Weatherby 307 Journey SD, Examined and Reviewed

Final 12 months Weatherby made information with the introduction of their Mannequin 307, a Remington 700 primarily based motion that was designed and made at their Sheridan, Wyoming, headquarters. The 307 is meant to be a modular motion that bridges the hole between the Howa-made Vanguard and the flagship Mark V Weatherby actions. This Remington 700 model makes them appropriate with extra elements, and along with manufacturing rifles, Weatherby affords the motion as a stand-alone merchandise too. The 307 was initially supplied in two fashions, the Alpine and Vary XP, however in early 2024, the corporate paid homage to the classic-styled Weatherby searching rifle with the brand new walnut-stocked Weatherby 307 Journey SD — a rifle that shone like an oasis within the Kalahari after I first opened the field.

Weatherby 307 Journey SD Specs

See It

• Cartridges: .30/06 (examined), .270 Win., .240 Wby. Magazine., .257 Wby. Magazine, .270 Wby. Magazine., .300 Wby. Magazine., 6.5 Wby. RPM, 6.5-300 Wby. Magazine., and 7mm PRC
• Barrel: 24 inches, fluted, 1:10 twist, threaded ½-28
• Receiver: Mannequin 307, Remington 700 sample, black Cerakote
• Inventory: Walnut/Rosewood
• Set off: TriggerTech, 2 kilos, 11 ounces (measured), adjustable from 2.5 to five kilos
• Weight: tk kilos, tk ounces (measured with empty journal)
• Worth: $1,650

Key Options

• Remington 700 footprint
• Lengthy-action design
• Black Cerakote end on metallic elements
• Hinged floorplate journal
• Muzzle threaded ½-28 (radial muzzle brake and thread protector included)
• Conventional Weatherby-styled walnut inventory
• One-piece Picatinny rail optics mount

Overview Highlights

• Conventional-styled searching rifle using Weatherby’s 307 Motion
• Nice accuracy with premium ammo
• Crisp adjustable set off
• Journal didn’t at all times feed easily
• Wooden end noticed when rained on
• Accuracy: 1.004 inches (common of 17 five-shot teams with 4 forms of ammo)

The Weatherby 307, A Rifle to Bridge the Hole

Weatherby has been laborious at work because the firm’s relocation to Wyoming a couple of years in the past, and the model has dramatically expanded the scope of rifles they produce — in each mannequin and materials. We’ve seen expansions of their long-standing Vanguard and Mark V lineups, however between these, there was a hefty value and high quality distinction. The Vanguards — basically Howa 1500 actions — are nice mid-priced searching rifles, normally beginning at round $800. To leap as much as the Mark V, nevertheless, will value you an extra $700 to get within the ballpark, with costs beginning at $1,500 for the Mark V Hunter. The Weatherby 307 is particularly supposed to be the center floor. The next-quality, American-made rifle that’s priced between $1,000 and $2,000. Contemplating the absence of Remington Arms available in the market, a Remington 700 model motion was the logical selection. It’s appropriate with extra equipment, shares, and aftermarket triggers than absolutely anything else. Moreover, the platform has been round lengthy sufficient that an skilled rifle maker ought to have little hassle getting them to shoot effectively.

The Weatherby 307 Motion

There aren’t plenty of surprises within the Weatherby 307 motion, however some good touches past what the usual Remington 700 motion affords. At its core, it’s nonetheless a easy two-lug, push-feed motion with a 90-degree bolt throw, plunger ejector, and two-position security. The Mannequin 307 has a flared ejection port that’s longer on the backside than on the high, and comes customary with a Peak 44 Picatinny rail for optics mounting — although it’s appropriate with customary Remington 700 bases. 

The Weatherby 307 has a bolt with some sensible options, together with an M16-style claw extractor and easy tool-less takedown for simple upkeep. A bonus of the M700 platform is set off compatibility, and Weatherby matches the mannequin 307 with TriggerTech Subject triggers which might be crisp and adjustable all the way down to about 2.5 kilos. 

The motion is given a Cerakote end and it runs easily with little wobble or slop. The bolt cocks simply and the locking lugs really feel easy and cushty when rotating the bolt into battery. The Weatherby 307 Journey SD includes a hinged floorplate journal that’s tightly match however simply launched by a button contained in the entrance of the set off guard.

The Weatherby 307 Journey: A Nod to the Classics

The visible point of interest of the Weatherby 307 Journey SD is, in fact, its fancy walnut inventory. Wooden-stocked searching rifles may be out of date in some methods, however they actually haven’t been banished to obscurity. In truth, we’ve seen quite a few new rifle fashions supplied in picket trim in recent times. To some of us, a rifle simply isn’t a rifle with no wooden inventory.

I used to be taken again after I first pulled the Weatherby 307 from its wrapping, admiring the wealthy wooden grain. I’m no Jim Carmichel, an skilled in wooden inventory making, however I can actually recognize the great thing about this piece of timber. The inventory is crafted in conventional Weatherby model with a pronounced Monte Carlo comb, rosewood-capped pistol grip with white diamond inlay, a flat-bottomed forend, and capped with a rearward-slanting piece of rosewood. 

Beneath the hood, the inventory is fitted with aluminum bedding pillars and a reinforcing polymer block embedded barely behind the recoil lug recess. The recoil lug recess has some glass bedding, nevertheless it’s minimal. Motion match is tight and repeatable, and the pillars get rid of any slop or compression. That is vital for torquing this motion, because the M700-pattern actions don’t supply plenty of thread engagement with the entrance motion screw.

