.30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
04-03-2005, 03:36 AM
#61
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 17
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
I picked up a .30-378 Accumark at the pawn shop a couple of years ago. Curious, and I had the money. I spent quite a bit of time (and money) messing around working up loads. Finally settled on 180 gr Barnes XLC BT ahead of 108 gr RL-25 at MV of 3450 ft/sec. The rifle with a Leupold 4.5-14 scope weighs 9 1/2 lbs. Calculated recoil is 42 ft. lbs.
I worked up the loads with the muzzle brake, then fine tuned the accuracy without the brake (they often shift POI after changing from a brake), but I shoved a 25 lb bag of bird shot between the gun and my arm. The rifle shoots accurately. You'll really get the attention of the gang at the range, and you'll make enemies if you shoot it with the muzzle brake. I think they had to replace the corrugated tin on the roof over my bench!
But since I do not have the skill or experience to shoot accurately at 500 yards and beyond where this rifle and others like it have the advantage of retained energy, the rifle has no practical use for me. There is a group of fanatical long-range mule deer busters in Arizona that seem to do well with this rifle. However, they have the experience shooting in the open where the wind pushes your bullets all around. They tune their rifles endlessly, shoot every weekend, and use spotters like a sniper team.
If you've got the bucks & the time and you have another practical rifle that you would shoot in real life, and you just want to see what it's like to shoot .30 caliber at its limit, have at it. It has literally been a kick!
04-03-2005, 07:08 AM
#62
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MD
Posts: 4,572
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
ORIGINAL: bigcountry
Why is everyone so scared to try anything new? I admit the 30-378 is more than I can handle, cause if I can't shoot it without a break, I have no business shooting it, If everyone took the logical choice on here getting only what they need, everyone would be driving hybrid cars instead of thier F350's to run around town.
Why is everyone so scared to try anything new? I admit the 30-378 is more than I can handle, cause if I can't shoot it without a break, I have no business shooting it, If everyone took the logical choice on here getting only what they need, everyone would be driving hybrid cars instead of thier F350's to run around town.
04-03-2005, 09:03 AM
#63
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
Not at all my t-town friend. What I am saying is its very nice for us to live very comfortably that we have the option to buy, drive, and use items that are not logical whatsoever.
I mean is it logical for me to have so many choices of firearms when I basically kill everything with a sluggun, or muzzleloader? Not at all, but I love em as you do your truck.
I mean is it logical for me to have so many choices of firearms when I basically kill everything with a sluggun, or muzzleloader? Not at all, but I love em as you do your truck.
04-03-2005, 09:02 PM
#65
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 592
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
IMHO its wasy overbore,and if your wanting a good 30 cal.go the the good 300 Wby.it will kill anthing in NA for sure.Look at some of the old Wby catlogs and see what it can do to a tree,or a 5 gal can of water. Less recoil,the 300Wby is the best choice.If you want a bigger bullet you can reload some. You won,t go wrong with it.And brass is cheaper than the other. If you reload. Take it from someones whom knows Wby,s. Thats a hint,vangunsmith
04-04-2005, 11:30 AM
#68
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Texas and Arkansas
Posts: 1,496
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
I was mule deer hunting five years ago close to the Big Bend National Park in Texas with a guy that had a 30-378. I asked him why. He said "Because I can". I said "Give me a fire-in-the-hole long before you shoot that thing because I want to take cover". Factory loads are over $4 per shell so I'm not interested. My 300 WBY is as much kick as I want at my age.
04-05-2005, 06:41 AM
#69
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
WOW this one went down the proverbial crapper in a hurry. As was basically said, this is still America and its your money. Don't listen too guys who have never even fired something like a 30-378 much less owned one for awhile and hunted with it. What experience do they have with one? My brothers girlfriends sisters neighbors cousins father-in-law stories don't make for squat. And the guys who are threatened by "true super mags" are always gonna badmouth such calibers. They have to to justify their own "lil guns".
I have a good friend that uses his 30-378 and I have hunted with my 308 Lazzeroni Warbird since their release in 99 in Sako's TRG. 30 caliber bullets doing over 3500fps ARE going to produce spectacular results. I have a plethora of rifles including 7mags, 1 300Wby and NONE of them kill as spectacularly as the Warbird. And from what I have seen of the 30-378 it produces basically the same types of kills. I recommend you load up some 130 or 150 grain Barnes TSX', I can promise you that you WONT be dissapointed.
Recoil is a state of mind. I too use a KDF muzzlebrake and wear a Game Ear IIs in each ear. (To be honest I wish now I would have gotten the Game Ears 20years ago and used them with ANY gun that I fire, be it on the range or in the woods!) But honestly the gun isn't that bad even with the brake removed. I think its funny that the same guys that tell you, "Don't pay any attention too ballistic numbers on a sheet of paper". Yet are the VERY FIRST ones to pull free recoil and fps numbers out when you mention recoil. I think its called "selective memory". I don't pay .02c attention too numerical values for recoil. I only speak of true experiences and what my shoulder tells me while afield or on the range. I'm sure someone will "pull out the charts" for my Lazz and try to convince us otherwise, but my shoulder tells me that THE worst kicking gun I have in my safe isn't my Sako or even the Mark V I have, its my 835 Ulti Mossberg loaded with 2oz of HeviShot Nitros! [:'(] Again, I don't care what the charts say, I just know what my shoulder tells me.
