocity

[twosixteens]

Have you checked the crown for damage it doesn’t take much to cause accuracy issues?

[TxAg]

Anybody know what the action screws torque at? They were tight when I inspected the action. and I tightened them as close as my calibrated hands felt.

Also I know the gun only has a couple of hundred rounds through it. We used to hunt and shoot together. The rifle shot sub 1" 100 yd groups. Mostly handloads with interlock bullets, not pushed passed max loads. He hasn't shot it since 2001.

Barrel isn't free floated, there is a wedge at the end of the stock.

Get rid of the wedge and float the barrel

[RR 314]

Sorry about the accuracy woes but congrats on getting out there and shooting! Glad to see you are up to it and continued prayers and well wishes.

Really odd that there are accuracy issues if the rifle was shooting well before it was put in the safe years ago. I have some Weatherbys that I don’t shoot for a decade and have never had any issues. Following for the culprit.

[texas shag]

Anybody know what the action screws torque at? They were tight when I inspected the action. and I tightened them as close as my calibrated hands felt.

Also I know the gun only has a couple of hundred rounds through it. We used to hunt and shoot together. The rifle shot sub 1" 100 yd groups. Mostly handloads with interlock bullets, not pushed passed max loads. He hasn't shot it since 2001.

Barrel isn't free floated, there is a wedge at the end of the stock.

That’s why the torque settings are so important. The guns were designed to be accurate with that pressure point existing.

https://weatherby.com/faqs/does-my-stock-require-special-torque-procedures-when-tightening-the-screws-attaching-the-stock-to-the-action-on-my-weatherby-rifle/

[double bogey]

That’s why the torque settings are so important. The guns were designed to be accurate with that pressure point existing.

https://weatherby.com/faqs/does-my-s...atherby-rifle/

Thanks, they are way tighter than 35 inch pounds.

[double bogey]

Sorry about the accuracy woes but congrats on getting out there and shooting! Glad to see you are up to it and continued prayers and well wishes.

Really odd that there are accuracy issues if the rifle was shooting well before it was put in the safe years ago. I have some Weatherbys that I don’t shoot for a decade and have never had any issues. Following for the culprit.

He has moved a few times and I wonder if the scope was damaged.

The crown appears perfect, it is recessed with a tiny chamfer at the bore.

If it isn't the scope, I bet it was the action screws, they were way tight. Last resort, removing the pressure wedge at the end of the stock, but several other items first.

My M700 7 mag with a synthetic stock has a pressure point, and it shoots lights out. My Tikka doesn't have a pressure point. I know that you can add or remove a pressure point if a rifle wont shoot, but as yet, I have not had to.

As to the freebore. With the loads I had made up for the Tikka, the weatherby was shooting 125fps faster than the Tikka. The weatherby has 2" more barrel. The loads are 1.5 gr. below book max, and faster than what the book calls for. No pressure signs, except slightly flattened primers. Only a little difference from unfired. I didn't record the velocities, as I was distracted from the rifle not shooting. I had the chrono set up and everything I needed to record the ladder test I had prepared.

[TxAg]

I've had a couple Weatherby Vanguards. They shot better after bedding them and removing the pressure point. Same thing on my brother's Howa (same thing as a Vanguard).

[double bogey]

Ok, I changed out the scope to one I know is good, cleaned the bore and every other part of this rifle, took apart and retorqued the action to factory specs.
Went to the range with a couple different ladder tests, and found 2 loads that went very well on the upper end. One nosler bt load you can cover the group with a nicklel and 1 that ran around 1 1/4" with nosler partitions. I an going to load some plying with seating depth (longer) and see what happens.
But that is most likely as good as my eyes will let me shoot.
I really think the scope was a problem, but the stock was torqued way more than 35 in. lbs.

[texas shag]

Ok, I changed out the scope to one I know is good, cleaned the bore and every other part of this rifle, took apart and retorqued the action to factory specs.
Went to the range with a couple different ladder tests, and found 2 loads that went very well on the upper end. One nosler bt load you can cover the group with a nicklel and 1 that ran around 1 1/4" with nosler partitions. I an going to load some plying with seating depth (longer) and see what happens.
But that is most likely as good as my eyes will let me shoot.
I really think the scope was a problem, but the stock was torqued way more than 35 in. lbs.

Good to hear you found a load it likes. Sounds like a shooter if you are grouping under a nickel!