Mark V project

powdergun

powdergun

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I've got a 300 Weatherby Mag Mk V that shoots between 1.5 and 2" and I'd like to improve things on the gun. Now I know that this is about the norm for these guns but I want to make a few changes. From the list of changes which one of these would you guys do for this gun. I have no intention of firing long strings of shots or entering any competions but my goal is to have a consistently accurate hunting rifle that I can reach out to the hunting rifle 600 yard mark with or even farther for some range fun.



1) New stock and bedding
2) New barrel
3) Trigger work
etc.


Money is always an issue so where would you focus your efforts. As for ammo I am well set up for reloading so trying all kinds of different loads is not a problem.
 
"...600 yard..." Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at that distance? If not, don't even think about taking the shot on game. Not enough energy left anyway.
"...consistently accurate hunting rifle..." You have that now. 1.5 to 2 inches, consistently is great for a factory rifle, but I'd still do the trigger and bedding. Even if it doesn't give you smaller groups.
"...focus your efforts..." Trigger job and bedding. Unless you don't like the factory stock or it doesn't fit you right, changing it will be just a money thing. A barrel would be the same thing. Wolff Springs sells 25 or 27 pound striker springs for $8.29US. Then buy an Acraglas kit.
Once you've done all that, if you're not reloading, you should be. That will give you better accuracy, if you do your part.
 
powdergun said:
I've got a 300 Weatherby Mag Mk V that shoots between 1.5 and 2" and I'd like to improve things on the gun. Now I know that this is about the norm for these guns but I want to make a few changes. From the list of changes which one of these would you guys do for this gun. I have no intention of firing long strings of shots or entering any competions but my goal is to have a consistently accurate hunting rifle that I can reach out to the hunting rifle 600 yard mark with or even farther for some range fun.


1) New stock and bedding
2) New barrel
3) Trigger work
etc.


Money is always an issue so where would you focus your efforts. As for ammo I am well set up for reloading so trying all kinds of different loads is not a problem.
Click to expand...

Well, first off, I consider 600 yards to be a long range shot.....

You will get the most value in accuracy with a good trigger (assuming you don't like yours) and a well set up stock.... You could go with a heavy barrel but then you ar elugging it around... JMOP
 
sunray said:
"...600 yard..." Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at that distance? If not, don't even think about taking the shot on game. Not enough energy left anyway.
"...consistently accurate hunting rifle..." You have that now. 1.5 to 2 inches, consistently is great for a factory rifle, but I'd still do the trigger and bedding. Even if it doesn't give you smaller groups.
"...focus your efforts..." Trigger job and bedding. Unless you don't like the factory stock or it doesn't fit you right, changing it will be just a money thing. A barrel would be the same thing. Wolff Springs sells 25 or 27 pound striker springs for $8.29US. Then buy an Acraglas kit.
Once you've done all that, if you're not reloading, you should be. That will give you better accuracy, if you do your part.
Click to expand...


I do reload and have been doing that for decades. I'm just wondering where to begin with this particular rifle. Looks like trigger and bedding is my first step.
 
What Dan said, except I'd make sure the bore is very clean first. Also take a close look at the crown - make sure it is in excellent condition. Another thing to consider is your loads. How old is your rifle - more specifically, what is the twist rate? Are you using appropriate weight/length bullets? Have you checked your loads for run-out?
 
I have a 300 Mk V hunting rifle. It shot quite well, sometimes. Then, often during the same range session, it would group like a shotgun. It was the factory stock, which was a synthetic, and bedded, and free floated. The scope mounts and scope were rigid and didn't move. The loads were handloads, and very consitanty put together, and when the gun shot, it shot quite well, around 3/4 MOA.

Last year, after emailing Boyd's stocks for Mk V stocks about a dozen times, they finally released a thumbhole stock. I just had to try. I hoped the stock might lighten up the gun (nope, made it 1/2 lb heavier :-( ). I also bought a new scope, a nice Nikon. It took a fair amount of fiddling to properly inlet the Boyd's stock, especially getting the floorplate to sit right. In the end, after doing a proper epoxy bedding job, free floated, and hand finished, I took it to the range. Using the same old handloads, damn'd if it wasn't shooting like a laser beam. No fliers, no weird shooting. I am confident that after the new stock and scope, this is a consistant 1 MOA gun. It's heavy, heavier than I would like, but it will shoot.

