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63-580: Weatherby, Inc. is an American gun manufacturer founded in 1945 by Roy Weatherby . The company is best known for its high-powered magnum cartridges, such as the .257 Weatherby Magnum , .270 Weatherby Magnum , .300 Weatherby Magnum , .340 Weatherby Magnum and the .460 Weatherby Magnum . The company's headquarters is in Sheridan, Wyoming. The original production rifles by Roy Weatherby were built on commercial Mauser actions manufactured by FN, Brevex (magnum), and Mathieu (left hand). Weatherby would build

126-485: A background of experimentation in cartridge wildcatting and was determined to develop a range of sporting rifle cartridges that would produce very high muzzle velocities , high bullet energies, very flat trajectories , and very hard-hitting characteristics at long range. Among those who influenced his thinking and products was the English riflemaker and cartridge designer David Lloyd . Following Roy Weatherby's death,

189-497: A cartridge from the magazine, machined steel trigger-guard and floor plate, one-piece bolt construction, and a trigger adjustable for pull weight and over-travel. The pre-1964 Model 70 rifle was officially declared as a state firearm of Alaska in 2014. Competing as it did with the Remington Model 700 , it was decided that changes needed to be made in the face of rising labor costs. Accordingly, in 1964, Winchester made

252-415: A collaborative effort with Italian gunmaker Fausti Stefano . Firearms designer and cartridge pioneer Charles Newton, often colloquially referred to as the "Father of High Velocity", was the first to build a hunting cartridge and rifle capable of firing a bullet at over 3,000 feet per second (910 m/s). Weatherby developed its rifles following this new trend in designing high-velocity hunting calibers. In

315-496: A controlled round feed Model 70 that was marketed as the "Classic" model. This version reintroduced the CRF feature, while retaining the "anti-bind" locking lug groove bolt guide of the 1968 push feed model. The use of modern CNC manufacturing techniques allowed Winchester to re-introduce the CRF feature at a competitive price. Around this time, Browning, which is owned by the same parent company as USRAC, Giat Corp, of France, introduced

378-729: A custom rifle from a customer's specifications for bespoke rifles, using any action the customer requested - provided the action was strong enough to tolerate the pressures for their desired cartridge. Weatherby manufactured his rifles for many years at his small facility in South Gate, California, until 1956, when he contracted with Sako to continue building his firearms based on the Weatherby-FN Mauser actions. Weatherby still produced some custom rifles in South Gate following this contract. Weatherby's first break from designs based on Mauser actions came in 1956 when he commissioned

441-533: A number of design changes to the Model 70. Few to none of these changes were popular with the rifle-buying public, or with the US military. The changes included dropping the controlled round feed feature, a change to the basic stock shape and the use of impressed checkering rather than cut checkering. Jack O'Connor , long a proponent of the Model 70, wrote of the post-1964 version that "I was informed by Winchester brass that

504-474: A smaller six-lug action (in two lengths) for the 240 Weatherby and all other non-Weatherby cartridges (as the 224 Weatherby Magnum is no longer a standard option). Both the Mark V and Vanguard are available as sub-MOA rifles which were replaced with "Range Certified" rifles in various models. These variants range from blued to stainless steel metal with kevlar or wooden stocks and are available in calibers, including

567-539: A standard military weapon; but were used until replaced by the Remington Model 700 series bolt-action rifles which became the basis for the M40 series sniper rifle. One of the reasons the U.S. Marine Corps replaced their Winchester Model 70s was that the post-1964 variants of the Model 70 did not meet U.S. Marines' standards. Despite the introduction of the Remington Model 700 rifle, the pre-1964 Winchester Model 70

630-492: Is necessary to allow subsequent cartridges to be fed and fired in a bolt-action rifle with only a single barrel. The ejector on the original Model 70 was of the blade type similar to that of the Mauser 98, but considered superior as it did not require a Mauser-type slot through the left locking lug; instead, there was a slot in the bolt face below the locking lug, leaving both forward lugs solid and hence stronger. The main benefit of

