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Most rifles fire properly tailored reloads better than factory fodder at least that has been my observations. I never use factory ammunition in any thing other than a 22 rimfire. If I was having problems with a new weatherby or any other brand of rifle the first thing that I would do is call the manufacturer, request the type of ammunition they used and test fire the rifle. If I still could not get it to shoot then I would check the bedding, check the crown, make sure the mounts are tight,change scope (even if I had to Borrow one) and finally have someone else to test fire the gun. If all this failed then I would contact the company that made the rifle, tell them what I had done. I am sure they will be happy to try and solve your problem. I just went through the same thing with a Savage 110 Tactical in 338 Lupua. You couldn't hit a bull in the ass at 100 yards.

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That would pretty much accord with my own experience. When I buy a rifle I'll do so with the intention of reloading for it because imo, reloading usually delivers the best results. For that reason I almost never buy factory ammo. Far too expensive for one such as me in any event. And although I can see the advantages of purchasing a rifle that "shoots anything you care to run through it" from day one, and "all day long", it doesn't seem as appealing to me as the sense of accomplishment that comes after you manage to nut-out a combination of components and seating depths that transforms something from the ordinary into the extraordinary.

I also think we have to cut the manufacturers a bit of slack. Hunting rifles (rifles that are intended to be carried in the field) are always going to be a compromise between tack driving accuracy (which we all want) and practicality. When I go deer stalking I need something I can carry for hours on end in the hills in circumstances where every additional pound saps your energy if not your will to live. In fact these days, I much prefer receiver sights on my rifles, in part because that's another pound of steel and glass I don't have to drag across the landscape and yes, that decision does require a trade-off between accuracy and portability. At some point, I'll want that rifle to deliver a projectile to point of aim from a clean cold barrel - more often than not, from a very cold barrel. If I muck things up, I may need another shot. On very rare occasions, one more. But that's it. If I needed something that would deliver tiny little clusters of projectiles from a rapidly over-heating barrel then I've equipped myself with entirely the wrong tool. In those circumstances I need something with a heavy weight barrel and an equally stiff (heavy) action at the very least. That isn't something I'll even enjoy looking at let along carrying around the hills - no matter how accurate it is. If my big bore hunting rifles can deliver one or two projectiles where I need them to go from a cold barrel, in a rifle that doesn't force me into the ground with every step, then that's accurate enough for me and my purposes.

Edited by lonewulf (14/04/16 10:54 AM)

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