So in the end, I think,

1. A new stock might work wonders. The factory plastic stock in retrospect was flimsy, and I think even undersized just a little, making the bottom metal be out of alignment just a bit. A good aftermarket stock, that is properly fit to the gun by someone who knows what they are doing would probably be a good idea.
2. A new barrel is not necessarily needed. You can go down that route at any time since it ought to be free floating anyhow, you won't need to worry too much about interference if you swap it out.
3. The trigger I find is just fine. A target trigger it is not, but it is pretty good out of the box.
4. Good glass, properly mounted, can go a long way to helping you make shots.
 
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Stocks with even the smallest of pressure points will do some strange things to a POI from what I have seen. Bought a Savage .204 with thumbhole stock and for a while it was shooting about 1.5 - 2 inches. I just assumed it was because I was fairly new to rifle shooting and wasn't too worried about it. Eventually I noticed that right at the front of the stock there was a small clump of varnish that would touch when the gun was resting on the bipod. Sanded this down since it only took all of 5 minutes and took it out a few days later. With everything the same it will now shoot those 32 grain blitzkings into under half an inch no problems all day on the bench. Much of the time even down to .25 or less. I have never shot it with a target scope of fancy rest but have hit as low as .2
 
sunray said:
"...600 yard..." Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at that distance? If not, don't even think about taking the shot on game. Not enough energy left anyway.
"...consistently accurate hunting rifle..." You have that now. 1.5 to 2 inches, consistently is great for a factory rifle, but I'd still do the trigger and bedding. Even if it doesn't give you smaller groups.
"...focus your efforts..." Trigger job and bedding. Unless you don't like the factory stock or it doesn't fit you right, changing it will be just a money thing. A barrel would be the same thing. Wolff Springs sells 25 or 27 pound striker springs for $8.29US. Then buy an Acraglas kit.
Once you've done all that, if you're not reloading, you should be. That will give you better accuracy, if you do your part.
Click to expand...

Plenty of energy and velocity left with multiple bullets to take game at 600 yards if he chose to do so.
 
The first thing I would do is clean the barrel and make sure all the copper fouling is removed. Copper fouling is not good for accuracy. Make sure the scope and mounts are solid and the stock screws tight.

Then I would test it again for about 20 shots

If it isn't shooting better have the barrel floated and test it again.

Then get back with the results so far...
 
sunray said:
"...600 yard..." Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at that distance? If not, don't even think about taking the shot on game. Not enough energy left anyway.
"...consistently accurate hunting rifle..." You have that now. 1.5 to 2 inches, consistently is great for a factory rifle, but I'd still do the trigger and bedding. Even if it doesn't give you smaller groups.
"...focus your efforts..." Trigger job and bedding. Unless you don't like the factory stock or it doesn't fit you right, changing it will be just a money thing. A barrel would be the same thing. Wolff Springs sells 25 or 27 pound striker springs for $8.29US. Then buy an Acraglas kit.
Once you've done all that, if you're not reloading, you should be. That will give you better accuracy, if you do your part.
Click to expand...

Umm... Do you feel a 30-30 is capable of delivering enough energy to take game at 50yds? Yes? That's what a .300 Wby delivers at 600.
Keep spewing it out, your almost at 20,000 posts!
 
something you might want to try before you spend a bunch of money is to get a torque wrench and correctly torque the action bolts on your rifle. Weatherbys often shoot a lot better then 1.5 to 2". Most weatherbys have a pressure point on the barrel. I you play with the tip pressure you can improve accuracy a great deal.. Next I would try some different ammunition. If your still not happy, I would spend my money on a glass bedding and some trigger work.
 
sunray said:
"...600 yard..." Can you hit a 9" pie plate every time at that distance? If not, don't even think about taking the shot on game. Not enough energy left anyway.
"...consistently accurate hunting rifle..." You have that now. 1.5 to 2 inches, consistently is great for a factory rifle, but I'd still do the trigger and bedding. Even if it doesn't give you smaller groups.
"...focus your efforts..." Trigger job and bedding. Unless you don't like the factory stock or it doesn't fit you right, changing it will be just a money thing. A barrel would be the same thing. Wolff Springs sells 25 or 27 pound striker springs for $8.29US. Then buy an Acraglas kit.
Once you've done all that, if you're not reloading, you should be. That will give you better accuracy, if you do your part.
Click to expand...

Just for the record a 300 wby has plenty of energy to cleanly take game beyond 600 yards
 
I have a mark v lightweight in 300wby and at first I had huge problem's with accuracy, it shot all over the place, the store I bought it from went under?/closed shortly after and I thought they sold me a lemon. I took it to my smith, turns out the aluminium bedding blocks have to have the screws torqued to exactly 70 inch pounds iirc, one screw was under and the other over and not just by a little. The rifle now shoots clover leafs at 100m. Something that simple can through accuracy out the window.
 
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