693-476: Is often called "The Rifleman's Rifle". In 1999, Shooting Times magazine named the Model 70 the "Bolt-action Rifle of the Century". Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in many grades and styles. The pre-1964 Model 70s were manufactured from 1936 through 1963, and gained popularity along with the .270 Winchester with the help of gun writer Jack O'Connor , after which time significant changes in

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756-637: The .220 Swift . Currently, Weatherby offers rifles chambered in the following standard non-Weatherby cartridges: Weatherby shotguns are available in several common cartridges from the .410 bore up to the 12 gauge . "Weatherby" is mentioned in "Yvette" by Jason Isbell on the Southeastern album. Roy Weatherby Roy Edward Weatherby (4 September 1910 – 4 April 1988), was the founder and owner of Weatherby, Inc. , an American rifle, shotgun and cartridge manufacturing company founded 1945. Weatherby created an entire line of custom cartridges, and

819-467: The .223 Remington (Vanguard only) through to the .300 Weatherby Magnum . Rifles chambered in either the .340 Weatherby Magnum or the .460 Weatherby Magnum are only available on the Mark V as these cartridges require a stronger bolt. The Weatherby rifles come with a three-shot sub-MOA guarantee of accuracy from a cold bore on all models using Weatherby or premium ammunition. Generally regarded as of higher quality than Remington or Winchester rifles in

882-725: The Korean War . Many of the surviving rifles, after reconditioning with heavier Douglas barrels and new stocks between 1956 and 1963 at the Marine Corps match rebuild shop in Albany, Georgia , were fitted with 8× Unertl sights from M1903 sniper rifles. The reconditioned rifles were used in competitive shooting matches; and the United States Army purchased approximately 200 new Model 70 National Match Rifles with medium heavy barrels for match use between 1954 and 1957. Many of

945-803: The Weatherby Hunting and Conservation Award . Winchester Model 70 The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company between 1936 and 1980. From the early 1980s until 2006, Winchester rifles were manufactured by U.S. Repeating Arms under an agreement with Olin Corporation , allowing USRA to use the Winchester name and logo. Model 70s were built in New Haven, Connecticut , from 1936 to 2006, when production ceased. In

1008-478: The Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) and Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) cartridges, which are magnum loaded rounds, but are shorter in length and wider in diameter, so spent cartridges take less time to eject and use less powder. However, these short magnum cartridges reduce magazine capacity and feeding reliability, due to their extra width and rebated rim. In 1992, Winchester began producing

1071-488: The BOSS accuracy system. The term 'BOSS' is an acronym for Ballistic Optimising Shooting System. The device attaches to the muzzle end of the barrel and allows the natural harmonics, commonly known as barrel whip, caused during the bullet's passage down the bore, to be refined and controlled. By adjusting the device for optimum performance in the individual rifle, accuracy is brought to peak level. Winchester Model 70s equipped with

1134-463: The BOSS provide a significant improvement in accuracy for a production rifle. Currently, only Browning rifles are available with the BOSS. Later, Winchester expanded the Classic line, putting the Classic action on all their modern stocks, giving a wide range of choice in rifle types. This basically lets the buyer choose an action, then choose a stock to one's liking. Both pre- and post-1964 versions of

1197-607: The Custom Extreme Weather variant. One of the best known U.S. Marine Corps snipers who used the Winchester Model 70 during the Vietnam War was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock , who used a Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered in .30-06. It was this rifle, equipped with a standard 8×43 Unertl scope, that Hathcock used to kill a North Vietnamese enemy sniper by shooting him in the eye, through

1260-659: The Danish firm of Schultz & Larsen to build the 378 Weatherby Magnums utilizing the Schultz & Larsen Model 54 bolt-action. This action was very stout and had several features that Weatherby would integrate into future proprietary rifle designs, including a low bolt-lift and triple gas-escape ports in the bolt. In 1958, after several years of development, Roy Weatherby introduced the Mark V bolt action, his first proprietary design developed in-house by Weatherby himself and with his head engineer, Fred Jennie. Weatherby had to build

