Weatherby Cartridges in Encore Barrels?

[Jim B.]

Does anyone know of an after-market barrel maker who will chamber an Encore barrel for the 7mm Weatherby Magnum?  I have looked on all of the barrel  makers' web sites I can think of (except Fox Ridge) and so far, no one chambers for the Weatherby cartridges.  For some reason I cannot get access to the Fox Ridge site through their website anymore or through the TC website.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!
Jim B.

[major257]

Check out MGM they chamber other weatherby cartridges so it shouldn't be a problem.

[manofthe45]

Fox ridge outfitter's web site is temp. down according to the T/c web site  You can still call them with any ? or orders

[Jim B.]

Major257,

You are correct, MGM does chamber several Weatherby cartridges.  However, the 7mm Weatherby is not among them, alas....

Jim

[californiahunter93]

If you get a weatherby chambered barrel tell me how it shoots I've always wanted a 7mm or 300 weatherby chambered barrel.

[swampthing]

Do you plan on loading it to factory pressures/velocities? The reason you can't find it is that it is not "SAFE." T/C will not chamber that round in the custom shop. I would steer clear of that one. A couple hundred FPS is not worth ruining your gun or your face.
.280rem should be plenty. Don't laugh, it will do the same velocity as a 7mag shooting 160g bullets {with a lot less powder}, check it out. 

[Jim B.]

swampthing - Thanks for the heads up.  Do you know what the safe working pressure of the Encore action is?  Jim B.

[swampthing]

T/C will not just "divulge" that info, which is smart, but they will say what they've found to be safe in the long run. 300mag's pressures are the max for a casehead of it's size. Higher pressures require a smaller casehead size.
                                  J.D. Jones of SSK will say the same. T/C will tell you that the Weatherby's and WSM's run just a few thousand PSI over that and that they can not assure safety when the gun is pushed into it's outer limits.   
 A 280rem AI will bring you very close to the velocities your after, will flex the gun less, it's available from the custom shop, and it will  shoot as good if not better than the Weatherby.
 If you want the horsepower... a 300mag will lob similar weight bullets as the 7mmWeatherby to equal speeds. My friend's 300 will put them in the same hole at 100yds from his factory heavy barrel. 150g-165g Barnes or Nosler's @3200-3300fps are no compromise. Then there is the 200g bullets...
Be safe.
 

[davem270win]

With the Encore, it's not pressure as much as it is "bolt thrust", i.e. the percentage of pressure that is pushing back against the head of the cartridge - larger head = more thrust, which is why they're not barreling Encores for WSM's and similar.

[californiahunter93]

So the 300 weatherby would also not be a good choice?

[swampthing]

I wouldn't do it. Especially for the 150fps or so over a 300mag

[swampthing]

If you like to point and shoot out to 300+yds take a look at www.sskindustries under: Encore, Cartridges, 7mm & 30-06 JDJ's.

[californiahunter93]

I don't reload what would be your second choice besides the JDJs and ammo for those is hard to find.

[swampthing]

If you don't reload I would definitely stay with common cartridges. 30-06, 300mag, 280rem, 7mm08, you will have a much better chance finding factory ammo that shoots good from your gun.
        Before you take the plunge and get a screemer, take a look at some ballistic tables found in Hornady, Barnes, etc.. reloading manuals, it will show you just how minor the trajectory is affected by an increase of 2-300fps.
 A quick example would be a 160g Hornady, Ballistic tip. Fired @3000 fps, and sighted dead on at 200yds, it will drop 6.3" at 300yds. 
 Now that same bullet fired @2800fps. and sighted dead on at 200yds will drop 7.4" at 300yds.  For a whopping difference of 1.1"
At the expense of buying "magnum" ammo, ear splitting muzzle blast, and unnecessary recoil? that is why I suggest a 280rem, 7mm-08, 30-06 they are popular and almost always available. But if you feel the need for speed then the 300mag gets the nod, ammo is plentiful, and it is more than fast enough.     

[major257]

Jim,

If you are set on the weatherby 7mm mag MGM will make that barrel for you. I emailed Kerry there and he said they make them they just haven't added them to the list yet.

Good luck,

Matt

[californiahunter93]

But the 7 weatherby mag barrels aren't safe supposedly.

[Smokin Joe]

Check out:

http://www.handloads.com/misc/saami.htm

and

http://www.lasc.us/SAAMIMaxPressure.htm

[swampthing]

T/C says 300win mag is the max for a cartridge of it's size. 
   There are no "laser beam trajectories" in a sporting arm chambering. Including the 50 BMG.
   .308win's are used by countless snipers, taking out targets WAY past a measly 500yds.