If you want the gun, GET IT! They ARE different and the kills and confidence inspired by supermags are imho, "worth the price of admission". I have gotten used to a single trigger pull costing me a $5 bill. But its not like you are going to put thousands of rounds through one of these guns each season now is it? If you are gonna do that much shooting then get something like a 308Win and feed it surplus ammo.
I've killed over 50 whitetails, 1 muley and 1 antelope with my Warbird. From 45 yds too ranges that I'm sure many on here would say, "Thats just not ethical". Well they ALL fell like they were struck by lightening and the damage done by Barnes bullets at such velocities is MUCH less than when I shot 140 Ballistic Tips from one of my 7mags. So you tell me, are such calibers really a bad deal?
I'll keep on keepin on and 9xs out of 10 my Sako will get the call while my other rifles sit patiently. If you are curious, my next rifle choice has been settled. Tika's new "Big Boar" in 300WSM will get the nod. I know the stubby lil 19" barrel will cut the WSMs performance and I can even hear some arguing about the 6#ers recoil. LOL all I can say is, "read the above information"!!!
RA
I have a good friend that uses his 30-378 and I have hunted with my 308 Lazzeroni Warbird since their release in 99 in Sako's TRG. 30 caliber bullets doing over 3500fps ARE going to produce spectacular results. I have a plethora of rifles including 7mags, 1 300Wby and NONE of them kill as spectacularly as the Warbird. And from what I have seen of the 30-378 it produces basically the same types of kills. I recommend you load up some 130 or 150 grain Barnes TSX', I can promise you that you WONT be dissapointed.
Recoil is a state of mind. I too use a KDF muzzlebrake and wear a Game Ear IIs in each ear. (To be honest I wish now I would have gotten the Game Ears 20years ago and used them with ANY gun that I fire, be it on the range or in the woods!) But honestly the gun isn't that bad even with the brake removed. I think its funny that the same guys that tell you, "Don't pay any attention too ballistic numbers on a sheet of paper". Yet are the VERY FIRST ones to pull free recoil and fps numbers out when you mention recoil. I think its called "selective memory". I don't pay .02c attention too numerical values for recoil. I only speak of true experiences and what my shoulder tells me while afield or on the range. I'm sure someone will "pull out the charts" for my Lazz and try to convince us otherwise, but my shoulder tells me that THE worst kicking gun I have in my safe isn't my Sako or even the Mark V I have, its my 835 Ulti Mossberg loaded with 2oz of HeviShot Nitros! [:'(] Again, I don't care what the charts say, I just know what my shoulder tells me.
If you want the gun, GET IT! They ARE different and the kills and confidence inspired by supermags are imho, "worth the price of admission". I have gotten used to a single trigger pull costing me a $5 bill. But its not like you are going to put thousands of rounds through one of these guns each season now is it? If you are gonna do that much shooting then get something like a 308Win and feed it surplus ammo.
I've killed over 50 whitetails, 1 muley and 1 antelope with my Warbird. From 45 yds too ranges that I'm sure many on here would say, "Thats just not ethical". Well they ALL fell like they were struck by lightening and the damage done by Barnes bullets at such velocities is MUCH less than when I shot 140 Ballistic Tips from one of my 7mags. So you tell me, are such calibers really a bad deal?
I'll keep on keepin on and 9xs out of 10 my Sako will get the call while my other rifles sit patiently. If you are curious, my next rifle choice has been settled. Tika's new "Big Boar" in 300WSM will get the nod. I know the stubby lil 19" barrel will cut the WSMs performance and I can even hear some arguing about the 6#ers recoil. LOL all I can say is, "read the above information"!!!
RA
04-05-2005, 12:38 PM
#70
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Federal Way, WA
Posts: 359
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??
Now that is a book worth reading. GOOD POINTS RED
ORIGINAL: RedAllison
WOW this one went down the proverbial crapper in a hurry. As was basically said, this is still America and its your money. Don't listen too guys who have never even fired something like a 30-378 much less owned one for awhile and hunted with it. What experience do they have with one? My brothers girlfriends sisters neighbors cousins father-in-law stories don't make for squat. And the guys who are threatened by "true super mags" are always gonna badmouth such calibers. They have to to justify their own "lil guns".
I have a good friend that uses his 30-378 and I have hunted with my 308 Lazzeroni Warbird since their release in 99 in Sako's TRG. 30 caliber bullets doing over 3500fps ARE going to produce spectacular results. I have a plethora of rifles including 7mags, 1 300Wby and NONE of them kill as spectacularly as the Warbird. And from what I have seen of the 30-378 it produces basically the same types of kills. I recommend you load up some 130 or 150 grain Barnes TSX', I can promise you that you WONT be dissapointed.