1323-488: The Huntington Park home. Weatherby firearms are best known for their very high-powered rifle cartridges, all bearing the name Weatherby Magnum such as the .257 Weatherby Magnum (designed in 1944), the .378 Weatherby Magnum (1953) and the .460 Weatherby Magnum (1957), and for the production of appropriately-chambered sporting rifles. Weatherby came into the world of commercial cartridge and rifle making with

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1386-730: The Imperial Scope and were produced for Weatherby by Hertel & Reuss and manufactured in West Germany between 1964 and 1973. Weatherby manufactured its Premier Scopes from 1973 to 1982 and its Supreme Scopes from 1983 to 1994. Weatherby offers a line of shotguns for bird hunting and skeet shooting . Weatherby produces four types of shotguns, each type available in two different models: over-under double barrel, side-by-side double barrel, pump-action, and semi-automatic . Weatherby's shotguns (the "D'Italia" line) are made in Italy through

1449-532: The Mark V and the Vanguard. ATEK manufactures the Mark V barreled action in Brainerd, Minnesota ; Howa still manufactures the barrel and action for the Vanguard. Weatherby performs the final assembly of the Mark V and Vanguard at its company headquarters in Sheridan, Wyoming. The Mark V has two action-size variants. Weatherby uses a larger nine-lug bolt-action for all larger Weatherby magnum calibers. Weatherby uses

1512-461: The Mauser-type extractor compared to later versions is that it more positively extracts the spent casing. This feature is often referred to as "controlled round feeding" (CRF) because the extractor captures the rim of a cartridge as it is fed upwards from the magazine and controls its journey forward into the rifle's chamber. Later designs, referred to as push feed , only capture the cartridge by

1575-401: The Model 70 actions have their strengths and weaknesses. At the same time as the CRF feature was re-introduced, a recent innovation allowed the short extractor used on the post-1964 models to ride over the extraction groove on a cartridge, giving controlled feeding without the expense of the long Mauser type extractor. This was called Controlled Round Push Feed . This is achieved by the use of

1638-434: The Model 70 was being redesigned. I told them that I was glad to get the information so I could lay in four or five more before they loused the rifle up. Then I saw the pilot model of 'New Model 70'. At the first glimpse I like to fell into a swoon. The action was simplified, the trigger guard and floor plate made of a flimsy looking one-piece stamping." Despite this initial reaction, O'Connor grudgingly went on to say, "Actually

1701-502: The Pacific campaign." These rifles had shorter 24-inch barrels chambered for .30-06 Springfield . They were serial numbered in the 41,000 to 50,000 range and were fitted with leaf sights and checkered stocks with steel butt plates, one-inch sling swivels, and leather slings. It has been reported that some of these rifles were equipped with 8X Unertl telescopic sights for limited unofficial use as sniper weapons on Guadalcanal and during

1764-528: The Patrol Bolt Rifle (PBR). The FN Special Police Rifle has the standard Winchester Model 70 rifle action, receiver and magazine system but the rifle is fitted with a heavier barrel and with the McMillan series tactical rifle stocks. The FN Patrol Bolt Rifle has the standard features of the original Winchester Model 70 rifle but the rifle is designed for use by police officers in patrol cars with

1827-508: The RPM family, the .338 Weatherby RPM, was introduced, again with no belt and an angled shoulder. According to Weatherby's website, the company's full lineup of cartridges consists of the: Weatherby also produced the .220 Weatherby Rocket cartridge, designed by Roy Weatherby. It does not have the typical double-radius shoulder like almost all other Weatherby cartridges, and it is not a belted magnum. Weatherby described it as an "improved" version of

1890-521: The United States in 1995, where the Mark V has been built under contract by both Saco Defense (acquired by General Dynamics in 1998) and Acrometal/ATEK ever since. The Mark V action remained relatively unchanged during its first five years of production until manufacturing moved from PFI in the United States to J. P. Sauer in Germany. The Sauer-produced version differed from that manufactured in

1953-427: The United States. Weatherby moved the safety from the receiver to the bolt and replaced the smooth surface of the safety found on the U.S.-made versions with a fluted surface. The first major change to the Mark V came in 1963 when Weatherby shortened and trimmed the design of the action around its 224 Weatherby Magnum varmint round, designed in 1964. The bolt in the smaller Mark V action had six locking lugs, as opposed to

