When I was a kid, my friend Chris’s dad had a Weatherby Mark V he got from opening a bank account. To this day, I still remember how beautiful it was. The ammo came in a box decorated with a safari theme and I believe it was a .300 Weatherby magnum. Forty years later, I finally have my own. Let’s see if this rifle can destroy a steel target!
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About my Weatherby Mark V
I searched for some time and settled on a Japanese .270 Weatherby magnum from Gunbroker. It is in great condition, better than I expected, and was reasonably priced — approximately $1500. The bluing is something to behold. Mounted atop it is an era-appropriate Redfield 3-9x scope. I must admit. I feel like Guy Miner.
The rifle came with a set of Lee .270 magnum reloading dies and I bought some brass online, but not all of it was .270 magnum. I couldn’t find any reasonably priced brass despite valiant efforts. Fast-forward to the 2023 SHOT Show and Peterson Cartridge revealed they had some blem cases I could use.
Picking them up, they’re beautiful. You cannot even tell they aren’t perfect by Peterson standards. This is some quality brass!
Target Demolition
After reviewing some manuals, I decided to start with 75 grains of H1000 with Hornady .270 130 grain SP Interlock bullets.
After loading a few rounds on the Lyman All-American 8 equipped with the Inline Fabrication roller handle, I headed outside to engage the steel target right outside the shop and didn’t see it move. Upon closer examination, I discovered a hole in the target and remembered that Seth Gardner of D-M Targets had told me that it’s velocity that kills steel targets.
My .270 magnum rounds chronographed at approximately 3,285 fps.
Determined to capture this on our Edgertronic high speed camera, I loaded up some more rounds, this time with 80 grains after fire-forming. I also decided to do a comparison with my 9mm Canik Rival-S.
Be sure to check out the footage! Here’s a screen grab:
If I was shooting steel with the .270 magnum at 500 or 600 yards, it wouldn’t be a hole but a pretty typical hit. You want to be below 2,800 fps at the target to prevent target damage.
Conclusion
Shooting and reloading for my own Weatherby Mark V is a childhood dream come full circle. The Peterson brass performed phenomenally with the first Weatherby cartridge I have shown on the channel!
Get the Gear
Take a look at Peterson Cartridge for your brass needs!
Inline Fabrication Roller Handle
Find the following supplies at Midsouth Shooters Supply!
Hornady 270 Caliber 130 Grain SP Bullets
Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8-Station Turret Press
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Thanks,
Gavin Gear
