The popularity of long-range shooting and hunters wanting to extend their reach has been the driving force behind the recent evolution of bolt-action hunting rifles. Most now have have synthetic stocks that are better configured for precision shooting applications, and rifle barrels are getting shorter, to accommodate suppressors. Weatherby’s newest bolt gun, the Model 307 Alpine CT is very reflective of the current trends. But this rifle also highlights another—newer—trend, which is lighter, long-range precision hunting rifles. It weighs in at just a tad more than 6 pounds, so you can hike it as far away from the crowd as you like and still make the long shot if you need to. I recently put the 307 Alpine CT through its paces at my home range. Here’s my full review.
Weatherby Model 307 Alpine CT Specs
Length: 43.5 – 48 inches with muzzle brake (43.5 as tested)
Weight: 6.0 to 6.3 pounds (6.1 as tested)
Barrel: 22 inches (24 with brake)
Action: Weatherby 307
Trigger: Trigger Tech Field Trigger
Capacity: 2+1, 3+1, or 4+1 depending on chambering (4+1 as tested)
Finish: Chocolate Brown Cerakote
Stock: Exposed carbon fiber with WYO brown and backpack brushed sponge pattern accents.
Available Chamberings: 240 Weatherby Magnum, 243 Winchester, 257 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor (tested), 6.5 PRC, 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum, 6.5 Weatherby RPM, 280 Ackley Improved, 7mm Backcountry, 7mm PRC, Winchester, 7mm PRC, 308 Winchester, 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 PRC.
Price: $2,249
Related: Wilson Combat Model 20S Lightweight Rifle Review
Weatherby Model 307 Alpine CT Overview
Weatherby teamed with Peak 44 for the stock on the Alpine CT, because they wanted the rifle to be lightweight. The Bastion stock that Peak 44 provides for the Alpine CT only weighs 24 ounces, and it’s fitted with a 3D-Hex recoil pad. The carbon-fiber stock is finished with a brushed-style camo pattern, which allows for the carbon-fiber construction to show through. It has a high comb with negative drop, a near vertical pistol grip, and three sling-swivel studs, with one on the belly of the butt stock and two on the bottom front of the forend.
The rifle’s BSF barrel is turned from 416R stainless steel, sleeved with carbon fiber, and loaded under tension. The muzzle is threaded at 5/8×24, and the rifle ships with a 2-inch muzzle brake installed. Weatherby coats all the exposed metal on the Alpine CT in Graphite Black and Chocolate Brown Cerakote, and out of the box it has a Peak scope rail installed. Barrel length varies depending on the chambering, from 20 to 26 inches, and the finished weight ranges from 6.0 to 6.3 pounds.
Until recently, Weatherby generally built their rifles on the Mark V or Vanguard actions, but this new Alpine CT rifle uses Weatherby’s newest action, which is the Model 307. Named for the “307” area code in Sheridan, Wyoming, where Weatherby is located, this is a cylindrical action with a Remington 700 footprint. That means it’s compatible with aftermarket Remington 700 stocks and bottom metals, to include those that work with AICS detachable magazines.
Besides its shape and size, however, most everything else about the 307 action is different. For starters, you can disassemble the two-lug, radial fluted bolt without any tools. Weatherby uses an M16-style extractor and a plunger ejector on the bolt, and the scope mounting holes are drilled to accept 8-40 screws. The action is also fitted with a Trigger Tech trigger that you can adjust, and it has a two-position safety.
Weatherby Model 307 Alpine CT Shooting Results
I conducted all the bench-rest shooting with the Alpine CT using a Swarovski Z8i 2-16x50P riflescope, with and without a Silencer Central MeatEater suppressor. Weatherby offers a sub-MOA guarantee with all Model 307 rifles, (provided you use factory or premium ammunition within a two-year verified purchase date of the original owner). This Alpine CT not only met that standard, but did so across an overall average of three different loads, and five-shot instead of three-shot groups. Here are the full precision results.
During the field-shooting tests, I fired shots with the suppressor, then with the muzzle brake, and then without the brake or suppressor. I’m not a fan of muzzle brakes, but there were three things about the Accubrake DST brake I liked. First, it is a directional brake, so it needs to fit the barrel in a certain way, and to facilitate this it has a lock ring for timing. The second thing I liked was that the brake has two flat sides, making it easy to remove/install with a wrench. And finally, it worked. Though it substantially increased the noise, recoil was noticeably reduced.
The rifle was also noticeably barrel heavy without a suppressor; it balanced about 2 inches forward of the front guard screw. This definitely aided off-hand shooting and shooting from field positions at static targets. However, it prevents the Alpine CT from being ideally suited for fast-action, close-in work, or for shots at running game when a suppressor is attached.
Final Thoughts on the Model 307 Alpine CT Specs
Pros
Lightweight
Very Accurate
Ergonomic stock
Cons
Finicky floor plate
Two-position safety
This is a comfortable rifle to shoot, but the stock is a bit slick in the hand. I would have appreciated some texture at the grip and forend. The rifle fed smoothly and extracted and ejected empty cases flawlessly, but there was an issue with the floor plate. The rifle’s advertised capacity is 4+1, which means 4 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. This proved true, but about half the time—when the magazine box contained 3 or 4 cartridges—it would pop open and dump its contents when the rifle was fired. The floor plate latch was a bit sticky, and if not properly seated this occurred every time. I do not think this a design flaw; I recently evaluated a Weatherby 307 cambered for the much harder recoiling 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum and had no issues. So, it was likely specific to my test gun, but we report on how rifles perform, not on how they should perform. With lubrication and use, the latches’ function did seem to improve.
Aside from the floor-plate issue, this rifle performed admirably. The Alpine CT was comfortable to shoot, and, as a friend likes to say, “shot as straight as the road to hell.” An average of less than an inch for nine, five-shot groups, with three different hunting loads, is about as good as anyone could hope for. It also makes the Alpine CT one of the top five most precise shooting rifles we’ve evaluated.
Some adjustability in the stock for length of pull and comb height would add appeal to some who like the long-range game, but it would also add weight. Weatherby offers several other 307 rifles with an adjustable comb if that’s what you are after; they’re just not as light as the Alpine CT. Even so, with the Alpine CT’s high comb, if you can work with a 13.5-inch length of pull, the rifle should fit you well. And if you miss, it’ll be your own fault. In the end, the new Alpine CT is just what what Weatherby set out to make—a lightweight bolt-action that really, really shoots.
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