For a manufacturing inventory, the metal-to-wood match is nice and the barrel channel is evenly spaced. There’s a barely uneven match and extra house within the inletting across the set off guard on my pattern, however that’s getting nitpicky for a $1,650 rifle. The one criticism I’ve concerning the inventory is its end. Although stunning, it doesn’t deal with publicity to moisture effectively. Whereas on the vary in the future, I had a few 15 second spat of rain that peppered the gun. When the rain dried, that facet of the inventory had already noticed — one thing that may take the applying of extra end to repair or conceal. Wooden shares can’t be anticipated to be as sturdy as composites in inclement climate, however there are a lot of wooden finishes that received’t dissolve just like the Depraved Witch of the West on the first raindrop..

A Mix of Basic and Fashionable

As foolish as it’s, one of many options of the Weatherby 307 Journey SD that I discover most interesting is the hinged floorplate journal. Removable magazines have their deserves, however I’m a sucker for top-loaders. This — together with the walnut trim — produces a rifle that has a really old-school really feel. Nevertheless it doesn’t imply you’re sacrificing the benefits of fashionable tech both. The matte black Cerakote end seems to be sharp and is extra sturdy and corrosion resistant than the bluest bluing that was ever blued. 

The bolt and set off are simply adjusted and maintained, and the threaded muzzle permits the usage of a suppressor. Oddly, Weatherby selected to roll with a ½-28 thread on all their Mannequin 307 rifles. That’s customary for .224-caliber and 9mm barrels, however a ⅝-24 threading is what we sometimes see on bigger calibers like 6mm, 6.5mm, and 30-caliber. The rifle comes fitted with a radial muzzle brake, however when you don’t need to use that or a suppressor, you should utilize the included thread protector that matches properly on the tip of the fluted barrel with out compromising the traditional look.

The Weatherby 307 Journey SD on the Vary

Characteristic units and fancy shares apart, it’s the rifle’s efficiency that actually issues, and I used to be a little bit nervous after I first took the Weatherby 307 Journey SD to the vary. That’s as a result of it wasn’t my first expertise with the 307, or my second. I’d had the possibility to strive each preliminary fashions of the 307 chambered in .308 Win. again in 2023 and each shot fairly poorly. My trepidation melted away as I printed the primary group with this .30/06 although. The tight cluster of holes was an early indication of how the rifle performs.

To check the accuracy potential of a rifle, it helps to have high quality, correct ammunition that you’ve proofed via different good-shooting firearms. On this case, I had two match M1 Garand masses that shot lights out in a customized Winchester M70 with a heavy Krieger barrel — Hornady’s M1 Garand 168-grain ELD-M and Freedom Munitions 168-grain A-Max. Each shot extremely effectively out of this sporter-weight rifle. I had first rate outcomes with a budget-priced Sellier & Bellot 150-grain Smooth Level load — common of 1.490-inch 5-shot teams — however would count on some variability with most searching ammo. I additionally had good outcomes hand loading 180-grain Nosler Accubonds over a cost of IMR 4350.

You could have observed in current months that we have now been altering the way in which we characterize and current accuracy knowledge, utilizing bigger 20-shot group sizes and phrases like imply radius. Outside Life has lengthy strived to current one of the best, most informative knowledge attainable, and although we’ve leaned on averages of five-shot group sizes for many years, we notice that it simply isn’t adequate anymore. Bigger pattern testing has proven us a extra detailed image of how every rifle shoots, and even busted some myths about accuracy and cargo growth. 

I collected the information within the desk above by compiling collection of three- and five-shot teams into 20-shot general teams. The barrel is allowed to chill after every three- or five-shot group. That is simply achieved and might even show you how to attain a extra correct zero on your searching rifle. Most significantly, it takes each shot under consideration and provides you a practical image of how one can count on your rifle to carry out. Curiously, I in contrast 20-shot strings compiled with three- and five-shot teams and they’re nearly an identical. On this case, the three-shot teams have a marginal edge, however that’s possible inside the variability of 20-shot pattern sizes. Different rifles are displaying nearly no distinction between three- and five-shot teams which pours some chilly water on the previous story of a flier attributable to capturing greater than three pictures at a time.

Sensible Taking pictures

I spent fairly a little bit of time capturing the Weatherby 307 Journey SD from sensible area positions too. I ran it off a barricade and a bagged tripod, in addition to offhand. The rifle typically handles effectively, however takes some getting used to when you’re accustomed to short-throw bolts. 

I did have combined outcomes with the inner journal. With some ammo, the rifle appeared to feed and performance completely positive, however with different masses, the bolt would typically fail to select up the following cartridge when that cartridge was on the port facet of the double-stack journal. I’d be hesitant to make use of it in a state of affairs the place I wanted absolute reliability — not less than till I proved it with many repetitions. This concern isn’t distinctive to this rifle, and lots of Remington 700-pattern weapons may be finicky feeders at occasions.

Professionals and Cons of the Weatherby 307 Journey SD

• Professionals: Wealthy, handsome wooden; good, even Cerakote end; suppressor prepared; straightforward bolt upkeep and set off adjustment
• Cons: Inventory end noticed with a couple of rain drops; journal had hassle feeding typically

Last Ideas on the Weatherby 307 Journey SD

I’m actually glad to see Weatherby hit this value bracket with high quality weapons which might be constructed within the U.S., and the mix of traditional model and fashionable options is a successful combo. I’m fairly happy with the stellar accuracy that this rifle displayed — particularly contemplating the minimal bedding it has. I’d wish to see a extra sturdy inventory end, however contemplating the worth, I feel it’s a extremely strong worth.