To honor its own pledge (“Nothing … is more accurate”), the company’s flagship rifle, the Mark V, had to be accompanied by a performance guarantee equivalent to its value-priced sibling. Doing so, however, required moving production—once again. Since the Mark V’s debut, it has been manufactured throughout the world; in fact, the South Gate, Calif., creation was produced only a short time before first heading to West Germany, then to Japan, Saco, Maine, and most recently, Brainerd, Minn. To ensure that an upgraded guarantee—sub-m.o.a.—could be achieved, Mark V production needed to be more tightly controlled, thus necessitating it be moved in-house to Paso Robles, Calif. The move required two years to complete, and due to diligent planning, it occurred flawlessly. Mark V production in Paso Robles began in the fall of 2011. “We have made a recommitment to the quality of the Mark V, and that’s why we have brought its production back under our roof where we can control every aspect of the manufacturing process,” explained company President Roy Edward “Ed” Weatherby, Jr. “Our Mark V customers take the utmost pride in the quality, fit, finish and features they have come to expect of a Weatherby, as well as knowing that their Mark V was built, assembled and finished in the United States. There is a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that every Mark V is built right here in Paso Robles. “As for our gunsmithing staff, this was an area we knew we’d have to ramp up when bringing the Mark V home,” said Weatherby. “We had a long-time core gunsmithing staff as a solid foundation so when we started adding on we looked for some, pardon the pun, ‘young guns’ to bring in fresh ideas and energy. You will see this reflected in the product line in the near future.” Concerning accuracy, Weatherby said, “We take accuracy very seriously. The most recent evidence of this is in the Mark V Range Certified (RC), which is a Mark V Accumark that is range certified to shoot sub-m.o.a. Every Mark V RC comes with a target [Oehler Research 83 Ballistic Imaging System printout] proving the rifle’s accuracy. It’s reviewed, certified and signed by me and includes extensive information including the most accurate ammunition for your rifle.” The Accumark RC is priced at $2,400 for all chamberings except for .30-.378 Wby. Mag., .338 Lapua Mag. and .338-.378 Wby. Mag., which cost $2,700. Other Mark Vs—excluding “custom” variants—range from $1,300 (Synthetic) to $3,100 (Ultramark), though RC versions of these are currently unavailable. “My father built the company on a foundation of bringing innovation to market,” said Weatherby. “It started with the original line of Weatherby cartridges and we’ve continued to be responsive to our customers by introducing the .30-.378 Wby. Mag. and .338-.378 Wby. Mag. calibers in the 1990s. The .338 Lapua Mag. is a great example of meeting demand for another long-range caliber. And we’re not done yet. We have even more exciting and innovative plans for the future.” So, is Weatherby’s adage still accurate? “It’s truer today than ever before,” explained Weatherby. “While many companies focus on one aspect, such as accuracy, our rifles and cartridges have proven to be superior because of their ability to shoot flat, hit hard and be consistently accurate.”
Manufacturer: Weatherby, Inc.; (805) 227-2600; www.weatherby.com
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