Ok, I came across a used Mark V Synthetic in 7mm Weatherby Mag at the gunshop today. The rifle was built in Japan but seems to be hardly used, bore looks fine. It came in with some other rifles and was priced at $550. This seems like a pretty good buy, good enough to put it on layaway....
Anyhow I was just wondering if I am getting a decent deal and any comments on the caliber. Everything I have read puts is about neck and neck with the 7mm Rem Mag. Is this a decent choice for an all around North American rifle other then Bison, Brown Bear and Polar Bear?

Absolutely it is an excellent round.

I shoot a 7 Mashburn Super a ton and there isn't much going that I wouldn't take with this kind of a round.

I'd say get after it.

Mark D

It'll handle the Bison, brown bear and white bear as well.

Thanks for the responses! I thought it was a good deal (I'll post the pics in a few weeks when I pick it up), just needed a little reinforcement. I had planned on revamping my big game battery to 270 T3lite, custom 9.3X64 or .375 Weatherby, and a 1917 in .470 Capstick. I guess I will replace the 270 with the 7mm Weatherby Mag and just keep my Rem. 7600 in 35 Whelen as my woods rifle.

Sounds to me like you got a very good deal. That is a pretty good price and the 7mm Wby Mag is a great cartridge.

My 7mm Wby Mag is actually a Remington 700 Classic. I shoot 160 grain Nosler Partitions in it for everything and have had good success with it.

Good purchase, to be sure.

The 7mm Weatherby case holds a little over 4 grains more water than the Remington cartridge and has a longer neck. It also is not afflicted with the pressure spikes of the Remington cartridge when loaded to max capacity. Problems with pressure in the Remington round has caused the ammo makers to drop back a notch or two when loading the Remington round. Both are great cartridges, I just prefer the Weatherby edition. Just my .02.

I just bought a 7mm Weatherby Magnum barrel to experiment with. I have heard that the Rem Mag is squirrelly at top loads. I have one that shoots tacks, and another that is about as stable as my ex-wife.

Anybody have a good reamer for sale?

LD

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I have heard that the Rem Mag is squirrelly at top loads.

I have owned a few 7mmremmags and have developed loads for several more with no problems at all.

Because of free-bore in Weatherby barrels you will not incurre pressure spikes that you would in non Weatherby barrels . Basically the projectile is not forced to spin within the first inch and a half beyond the chamber .Bullet does'nt engauge rifling initally . Also several other dimensions of the Weatherby cartridges , double radius neck and shoulder are conductive to reduced pressure .This does'nt mean you cant run into pressure problems . There is lots of info on loading for this excellent round . Great calibre choice and gun .

Buy it! I have a Mark V in 7 mmm Wby and it is a great rifle. Bigger case along with the 26" bbl does give impressive velocities compared to the 7 mm Rem. Don't worry that it is made in Japan, these have (reportedly) higher quality of fit and finish than those made more recently in the USA.

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Basically the projectile is not forced to spin within the first inch and a half beyond the chamber

Are you trying to tell us that you have a rifle with 1.5" of freebore?With factory loads,my own weatherby rifles only had about .250" of freebore.Once the bullet engages the rifling it either spins or shears the jacket off of the bullet.