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2016-594: The Weatherby Foundation International (initially known as the Roy E. Weatherby Foundation) was established as a non-profit, tax-exempt Foundation to promote sporting hunting and contributing to wildlife conservation. It currently leads an initiative to foster the development of educational outdoor expositions, and as at 2007 has sponsored 78 events in 19 of the US states, with combined attendance of nearly 1 million. The Foundation annually sponsors

2079-426: The action stronger. Also, the pressed checkering, one of the most reviled changes, was likewise done away with as soon as machine-cut checkering became available. All things considered, in normal situations there is now not much to choose between the two versions at present, apart from personal preference. In 1968, further revisions were made to the Model 70 in part to address consumer concerns. An "anti-bind" feature

2142-439: The barrel for additional cooling. Carbon fiber barrels are also found on select models to reduce weight and dissipate heat faster. Walnut stocks are still found across the line in satin finishes, and laminated walnut stocks are added to the mix for structural stability in extreme dry or wet conditions. The Model 70 is offered in all of the previous chamberings as the original, and is now supplemented with newer rounds, including

2205-415: The barrel to the stock. Model 70 rifles with serial numbers below 700,000 are the pre-1964 variety. The receivers of these Model 70s were machined from bar stock steel. The original Model 70 quickly established an excellent reputation with American sportsmen. It was a high-quality action of considerable strength, with two forward locking lugs and a Mauser-type non-rotating claw extractor. The key benefit of

2268-434: The blade type ejector is it is simpler and perhaps more reliable (being considered less susceptible to ingress of foreign matter) when compared to the later post-1964 plunger ejector in the bolt face controlled by a coil spring. Other significant features of this action include a three-position wing-type safety (retained throughout Model 70 production), a cone breeching-system that helps prevent bullet-nose damage while loading

2331-586: The company contracted with J. P. Sauer in West Germany to produce the rifles. Manufacturing of the Mark V continued in West Germany until the early 1970s, when material and labor costs led Weatherby to shift production to Howa in Japan. Some say the machining and finishing of the Howa manufactured Mark Vs was an improvement over that of the quality of the Sauer-made guns. Weatherby moved Mark V manufacturing back to

2394-402: The design and manufacture of the rifles were made. Pre-1964 Model 70s bring a substantial price premium due to a public perception that they were better, as they had several desirable features (Mauser-type controlled round feed , cut checkering) that the post-1964 version did not. The best way to identify a pre-1964 Model 70 Winchester rifles is the serial number and the fore-end screw to secure

2457-589: The end of the Model 94 lever-action rifle. Other Winchester models however, are still produced in other regions such as Asia and Europe. On August 15, 2006, Olin Corporation, owner of the Winchester trademarks, announced that it had entered into a new license agreement with Browning to make Winchester brand rifles and shotguns, though not at the closed Winchester plant in New Haven. Browning, based in Morgan, Utah , and

2520-600: The fall of 2007, the Belgian company FN Herstal announced that Model 70 production would resume. As of 2012, new Winchester Model 70 rifles were being made by FN Herstal in Columbia, South Carolina . In 2013, assembly was moved to Portugal. In 1936, Winchester introduced the Model 70 bolt-action rifle to the American market. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54 , and is today still highly regarded by shooters and

2583-491: The former licensee, U.S. Repeating Arms Company, are both subsidiaries of FN Herstal . In October 2007, FN Herstal announced that it would produce Controlled Round Feed Winchester Model 70 rifles at its facility in Columbia, South Carolina , where it currently manufactures the M240 , M249 , and M16 for the United States military, as well as its Special Police Rifle and Patrol Bolt Rifle lines, which are, in fact, variants of

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2646-528: The late 1980s, Remington's Ultra Mag series of unbelted magnum cartridges - returning to the Newton-style cartridge design - provided Weatherby with new competition. However, Weatherby still makes the most powerful commercially available hunting cartridge in the world with its .460 Weatherby. Weatherby has designed almost all of its cartridges with belts; curved, double-radius shoulders; and considerable freebore. The .224 Weatherby Magnum, introduced in 1963,

