Before I buy I am wondering if German and Japanese Weatherby MK5's are as accurate as current production MK5's. I'm particularly interested in a 300 WBY.

I am also wondering why older Weatherby's in 300 are considerably cheaper than current production guns. Does anyone know? I thought they would be collectable.

Weatherby's used to be the Holy Grail of rifles and shotguns. Then Benelli came along & killed the Weatherby mystique and then Beretta had their 686 line to drive a stake thru their heart.

As for their rifles, their ammo costs did them no favors, IMO. Browning did the most damage to their rifle sales, IMO.

Every single shop I know that used to carry Weatherby (many for 20+ years) no longer carry them due to slow sales. I haven't seen a new one at a gun show in I don't know how long.

To answer the Japanese question first, yes, they'll be just as accurate. But were *I* in the market for a Weatherby Mk 5, *I* would save $$$ and buy one of the lightly used, older models. Doesn't make them better, just cheaper.  

I once sighted in a .300Wby in the summer wearing only a tank-top. I recall having a bruised shoulder for about three weeks..........  

I thought their shotguns were always so so looking finish wise (probably because I have only seen new Turkish ones in the stores) but I didn't know they used to be a top shelf shotgun company.

Back home in Montana a Weatherby MK5 is still considered a status symbol and if you are going to have a Weatherby chambered rifle it doesn't really make sense to me to have anything other than a MK5. I'm looking at it for 300 Weatherby as a step up from my 300 H&H. Brass for the Weatherby is more available and so is ammo.

I do plan on buying an older one but I wasn't sure why older ones could be half the price of a new one. I thought maybe there was something wrong with them.

The J.P Sauer made MK5's can have some collectibility.  Most of the German .300's had a 24" barrel which really made them very loud .30-06's with anything but the 150 grain loads.
My dad's .300 purchased in 1968 from the Kaiserslautern Rod & Gun is like that.  The most collectable J.P Sauer Weatherbys are going to be the .224 and the .460.  The .375 as well.  The .300 is the most common therefore least collectable  ( and that short tube)

The Japan MK5's were made by Howa.  The same company making the Weatherby Vangard rifle today.  Well made guns and if you come across one and like it no reason not to buy it.

I have had an American made Accumark in .300 which accounted for my longest shot at game at just over 400 yards on pronghorn several years ago.  I also had a CFP pistol in the MK5 action in 7mm-08.  I still have a Varmint Master in .22-250 that shoots lights out.  The Accumark was sold after I had Mark Penrod build me a custom Winchester 70 in .300 Weatherby which is my main hunting rifle.

With the typical pencil barrels on the .340's and below your first two shots will be the most accurate.  After that you can get vertical stringing as the barrel heats up.  Hope this helps.

 











 

Nice to know my '65 vintage J. P Sauer and Sons .300 Weatherby Mark V might have some collectors value.  Very accurate (1 MOA) for the first three shots with handloads, then heat in the pencil barrel opens up the groups to 2 or 2.5 MOA.  The scope is the original period correct El Paso Weaver V12 in Redfield mount.

I have a German made 1961 mark v in 300 weatherby magnum. It is very accurate. 24in barrel. It was like new,only shot 7 rounds when I got it.it was a spur of the moment type of purchase, but I'm glad I got it,gorgeous rifle.the recoil,for me anyway, is not that bad.I shoot 150 to 180 weight bullets.

Is any Weatherby really accurate or collectable?  Sporter weight barrels chambered for barrel burners and loaded with premium hunting bullets, not the recipe for accuracy.  And as far as being collectable, most are chambered for useless gee-whiz cartridges and the styling would be considered tacky these days.  Awesome rifles for a dentist in 1972 but a boat anchor today.  Sorry to offend anyone who spend big bucks on one but spend your money on something more practical or something with a real pedigree.

Styling is purely subjective.  I like beautiful wood and mirror deep bluing.  However most of my hunting bolt guns do have matt finished actions and barrels and synthetic stocks without the extreme Weatherby styling these days.  But to call the .300 Weatherby cartridge "gee-whiz" completely ignores the exterior ballistics of that round, especially at long range with heavier, high BC VLD bullets.  It puts the .300 Win Mag to shame.  There is very much a place for such performance.

