Weatherby Mark V Terramark

 

With the new 6.5 caliber rifles continuing to gain popularity, does that mean the “old reliables” are slowly becoming obsolete because of their inferior ballistics? Science has come a long way, and innovation has helped manufacturers create hunting rounds that are faster and drop less at distance. Simply put, these new rounds make it easier to kill animals at obscene distances, and modern hunters are flocking to them! If you grew up in a home like mine, there was always an old 30-06 or 7mm Rem laying around that dad or grandpa hunted with. Maybe you currently use something similar.  There comes a time when we, as hunters, need to ask ourselves if it’s time to upgrade caliber and which rifle to choose.

 

 

As leaders in the innovation field, Weatherby has recently dethroned the 26 Nosler as the fastest commercial 6.5mm cartridge with the new 6.5-300wby.  The 6.5-300wby with the 127g Barnes LRX is absolutely screaming at 3531fps! A lot of people will instantly dismiss this as a “barrel burner”, get over it! A rifle is a tool, just like a truck right? When you get a new truck you know that a time will come to either sell it or put some additional money into it for maintenance, a rifle is no different! With a caliber as advanced as the 6.5-300wby, the tradeoff is well worth it, besides…most people will never shoot enough to burn out a barrel anyways; and if they do, just like a trucks transmission, it can be replaced. For hunters demanding the best performance from a currently mass produced round, the 6.5-300wby gets the nod as the fastest, flattest shooting, most accurate round in its class.

For some of us old timers that either feed off of nostalgia, or are too stubborn to try something new, there is still hope! Current technology trends have stimulated a competition between companies to produce better bullets and more efficient powders that will certainly ramp up the performance of standard calibers. This is great news if you reload and are always trying to push the envelope to get faster, more accurate loads. Having always been a 7mm Rem guy, I work up a lot of hand loads in my constant search for the “perfect” combination, but occasionally I will buy a new box of match grade ammo to test. As I’ve used some of the new bullets and powders, achieving more consistently accurate loads has come a lot easier!

 

Recently I had the opportunity to test the Weatherby Mark V Terramark, chambered in 7mm wby mag.  Upon first impression, the fit and finish of this gun was absolutely beautiful. An immaculate, deeply fluted barrel is precisely fitted to the action for not only weight reduction, but to enhance the barrel’s cooling capabilities. The adjustable trigger is very easy to use, crisp and absolutely will not not creep. I simply loved everything about the Mark V Terramark, and I’m typically very critical of firearms. If your in the market for a new rig, visit Weatherby’s website and take a look at the Mark V features… try not to be impressed! Sure, the rifle has a ton of wonderful features, but does it shoot? With limited rounds through the test rifle, accuracy will surely improve as time goes on, however I had no problem shooting 1” moa with every factory ammo Weatherby currently produces in this caliber! I should note that I am getting 130fps faster than my normal 7mm rem mag as well. Stay tuned for a future update once we get this gun broken in.

 

 

 

 

So is it time to upgrade to a new and improved caliber or is it just time to upgrade the gun? The decision is up to you although either way, Weatherby has got you covered with a sub-moa rifle in any caliber. In our experience you get what you pay for, and the same holds true in the world of firearms. For an accurate, well built rifle that will flat out perform, look no further than Weatherby.