While there will always be naysayers, I see the introduction of a new cartridge as a celebration of the shooting sports industry. A new cartridge means industry people came together to do something new or improved, spent many hours (sometimes years!) developing that which had not existed previously, and brought it to market.
Invariably, some critics will say the round isn’t needed and may even suggest the ammo maker is simply trying to make a fast buck.
Let’s be honest: Without profit, no one could afford to produce anything and very little would get sold. But a large part of the sustained profit motive for any product is its actual usefulness to the end user, in this case hunters.
And what one hunter might not need for his or her hunting may be the very thing another hunter very much wants and can use effectively in the field.
In this case, my celebration, if you will, is of Weatherby’s new 25 Weatherby Rebated Precision Magnum or 25 WBY RPM. Debuting early 2026, the new round represented Weatherby’s 17th new cartridge introduction in the company’s 80-year history.
That “RPM” moniker could equally apply to the new round’s velocities as Weatherby built this cartridge to launch a 133-grain bullet at approximately 3,000 feet per second , and a maximum average pressure of 65,000 pounds per square inch.
Different Bullets
Those familiar with Weatherby also know the gunmaker produces two other cartridges that might, at first glance, seem to make the new 25 WBY RPM redundant: the .240 WBY Mag. and the .257 WBY Mag.
While the three rounds all come in at a similar diameter, the 25 WBY RPM was built to handle different types of bullets.
“The 25 WBY RPM really separates itself with its ability to handle heavier bullets while still maintaining excellent velocity and energy downrange,” said Tyler Grethen, Weatherby marketing manager. “Compared to the .240 WBY Mag, you're often stepping up into projectiles that are 40 to 50 grains heavier, which translates to better retained energy and performance well past 600 yards. It's simply built to carry more weight farther without giving up the speed Weatherby cartridges are known for.”
The .257 WBY Mag., he admits, is always going to be the Weatherby King of Speed.
“If your priority is flat shooting performance inside 400 yards, the .257 WBY Mag. is tough to beat,” he noted.
The factory loaded 92-grain Hammer Custom bullet, for example, leaves the muzzle of a rifle at an amazing 3,700 fps., delivering incredible velocity and a very forgiving trajectory.
“Where the 25 RPM starts to shine is in its ability to run heavy for caliber bullets at meaningful speeds,” Grethen said. “A big part of that is the 1:8 twist rate of rifles made for the cartridge, which allows it to properly stabilize those longer, heavier projectiles. While the .257 typically lives in the 100- to 110-grain range, the 25 RPM factory offerings reach up to 133 grains.”
The 25 RPM also leads to building a lighter, more compact hunting rifle, in part because the 25 RPM fits in Weatherby's lighter 6 lug Mark V action, while the .257 WBY Mag requires the larger 9 lug magnum action.
The new round relies on the rebated rim design versus the belted magnum design of so many other Weatherby rounds. This allows the round to fit into a standard bolt face whereas the belted magnums require a magnum bolt face. This is a key to the 25 WBY RPM using the lighter and shorter 6 lug Mark V action.
Heavier Options
Additionally, as Grethen noted, the cartridge design allows shooters to seat heavier modern projectiles without sacrificing valuable powder capacity.
The maximum overall length of the new round comes in at 3.34 inches and 0.940 inches of seating room. A 35-degree shoulder creates an efficient, modern case shape. The 72.5 grains of H₂O capacity inside the case equals 40% more case capacity than the 25 Creedmoor.
Currently, Weatherby offers the 25 WBY RPM ammunition as WBY Select and Select Plus. Bullet options for both the Select and Select Plus are:
--107-grain Hammer Custom
--117-grain Barnes LRX
--117-grain Hornady SST
--133-grain Berger Elite Hunter
For handloaders, new 25 WBY RPM unprimed brass is also available.
Test Setup
To evaluate the new round, I was sent two 25 WBY RPM options: Weatherby Select loaded with a 117-grain Hornady SST bullet and Weatherby Select Plus launching the 133-grain Berger Elite Hunter.
