First timer questions- Lothar Walther Barrel - 7mm Weatherby Mag, Freebore

[loudandproud]

Hello All,

Figured I would introduce myself. I have been hunting since I was 12 years old, and I just got out of college. I'm now a mechanical design engineer. I've always enjoyed building different things, one of my biggest hobbies is building race engines. Once I got my full-time job I decided to add another hobby; shooting.

Like I said I have been shooting off and on since I was 12, but I am by no means a hawk-eye.

So, I figured the best way to learn how to shoot well is to start with a rifle that will shoot better than I can. Right now I know I am good to a around 1/2 MOA with my dads savage .204 ruger. Its just a bone-stock m12 (laminate and stainless is 12? i think...) with an accutrigger and savage's stock varmint barrel.

My current build is as follows:

-M110 Action
-Lothar Walther Barrel, 7mm Weatherby Magnum SAAMI spec chamber, Custom Contour (like a heavy palma, but only 26" long), 1:9" twist, Hardass LW50 Stainless
- Badger Ordnance FTE muzzle brake
- Rifle Basix Sav-2 Triqqer
- Boyd's Varmint Stock, I inletted the magwell and installed tool steel pillars, also bedded magwell and action with Quicksteel

I plan on setting the barrel up right at around .0015" Headspace off of my headspace gauge.
One of the big things I was not privy too (due to my own ignorance) before ordering my barrel is the large
amount of free bore in the weatherby cartridges.

I was planning on shooting 168 grain SMK's for my first load work up. Has anyone been able to get these SMK's up to the lands on a SAAMI weatherby chamber?

Should I be trying to get these on the lands?

Also... once I fire form my brass to the chamber, should I be using a full length resizing die? I've heard I should be only bumping the shoulder on the neck back around .001" to prevent work hardening my brass.

My current plan is to make all flash holes and primer pockets uniform, and try to hold concentricity to around .001" and hold my powder loads to +/- .1 grain. I'm not sure how ready I am to get into reloading with a focus on optimizing neck tension and what not, that may be alittle farther down the road. My current goal is to be around 1/2 MOA @ 300 yards after some load development. With this kind of reloading regiment, is this reasonable goal or a pipe dream?

I'm sure these question's are pretty novice for here, but please bear with me. I've been searching alot of different post and am getting slightly confused on what is really necessary.

Thanks in advance,

Bryson

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I have absolutely no experience with (or desire to own) any Weatherby chambered rifles.

However, one time when I was staying at a Holiday Inn Express, I read some articles about loading Weatherby cartridges. The Weatherby rifles are chambered with long leades (freebore) for a reason and you should not be chasing the lands.

 

[loudandproud]

I am aware that the Freebore is there for a reason (reduce over pressure). The freebore is around .378" Long and about .0004" overbore, then it goes into the 1 degree taper until it hits the final diameter...

I was more curious about the accuracy effects of moving closer/deeper into this 1 degree taper.

Are Weatherby's categorically less accurate due to this freebore?

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I am not aware of anyone using a Weatherby caliber in F-class and that's all I have to judge by to answer your question. Perhaps someone with speak up and declare the xxx Weatherby as the greatest caliber for competition and then I will learn something new.

 

[Cleftwynd]

I am curious as well, has any weatherby cartridge ever won a match of any type? Or even competed? I have dealt with a few in the past but was never happy with the accuracy when reloading, however these were older well used mark v's.

And good luck even finding the lands with a seated bullet, lol.

 

[loudandproud]

... good question.

I know my grandfather set some records back in the day at the Pennsylvania 1000 yard benchrest club with a 7/300 weatherby way back in the day. I think it shot like a 8" 5 shot group at 1000 yards (thats how you can tell it was a long time ago). That being said... Im sure that had a short freebore so it probably doesnt count.

My buddy has a 7/300 at his place too... but he just bought it and really know less about it than i do.

Hmmm...

Well, after I build this one it looks like I'm just gonna have to get another one. ;D

 

[robbor]

Ill add a few things from experience, LW chambers are not tight neck match chambers not that you would use one on a WM. They are better than factory by probably.002- .003 in neck diam and in your case maybe .050 freebore, lol. 2ndly you seem fairly knowledgeable in you post I hope your have been around brakes before because they will KILL your ears if you dont wear protection, ALWAYS. You dont need gauges for a savage fyi, they wont hurt though. Boyds stock are heavy and not target stocks. And lastly strictly from a visual engineering perspective take your 110 action out, knock the magazine off and and take a look and tell me if you think it looks solid enough to really support and heavy or hard kicking barrel for maximum rigidity??? just some things to think about. probably would have been better off with a 7 wsm

 

[loudandproud]

All pretty fair statements. As far as the Boyd's, its a nice hunting stock, but you're right about the meat left in the magwell. I'm probably going to bed in some steel flat stock to sure it up a bit.

It was one of my first, more uneducated purchases...that said... great stock for the dollar.

 

[robbor]

I have 2 savages and a few barrels, they are what they are and i do like them. But what they are not is a stiff br action. I recall a guy a while back who had a bull barreled savage shot great until one day. It took him a few trips to the range and some tinkering to figure out he had stripped out 1 or more scope base screws. Now i ask you did they strip because to excessive torque, bad machining, to maybe action flex??? I dont know, but it cost him probably $200 in time and expenses to figure it out and that doest include fixing it.. After seeing my Savage RUM action without the mag well it made me cringe. I wont be buying any more factory actions, A BAT M is on my want list 8-40 screws or integrated rail, probably go with the rail to cut down on parts. Just things to think about.

 

[Cleftwynd]

It would seem that one of Roy's tricks was to have the bullet moving at a good pace before contacting the lands allowing higher speeds without developing excessive pressure. After looting into this a bit, it would seem that it works, except for the fact it induces stronger harmonics.

I would guess that if you could get the neck tension and thickness nailed down to create a smooth and uniform bullet release it could possibly enter the lands straight and square, and therefore help accuracy. Long range accuracy that is. I haven't found anything with weatherby cartridges and long range competition yet, I don't even see any records at all where one has competed.


Who knows, maybe you could stumble upon something and be the first!!!

 

[loudandproud]

Well, in reality, this is a hunting rifle. Not a bench gun. I dont plan on ever shooting a competition with it. Im just shooting for an accurate, fun to shoot, magnum rifle.

 

[loudandproud]

Update:

Got the guns together. First day of load development. More to come... think she will be a shooter.
Savage action must not be doin to bad...

7mm Weatherby Mag
168 gr Sierra Match Kings
61.2 grains of H4350
3.352" COAL

5 Shots, 100 yards, .15 MOA
Hoping ill get her into the .12x's or lower. Then ill start practicing at 300 and 600 yard ranges.

 

[wwbrown]

Nice shooting! Enjoy the gun.

 

[M-61]

I am curious as well, has any weatherby cartridge ever won a match of any type? Or even competed? I have dealt with a few in the past but was never happy with the accuracy when reloading, however these were older well used mark v's.

And good luck even finding the lands with a seated bullet, lol.

Quite a few years ago I recall a 30-378 Weatherby (in answer to your question) having set a record for 1000yd at Pennsylvania match. The cartridge at that time would have been a wildcat
I'm fuzzy on the details but the record was shot by a woman (Marie Louise ??maybe DeVito??) whose husband was the gunsmith. Too long ago and I might have the facts wrong. I am sure some member will know.