Weatherby MK V Hunting Rifle?

[Picher]

I've lusted after Weatherby MK V actions and stock designs since I started reading gun magazines around 1955. I've shot customers rifles in Magnum calibers and didn't feel the need for that much power, but still appreciated the stock's ability to minimize felt recoil, by design.

The time may be right for me to buy a synthetic-stocked, regular deer hunting cartridge chambered MK V rifle (.270 Win or 30-06).

Have any of you folks shot such a Weatherby? They're supposed to shoot really well, claiming under 1 MOA, using Premium ammo. I could live with that for a fairly light weight (7.5 lb) rifle, plus scope, but hoping for a little better accuracy with handloads.

Yes, I'm still considering alternatives like Tikka, Sako, Winchester, but my heart belongs to Weatherby at this point.

John

 

[Art Eatman]

My 1970-vintage Mark V in '06 was my go-to hunting rifle for almost forty years. I had to do a bit of tweaking, but it was sub-MOA after that.

German-made; 26" barrel, 9.5 pounds "fully dressed" for the hunt. I toted it on many a dozen-mile walking hunt. The barrel was "#2 profile", about a medium sporter weight, seemed like.

Shame that Canjar's gone, but that trigger made life very easy for tight groups and for field use. I had to do a little forearm cleanup, but no big deal.

Many Mark Vs had a rather pencil-like barrel, which is why they provided three-shot-group targets with their rifles. Pencils start to open up after three shots, but that should be of no concern to a hunter.

 

[Roadkill2228]

Have you considered the weatherby vanguard s2? You mention considering other alternatives but that your heart belongs to weatherby...an alternative to the mk v might be a different weatherby! They are guaranteed sub moa and they feel great in the hands (just the right weight and balance an proportions I think- good ergonomics and accuracy, awesome triggers....in my opinion just as good as a mark 5 functionally, a bit less aesthetically pleasing, don't have the 54 degree bolt opening, and isn,t a 9 lug action like the m5 but a very strong action none the less...consider one.

 

[Picher]

I have looked at Vanguards, but they tend to be a bit on the heavy side for what I want. They're excellent shooters, but I'm looking for a fairly light rifle for carrying around. I'm not as young/strong as I used to be, so weight is very important, but not important enough to go for ultra-light rifles. Something in-between would be perfect.

My Tikka T3 Lite is very nice in .243 Win, but I don't think I'd want one in .30-06 or .270 Win.

I like a #1 (sporter) contour, 22" barrel, but could go for a 24" also. The #2 contour is more of a Magnum contour, so heavier than I'm looking for.

Thanks for the input so far.

 

[Scorch]

Mark Vs are very nice rifles. They typically shoot very well. I wouldn't buy one with a synthetic stock because I like wood, and Weatherby has always used nice wood on their rifles.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

2 summers ago while shooting at my club range a young fellow sat down a couple benches from me. Over the next hour we got to chit chatting some and was told he enjoyed elk hunting with his father on guided hunts. So instead of borrowing a rifle that coming Fall he bought his own. First rifle he un-cased and shot better than a box of shells through it was a 300 Weatherby Mark 5. 200 yards he was shooting it. What a beautiful rifle it was. Just gorgeous wood. He then brought out another. A brand new Weatherby 30-06 something hot off the bench of his gunsmith. I never seen one like it before. Small light weight rifle with a light colored desert looking camo stock. After its owner had it sighted in for 200 yards. I was was offered the opportunity to shoot his 06 and took him up on his offer. I shot that rifle 4 times. (which had Leupold glass mounted.) I have to say it was the most accurate 06 I have ever fired. I myself shoot a 700 Mtn rifle in 270 win. w/ 130s handloads that are the flattest shooting cartridges I have ever made and that 06 shooting 150 gr SP Frontier ammo was near identical in its groupings at that 200 yrd target as mine was. Come to find out the young man was a lawyer. Boy could that young fellow shoot. And no wonder. "Weatherby helped out no doubt."

 

[Boogershooter]

I'm not sure exactly what weight u r looking for but I have 2 accumarks! Both great rifles but maybe a lil heavy! One is 300 weatherby and the other is 257 weatherby! Both very accurate with good ammo but neither like any of the weatherby ammo! Strange I know but true! Sako would b another great choice! Never had a problem with any ammo in them! I do not reload but if u do u can't go wrong with either rifle! It's ashamed I've never put my hands on a kimber or cooper that was heavy enough for me! I do invest in good comfortable slings!

 

[reynolds357]

You can not go wrong with any Mark V. All my Mark V's are chambered in WBY chamerings except my .300 RUM. In addition to the RUM I have 7WBY, .270 WBY, .300 WBY, .340 WBY, .375 WBY mag, a .340 WBY mag I reamed to .338-378 and a .300 I reamed to a wildcat that matches the .30-378. I have a Vangard in .257 WBY, .30-06, and 7 Rem mag. Having a Mark V in a cartridge that does not scream just seems to me like putting 87 octane in a alcohol dragster. The MarkV was expressly designed to withstand extreme pressure.

