New Rifle Day!!!… but which one?

[WeatherbyUK]

One of us (Rich) just got a shiny new licence with a slot for a 308 Win… the two options are:



Ignoring the price difference, which one should he go for?

WEATHERBY 307 - ALPINE CT

The Alpine™ CT is built on Weatherby®’s newest bolt action rifle platform, the Model 307™. Meant to complement the historic Mark V® and Vanguard® lineups, the Model 307 action is a 2-lug, fully cylindrical action compatible with many aftermarket accessories. Model 307 is designed to accommodate...

weatherbyinc.co.uk

WEATHERBY MKV - BACKCOUNTRY 2.0 CARBON

THE LIGHTEST/FASTEST HUNTING RIFLE ON THE MARKET Expanding on the ground-breaking Backcountry™, the Backcountry 2.0 Carbon combines our incredibly popular tensioned carbon fiber barrel with the supremely lightweight and strong Weatherby® Mark V® action. The most noticeable upgrade on the 2.0 is...

weatherbyinc.co.uk

 

[Greener Jim]

The MkV, not even a contest. Though 308 is a waste of a 6 lug, until the short action gets utilised more.
Still the better action mind.

 

[triggertrix]

T3, hands down

 

[WeatherbyUK]

The MkV, not even a contest. Though 308 is a waste of a 6 lug, until the short action gets utilised more.
Still the better action mind.

The MKV because of the action or is there anything else you prefer about it?

 

[Greener Jim]

The MKV because of the action or is there anything else you prefer about it?

The action. The 307 is a fine action, but the MkV is top tier.

 

[TringSaint]

307 would be my choice - nice and compact and with no CF on the barrel, likely to have a better weight balance (I have a friend with a carbon barrelled sako and he finds that it flips a lot as it’s quite light at the front end).

 

[WeatherbyUK]

307 would be my choice - nice and compact and with no CF on the barrel, likely to have a better weight balance (I have a friend with a carbon barrelled sako and he finds that it flips a lot as it’s quite light at the front end).

The Alpine CT has a carbon barrel - though there is a version coming with a steel barrel and a carbon stock...

 

[scotch_egg]

Light rifles are much harder to shoot. Especially emphasised by a short barrel.

Does the safety lock the bolt on either rifle? It’s a feature I appreciate on the Tikka and Sako rifles.

 

[WeatherbyUK]

Light rifles are much harder to shoot. Especially emphasised by a short barrel.

Does the safety lock the bolt on either rifle? It’s a feature I appreciate on the Tikka and Sako rifles.

Harder to shoot but easy to carry it's definitely a different skill to shoot a light rifle over a heavy one, but light rifles wouldn't be made if they couldn't shoot as accurately - all Weatherby's come with a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee.

The manual safety on the Mark V rifle is a lever-type safety located on the side of the bolt sleeve immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety engages the firing pin to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

The manual safety on the Weatherby Model 307 rifle is a lever-type 2-position safety located on the receiver immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety disengages the firing pin unit to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

 

[scotch_egg]

Harder to shoot but easy to carry it's definitely a different skill to shoot a light rifle over a heavy one, but light rifles wouldn't be made if they couldn't shoot as accurately - all Weatherby's come with a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee.

The manual safety on the Mark V rifle is a lever-type safety located on the side of the bolt sleeve immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety engages the firing pin to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

The manual safety on the Weatherby Model 307 rifle is a lever-type 2-position safety located on the receiver immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety disengages the firing pin unit to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

Does the bolt lock in place when the safety is engaged? To prevent accidental cycling and the handle lifting?

 

[Greener Jim]

Does the bolt lock in place when the safety is engaged? To prevent accidental cycling and the handle lifting?

Does on the MkV, don't know on 307

 

[Smellydog]

Which ever one shoulders nice off hand. If they don't I'm out...

 

[TringSaint]

Harder to shoot but easy to carry it's definitely a different skill to shoot a light rifle over a heavy one, but light rifles wouldn't be made if they couldn't shoot as accurately - all Weatherby's come with a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee.

The manual safety on the Mark V rifle is a lever-type safety located on the side of the bolt sleeve immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety engages the firing pin to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

The manual safety on the Weatherby Model 307 rifle is a lever-type 2-position safety located on the receiver immediately behind the bolt handle. When in proper condition and correctly engaged in the “SAFE” position, the manual safety disengages the firing pin unit to inhibit accidental discharge under normal usage.

I quite like a rifle with a bit of weight to it. I’m a big unit so carrying an extra kilo of rifle pales into insignificance compared with the rest of me!!

