Weatherby 307 Range XP Review

Weatherby’s 307 Range XP in 7 PRC blends a familiar 700-style action, a crisp TriggerTech, and a huntable mag sporter barrel. We shot groups, ran chrono data, and lived with the quirks to see if it truly earns a place in the truck.

First Impressions: A Weatherby That Looks Different, Shoots Familiar

When I opened the box and saw the Weatherby 307 Range XP for the first time, I was a little surprised. I was asked if I wanted to review a Weatherby rifle, and I was excited to do so. I had never seen the 307 design before, and it was unlike other Weatherbys I had come across.

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The first part of the gun that jumps out at you is the action. It is very similar to a Remington Model 700, so much so that I actually pulled my 2005 Remington 700 LVSF out of the safe. While the two actions are not identical, they are very close to one another. They look similar, but the bolt on the 307 can be disassembled without any tools, similar to the Seekins PH3, which is a very cool feature.

The action is smooth and consistent, and I felt right at home running it. The bolt is a two lug design and spiral cut, with some cutouts in the handle. I assume this was done to shave weight. I grew up on Remington 700s, and shooting the Weatherby 307 was like taking a trip down memory lane. It fed rounds reliably out of the magazine as well as when throwing in singles on top of an empty mag.

I have been spoiled by rifles with 60 degree bolt throws, and the 90 degree bolt throw of the 307 does seem a little long in the tooth. But it was able to clear a couple of different scopes that I mounted on it, which is what matters most.

Receiver & Rails: What Fits, What Doesn’t, What It Costs

The second thing I noticed when opening the box of the Weatherby 307 was that there was no pic rail mounted on the receiver. With so many rifles these days coming with a pic rail from the factory, I was a little disappointed. I am a huge fan of mounting scopes to picatinny rails and have been using them for over a decade.

I went through my drawer of extra gun parts and could not find a rail that would fit the 307. Then, I read online that the 307 would accept the same rail as a Savage. After getting the Savage rail, it also did not fit. No problem, I hopped on Leupold’s website for ordering bases and rails. Since the 307 is basically a cloned Rem 700 action, I did not think I would have a problem finding one to work on Leupold’s website. Their website did not come up with any matches for the 307. Once again I was disappointed, as Leupold makes great rails that are $50 MSRP, and I can get them at a discount.

I emailed Weatherby asking them if any other manufacturers’ rails would fit the 307. I have yet to receive a response over four weeks later. Weatherby sells a rail specifically for the 307, made by PEAK 44, for $69.00. After shipping and tax, it was at my door and on the 307 for a total of $82.26. If you plan on purchasing a Weatherby 307 and want to add a rail to it, be sure to add an extra $80 to your budget.

Trigger: TriggerTech Field, Easy Adjust, Clean Break

The trigger on the 307 I received came from the factory at close to 4 lbs. It is a TriggerTech Field trigger, adjustable with an Allen key without removing the stock. This is how all trigger adjustments should be. I was able to get it adjusted down to an acceptable hunting weight of just over 2 lbs. It breaks crisp and clean every time, with no creep or sloppiness in the pull.

With the safety engaged I gave the trigger a hard trigger press, as well as hitting the butt of the rifle on the ground. No discharges. I then took the safety off and hit the butt of the rifle on the ground again, no discharges.

Stock: Vertical Grip, Adjustable Cheek, Real-World Notes

The stock of the rifle is unique looking. It has a deep vertical grip position for your shooting hand, which I like. The texture of the stock is also appealing, not slick like some synthetic stocks can be. It also comes with different shims to adjust the length of pull.

On the butt of the rifle is an adjustable cheek piece that has three different settings. It can be adjusted with two small screws that use a Torx head. The cheek piece is black and not the same color as the rest of the stock. If you have the cheek riser up, the bolt will not be able to come out of the action. I did not find a need to adjust the cheek piece. The stock also comes with two swivel studs on the forend, which I appreciate.

While I do like the stock, it is comfortable to shoot, I should note that on the bottom of the grip the Weatherby decal piece did fall off the stock on shot #5 from the rifle. It appeared as though it was not quite perfectly fitted to stay in place. If this were my personal rifle, I would superglue it back in and not worry about it.

