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David LenziGiven the ubiquitous nature of R700 custom guns from the last several decades and the adoption of the footprint by high end action makers, it seems Bergara now has company in the factory 700 clone game.Im curious to know if anyone has gotten their hands on one of these Weatherby 307 actions to see how it measures up. Also available as a component builders action, the long action has a gargantuan 3.95 advertised magazine box. Thats the more compelling option - no needlessly skinny barrel, or not-quite-right stock option to contend with. I dont even seen a Monte Carlo as an option on this model, so theyre learning . |
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Nathan FosterRe: The Weatherby 700 er 307Hi David, I have not seen this first hand but the receiver does look very nice.It is a bit of a pity to see a plastic stock and trigger guard (though guard has steel pillars) on a newly launched rifle but I suppose it has to fit within a certain budget criteria. It is certainly good to see the option of a builders action. I wonder - for those who do not want plastic, will the receiver easily accept a Wyatt box? Very interesting. Also good to see the .280AI as a factory rifle option. |
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Scott StruifRe: The Weatherby 700 er 307Its interesting that Weatherby didnt succumb to the latest craze of condemning all the manufacturers for not producing faster twist rifles in time-tested cartridges such as 270 and 25 WbyMag. The only exception is the 243 and 240 WbyMag offerings with 1:7.5 twist. They obviously felt compelled to compete with the 6mm CM. Hornady recommends a 1:7.7 twist for their 110 grain A-Tip Match, to provide stability through the transonic zone. No hunter in his right mind would care about that. No competition shooter is going to buy a Model 307 in either cartridge for match competition. |
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David LenziRe: The Weatherby 700 er 307Weatherby is in a tough spot, having positioned itself as a premium brand with a number of offerings in excess of $2000. That's an increasingly tough sell in an era where the same money will get a shooter into a semi-custom rifle.I'm hopeful that the 307 will provide folks an entry point into an iconic brand that doesn't involve a stupidly thin barrel or a ridiculous stock design. If we're really lucky, maybe we'll even see component Mk5 actions. I'm completely out of the factory rifle game at this point because buying an action at the cost of a full rifle is something of a fool's errand these days. The Howa 1500 being a notable exception. |
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Scott StruifRe: The Weatherby 700 er 307Hi David. My local big box store has the Mark V Hunter model for $1439. It has a straight stock with .3 drop at heel. While I agree with Nathan that Weatherbys Monte Carlo stock, with its 1.625 drop, is not well suited for high powered cartridges, I think its fine for non-magnum, short action cartridges. The 13.5 length of pull on my Vanguard is comfortable for me, especially when Im wearing heavy clothing. The raised comb is also a good fit for me. Coupled with Talley extra-low Model 700 rings, the stock fits me like a glove. In fact, I binned a Hogue stock that came on a Howa, and replaced it with a Weatherby synthetic. They are surprisingly rigid and well made, including built-in Knox support.However, I would not buy a long action, or short magnum, with a Weatherby Monte Carlo stock. If you draw an axis perpendicular to, and intersecting, the line of the bore, any drop-at-heel will cause torque, and thus muzzle rise, in response to recoil. Thats why ARs have straight stocks. Comb height and length of pull are huge issues, either way. Theres nothing worse than a length of pull thats too long. I question Weatherbys decision to increase the length of pull of their new straight stock Mark V to 14. They should have gone with spacers, instead of elevating aesthetics over ergonomics. Aside from concerns with buying a on-size-fits-all factory rifle, I think Id opt for an off-the-shelf Mark V, rather than building a custom rifle on a Model 307 Builders Action. The action alone costs half of a Mark V, and doesnt come with a trigger. I suppose if youre dead set on building for a wildcat it would make sense. |