 

[Art Eatman]

Picher, I got to 70 years and my legs decided that they were a bit old for 9.5 pounds. So, I moved to a Rem 700 Ti in 7mm08. I don't know about others' luck with them but I have nothing but good words for mine. Excellent trigger, sub-MOA and the butt pad makes shooting from the bench quite easy. 6.5 pounds, ready to hunt.

Much of the Mark V weight comes from the dense walnut of the stock.

I've no idea what a "good used" Ti sells for, these days.

 

[reynolds357]

All my WBY rifles are synthetic stock.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

I have a Weatherby Vangaurd S2 in 7mm-08. With the experience that I had with this rifle I just can't recommend them. I really liked the action, the trigger was OK (I'm spoiled by my Tikka), The rifle stock fit me well and the rifle pointed very naturally.

That is where my liking stopped. This thing wouldn't shoot worth a crap. I tried several premium ammo types, handloads, new scopes, new rings and bases and nothing helped. Called Weatherby and they were NOT helpful at all. I had my gunsmith work the rifle over...it got everything new: stock, barrel, trigger, free-floated, bedded the action, etc. I was told that the action to barrel fit was off by .012 inches

Either way it now "bug holes" 3 shots at 100yds w/ Hornady American Whitetail ammo...

 

[Picher]

Great comments from all. I respect the magnum lovers and was there at one point, but unless I were to go out West, don't feel the need. I load the .270 Win, 130 grain rounds to 3,200 fps and they really do a job out to 400 yards, but am finding more deer in areas that present them well under 250 yards.

The .30-06 has done well for me and I'm leaning hard toward that cartridge, but no final decisions yet. I don't intend to go moose hunting, but would help if my son wanted to do it. I've got a good load for that also.

Truly, I don't NEED a MK V action-ed rifle, and am still keeping my options open, but synthetic is for hunting. Maybe a glossy wood stock also...for show at the range?

I have a good friend who has about 10 Mk V's with pretty wood...all magnums; however, he never hunts with them or shoots them. He has a .280 Rem, BAR that he uses quite well. He also has about 3 beautiful O/Us and semis, but hunts grouse with an old single shot with a cracked and taped pistol grip. Takes all kinds.

 

[GeauxTide]

My 1969 Mark V in 7mm Weatherby was truly outstanding. The stock did an amazing job handling recoil and it was beautiful. Reloads were always an inch or less. Worst decision I made was to sell it.

 

[FairWarning]

In terms of functionality, it would be hard to beat the Accumark among the Weatherby line. They have fluted 26" (or 28" for the true monster magnums) barrels and are reasonably light for what they are.

But I, too, have always lusted after the gorgeous wood stocks of the MKVs, although only since I became more familiar with Weatherby in the last 10 years. None of us are getting any younger, so better to go for what you want while you can still enjoy it!! The only thing that concerns me about the MKV is that the wood stocked models are so beautiful, I would hate to even scratch them in the woods. So it's good to have workhorses and reserve the Weatherby for special hunts or range visits. And although I can't bring myself to have a rifle that is window dressing only, but I can understand how some people are simply collectors of beautiful art, which MKVs definitely quality as.

A Euromark in .270 Wby with a Leupold MKIV or equivalent is my dream rifle.

 

[Picher]

Fair Warning: I agree with everything you said. It's kind of sad to think that people get rifle chaps to keep their beautiful rifle from getting nicked/scraped when hunting, or not use them for such activities.

There are several reasons I like MK Vs, some of which include the great stock design that minimizes felt recoil. The cheek pieces slopes downward toward the action, so it moves away from the cheek under recoil. Other stocks like Remington 700s are like that, but my first-generation Savage 110, 30-06 didn't have a Monte Carlo and it punched my cheek and kicked like a mule.

After getting a semi-inletted stock blank and carving it similar to the Weatherby, I loved it!!!

The other thing I like is the internal box magazine with hinged floorplate. Rifles with external magazines don't carry one-handed as well and if shot off a field rest, can either rock on the magazine, or the mag release can be tripped, rendering it a single-shot at a bad time.

Besides, I like the MK V action and some of their synthetic stocks.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Picher]

In checking Weatherby rifle specifications, I found that the MK V Fibermark weighed more than I wanted. Conversely, IMHO, the Weatherby MK V Ultralight was too light.

Today, I re-visited the Remington website and found that the .270 Win, Rem 700 CDL, stainless fluted is just about the right weight for what I want. It's also a very pretty rifle. Remembering that I had handled and really liked a similar a factory demonstrator in 7mm Rem mag, made me Google that rifle in .270 Win. I may have found the only new one available in the country, so ordered it today.

I also have an HS Precision Sendero stock that would fit it, for deer hunting. Already owning a Stainless 700 in .270 Win means I can use the same ammo as well. The one I have has seen it's share of rounds and is getting a bit long in the tooth, but still usable.