Magazine: 5 Round AICS, Useful Yet Awkward

The Weatherby 307 XP that I received came chambered in 7 PRC, which I love. It is not a heavy rifle, listed at 7.4 lbs, with a lightweight stock and a small profile barrel. I believe it was built for the hunting crowd and not PRS shooters.

The rifle comes with a 5 round magazine, which sits well below the stock of the rifle and even below the trigger guard. This can make getting it out of a rifle scabbard, backpack, or even on and off your shoulder cumbersome. I am surprised that Weatherby fitted the rifle with a 5 round mag.

It does accept AICS mags. If this were my personal hunting rifle, I would switch out for a magazine that fits flush with the stock.

Barrel: 22 Inch, 1 in 8 Twist, 1/2×28 Threads, Brake Included

The barrel on the 307 is a 22 inch, 1 in 8 twist, fluted, my test rifle came with rectangular flutes, tapered, small diameter mag sporter contour. This is a good length and size for a hunting barrel. It comes threaded 1/2×28 from the factory instead of 5/8×24 due to its smaller diameter profile. The rifle comes with both a thread protector and a muzzle brake. Great job, Weatherby. I have been complaining about threaded barrels only coming with a muzzle brake for years, as I would personally rather deal with recoil than added percussion. The threading cuts on the barrel look good, both the thread protector and the brake fit flush. My Enduro suppressor threaded onto the end of it with zero problems with the 1/2×28 adapter.

Accuracy: Sub MOA Proof With Real 7 PRC Ammo

Now for the part that matters the most, how does it shoot. Weatherby has a guaranteed Sub MOA accuracy for all of their 307 rifles. That guarantee is for a cold barrel 0.99 inch or less group at 100 yards within two years of purchase date of the original purchaser.

I was able to get four different types of factory ammo for the 307. All groups were three shot groups and shot from a bench with a bipod, rear bag, and a suppressor attached to the rifle. All shots were chronographed with my Garmin Xero.

Hornady Precision Hunter 175 gr. ELDX
0.850 inch group, AVG 2771 fps, extreme spread of 35.6 fps.

Nosler Trophy Grade 175 gr. Accubond Long Range
1.25 inch group, AVG 2838 fps, extreme spread of 52.6 fps.

Hornady Match 180 gr. ELDM
1.26 inch group, AVG 2776 fps, extreme spread of 18.0 fps.

Federal Premium 175 gr. ELDX
1.29 inch group, AVG 2908 fps, extreme spread of 58 fps.

My Take: Looks Odd, Shoots Right, Built to Hunt

The Weatherby 307 XP feels to me like a marker in a box of crayons, it just does not quite fit in. Weatherby claims their purpose in building this rifle was to make it compatible with aftermarket 700 parts. However, I did not find many options when trying to mount a pic rail to it.

The rifle looks a little odd, with the black cheek riser and the extended magazine on what I would consider a hunting rifle. But as I have said before and will say again, the only things that really matter to me on a rifle are that it has a smooth action, a good trigger, and is accurate.

The 307 has a smooth action. If you like the Rem 700 action, you will like the 307. The 307 has a good trigger. The 307 did hold up its guarantee of shooting a sub 1 MOA group out of a cold barrel, shooting the Hornady Precision Hunter 175 ELDX at 0.812 MOA, 0.850 in. While I would like to see better accuracy from the 307, a 0.8 inch group with factory ammunition will be acceptable to many hunters.

Weatherby offering the 307 in cartridges other than Weatherby chamberings is also a good thing. I do not have anything against Weatherby calibers, they are just too expensive for me to shoot. And the new PRC’s are magic when it comes to long range shooting with their heavy for caliber bullets and fast twist rates. This was a wise move by Weatherby.

While this rifle may not be my cup of tea, it is up to the buyer to decide if the Weatherby 307 XP Range is a rifle that he or she wants to have in their safe. It retails for $1,189.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Weatherby 307 Range XP Specifications

Pros & Cons: Field Reality Check

• Pros: Familiar 700 feel, TriggerTech Field adjusts easily, real sub MOA potential with factory loads, hunt friendly 22 inch mag sporter barrel, threads include both brake and protector.
• Cons: Rail compatibility is limited without the Peak 44 part, 5 round mag hangs low and can snag, cheek riser color mismatch and blocks bolt removal when raised, emblem piece came loose.

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