The name “Weatherby” is synonymous with magnum cartridges as much as it is with the rifles that chamber them. Built on accuracy and ballistic performance, the company is introducing its 17th cartridge in its 80-year history with the 25 WBY RPM.
The “RPM” in the name stands for “Rebated Precision Magnum,” a concept that Weatherby introduced with the 6.5 WBY RPM in 2019. The 6.5 WBY RPM marked the company’s first proprietary cartridge that did not have a belted case and the first to use an angled, instead of a double-radius, shoulder. It was followed four years later by the 338 WBY RPM.
When launching the 6.5 WBY RPM, the company stated that the goal was “to have the most horsepower possible in the smallest package.” The 25 WBY RPM brings this idea to the quarter bore. As Weatherby states it “fills a void in market” for a cartridge designed for high ballistic coefficient (BC), heavy-for-caliber bullets fired in a fast twist rifled (1:7.5-inch) barrel that could launch 130-grain+ bullets at more than 3,000 f.p.s. from a 24-inch barrel. Like all RPM cartridges, its rebated rim allows it to be used in a 0.473-inch bolt face and its 3.34-inch maximum overall length, which allows it to be used in a “standard” (.30-'06 Sprg. size) action.
Why is this size important? It allows the 25 WBY RPM to be used in the six-lug “standard” Mark V action and Weatherby’s 700-footprint 307 action, for a lighter overall rifle. Making the cartridge compatible with the 307 action will also result in 25 WBY RPM-chambered rifles at an entry-level price point, just as the company has done with the 6.5 and 338 WBY RPM. There are currently 17 Mark V and 307 models offered in the 25 WBY RPM.
The company is initially offering four factory loadings, with light, medium and heavy weight options:
- 107-grain Hammer Custom solid copper (3,350 f.p.s.)
- 117-grain Barnes Long-Range X (LRX) (3,150 f.p.s.)
- 117-grain Hornady Super Shock Tip (SST) (3,150 f.p.s.)
- 133-grain Berger Elite Hunter (3,000 f.p.s.)
The 25 WBY RPM is what the company calls “a handloader’s dream” that works well with a range of powders. Weatherby recommends Ramshot Grand, Accurate MagPro, RL-26 and Staball HD and is already selling unprimed brass.
For more information on the 25 WBY RPM, the rifles that chamber it, ammunition, and reloading supplies, see the company’s website.
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