I ran both rounds through a Weatherby Model 307 to test accuracy and velocities, plus general function of the ammunition through the rifle.
The Weatherby Model 307 is the gunmaker’s newest bolt-action rifle platform — and the first all-new Weatherby centerfire action in over 50 years. The Model 307 is built around a 2-lug, fully cylindrical carbon steel bolt. Tool-less bolt disassembly and an M16-style extractor provided reliable operation.
My version of the Model 307 was the Range SF (SKU: 3WR04) featuring a 20-inch barrel, a very crisp trigger and a synthetic stock with a built-in adjustable cheek riser. The Magpul removable magazine held five rounds.
In addition, the 25 WBY RPM is also available in 10 of the company’s Mark V rifle models, and a total of eight Model 307 options.
Add-ons to my Model 307 included a Zeiss V8 NA 2.8-20x56 riflescope. It provided some of the cleanest, sharp-edged images I’ve viewed through a riflescope.
A second focal plane scope boasting 92% light transmission and 8x zoom magnification, the 2.8-20 features .25 MOA elevation and windage adjustments, SCHOTT fluoride glass elements, and an ultra-fine illuminated center dot only a fraction of the thickness of a human hair for extremely low target coverage.
The rugged 30mm aluminum tube sports a parallax control on the left side of the tube that adjusts from 54 yards to infinity.
For a suppressor, I went to one of the top hunting silencers I’ve used, the SilencerCo Scythe Ti. Made entirely of Grade 5 and Grade 9 Titanium, the Scythe Ti weighed just 7.3 ounces and measured out at 6.16 inches long. Rated to handle centerfire rifle calibers from .223 REM/5.56 NATO to .300 RUM, the suppressor direct threaded onto the end of the Model 307 barrel.
Prime Round
I shot the ammunition during two separate sessions at my outdoor shooting range. For both 25 WBY loads, I first did a quick, 50-yard zero and then moved onto 100 yards where I fine-tuned the zero and shot for accuracy.
I also chronographed a dozen rounds of the two 25 WBY loads as I shot, using my VelociRadar chrono made by Caldwell Shooting Supplies.
The Select load averaged 2,978 fps., with a maximum velocity of 3,007 fps. and a minimum of 2,944 fps.
The max for the Select Plus rounds was 2,912 fps., the minimum coming in at 2,878 fps., for an average of 2,892 fps.
Of note, Select ammo chronographing was done at 28 degrees Fahrenheit with 53% humidity, the Select Plus at 67 degrees and 49% humidity.
Accuracy with both loads was first rate. Once I was used to the rifle rig, I made three groups of five rounds at 1.0- to 1.25 inches with each load. My three-shot groups were even tighter, including .80 and .60 triples with the Select Plus.
The Model 307 and the cartridges worked well together, the rounds chambering easily and ejecting very positively.
Recoil, especially with the Scythe Ti, was mild.
Clearly the 25 WBY RPM is a prime round for medium-size game animals including pronghorns, mule deer and white-tailed deer. All 25 WBY RPM loads will take on coyotes, of course, including the three lighter bullet options which doubtless can reach out many hundred yards to wreck a yote’s day.
Sales Help
For its dealers, Weatherby and the dealer’s Weatherby representative can provide a good deal of in-store marketing help like brochures and signage. The Weatherby website also has a comprehensive set of ballistic charts and product specifications.
“Do reach out to your Weatherby rep for details on our sales staff training and sales staff incentives, too,” Grethen advised.
Weatherby sells direct to its dealers and through all major distribution outlets.
For details on becoming a Weatherby dealer, contact the company at sales@weatherby.com.
Last, don’t be surprised if customers are asking you about the 25 WBY RPM and the Weatherby rifles available for the new round.
Weatherby’s marketing department has done a fine job of getting the word out with numerous YouTube, print and digital reviews of the new round already in circulation. A good deal more of this media will continue to drop throughout the year.
