MeatEater Season 10 Part 2 was perhaps our most diverse release yet, taking us everywhere from South Carolina to Hawaii. We filled coolers with some very fresh fish and game. However, unlike other seasons, we don’t use a lot of firearms in this round of shows. However, the ones we use are my standard weapons for most of my hunts.
Weatherby Mark V Weathermark LT
If you watched Part 1 of Season 10, you saw my .300 Win. magazine in a whitetail episode in Texas. I wrote this very article about the weapons I used in Part 1 and explained that this rifle, the Mark V Weathermark LT in .300 Win. Mag., might be my favorite combination of rifle and caliber so far. I still stand by this statement, and if anything, it has become even truer.
In Part 2 of Season 10, I took this rifle on a ibex hunt in New Mexico. If you’ve seen the episode, you’ll notice that mountain goats are small and live in steep, rocky terrain, not unlike the domain of wild sheep and mountain goats. For that reason, most people would look to smaller calibers like the .257 Weatherby or a 6.5 Creedmoor. Both are excellent options. However, I couldn’t get over how comfortable I feel with a .300 Win. Large or small, near or far, this pistol and cartridge have not let me down.
Stay away from the big bones and you’ll find that a well-placed copper bullet won’t do any more damage to the meat than a smaller caliber bullet. It’s all about bullet placement and comfort with a firearm, and I’m very comfortable with my .300 Win. magazine
Weatherby 18i Synthetic
This season he brought me to South Carolina to go turkey hunting with my good friend Robert Abernethy. These turkeys have a reputation for being difficult to hunt, so this year I put even more thought into my shotgun setup.
I had luck with the Weatherby 18i hunting waterfowl and wanted to bring that to the turkey woods. So, I shipped my waterfowl gun to Dissident Arms in Wyoming for customization and tuning (and a Briley trigger/safety assembly that is left-handed reversible). I also had Rocky’s Gunsmithing in Montana shorten and thread a Weatherby barrel for a dedicated turkey gun.
Now, this is where I insert a bit of jargon about how altering weapons is a risk, voids warranties, and if not done correctly, can lead to some serious problems. That said, if you decide to modify your firearms, it’s up to you and you alone. Do not be an idiot.
Considering the disclaimer above, this gun is awesome. A light trigger pull, inertia springs combined with my favorite turkey ammo, and a short barrel with an improved sight led to an amazing experience in the field. This shotgun has now become my favorite, and I can’t wait for the next spring season.
If you want to see these weapons in action, check out Season 10, Part 2. All 10 episodes from the final season are available on Netflix right now.