2709-497: The magazine lips and the chamber and the cartridge is not held to the bolt face until a spring-loaded extractor is pushed over the cartridge's extractor groove. The smaller extractor of the push feed action may slip or break off a spent casing stuck in the chamber under adverse conditions. Therefore, the more positive extraction of the controlled round feeding action is favored by some shooters, especially those who pursue dangerous game, who require rifles to extract reliably. This function

2772-627: The modern Model 70 Controlled Round Feed rifles. In 2013, FN/Browning relocated Model 70 assembly to Portugal. As of 2015, Model 70 rifles are stamped, "Imported by BACO, Inc., Morgan, Utah – Made in Portugal by Browning Viana". 123 The Winchester Model 70 series rifles are marketed as sniper rifles for military forces and law enforcement agencies under the Fabrique Nationale banner as the Special Police Rifle (SPR) and

2835-496: The new action itself was comparable in design to the competing Remington Model 700, which has a worldwide following and is considered to be very reliable. When coupled with the other cost-cutting changes and compared with the previously produced and very familiar Model 70, however, it was immediately declared to be lacking. The new design of the rifle was swiftly and severely criticized by both gun writers and riflemen alike for its perceived lesser amount of control and feed issues, making

2898-410: The new model seldom gives feeding problems." In order to reduce manufacturing costs in the face of higher labor rates, rifles manufactured from 1964 to 1992 differed from early Model 70s in the following ways: Any Model 70 rifle made since that is not designated as a "Classic" model is likely to have this post-1964 action. In design terms (enclosed bolt face, plunger ejector, brazed bolt construction)

2961-496: The newly designed rifle to withstand the higher pressures the experimental cartridges produced, which exceeded 100,000 pounds per square inch [psi] (690,000 kPa). Pacific Founders, Inc. manufactured the first Weatherby Mark V actions in the United States. Weatherby assembled and finished the rifles at the Weatherby facility in South Gate. The demand for the new Mark V rifles quickly exceeded Weatherby's manufacturing capacity, so

3024-481: The nine locking lugs found on the parent rifle chambered in the 378 Weatherby Magnum. Rifles chambered for the new 224 Weatherby Magnum cartridge were dubbed the " Varmintmaster ." Weatherby later offered the Varmintmaster chambered for the 22-250 Remington, making this the first non-Weatherby cartridge offered in the Mark V rifle. A version of the Mark V rifle equipped with a nine-lug bolt and chambered in .30-06

3087-454: The original action much more prized. The post-1964 action has been further improved over the years. Thanks to a refined bolt head design, the bolt is now less wobbly when open, and the action is now generally considered on par with the CRF action. Under normal conditions, the action's new design is no less reliable, and although the simplified construction is certainly less elegant, some of the changes could be considered improvements, having made

3150-472: The post-1964 Model 70 is not a bad rifle in spite of the fact that rifle aficionados have never taken it to their bosoms the way they did its predecessor. It is a stronger action than the pre-1964. The head of the bolt encloses the head of the case. It has a small, neat hook extractor, which is adequate. With this extractor the cartridge is not as surely controlled as it is with the Mauser -type extractor. However,

3213-432: The pre-1964 ejector, combined with a modified post-1964 extractor and bolt face relieved at the bottom allowing the round to engage the bolt face from underneath. On March 31, 2006, U.S. Repeating Arms closed the New Haven, Conn. plant where Winchester rifles and shotguns were produced for 140 years. This resulted in hiatus of the production of the Winchester Model 70 rifle and Winchester Model 1300 pump-action shotgun and

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3276-406: The price of the firearm significantly, and hold up better than wood stocks over time. Some of the modern rifles also use high performance McMillan, H. S. Precision or Bell and Carlson fiberglass stocks, though these rifles tend to be expensive. Particular models feature a one-piece aluminum pillar block bedding for greater accuracy, and some models have fluting of the barrel to reduce weight and vent

