We hit the range to test out two Weatherby Model 307 rifles, the Alpine CT and the Adventure SD, to see which one is best.

Roy E. Weatherby started his firearms company in 1945. He was a handloader and rifle shooter, who enjoyed creating his own cartridges. Weatherby built their first rifles on Mauser, Springfield and Winchester actions, and chambered them for high-velocity magnum rifle cartridges Roy developed and championed throughout his lifetime. These and later Weatherby rifles built on the famous Mark V action (1958) were gorgeously stocked with fancy wood and pronounced Monte Carlo combs and grips.

But that was a long time ago, and during the next half-century, things changed. Weatherby still offers the elegant Mark V rifle, but the wants of modern hunters—combined with modern manufacturing techniques—have evolved.

Two of the newest rifles from Weatherby offer a stark comparison of the company’s history. One is a throwback to the type of rifle that made Weatherby famous, while the other is a rendition of what’s currently trending with modern hunters. Weatherby builds both new rifles on a new action they call the Model 307. The number designation is the telephone area code for Sheridan, Wyoming, where Weatherby is now located.

The 307 Action

This 307 is the first new action from Weatherby in a half-century. It consists of a fully cylindrical carbon steel receiver, purposely designed to accommodate the vast array of stocks, triggers, rails, mounts and magazines currently manufactured for compatibility with the Remington 700 action. But even though the 307 action shares this compatibility, it’s not a Remington 700 action. There are several notable differences.

For starters, the bolt release on the 307 action is located just above the stock line on the left side of the action, and it’s a toggling button. The bolt can also be field stripped without any tools, and in place of the often-criticized Remington extractor, there’s a M16-style extractor. The top of the receiver/action is drilled for scope base installation and utilizes 8×40 screws. All Model 307 rifles come with a TriggerTech trigger, with an extremely short over-travel that’s user adjustable down to 2.5 pounds.

Other common features include a two-position safety, threaded muzzles that come with Weatherby’s radially ported Accubrake, and the ability to work with various bottom metals and AICS detachable box magazines. Some Model 307 rifles come from the factory with detachable magazines. Weatherby even offers the 307 action by itself ($749) for those who want to build their own rifle. Currently, Weatherby is offering nine different rifles on the 307 action, and we examined two that were starkly different.

Model 307 Alpine CT

Specs

Length: 43.5 to 48 inches
Weight: 6.0 to 6.3 pounds
Barrel: 22 inches, plus 2 inches with muzzle brake
Action: Weatherby 307
Trigger: TriggerTech Field Trigger
Capacity: 2+1, 3+1, or 4+1 depending on chambering
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

With its 24-ounce Peak 44 Bastion stock and its BSF 416R stainless-steel, carbon-fiber sleeved and tensioned barrel, the Alpine CT is a perfect example of the type of rifle modern hunters are screaming for.

The stock’s comb is high, but with a negative drop it manages recoil very comfortably, and the nearly vertical pistol grip is very comfortable when shooting from a support like sandbags or a tripod or bipod. The muzzle is threaded at 5/8×24, and it comes with an Accubrake installed. Barrel length is cartridge dependent and ranges from 20 to 26 inches, with finished rifle weights coming in at between 6 to 6.3 pounds. A TriggerTech adjustable trigger is standard, as is a hinged floor plate.

Unlike many modern precision bolt-action hunting rifles, the Alpine CT doesn’t feed from a detachable magazine. This might be a detractor to some, but it makes carrying the rifle in the field with one hand at the balance point much easier.

This was a very precise shooting rifle that easily met Weatherby’s Model 307 sub-MOA guarantee. I did most of the shooting with the suppressor, because I don’t like muzzle brakes, but the DST brake does have some notable features. It’s a directional brake; it needs to fit the barrel in a certain way, so it comes with a lock ring. The brake is also flat-sided, which makes it easy to remove or install with a wrench.

Model 307 Alpine CT 6.5 CM Shooting Results

You could argue that what’s missing from the Alpine CT is length-of-pull and comb-height adjustability. While it’s true both are features appreciated by precision long-range shooters, they add weight to a hunting rifle that’s carried a lot more than it’s shot. Other Weatherby Model 307 rifles do come with some stock adjustability, but they’re all noticeably heavier. For the dedicated backcountry hunter, I think this is the best Model 307 rifle of the bunch.

Model 307 Alpine CT Deals

Sportsman’s Warehouse	$2,050
Scheels	$2,100

Model 307 Adventure SD

Specs

Length: 44.25 inches
Weight: 7.7 pounds
Barrel: 26 inches, plus 2 inches with muzzle brake
Action: Weatherby 307
Trigger: TriggerTech Field Trigger
Capacity: 3+1
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: $1,949

This rifle is a throwback to the early Weatherby rifles with their distinctly exaggerated and beautifully figured wood stocks. The stock on the Adventure SD is crafted from fancy walnut and a rosewood forend and grip cap, with checkering at the wrist and along the forend. The stock has two traditional sling swivel studs in the common locations, it’s fitted with a thick, red recoil pad and has a hinged floor plate.

All metal surfaces have a graphite black Cerakote finish, and the bolt handle knob is round. Barrel length is cartridge dependent and ranges from 22 to 28 inches, including the Accubrake, which can reduce felt recoil by as much as 53 percent. The barrels have fluting and are slim and trim, with ½x28 threading on the muzzle.

This rifle performed to perfection and balanced very nicely right between my hands. Admittedly, with its 6.5-300 Weatherby chambering and the muzzle brake installed, it was ear-splitting loud. With a suppressor installed, it was almost as long as a Kentucky rifle. However, it shot very well in both configurations from the bench and field positions.

Model 307 Adventure SD 6.5-300 WBY Mag. Shooting Results

A brand-new Weatherby Mark V has a suggested retail price of $2,749. It’ll transport you back to the 1960s when that rifle was what established the Weatherby brand. Granted, the Adventure SD might not be quite as elegant as a Mark V, but, without question, it’s a great shooting, head-turning, gorgeous rendition of the classic Weatherby rifle. I appreciate the use of carbon fiber in modern rifle stocks and barrels, and the weight reduction aspect it brings. But it’s difficult to hold and shoot a rifle like the Adventure SD and not imagine carrying it on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for a Rocky Mountain elk or on an African safari.

Model 307 Adventure SD Deals

Sportsman’s Warehouse	$ 1,676
Guns.com	$1,591

Picking a Winner

It’s difficult to compare two rifles that are so different when trying to select which one might be best. Left to shooting performance, the Alpine CT edged out the Adventure SD from the bench. However, just as the Adventure SD looks like a classic Weatherby rifle, it was chambered for a high-performance magnum cartridge. The Adventure SD shot well from the bench too, but its magnum recoil couldn’t be ignored. Had it also been a 6.5 Creedmoor, the results might’ve been closer.

As for field shooting, which matters more when it comes to a hunting rifle? I shot more consistently with better balanced Adventure SD from unsupported positions. However, when shooting from a tripod and a bipod, I found the Alpine CT more manageable.

I think what’s more important than which rifle might be the “best” is that Weatherby is now offering a very diverse collection of rifles on a new action, and that you can expect them all to shoot very well. In the end, the question mostly comes down to whether you want a rifle that looks like it just crawled out of the 1960s or if you want a very evolved and modern bolt-action hunting rifle.

I’m a bit torn, but I think I’d have to go with the retro rifle, because there are just too few examples of great shooting rifles like this to choose from these days.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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