Which Mark V

[davem270win]

OK, one of my 'bucket list' items is a Weatherby. I've already waited too long.

First of all, I want a 'real' Weatherby, which I asume means a Mark V. I'm leaning toward the Ultralight and I want a 257(no need to discuss caliber) - Africa is not in my future, and probably not Alaska either. The $$$'s involved are what keeps holding me up.

Should I be looking at another model of the Mark V, or a used German MarkV?

What am I actually getting for spending hundreds of dollars more than a Vanguard costs?

What has been your experience?

[yooper77]

I wanted the Weatherby Mark V action, but I didn't want or need a expensive Weatherby magnum cartridge, so I have a Weatherby Mark V synthetic in 30-06 which wears a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 scope with Leupold standard base and Leupold low rings, all matte finishes.

If you are stuck on the 257 Weatherby Magnum that's fine, its a super flat shooter that is painful on the wallet for rifle and ammo.

If you want a Weatherby action then you need to purchase a Mark V if you want a NON-Weatherby action then you can purchase a Vanguard.

yooper77

[iceking02]

I've owned both a synthetic-stocked, stainless Vanguard in .257 and an Accumark Mark V in .257...they're both very cool and stupidly accurate. If I were going to worry at all about the price of the weapon or the ammo then I'd get one of the Vanguards. Mine was quite light and just fine. It was my desire to have a Mark V no matter what--it was a great decision. The extra pound or so of rifle in the Accumark is not something that you would notice at the end of the day and is quite welcome every time that you pull the trigger. Sure, I'll likely get an Ultralightweight but will do so in a 240 Wby Mag. The recoil will be more tolerable in this caliber when buying the ultralightweight.

My 300yard target catches bullets in 2.25" groups from the AccuMark. It will shoot better than you can shoot... The .257 Wby caliber went all of the way through the chest of my spring black bear and broke the opposite sided upper arm bone into eight pieces. That guy folded up into a bundle and was dead before he came to rest. This performance came from a 120gr Partition at 30feet.

I'd say get the Vanguard synthetic. If you want the Mark V you can always sell the Vanguard and get the ULW or ACM. And if you don't want to handload I'm always up to buy your once fired brass!

IceKing02

[Graybeard]

The .257 Whby Mag is the ONLY Weatherby chambering I've ever owned. My first was a Vanguard. It was as heavy as a boat anchor and about as accurate. It didn't stay with me long. My current .257 Whby Mag is a Remington LSS Limited Edition that only recently has hit the streets. I have it scoped and ready for the range when I find a nice enough day to get out and play with it.

I need to get some bullets for it tho as I let Ken2222 have all the .257" bullets I had a year or so ago. I do have a box of factory ammo loaded with the Hornady 117 BTSP and three more boxes of brass plus a die set so when I round up some bullets I can begin finding out how well this one will shoot.

If you feel the need for a REAL Weatherby I'd go whole hog and get a deluxe that looks like a Weatherby is supposed to look.

A friend of mine in PA recently picked up one I am almost sure was an original made by Roy himself in the early days. I was not able to convince him to hold it as it was however. The stock had a minor crack and the crown was messed up. A local gunsmith he took it to talked him into a new barrel so even if it was a real original Weatherby it isn't any longer. But it is still chambered to .257 Whby.

[JonnyC]

My Vanguard .300 WBy. is a real tack driver out to 300 yds. There are a few caribou, moose and deer that would agree if they could talk from the freezer.

[Dogshooter]

I had a Vangard that shot like a house afire and sold it to a freind to make room for the Mark V Lightweigt. I used Barnes triple shock 100's last year to take an antelope at the longest shot I have ever taken. He dropped in his tracks. I have a freind here in Wyoming with an early Weatherby chambered in 257 Weatherby with Stith mounts and a period German scope, all in very good condition. He has a letter from Weatherby that dated the rifle and stated that this rifle was built by Roy himself. He is looking to sell it. If anyone is interested I can put you in touch with the guy. He lives here in Wyoming.

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have the wood stocked vanguard in 257 Wby. It is very accurate with 115 gr Nosler ballistic tips and RL-22 powder. It is also very heavy, I mean like stupid heavy. It weighs more than my wood stocked Win 70 30-06 or 338 win mag. 8 pounds without scope is ridiculous for a quarter bore "sporter" rifle. Maybe someday I'll restock it and take some weight off. I have no complaints at all about its fit, function, or accuracy. It's just too heavy. I really don't like the "factory" synth stock that comes on the vanguard, but maybe an aftermarket one would suit me better.