Recoil is a state of mind. I too use a KDF muzzlebrake and wear a Game Ear IIs in each ear. (To be honest I wish now I would have gotten the Game Ears 20years ago and used them with ANY gun that I fire, be it on the range or in the woods!) But honestly the gun isn't that bad even with the brake removed. I think its funny that the same guys that tell you, "Don't pay any attention too ballistic numbers on a sheet of paper". Yet are the VERY FIRST ones to pull free recoil and fps numbers out when you mention recoil. I think its called "selective memory". I don't pay .02c attention too numerical values for recoil. I only speak of true experiences and what my shoulder tells me while afield or on the range. I'm sure someone will "pull out the charts" for my Lazz and try to convince us otherwise, but my shoulder tells me that THE worst kicking gun I have in my safe isn't my Sako or even the Mark V I have, its my 835 Ulti Mossberg loaded with 2oz of HeviShot Nitros! [:'(] Again, I don't care what the charts say, I just know what my shoulder tells me.
If you want the gun, GET IT! They ARE different and the kills and confidence inspired by supermags are imho, "worth the price of admission". I have gotten used to a single trigger pull costing me a $5 bill. But its not like you are going to put thousands of rounds through one of these guns each season now is it? If you are gonna do that much shooting then get something like a 308Win and feed it surplus ammo.
I've killed over 50 whitetails, 1 muley and 1 antelope with my Warbird. From 45 yds too ranges that I'm sure many on here would say, "Thats just not ethical". Well they ALL fell like they were struck by lightening and the damage done by Barnes bullets at such velocities is MUCH less than when I shot 140 Ballistic Tips from one of my 7mags. So you tell me, are such calibers really a bad deal?
I'll keep on keepin on and 9xs out of 10 my Sako will get the call while my other rifles sit patiently. If you are curious, my next rifle choice has been settled. Tika's new "Big Boar" in 300WSM will get the nod. I know the stubby lil 19" barrel will cut the WSMs performance and I can even hear some arguing about the 6#ers recoil. LOL all I can say is, "read the above information"!!!
RA
WOW this one went down the proverbial crapper in a hurry. As was basically said, this is still America and its your money. Don't listen too guys who have never even fired something like a 30-378 much less owned one for awhile and hunted with it. What experience do they have with one? My brothers girlfriends sisters neighbors cousins father-in-law stories don't make for squat. And the guys who are threatened by "true super mags" are always gonna badmouth such calibers. They have to to justify their own "lil guns".
I have a good friend that uses his 30-378 and I have hunted with my 308 Lazzeroni Warbird since their release in 99 in Sako's TRG. 30 caliber bullets doing over 3500fps ARE going to produce spectacular results. I have a plethora of rifles including 7mags, 1 300Wby and NONE of them kill as spectacularly as the Warbird. And from what I have seen of the 30-378 it produces basically the same types of kills. I recommend you load up some 130 or 150 grain Barnes TSX', I can promise you that you WONT be dissapointed.
Recoil is a state of mind. I too use a KDF muzzlebrake and wear a Game Ear IIs in each ear. (To be honest I wish now I would have gotten the Game Ears 20years ago and used them with ANY gun that I fire, be it on the range or in the woods!) But honestly the gun isn't that bad even with the brake removed. I think its funny that the same guys that tell you, "Don't pay any attention too ballistic numbers on a sheet of paper". Yet are the VERY FIRST ones to pull free recoil and fps numbers out when you mention recoil. I think its called "selective memory". I don't pay .02c attention too numerical values for recoil. I only speak of true experiences and what my shoulder tells me while afield or on the range. I'm sure someone will "pull out the charts" for my Lazz and try to convince us otherwise, but my shoulder tells me that THE worst kicking gun I have in my safe isn't my Sako or even the Mark V I have, its my 835 Ulti Mossberg loaded with 2oz of HeviShot Nitros! [:'(] Again, I don't care what the charts say, I just know what my shoulder tells me.
If you want the gun, GET IT! They ARE different and the kills and confidence inspired by supermags are imho, "worth the price of admission". I have gotten used to a single trigger pull costing me a $5 bill. But its not like you are going to put thousands of rounds through one of these guns each season now is it? If you are gonna do that much shooting then get something like a 308Win and feed it surplus ammo.
I've killed over 50 whitetails, 1 muley and 1 antelope with my Warbird. From 45 yds too ranges that I'm sure many on here would say, "Thats just not ethical". Well they ALL fell like they were struck by lightening and the damage done by Barnes bullets at such velocities is MUCH less than when I shot 140 Ballistic Tips from one of my 7mags. So you tell me, are such calibers really a bad deal?
I'll keep on keepin on and 9xs out of 10 my Sako will get the call while my other rifles sit patiently. If you are curious, my next rifle choice has been settled. Tika's new "Big Boar" in 300WSM will get the nod. I know the stubby lil 19" barrel will cut the WSMs performance and I can even hear some arguing about the 6#ers recoil. LOL all I can say is, "read the above information"!!!
RA
RE: .30-378 wby mag- How good is it??