What do you think of a Weatherby?

deepvalley · March 28, 2011, 04:33 PM

I recently saw a Weatherby pump shotgun in 12 guage and was wondering what everyone thought of them. I think it was a PA-08-TR. I liked the feel of it but I have never shot a Weatherby shotgun.

younggunfreak · March 28, 2011, 05:40 PM

I don't know about the Pa-08 but I do have the SA-08 I love it never jams, It stays clean I use it for sporting clays I would recommend any Weatherby.

Slugo · March 28, 2011, 06:04 PM

both the SA auto and the PA pump are excellent guns. Our sportsman's club bought six SA-08's as loaners for our trap and skeet members. All run like a Swiss watch...

BigJimP · March 28, 2011, 06:48 PM

Most if not all the Weatherby's are being made in Turkey by a 3rd party ...so they aren't the same Weatherby - they were 30 or 40 yrs ago....

Quality problems on Turkish made guns ...come and go / and Turkish made guns are not - in general - particulary high end / or well made guns.

I know they're priced pretty competitively / relatively inexpensively ...but I don't see many of them around at the gun clubs I frequent. I do see quite a few more adds - pushing them primarily based on price / from Cabelas, etc lately but I don't know if they're holding up or not.

Personally, in the pump gun arena ...I think Remington is still producing some solid guns - especially in their Wingmasters ...as are Browning ( the BPS ) and Benelli. It seems like Mossberg has a lot of fans as well on this site / although I've always been a little suspicious of them myself. My personal pump gun of choice - is the Browning BPS.

Cowboy_mo · March 28, 2011, 08:03 PM

A friend of mine recently bought a Weatherby semi-auto and has excellent service from it.

oneounceload · March 28, 2011, 08:18 PM

Let's make one thing clear - Weatherby, like Browning, NEVER made anything - they were/are a marketing company. The OLD Weatherby was focused on quality makers like FN and Mauser. The new company is not the same, preferring to focus on Turkish made guns with lesser quality

RamSlammer · March 28, 2011, 09:27 PM

For the money, they are great shotguns. Performs every bit as well as a Browning Gold.

BigJimP · March 29, 2011, 10:19 AM

Browning Gold is a semi-auto ( sold in only 10ga for the last 2 yrs or so )..

---about 3 yrs ago the Browning Gold was replaced by the Browning Silver series of semi-autos for their 12ga....

Browning Silver - is very similar to the Winchester SX series ( since Browning purchased Winchester about 5 yrs ago / and then FN purchased Browning a couple of yrs ago as well...).

But OneOunces point should be re-emphasized - because many companies like Browning and Weatherby make little if anything ..and turn to any number of 3rd parties - and it makes it very difficult to evaluate the current production quality of any number of shotguns in this new world economy.

Don't buy any shotgun because of who's name is on the receiver - you really need to investigate who is making them today / and look at other similar action styled guns lower and higher in price - so you can try and evaluate what you're buying. But you can only do so much by looking at them ...the truth will show up in the internal quality and fit and finish of the internals - the precision of the machining / the quality of the steel, etc .../ and its hard to learn about what some of these companies are doing / because I think they want to keep it low key --- and try and sell guns based on the name on the receiver ---sometimes based on past reputations / unfortunately.

oneounceload · March 29, 2011, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Don't buy any shotgun because of who's name is on the receiver - you really need to investigate who is making them today / and look at other similar action styled guns lower and higher in price - so you can try and evaluate what you're buying. But you can only do so much by looking at them ...the truth will show up in the internal quality and fit and finish of the internals - the precision of the machining / the quality of the steel, etc .../ and its hard to learn about what some of these companies are doing / because I think they want to keep it low key --- and try and sell guns based on the name on the receiver ---sometimes based on past reputations / unfortunately.

To add to Jim's wise words........the best way, IMO, to evaluate any gun is at your local gun club (trap/skeet/sporting variety), where you should be able to rent/borrow/try a wide selection - possibly even the models you were looking into - that will give you a real good idea just how well it fits, you can ask about problems, etc......

Good luck

deepvalley · March 30, 2011, 01:56 PM

Thanks guys. I went to the local range and they had one similar but not quite the same. I shot it and loved it! I bought the one I was looking at and it has held up to some serious abuse in only two days! Approx. 300 rounds between myself and two friends! Never jamed, miss fired, or anything. I think I got a pretty good gun, thanks to all for the advise.

