Hunting rifles have changed a lot since Weatherby came on the scene in 1945. The glamourous wood-stocked rifles adorned with a high comb, cheek piece, and even inlays that made Weatherby famous, have given way to synthetic-stocked rifles with muted camo finishes. Don’t get me wrong, Weatherby still makes those gorgeous and pricey Mark V rifles; they’re just not as popular as they once were.
The new Weatherby Model 307 Adventure SD is a throwback to the company's golden age of classic, high-end wood-stocked rifles. It reminds you of those handsome Mark V Weatherbys, except that its less expensive, is built on Weatherby’s relatively new 307 action, and delivers the kind of precision that today's hunters demand. I recently put a new Adventure SD through its paces on my home range. Here's my full review.
Weatherby Model 307 Adventure SD Specs
Length: 44.25 inches (including 2-inch muzzle brake)
Weight: 7.7 pounds
Barrel: 26 inches + 2 inches with muzzle brake
Action: Weatherby 307
Trigger: Trigger Tech Field Trigger
Capacity: 3+1 (for 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum tested)
Finish: Graphite Black Cerakote
Stock: Fancy walnut with rosewood forend, grip cap, and maple diamond inlay.
Available Chamberings: 240 Weatherby Magnum, 243 Winchester, 257 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC,270 Winchester, 270 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum (tested), 6.5 Weatherby RPM, 270 Winchester, 7mm Backcountry, 7mm PRC, 30-30 Springfield, 300 Weatherby Magnum
Price: $1949
Related: The Best Hunting Rifles, Tested and Reviewed
Weatherby Model 307 Adventure SD Overview
The Weatherby 307 action gets its name from the Sheridan, Wyoming, “307” area code, which is where Weatherby manufacturers their rifles. The 307 is a cylindrical action with a footprint like the Remington 700 action, which means it is compatible with a wide range of aftermarket stocks. But this is not a Remington 700 action. You can disassemble the two-lug bolt on the 307 without tools, and it’s fitted with a M16-style extractor and a plunger ejector. Scope-mounting holes accept 8-40 screws, and the rifle comes with a user adjustable Trigger Tech trigger, with a two-position safety. The action is also compatible with several Remington 700-style bottom metals, to include those that work with AICS detachable magazines.
Compared to other Weatherby rifles that use the 307 action, it's the stock that sets the Adventure SD rifle apart. Weatherby shapes the wood stock from fancy walnut, and it has a rosewood forend tip and grip cap. The figure in the wood on my test rifle is very attractive, and there’s checkering at the wrist and along the forend. The Adventure SD also has a hinged floor plate, a thick, red, rubber recoil pad, and two sling swivel studs in the classic locations. Weatherby finishes all the rifle’s metal surfaces with Graphite Black Cerakote, and a round bolt knob rounds out the Adventure SD’s classic look.
Weatherby offers the 307 Adventure SD chambered for 14 different cartridges that includes six Weatherby cartridges, two PRC cartridges, and even the brand new 7mm Backcountry. Barrel lengths depend on chambering and run from 22 to 28 inches, and this length includes Weatherby’s 2-inch long Accubrake, which can reduce felt recoil by as much as 53%. Not only are these barrels long, but they’re also very slender. At the muzzle, the deeply fluted barrel on the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum I evaluated was only 0.65-inch in diameter. Weatherby also threads the barrels at ½x28 for the Accubrake or—if removed—a suppressor. And Weatherby guarantees all the rifles they build on 307 actions to shoot three-shot groups of 0.99 or less at 100 yards from a cold barrel, when used with Weatherby factory ammunition, within two years of the verified purchase date.
Related: Weatherby Model 307 Alpine CT Rifle Review
Weatherby Model 307 Adventure SD Test Results
I did not expect this rifle to shoot as well as it did, because long slender barrels on rifles chambered for high-volume cartridges like the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum can be finicky when it comes to precision. That was not the case with the Adventure SD. I mounted a Swarovski Z8i 2-16x50P riflescope to the rifle in Tally Lightweight Alloy Mounts, and the first five shot group measured about 2-inches. I thought this was confirming my suspicion, but that was the largest group I fired, and the only five-shot group that measured more than 1.5 inches. The rifle averaged 1.15 inches for six, five-shot groups with two different loads and would have easily met Weatherby’s three-shot precision guarantee.
There were no issues with the rifle at all. It was easy to load, the bolt was easy to cycle, and cartridges fed, fired, and ejected without a hitch. Everything on this rifle worked just like it was supposed to. Though I’ll admit, I did not shoot the Adventure SD a lot with the muzzle brake installed, as it was loud enough to challenge my hearing protection. The 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum is a boomer and not all that quite even with a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry suppressor installed. On the other hand, the Accubrake does substantially reduce felt recoil.
With the Swarovski riflescope mounted, the rifle balanced nicely, very near the front guard screw. This is a good balance point for off-hand shooting, and the rifle and I performed well from field positions. I think this was also due in part to the high comb that allowed for a decent cheek weld while obtaining good eye alignment with the scope. Also, the extreme negative drop in the stock soothed the impact of the comb with the cheekbone by allowing it to glide by as opposed to the recoil driving it into your face.
Final Thoughts on the Weatherby Model 307 Adventure SD
Pros
Beautiful
Accurate
Well-balanced
Cons
Safety does not lock the bolt
Long
If I could change anything about the Adventure SD rifle, it wouldn’t be much. I’d want a safety that locks the bolt handle down, and I’d also want a slightly shorter barrel for use with or without a suppressor. (The Adventure SD in 7mm Backcountry comes with a 20-inch barrel, which is exactly what Federal designed that cartridge for.) I also found the 13.75-inch length of pull just a tad long. I’m 6 foot tall and prefer a shorter length of pull to allow comfortable operation of the bolt when the rifle is on my shoulder. But those are my only quibbles.
A Weatherby Mark V Deluxe starts at $2749, and though it might be slightly more attractive than the Adventure SD, the Adventure SD costs $800 less. And based on the performance of the test rifle, I’d be surprised if a Mark V Deluxe would shoot any better. What I found most appealing about this rifle is that while it might look like it’s from the previous century, it shot as well as many more modern synthetic stocked, so called long-range rifles that are so popular today. If your hunting buddies are living in that long-range world, they might call you a Fudd when you uncase an Adventure SD, but they’ll shut the hell up when bullets start going down range.
