25 Wby RPM in Weatherby’s Model 307 Range XP 2.0: Magnum Speed, Less Kick

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Weatherby’s new 25 Wby RPM is a fast, efficient quarter-bore that pushes heavy high-BC bullets hard without punching your shoulder like a full-house magnum. We tested it in the Weatherby Model 307 Range XP 2.0 to see if this newcomer is a real threat to the old favorites.

This new quarter bore delivers magnum performance without magnum kick.

Why Weatherby’s 25 Wby RPM Has Quarter-Bore Fans Talking

When Weatherby recently announced its new 25 Wby RPM cartridge, a few people scratched their heads in puzzlement. Quarter-bore fans can be fanatical about their favorites like the 257 Wby Mag, 25-06 Rem, or 257 Roberts. What could this newcomer do that their old favorites could not?

That’s a fair question, and the answer isn’t a simple one. Before we address that, here are a few things you need to know about the new cartridge. First, the 25 Wby RPM incorporates some modern design principles to push relatively high-BC, heavy-for-caliber bullets through rifles with faster rates of twist. This now-familiar recipe improves downrange performance.

High-BC Bullets and Fast-Twist Barrels Give the 25 Wby RPM Its Bite

Unlike older Weatherby magnum cartridges, it does not use a belted case. It’s based on the same case used in the 338 Wby RPM and 6.5 Wby RPM cartridges, only shortened and modified. RPM stands for Rebated Precision Magnum, a relatively recent addition to the Weatherby family of proprietary cartridges. The RPMs, with mostly straight walls and rebated rims, were created in part to give hunters superior performance in lighter versions of Weatherby Mark V rifles. In the case of the 25 Wby RPM, this translates into a relatively large case diameter with little body taper and a 35-degree shoulder. This allows for greater capacity, efficiency, and velocity than most 25 caliber cartridges.

So how does the 25 Wby RPM stack up against the classics? I clocked a 117-gr. Barnes LRX load at 3,165 fps out of my test rifle’s 22-inch barrel, which has a 1:7.5 rate of twist. That’s a little faster than factory-advertised speed, and it’s 175 fps faster than a 25-06 Rem with a 117-gr. InterLock bullet. It’s a whopping 515 fps faster than a 257 Roberts with a 117-gr. Core-Lokt load. The newer Hornady 25 Creedmoor is a nifty little round, but it can’t beat the RPM’s velocity with similar-weight bullets, even out of a 24-inch barrel. Compared to these cartridges, the 25 Wby RPM is faster and more efficient with similar-weight bullets. I’m not including the 250 Savage in this discussion because it is mostly obsolete, and the 25 WSSM never captured much market share.

25 Wby RPM Versus 257 Wby Mag: Can the Newcomer Hang With the King?

Among quarter bores, the 25 Wby RPM ranks second only to Weatherby’s own 257 Wby Mag, which can push an 80-gr. bullet at a sizzling 3,870 fps. Muzzle velocity with the RPM’s 117-gr. A bullet is 250 fps slower than a 257 Wby Mag with a 115-gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet. With these bullets at 500 yards, the 257 Wby Mag flies at 2,360 fps and strikes with 1,422 ft. lbs. of energy, while the 25 Wby RPM trails at 2,278 fps and delivers 1,348 ft. lbs. of energy. Performance is close at that distance, but the 257 Wby Mag still has an edge. Although relatively few hunters regularly shoot at game beyond 500 yards, both cartridges will handily kill deer-sized game at that distance.

I have long been a fan of the 257 Wby Mag. The 25 Wby RPM won’t change that, but the new cartridge does have a couple of advantages. It works in the 6-lug action of the Weatherby Mark V versus the 9-lug version required by the 257 Wby Mag. This allows the 25 Wby RPM to be chambered in an ultralight gun like Weatherby’s Mark V Backcountry Capra rifle, which weighs just 4.6 lbs. However, you can still get some relatively lightweight Weatherby Vanguard and Model 307 rifles chambered in 257 Wby Mag, such as the 6.2-lb Vanguard Talon and the 6.3-lb. Model 307 ST. Quite a few other gunmakers also chamber rifles for 257 Wby Mag.

The 25 Wby RPM Hits Fast Without Beating You Up

The 25 Wby RPM also has a real advantage over the 257 Wby Mag in recoil, which I found to be significantly less with the new cartridge. The recoil of my pet 257 Wby Mag rifle has never bothered me, but if you’re sensitive to recoil, the new cartridge may be the way to go.

All things considered, the 257 Wby Mag is still the quarter-bore king in terms of sheer speed. The 25 Wby RPM is a more efficient cartridge, but hardcore fans of Weatherby magnums don’t give a hoot about efficiency. They still want the speed, power, and prestige of Weatherby Magnums.

Weatherby’s First 25 Wby RPM Loads Bring Serious Long-Range Teeth

Weatherby’s initial offerings in 25 Wby RPM include the following loads with muzzle velocities, ft lbs. of energy at the muzzle, and G1 ballistic coefficients:

• 107-gr. Hammer HBC Custom bullet, 3,350 fps, 2,666 ft. lbs., .510 BC
• 117-gr. Barnes LRX bullet, 3,150 fps, 2577 ft. lbs., .530 BC
• 117-gr. Hornady SST bullet, 3,150 fps, 2577 ft. lbs., .390 BC
• 133-gr. Berger Elite Hunter bullet, 3,000 fps, 2,657 ft. lbs., .613 BC

In addition to the 117-gr. Barnes LRX load, I was able to test the 133-gr. Berger Elite Hunter load, which deserves special mention. No other factory 25-caliber load uses such a heavy, high-BC bullet, making it a superior long-range performer. I clocked this load at 2,996 fps, which is only 4 fps slower than factory-claimed velocity. At 500 yards, this bullet moves at 2,261 fps and strikes with 1,509 ft. lbs. of energy.