Regarding sporter barrels and premium hunting bullets I presume you do not do much hunting where a lot of walking and climbing is involved.  Weight very much matters.  And sporting profile barrels are intended to put the first shot from a cold free floated barrel sub MOA to point of aim.   Those rifles do so.  As to being a barrel burner, I guess you did not know that the Weatherby barrels sourced from JP Sauer and Sohns were the first . . . cold hammer forged barrels available on a US rifle.  CHF is known for its capability to resist heat.  And, once again, this is not the rifle to shoot multiple consecutive ten shot groups or do 30 round mag dumps.  It is an extremely effective rifle to shoot premium bullets at extended range with high accuracy for the first shot from a cold barrel, flat trajectory and effective terminal ballistics from modern hunting bullets.

Since I rarely hunt at ranges where the downrange energy of the .300 Weatherby would matter, I prefer 7mm, both the .280 Remington (My Kevlar stocked Remington Custom Shop Mountain Rifle) and 7mm Remington Magnum, which is, indeed, in a very nice custom Claro walnut stock on a Winchester Model 70 action.

You have not offended.  But you have disappointed me with your alarming lack of knowledge of how rifles like the .300 Weatherby are actually used in the field, the benefits of their external ballistics at extended range, and their accuracy for the first shot from a cold barrel or the follow up shot, if needed.

I think the Boone and Crockett record book and other similar registers of trophy big game taken all over this planet by Mark V Weatherby rifles, most often in .300 Weatherby, might suggest that personal style notwithstanding, they have a very impressive pedigree.  The rifle is iconic.   Mine was inherited.  It is not for sale, but I have had many offers for it.  The interested parties were not dentists reliving the '70s.

On further thought, I realize this isn't GD so I won't be pissy.  Instead of rattling off feature by feature why they are not accurate, let me just say that they had in a place in the previous century but the industry and consumer tastes are 180 degrees the opposite in 2017.  If you inherited one, enjoy it-but I couldn't imagine anyone buying a Weatherby styled Weatherby new these days.

I was being quite technical.  Rattle away, please.  Go ahead.  I insist.  Then I can show you some target groups shot with that inaccurate rifle.  They will be three shot clover leaf groups because they do open up at the five shot mark when the barrel gets hot.  But, I've never had to take more than two shots at big game in actual hunting.  Nor would anyone else.

Purchased a used a synthetic stock Mark V 257 wby almost 23 years ago.  Made in Japan, and very nice rifle.  After free floating the fore end, it held it's 1/2 moa accuracy for about 20 rounds, till coppered up.  Had to wait over 1 year for import shipment till brass was available.  Brass/powder is very expensive for the gain in velocity over 25-06.

Very flat shooting out to 300 yards with 200 yd zero and minimal kick.  Killed a fair amount of deer with it, from stand.  If doing over would just buy the 25-06.

Being a student of history as well as a sportsman I have always had a deep interest in vintage hunting rifles. It is difficult at times to find vintage hunting rifles which are also accurate rifles. But I do like using out old wood stocked, blued long guns to take big game with. I think the world is too overly crowded with cheap rifles that have injection molded furniture. Decide what looks better in that photo with your trophy bull elk, a classic Winchester model 70 or a one of those generic looking synthetic stocked things Winchester makes now?

I agree that a classic model 70 looks better and is rather timeless.  Straight comb, subdued finish on walnut.

A Kleinguenther K15 is a great example of a beautiful, functional rifle.  

And at its zenith back in the late '50s Remington may have put the Model 70 Featherweight to shame with its classic and increasingly rare Remington 725.

This is my '59 example in .280 with original Bausch & Lomb Balvar 5. Decidedly non-Weatherby.  Cut checkering, three position safety, checkered metal buttplate, the classic mountain rifle before they had a name. 8.0 pounds total weight as pictured, with scope, mount, sling and full magazine.

Now that 725 is gorgeous.  Everything new is old.

Thank you.  It will not reach out as far as the Mark V .300 Weatherby, or hit as hard, but it has its charm and is deadly for all my hunting short of longer range Elk or taking on brown bear (where even the .300 Mag may be marginal.   And the classic lines of the 725, pre-64 Winchester Model 70 and similar just appeal more to me.

Even so, I defend the Mark V .300 Weatherby because there are some things it simply does better than just about any other hunting bolt gun of .30 cal or under.

Well I think my mind is made up about getting a mk5. I should do it.

With pencil barrels is it advisable to take a few minutes to shoot your three round zeroing groups?

Between groups, yes.  Between shots in the same group, no.  The barrel is free floated, but will still walk a bit when hot   Yours might be better, but mine is MOA for the first three shots, then open up to 2 to 2.5 MOA with 5 shot groups.