I also have an old German made 375 Wby mag, from the 50's. Classic rifle, classic "safari" lines. There's no comparison between the hand made and hand fit German Wby, and the modern, mass produced Howa rifle. Not trying to start any "Howa bashing", but it's just from a different era.

I seriously considered getting the "real" Mark V Wby in "true" Wby design, wood stock, shiny finish, all that. But what I was really after, was a long range, flat shooting, hard hitting Coues deer hunting rifle. I had the cartridge made up in my mind long before I decided on the actual rifle. The thought of tearing up a "real" Weatherby rifle, costing 1200-1300, all shiny and pretty, really put me off my food for a while. Some of the places I hunt Coues deer in S. AZ are very rugged, and even the grass has thorns and claws that rip up clothes and gunstocks.

I have seen the limited production Remingtons in 257 Wby that GB is talking about. Unfortunately, I already had my vanguard when I handled the Remington. If I had it to do now, I'd probably by the Remington. It swings and handles better, it's lighter, felt like about a pound lighter if I recall correctly. I seriously doubt it would have been one bit more accurate than my vanguard however. I'm sure it would shoot plenty fine for a hunting rifle.

I guess if you want a "Bucket List" Weatherby rifle, then there's only one choice, that's good old Roy's classic Weatherby Mark V, wood stock, shiney finish, classic Wby lines. Anything else will still shoot, but it won't be worthy of your "Bucket List".

[Sourdough]

I have a Weatherby Mark V Accumark in .338/378.  Synthetic stock with spiderweb design.  I toped it with a Night Force 3.5X15X50 scope.  Custom Rings to hold that two pound scope.  Leupold and Warnes just would not do the job.  My Weatherby is right out of the box.  I have done nothing but mount the scope and shoot it.  The more I shoot it the better I like how it shoots.

So far in Nov 2008 I have knocked a Moose down, one shot, complete pass through the lung area.  Moose turned 180deg, stood for five seconds then fell.  Distance 787 yards.  Then in Sept 2009 I shot a Grizzly at 620 yards.

[benny]

I've got an ultra-light in 270 Wby Mag.  If you cover a lot if ground when you hunt the light weight rifle is great even though it isn't fancy wood.  I know you said you were set on 257, but take a look at the 270 mag as you can push bullets from 100 to 180 grns FAST.  130grn tsx @ 3400 is in the boiler room of a deer from 0-300 yds with a dead on hold, and the recoil is not bad at all.

My personal choices would be:
270 wby mag ultralight
340 wby mag accumark
460 wby mag full house deluxe shiny wood and metal...
still working on aquiring the last two

[yooper77]

I wanted the Weatherby Mark V action, but I didn't want or need a expensive Weatherby magnum cartridge, so I have a Weatherby Mark V synthetic in 30-06 which wears a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 scope with Leupold standard base and Leupold low rings, all matte finishes.

If you are stuck on the 257 Weatherby Magnum that's fine, its a super flat shooter that is painful on the wallet for rifle and ammo.

If you want a Weatherby action then you need to purchase a Mark V if you want a NON-Weatherby action then you can purchase a Vanguard.

yooper77

Update!  I sold my Weatherby Mark V synthetic in 30-06 Springfield.

I bought the following:

Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight in 338-06 A-Square wears a Leupold VX-III 3.5-10x40 scope with Leupold standard base and Leupold low rings, all matte finishes.

Weatherby Mark V Sporter in 7mm-08 Remington wears a Leupold VX-II 3-9x40 scope with Leupold standard base and Leupold low rings, all matte finishes.

yooper77

[yooper77]

the 270 mag as you can push bullets from 100 to 180 grns FAST.  130grn tsx @ 3400 is in the boiler room of a deer from 0-300 yds with a dead on hold
 

Most center fire bottle necked cartridges easily duplicates the same results.  I set all my center fire cartridges for about 3 - 4 inches high and 100 yards and from 0-300 yards all I do is hold on hair and the game is down.

My hand laoded cartridges are as follows and none are loaded to maximum velocity, just for maximum accuracy:

243 Winchester with a 95 – 100 grain bullet
270 Winchester with a 150 grain bullet
7mm-08 Remington with a 140-154 grain bullet
7x57 Mauser Ackley Improved same bullets as the 7mm-08 Remington
30-06 Springfield Ackley Improved with a 150 – 165 grain bullet
338-06 A-Square with a 180 to 200 grain bullet

yooper77

[benny]

Wow, I never would have sold my 7x57 if I knew it had the same trajectory as my 270wby... 3" window top to bottom out to 300yds...

