300 Weatherby

[roscoedoh]

Dad and I went out to the deer lease and cut some firewood yesterday morning. Once that work was done, we adjorned to the gun club for an afternoon of fun. Dad took his new Blackhawk 45 Colt out for a spin and I plugged away with my No. 4 Mk 1 sporter. It'd been months since Dad and I have had the chance to both get out to the range. We had a blast!

 

Since this is the beginning of hunting season(s), there were several hunters at the 100 yard range busy sighting in rifles. A pair of them had Weatherby Vangards in 300 Weatherby. I got my courage up and asked if I could try one when they were done. The elder of the two gentlemen handed me his rifle and chambered a round for me. I don't know if it was the stock design or the new recoil pad, but I have to admit, for being such a light rifle and such a big cartridge, I didn't notice any recoil; the rifle just jumped around during the shot. Both gentlemen informed me that each could fire a box of shells before their shoulders started to bruise.

 

If such is the case, and the recoil isn't as bad as I kinda thought it was going to be, I may have to invest in a 300 Weatherby one of these days. I don't need one right now, but what the heck? Everyone aught to own a cannon, right?

 

All in all, Sunday was a good day!

 

Jason

[fritz]

Jason,

 

Did the Weatherby have a muzzle brake? We used to have a 'smith here that was associated with Kleingunther in Seguin, and he threaded a lot of barrels for the brakes. He specialized in Weatherbys, and was not much help to me on milsurps.

 

But if I go out Saturday morning, it won't be with a .303 or an 8mm Mauser. It won't be with a Weatherby (don't own one), but will be a 6mm Rem. on a Mauser action.

 

We don't need anything bigger on our small bucks here in my end of the county. I don't know if you are in one of the so-called "experimental" counties, but this year in Goliad County we have to really be careful of the inside spread of our bucks (the 13" mininum rule).

 

Or just shoot a spike, or a buck with no more than one forked antler.

 

Hope you don't have to take a tape measure out to the buck before you shoot him! We will have to (or leave the carcass for the zoepilotes) if we misjudge.

 

Ain't it great?

 

fritz

[roscoedoh]

Fritz,

 

No muzzle break here! I didn't see any on any of the rifles at the range yesterday. And I'm kinda glad for that too - I have hearing problems already and don't need them compounded. That big 300 was plenty loud enough too. I want to say the gentlemen who owned them were headed to Colorado for Elk on Wednesday. I know some rum-dums who hunt East Texas with 300 Weatherbys, but I'd have to call that a smidgeon overkill!

 

Still, I kinda think of myself as a "gun guy." Why not try to own one of everything? I could get by with my 30-06, but how much fun would that be?

 

I wish you luck on your hunt this coming weekend. My family used to maintain around 1000 leased acres around Harper expressly for deer and turkey. Most, if not all them hunted with a 6mm or 243 if a 30-30 wasn't available. You'll be most pleased with the results of the 6mm on deer. A wall in my Dad's living room is covered with antlers from all the deer he shot with a family 6mm.

 

And to answer your question, no thankfully, we are not in an experimental county. I wonder if TP&W has trained the deer to hold still while you run out and measure their tines with a ruler? I guess we'll find out...

 

It seems that every year, TP&W comes up with even more screwball regulations. Ever tried deciphering the special waterfowl suppliment? I wonder what the brain surgeons at TP&W will come up with next year?

[fritz]

I wonder what the brain surgeons at TP&W will come up with next year?

 

I can tell you this much---it will be another fee increase in the license cost. It will be 18 months before the next session of the legislature (ain't it great?) and the guvnor needs the money for the children. He failed thrice to get his so-called tax reform passed (and I'm glad of that, as it would have increased the sales tax among other things).

 

So he ordered the DPS and the game wardens to increase the number of citations so as to get more illicit money into his coffers. Also, by making the rules so hard to interpret that the hunter and fisherman would probably err, he accomplishes his goal.

 

It is tactics like this that make me respect the DPS and the TP&W less each year.

 

It would suit the guvnor just fine if everyone would buy a hunting/fishing license, and then just decide to stay home (due to the assinine rules). It would suit him even better if a bunch of sportsmen made an honest mistake.

 

Did you know that you can't even fish (without a license) in your farm pond? And you better call the game warden (at whatever hour of the night) before taking a shot at that feral hog rooting up your corn field.

 

Stand and Deliver!

 

A new motto for the state of Texas!

 

fritz

 

[manureman]

Jason ,I think you nailed the recoil or lack of it when you said stock design and recoil pad.I firmly believe its stock design,shoot a remington BDL in 300 (take your pick )Mag and see if it dont jar your eyeballs.I thought our possum cops had some screwy regs and thats what they are in Mo.,regulations not state statutes,but a min. inside spread??? thats desk jockey BS!Our carp cops came out with a new reg. in some counties last year ,in that before a buck is legal it has to have at least 4 points on one side.We all wondered how many got left to the coyotes over that ,but hell we got it easy.fritz you got to be schitting about a fishing lisence on your own place! If they were to try that crap around here I'm posative it would come to shootin' damn quick like.As a land owner in Mo. I dont have to have a fishing permit to fish in my ponds and there are NO regs at all on how I can do it or what I can keep.This doesnt apply to rivers or big lakes that you join.I also dont have to have a hunting permit to hunt on land I own or leese,other than a fed.duck stamp BUT I do have to go by the same regs. as to whats legal .Up untill last year we didnt even need a tag as a land owner, you just put your name and address on them (deer and turkeys),I usually just tore off a piece of feed sack put it on that and tied it on with some sack string and go check them in,did it that way for years.But starting last year we now have to go to town and get tags where everyone else does but ours are free but you check them in over the phone or computer ,Like the new check in but dont like having to go to town for the tags that gripes my arse.Feral hogs are shoot on sight.While on the subject of hogs we ate them pot bellied pigs sat. I wouldnt say they ruined good beer but had they not been smoked I dont think they would have been fit to eat,they had a funny texture to the meat and a different wang to them ,not terrible just not worth the trouble,anymore that need puttin' down will be left for the song dog's. Jim