 

[WeatherbyUK]

Does the bolt lock in place when the safety is engaged? To prevent accidental cycling and the handle lifting?

Apologies, to clarify:

Yes on the Mkv - the Mkv safety locks the firing pin which prevents the bolt from being lifted when safety is applied.

No on the 307 as it disengages the firing pin from the mechanism - so the rifle can be cycled with the safety on.

Horses for courses on this one in our opinion - locking the bolt with safety on is a feature some people like as it keeps the bolt down, however it does mean taking the safety off to clear the rifle. The 307 is the same as most remi clones in that it allows you to clear the rifle with the safety engaged, however the bolt is not locked down.

 

[TringSaint]

Apologies, to clarify:

Yes on the Mkv - the Mkv safety locks the firing pin which prevents the bolt from being lifted when safety is applied.

No on the 307 as it disengages the firing pin from the mechanism - so the rifle can be cycled with the safety on.

Horses for courses on this one in our opinion - locking the bolt with safety on is a feature some people like as it keeps the bolt down, however it does mean taking the safety off to clear the rifle. The 307 is the same as most remi clones in that it allows you to clear the rifle with the safety engaged, however the bolt is not locked down.

I have 3 types of safety on my stalking rifles. A decocking safety that allows cycling, a 3 stage safety that allows cycling in the mid setting, and a 2 stage that locks the bolt. I prefer the first two in the field as I’m not a fan of cycling a rifle in live fire mode, esp with cold, wet or muddy / bloody hands!!

 

[wytonpjs]

I have 3 types of safety on my stalking rifles. A decocking safety that allows cycling, a 3 stage safety that allows cycling in the mid setting, and a 2 stage that locks the bolt. I prefer the first two in the field as I’m not a fan of cycling a rifle in live fire mode, esp with cold, wet or muddy / bloody hands!!

Reason why I changed the trigger units on my 2 T3Xs to Sako 2-stage triggers with the unload whilst safe feature so I have a common arrangement across my 4 CF rifles. Call me simple, but it works!

 

[Keith Edmunds]

The action. The 307 is a fine action, but the MkV is top tier.

It was interesting to hear on the Weatherby podcast that the Mk v action is a more difficult design to build on CNC equipment whereas the modern 307 action can be produced more efficiently and I guess that means more cost effectively. So are you getting more bang for your buck with the 307?

 

[Greener Jim]

It was interesting to hear on the Weatherby podcast that the Mk v action is a more difficult design to build on CNC equipment whereas the modern 307 action can be produced more efficiently and I guess that means more cost effectively. So are you getting more bang for your buck with the 307?

I think the 307 is a very nice action, and probably up there in the upper echelons of factory Rem 700 clones.
However, it is an improved and optimised version of an inferior action. In my opinion of course.
Much like how the M595 is pragmatically better than a T3. The T3 is fine, but nobody in their right mind would say it is better than the M595.

As with many things, cost increases exponentially as perfection gets closer. If a 307 is perfect to the buyer, then it is extremely good value. If it is only "nearly there" in the eyes of the buyer, and that is found to be bothersome, then it'll never do regardless of value.

 

[WeatherbyUK]

It was interesting to hear on the Weatherby podcast that the Mk v action is a more difficult design to build on CNC equipment whereas the modern 307 action can be produced more efficiently and I guess that means more cost effectively. So are you getting more bang for your buck with the 307?

The Mark V offers the lowest bolt throw on the market at just 54 degrees, and as well as being lightweight it’s also the strongest action on the market… but arguably unnecessary for a .308

The 307 is spectacular for the money, and has the option of a magazine if wanted…

It’s probably down to personal preference as there’s pros and cons for both

 

[triggertrix]

You’re doing yourselves an injustice in not using 3 pos safeties, but I’d say sort that recoil pad situation out please square stock and a pad without the holes. The rounding and edges of the end of the stock would make it impossible to change LOP or pads without having to cut into the stock material. It’s the sort of thing where a few years down the line the designers looked at it and said, “wtf were we actually thinking’.

Back to the question. MKV without hesitation, 307 hasn’t a dog in the fight. I’d not go with a short .308, the accuracy guarantee/abilities will go out the window with the loss of ability to shoot it well, short light .308’s jump around on the sandbags like anything, and on the hill in the wind - look through one and then through a 24-26” with a walnut stock, the old gun will be rock steady in its sight picture, the light short one buzzing in the wind. A bet a lot of people have regretted the ‘short and pointy’, I did…although I realise marketing’s job is to make every American hunter think they can be Steven Rinella just by using a specific rifle and wearing xyz clothing. Although he shoots a long 7mmRM