BigJimP · March 30, 2011, 02:27 PM

Good to hear --- and congratulations on the new gun.

March 28, 2011, 04:33 PM	#1
deepvalley Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: I live in a small community where God and family come first followed quickly by farming and hunting. It is located in the heart of the western NC Blue Ridge Mountains. May God bless Barnardsville, NC. Posts: 57	What do you think of a Weatherby? I recently saw a Weatherby pump shotgun in 12 guage and was wondering what everyone thought of them. I think it was a PA-08-TR. I liked the feel of it but I have never shot a Weatherby shotgun.

March 28, 2011, 05:40 PM	#2
younggunfreak Member Join Date: June 27, 2010 Location: in the northen woods of MN Posts: 84	I don't know about the Pa-08 but I do have the SA-08 I love it never jams, It stays clean I use it for sporting clays I would recommend any Weatherby.

March 28, 2011, 06:04 PM	#3
Slugo Junior member Join Date: September 15, 2001 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,007	both the SA auto and the PA pump are excellent guns. Our sportsman's club bought six SA-08's as loaners for our trap and skeet members. All run like a Swiss watch...

March 28, 2011, 06:48 PM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Most if not all the Weatherby's are being made in Turkey by a 3rd party ...so they aren't the same Weatherby - they were 30 or 40 yrs ago.... Quality problems on Turkish made guns ...come and go / and Turkish made guns are not - in general - particulary high end / or well made guns. I know they're priced pretty competitively / relatively inexpensively ...but I don't see many of them around at the gun clubs I frequent. I do see quite a few more adds - pushing them primarily based on price / from Cabelas, etc lately but I don't know if they're holding up or not. Personally, in the pump gun arena ...I think Remington is still producing some solid guns - especially in their Wingmasters ...as are Browning ( the BPS ) and Benelli. It seems like Mossberg has a lot of fans as well on this site / although I've always been a little suspicious of them myself. My personal pump gun of choice - is the Browning BPS.

March 28, 2011, 08:03 PM	#5
Cowboy_mo Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2010 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,039	A friend of mine recently bought a Weatherby semi-auto and has excellent service from it.

March 28, 2011, 08:18 PM	#6
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Let's make one thing clear - Weatherby, like Browning, NEVER made anything - they were/are a marketing company. The OLD Weatherby was focused on quality makers like FN and Mauser. The new company is not the same, preferring to focus on Turkish made guns with lesser quality

March 28, 2011, 09:27 PM	#7
RamSlammer Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2008 Location: Arkansas Posts: 722	For the money, they are great shotguns. Performs every bit as well as a Browning Gold.

March 29, 2011, 10:19 AM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Browning Gold is a semi-auto ( sold in only 10ga for the last 2 yrs or so ).. ---about 3 yrs ago the Browning Gold was replaced by the Browning Silver series of semi-autos for their 12ga.... Browning Silver - is very similar to the Winchester SX series ( since Browning purchased Winchester about 5 yrs ago / and then FN purchased Browning a couple of yrs ago as well...). But OneOunces point should be re-emphasized - because many companies like Browning and Weatherby make little if anything ..and turn to any number of 3rd parties - and it makes it very difficult to evaluate the current production quality of any number of shotguns in this new world economy. Don't buy any shotgun because of who's name is on the receiver - you really need to investigate who is making them today / and look at other similar action styled guns lower and higher in price - so you can try and evaluate what you're buying. But you can only do so much by looking at them ...the truth will show up in the internal quality and fit and finish of the internals - the precision of the machining / the quality of the steel, etc .../ and its hard to learn about what some of these companies are doing / because I think they want to keep it low key --- and try and sell guns based on the name on the receiver ---sometimes based on past reputations / unfortunately.

March 30, 2011, 01:56 PM	#10
deepvalley Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: I live in a small community where God and family come first followed quickly by farming and hunting. It is located in the heart of the western NC Blue Ridge Mountains. May God bless Barnardsville, NC. Posts: 57	Thanks guys. I went to the local range and they had one similar but not quite the same. I shot it and loved it! I bought the one I was looking at and it has held up to some serious abuse in only two days! Approx. 300 rounds between myself and two friends! Never jamed, miss fired, or anything. I think I got a pretty good gun, thanks to all for the advise.

March 30, 2011, 02:27 PM	#11
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Good to hear --- and congratulations on the new gun.