[roscoedoh]

And you better call the game warden (at whatever hour of the night) before taking a shot at that feral hog rooting up your corn field.

 

Why? So far as I know, its no illegal to shoot at night as long as you're out in the country. My next door neighbor is a game warden. He has yet to do anything about the guy down the road who spends his summer evenings shooting up his pasture with an SKS. I shoot at night regularly enough too. Point of fact, most of the dudes I know that hog hunt do it at night.

 

Fritz I think you have a jerk game warden in your vicinity. But, then doesn't part of the training state law enforcement officals receive entail being an arsehole? I've always wondered that - most of the State Troopers and Game Wardens I've met were in one way or another.

 

And since we seem to have digressed from the original topic: How bout that 300 Weatherby? Any of you guys shoot anything that big?

 

Jason

[TaosBob101]

I think your ready for a .340 or 378. They hold some powder. After my 300 experience ,I'm backing down to a .270 Weatherby went I can afford it. Here CO, unless its in sage brush long shots,.the mags can be overkill too.

 

I did not like my 7mm Mag. My first and only bull elk was with a M77 Ruger International in .308 at 60yds w/ Fed 165gr BTSP. There's alot of trees up here to shoot around. So distance isn't always the problem. Its the trees.

But if one had to have only one, the .300 is it.

[z1r]

You need a .338-.378 WB.

 

Jason, There is a .300 WB for sale cheap on AR.

[riflebuff]

Been shooting the 300 WBY for years. Mine is a Winchester Mod. 70 Stainless in control round feed in 300 WBY caliber. This is factory, and they don't make this caliber anymore. I use it for elk and deer with a 190 gr. bullet going around 3400 fps. It use to kick the hell out of me until I cut the stock down to fit, and installed the pachmayer pad. Now I can't hardly feel it!!! Great flat round. In the flat country of Kansas, it works great. I also bought the 7mm STW in the same rifle(they quit making that caliber also) to match. Don't know why, the 300 WBY will do everything the 7mm STW and more. Just couldn't pass up the matching rifle. I'm a Winchester Mod 70 fan in a factory rifle.

Thanks, Davis.

[fritz]

Jason,

 

It's not just my part of Texas--all of Texas is under the rule. Since you will be hunting with a spotlight at night, if there are deer (or other game animals) present (and where ain't they present?) you are supposed to tell the warden you are hunting hogs only (as if you were going to tell him you were going to headlight a deer!). With a .300 Weatherby.

 

While it is legal to hunt hogs at all hours, it ain't legal to hunt deer after dark. To be fair to the warden, he has no way to know what you are hunting when he sees the spotlights. If you tip him off before going out, he will let you alone (then you can pop a deer too, ha-ha). With a .300 Weatherby.

 

When I read the post about the lenient rules in Mo. I feel envious of you folks there. Hopefully the day will never come for you to have a guvnor and legislature that are so screwed up on financing schools, that they have to resort to these kinds of tactics.

 

If you believe their spiel where they say it is for the protection of the game animals/fish, I have an inside track on some bays where you can fish for marlins, sailfish, etc. They are located in West Texas.

 

Trust me, as you would any real estate agent!

 

 

fritz

[roscoedoh]

Fritz,

 

I'd buy a used car from you pardner!

 

 

 

Honest Jason

[Dr.Hess]

Yes, Fritz, what you describe is why I am living in Arkansas. I saw it coming and it has just been getting worse. They closed the last free park at Lake Somerville. Now you have to pay to sit at any picnic table. I noticed that every single interaction with the State was costing money, and costing more and more.

 

"For the children" is how they always sell it. That's how that woman sold the lottery in. It would be "for the schools." Two years later she is all over the TV saying "I never said the money would go to the schools."

 

Dr.Hess

 

[fritz]

And the money from the lottery DOESN'T go to the schools! At least not in the share the state promised when they passed the lottery law. If they had not promised this "for the children", the lottery may never have passed a vote of the registered voters in Texas.

 

If you read the fine print now, it says "supporting the schools" or some such schitt. The money has been siphoned off in part to try to get Texas out of the hole it has dug for itself in ALL areas of expenditures.

 

BUT, the good guvnor and his henchmen are not going down without a fight! That is why he ordered all the extra citations on our roadways and our hunting/fishing lands (which in Texas are still mainly privately owned).

 

Thank God for that, because if they were state-owned we would be in the same boat as the situation you mentioned about Somerville (that's a state park, right?)

 

I don't really want to say this, fellow Texans, but this schitt will escalate to the point where Texas will pass a state income tax.

 

I can see it coming, and so should the rest of you.

 

fritz