The Guns of MeatEater Season 10, Part 2

Steven Rinella Feb 7, 2022

Part 2 of MeatEater Season 10 was perhaps our most diverse release yet, taking us everywhere from South Carolina to Hawaii. We filled coolers with some very cool fish and game. However, unlike other seasons, we didn’t use a ton of firearms on this round of shows. The ones we did use, however, are my standard go-to weapons for most of my hunts.

Weatherby Mark V Weathermark LT If you happened to watch Part 1 of Season 10, you saw my .300 Win. Mag. in a whitetail episode down in Texas. I wrote this very same article about the guns I used in Part 1 and explained that this rifle, the Mark V Weathermark LT in .300 Win. Mag., might just be my favorite all-around rifle and caliber combination yet. I still stand by this statement, and if anything, it’s become even truer.

In Part 2 of Season 10, I took this rifle on an ibex hunt in New Mexico. If you’ve seen the episode, you’lll notice that ibex are small and live in steep, rocky terrain not dissimilar to the domains of wild sheep and mountain goats. For that reason, most folks might look to smaller calibers such as the .257 Weatherby or a 6.5 Creedmoor. Both are great choices. However, I couldn't overlook how comfortable I am with a .300 Win. Mag. Big or small, close or far, this gun and cartridge have not let me down.

Stay away from big bones and you’ll find that a well-placed copper bullet won’t do any more harm to the meat than a smaller caliber. It’s about bullet placement and comfort with a firearm–and I am really comfortable with my .300 Win. Mag.

Weatherby 18i Synthetic This season brought me down to South Carolina to hunt turkeys with my good friend Robert Abernethy. These turkeys have a reputation for being tough to hunt, so this year I put even more thought into my shotgun set-up.

I’ve had luck with the Weatherby 18i out waterfowl hunting and wanted to translate that to the turkey woods. So, I sent my waterfowl gun down to Dissident Arms in Wyoming for customizations and tweaks (and a Briley trigger/safety assembly that is reversible to left-handed). I also had a Weatherby barrel shortened and threaded by Rocky’s Gunsmithing in Montana in order to have a dedicated turkey gun.

Now, this is where I insert some jargon about how altering guns is a risk, voids warranties, and if not done correctly, can lead to some serious problems. With that said, if you decide to alter your firearms, it’s on you and you alone. Don’t be an idiot.

Keeping the above disclaimer in mind, this gun is awesome. A light trigger, inertia springs matched to my favorite turkey ammo, and a short barrel with an upgraded sight led to an incredible experience in the field. This shotgun has now become my favorite, and I can’t wait for the upcoming spring season.

If you want to see these guns in action, go watch Season 10, Part 2. All 10 episodes of the latest season are available on Netflix right now.