3339-574: The reconditioned Marine Corps match rifles were used by Marine Corps snipers during the early years of the Vietnam war with M72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets. A smaller number of the Army's Model 70 rifles also saw combat use by Army snipers; and some were equipped with suppressors for covert operations in Southeast Asia. These Model 70 rifles never achieved the status of

3402-739: The rifle having a short and compact barrel so it would allow the rifle to be stored in a police car. The FN Patrol Bolt Rifle is also marketed with a compensator on the muzzle of the rifle's barrel. The United States Marine Corps purchased 373 Model 70 rifles in May 1942. Although the Marine Corps officially used only the M1 Garand and the M1903 Springfield as sniper rifles during the Second World War, "many Winchester Model 70s showed up at training camps and in actual field use during

3465-580: The same class, Weatherby Mark V rifles are considerably more expensive in terms of unit cost and ammunition. However, Weatherby competitively prices the Vanguard models with other makes and models. Weatherby no longer manufactures rifle scopes or other optical products. The company produced a Mark XXI Scope between 1964 and 1989. The company offered the Sightmaster Spotting Scope with magnification ranges of 20x-45x from 1972 to 1982 and 20x-60x from 1983 to 1989. Earlier optics also included

3528-411: The six-lug version of the bolt; this made versions with a nine-lug bolt chambered in 30-06 (whether made in Germany or Japan) somewhat rare. In the late 1960s, Weatherby contracted with Howa to build a Weatherby rifle that would be more affordable for the average hunter. The result was the Vanguard which Weatherby introduced in 1970, the same year that production of the Mark V moved to Japan. The Vanguard

3591-422: Was also made available in 1967. The 30-06 and 22-250 cartridges remained the only two non-Weatherby chamberings offered in production Mark V rifles until the mid-1990s. However, Weatherby would still build a custom Mark V to a customer's specifications in virtually any caliber. Weatherby equipped all Mark V rifles made after 1967 that Weatherby chambered for non-Weatherby standard calibers (not magnum cartridges) with

3654-571: Was based on the Howa 1500 bolt action and was initially only offered in standard calibers, and it provided an attractive alternative for buyers in the market for a sporting bolt-action rifle like the Winchester Model 70 or Remington Model 700 . Weatherby has since offered the Vanguard chambered for select Weatherby magnum calibers. In January 2018, the company announced it was relocating from Paso Robles, California to Sheridan, Wyoming . Weatherby offers only two lines of centerfire rifles:

3717-411: Was introduced to make operation of the action smoother, which comprised a groove in an extended right locking lug operating on a rib on the right side of the receiver. This made the action noticeably smoother to operate and has been retained to the present day. A steel floorplate and stainless magazine follower were introduced, partially revoking changes introduced in the 1964 model. The alloy trigger guard

3780-487: Was one of the people responsible for the industry interest in high-speed cartridges. He created a custom rifle action to accommodate his high-pressure cartridges. He grew up on a farm in Kansas. He later moved to Huntington Park, California where he and his wife, Camilla, bought a Spanish style home located on 7672 California Street on the corner of Grand Avenue. Weatherby started manufacturing Weatherby Guns in his garage at

3843-522: Was retained. Starting in 1992, Winchester re-introduced many features of the pre-1964 rifles, while also continuing to manufacture less-expensive variants. The post-1992 Model 70 is an extensive rifle line that boasts nearly all of the features of the original line, but with some updated equipment, such as the Controlled Round Push Feed action and synthetic stocks. The popular Shadow variants feature black resin stocks, which reduce

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3906-537: Was still used by the US Marine Corps' scout/sniper teams during the Vietnam War alongside the Remington Model 700 rifle. The original wood stocks were found to be warping in both rifles after a few years of service and both rifles were given fiberglass stocks to remedy the problem. Existing Model 70s still in service have had their stocks replaced with a McMillan fiberglass stock, such as that found on

3969-402: Was the first and, for more than 50 years, the only Weatherby cartridge to have an angled shoulder but included the company's other distinctive features. The first major departure from the classic Weatherby design was the 6.5 Weatherby Rebated Precision Magnum (often abbreviated as RPM), a non-belted cartridge with an angled shoulder and no freebore introduced in 2019. In 2022, a second cartridge in

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