[yooper77]

Wow, I never would have sold my 7x57 if I knew it had the same trajectory as my 270wby... 3" window top to bottom out to 300yds...

Yes you are correct; you should have never sold a 7x57.

The 7x57 cannot duplicate the same trajectory as a 270 Weatherby Magnum, but you already know that.  From 0-300 yards the 7x57 will do anything the 270 Wby can do, just not as fast, but just as effective.

Most center fire bottle necked cartridges easily duplicates the same results.  I set all my center fire cartridges for about 3 - 4 inches high and 100 yards and from 0-300 yards all I do is hold on hair and the game is down.

yooper77

I never said it would drop the equal (3-4 inches) amount at 300 yards.  When I harvest big game, I hold center body just behind the front shoulder and the bullet does the rest.

yooper77

[Paints-n-cows]

I have one of the Mark V deluxes in .270 Wby with a 3-9x40 Weatherby scope on it and wouldn't trade it for the world.  It has the light barrel and you have to let it cool between shots but if I do my part, the bullets will touch at 100 yds and an 1 1/2" at 300 yds.

And talk about flat shooting...my 130 Speers clear the 24" barrel at 3375 (chronographed) and is zeroed at 250 yds.

I reload so that isn't an issue but I did see that Gander Mountain had ammo for $99 a box of 20.  The .257 Wby was $69.

And btw, my Mark V has been to the mountains of New Mexico, the briars of Missouri and the snowstorms of Illinois on coyote hunts with me and shows the wear marks.  It all just adds character and memories to the rifle. 

[ourway77]

I agree the 270 would be my choice an all around caliber, But I would look into reloading at those prices. I haven't fired a factory round for as long as I can remember, however I did come into 5 boxes of 22-250 mainly for the brass. lou

[Ahab]

I went with the Mark V Ultralight. It's just plain good looking and shoots like a house afire. Never bought factory ammo. A number of years ago I bought a used German made .257 WBY which would not stabilize the heavier bullets so unless your willing to re-barrel you might want to stay away from those.

[Paints-n-cows]

I went with the Mark V Ultralight. It's just plain good looking and shoots like a house afire. Never bought factory ammo. A number of years ago I bought a used German made .257 WBY which would not stabilize the heavier bullets so unless your willing to re-barrel you might want to stay away from those.

The bullet stabilization is simply a function of velocity, bullet weight and twist in the barrel.  That being said, just because a particular rifle didn't shoot a heavier bullet well, doesn't condemn the whole line.

My .270 doesn't do very well with anything other than the 130 Speer boattails...and I am perfectly fine with that.  I can put them where I want them every time I pull the trigger (if I do my part).

I would much rather shoot a medium weight bullet at a sufficient speed accurately out of the rifle I have rather than just try to make something do what is against its nature.  The "German" Weatherby's are fantastic weapons and in the hands of someone that takes the time to find out what loads that it shoots accurately, it will outperform most rifles that shoot a bullet that is 10 or 15 grains heavier.

After all, there are 7000 grains in a pound.  That is .001429% of a pound...

[yooper77]

I went with the Mark V Ultralight. It's just plain good looking and shoots like a house afire. Never bought factory ammo. A number of years ago I bought a used German made .257 WBY which would not stabilize the heavier bullets so unless your willing to re-barrel you might want to stay away from those.

The bullet stabilization is simply a function of velocity, bullet weight and twist in the barrel.  That being said, just because a particular rifle didn't shoot a heavier bullet well, doesn't condemn the whole line.

My .270 doesn't do very well with anything other than the 130 Speer boattails...and I am perfectly fine with that.  I can put them where I want them every time I pull the trigger (if I do my part).

I would much rather shoot a medium weight bullet at a sufficient speed accurately out of the rifle I have rather than just try to make something do what is against its nature.  The "German" Weatherby's are fantastic weapons and in the hands of someone that takes the time to find out what loads that it shoots accurately, it will outperform most rifles that shoot a bullet that is 10 or 15 grains heavier.

After all, there are 7000 grains in a pound.  That is .001429% of a pound...

Weatherby has 257 Weatherby Magnum ammo loaded with the Hornady shorter 117 grain round nose bullets it stabilized in the older rifles.  This is the same bullet used for 23-35 Winchester, funny it fills both gaps honorably.

yooper77

[davem270win]

I went with the Mark V Ultralight in 257 Roy. It's wearing a Zeiss conquest 3 - 9 x 50.
Still working up loads. $$$, but a nice gun!