We Tested the 25 Wby RPM in Weatherby’s Model 307 Range XP 2.0

Weatherby sent along an excellent rifle, the Model 307 Range XP 2.0, which I topped with a trusty Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15×42 scope for testing. I mounted the scope in a pair of Talley lightweight one-piece rings designed for the Model 307 action.

In addition to the 25 Wby RPM and a couple of classic Weatherby magnum cartridges, the Model 307 Range XP 2.0 is chambered for a wide range of popular cartridges in both long and short actions. It is an aesthetically pleasing and feature-rich rifle. The upgraded stock is hand-painted in a green/grey sponge pattern, which complements the black cheek piece and black Cerakote finish of the barreled action.

The Adjustable Stock Makes the Model 307 Easier to Lock In

The stock’s cheekpiece adjusts for optimal eye-scope alignment, and shims allow you to adjust the length of pull. The stock has a vertical grip for better trigger control when shooting in a prone position, as well as a flat-bottomed forend for stability on rests, and dual sling swivel studs in the forend to attach a sling and a bipod.

The 22-inch barrel is the same match-grade, stainless barrel used on Mark V rifles. Each barrel has an attractive skip-fluting pattern, a 1:7.5 rate of twist, a threaded muzzle (1/2×28), and a radial muzzle brake that makes the rifle quite easy on the shoulder. A thick rubber recoil pad also helps reduce felt recoil.

TriggerTech Control Helps the Model 307 Punch Tiny Groups

Barrels mate to Remington 700-pattern actions with significant upgrades and improvements. The most important of these is the excellent, externally adjustable TriggerTech Field trigger. The one on my test gun was creep-free and had very little over-travel. It broke crisply and consistently at an average pull weight of 4 lbs., 3 oz. That’s about twice as heavy as I prefer on a hunting rifle, but I left the trigger at that setting to see how the rifle would perform out of the box. The trigger can be adjusted down to a pull weight of 2.5 lbs., and it’s paired with a two-position safety that does not lock the bolt down in the engaged position.

The action’s two-lug, spiral-fluted bolt uses an M-16-style extractor and a plunger ejector. The three-piece bolt features tool-less takedown for easy cleaning. It cycles smoothly and easily, and there were zero functional issues. The rifle accepts AICS-style magazines and comes with one detachable 5-round Magpul magazine.

Range Testing the 25 Wby RPM: The Groups Got Small Fast

Accuracy results were impressive, despite the unadjusted trigger pull. Weatherby guarantees the Model 307 will shoot a three-shot group of .99-inch or less at 100 yards from a cold barrel. The rifle easily met that standard, even though I did not allow the barrel to completely cool between groups.

Instead of shooting the usual three, three-shot groups in testing, I shot five groups because I wasn’t satisfied with the first test group with the 117-gr. Barnes LRX load, which measured a little over an inch. I suspected groups would tighten up as I kept shooting, and they did. Some rifles need a few rounds down the barrel before they settle down. This one did, and the Barnes 117-gr. load turned in average groups measuring 0.79 inches and a best group measuring just 0.39 inches. The 133-gr. Berger load did even better with 0.62-inch average groups and a 0.33-inch best group. As good as that performance was, I’m certain groups would have shrunk a little more if I had adjusted the trigger before testing.

According to my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, the 117-gr. load had a standard deviation of 8.1 fps and an extreme spread of 19.8 fps. Those are very good numbers, indicating solid consistency and quality control by Weatherby. Numbers were also good for the 133-gr. Berger load, with 13.1 fps standard deviation and 33.6 fps extreme spread.

A case can be made that the 25 Wby RPM outperforms all 25-caliber cartridges at extreme range, but the vast majority of hunters do not shoot at animals at extreme range. Will the new cartridge gain widespread acceptance, or is it destined to be a niche cartridge? Only time will tell, but the 25 Wby RPM will certainly further cement Weatherby’s reputation as an innovative manufacturer of rifles and ammunition that perform when it counts.

25 Wby RPM Accuracy Results: Sub-MOA Was Just the Start

Weatherby Model 307 Range XP 2.0, 25 Wby RPM

Load	Avg. Velocity (feet per second)	Avg. Group 100 yards	Best Group 100 yards
Select Plus Barnes LRX 117-gr.	3,165	0.79	0.39
Select Plus 133-gr. Berger Elite Hunter	2,996	0.62	0.33

Note: Velocity was an average of 3 shots, measured with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph. Accuracy is taken from five three-shot groups at 100 yards in wind varying 5-10 mph.

25 Wby RPM Pros and Cons: Fast, Flat, and Not for Everyone

• Pros: Fast quarter-bore performance, efficient rebated-rim design, heavy high-BC bullet options, excellent downrange energy, noticeably less recoil than 257 Wby Mag, flawless feeding and extraction in testing, and sub-MOA accuracy in the Model 307 Range XP 2.0.
• Cons: The 257 Wby Mag still owns the speed crown, hardcore Weatherby magnum fans may not care about efficiency, and the 25 Wby RPM may have to fight its way out of niche-cartridge status.

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• Weatherby Debuts 25 WBY RPM Cartridge
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