Girl’s Got Aim
The New Weatherby® Mark V Camilla™ Rifle
Female hunters have a history of being overlooked. But if there’s one indication that industry is catching up with the times, it’s the arrival of the Camilla Rifle—a gun designed by women, built by Weatherby.
It’s a common misconception that women have just recently arrived in the world of gun ownership and hunting. In reality, women have been shooting—and shooting sharp—for centuries. There are stories of women possessing remarkable skill, courage, and resourcefulness out in the field and on the range.
Take Annie Oakley, the most famous exhibition shooter of all time, who delighted the crowds at Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and got her start hunting and trapping, selling game furs to help pay the mortgage on her parent’s home. Legend has it she made her first shot at just 8 years old, knocking a squirrel off a fence post in one fell swoop.
If you look closely enough, history is filled with characters like this, who moved beyond their prescribed roles and created their own version of what it meant to be an outdoorswoman.
Today, we see more women than ever joining the tradition, with females being the fastest growing demographic for gun ownership in Canada, according to outdoorcanada.ca. But despite growing interest and participation from women, there are still barriers to entry. Women have proven themselves more than capable in the field, but there are anatomical differences in build that can make operating a traditional rifle less than optimal. Rather than having the shooter adapt to a gun that wasn’t designed for them, Weatherby felt it was time to adapt the gun to the shooter.
Led by Brenda Weatherby, the President of Women of Weatherby and Roy Weatherby’s daughter, the Weatherby team went to work on creating a rifle that would possess all power and agility that consumers have come to expect from the brand, with features designed specifically with the female form in mind. And boy, did they deliver.
“Rather than having the shooter adapt to a gun that wasn’t designed for them, Weatherby felt it was time to adapt the gun to the shooter.”
Weatherby Mark V Camilla
Cabela's Pro Staff Bree Mason
Cabela's Pro Staff Bree Mason explains why the Camilla should be your next rifle.
Available online and in select stores.
The Camilla, aptly named after Roy Weatherby’s wife, acts as an extension of the female form, offering easier handling and more accuracy. One of the main problems that women reported in handling traditional rifles was the need for a shorter length-of-pull (the distance from the butt of the rifle to the front of the trigger). When the length of pull is mis-matched to the shooter, this creates poor balance and increases the amount of recoil felt.
The Camilla has a shortened 13-inch length-of-pull. With stereotypically smaller hands in mind, Weatherby made the Camilla with a slimmer pistol grip and shorter grip-to-trigger reach.
This rifle’s buttstock is also angled away from the body, allowing it to nestle more comfortably into the shoulder. These features, along with a high comb, slender fore-end, and lighter-weight feel make for a firearm that is finally the perfect fit for the female hunter.
This type of consideration just isn’t seen on the market, and there’s no doubt that there will be brands following suit in years to come as women continue to assert themselves in this industry, both in the field and in leadership roles. Although we celebrate the fact that we are attuning ourselves to the needs of a diverse market, we can’t help but wonder what other titles Annie Oakley might have snagged if she had had a Camilla in her hands.