Lets talk bolt action 308

K

KaNcEr

New member
Im not to savvy in the ways bolt action rifles. Ive been doing some research, but am getting mixed reviews. So I figured Id start a thread (like I wont get mixed reviews here :rolleyes: ). Im mostly just looking for a fun, reach out and touch something really far away rifle.

Anyway, the rifles Im looking at are:

Howa 1500
Remington 700
Weatherby Vanguard

Looking for your opinions on:

Accuracy
Distance
Quality

From what Ive found these seem to be almost the same on every level... But Im having a hard time believing that, or everyone would just buy the cheapest one. Anyone care to share their opinions?
 
I owned a Weatherby Mark V Lazermark in .30-06... I know you're looking .308, but that gun was extremely accurate. Popped deer in the head (Eastern NC deer, not much bigger than dog, no spoiled meat) at 500+ yards with it consistently with factory loads.

Weatherby guarantees 1 1/2" groups straight out of the box. I've owned a lot of guns by different makers... hard to beat the Weatherby quality, but I haven't purchased one since they moved production to Japan... really ****** me off.

Quality = pricetag most of the time... but I hear a lot of good words spoken about a couple of budget rifles like the Savage and Mossberg.
 
The weatherby vanguards are Howa 1500, can't remember if it's diff stocks and barrel contours or just different stocks, but its the Howa action unless I'm more tired than I think. That said I like the Howa 1500 myself.
 
I think I read that the weatherby uses the howa barrel/bolt... but theres alot more to a gun than that :D. From most of the reviews Ive read, the howa gets a better moa on average that the weatherby... smoother trigger pull? IDK? Just trying to make sense of that.
 
Anyway, the rifles Im looking at are:

Howa 1500 - Good, accurate rifles but I didn't like the trigger (gritty) and the lock time seemed slow. And Howas (Vanguards) have always been made in Japan. Made in Japan is GOOD, not bad.

Remington 700 - I bought one this year and couldn't be more pleased. I like everything about it, new X-Mark Pro trigger, silky smooth action and accuracy.

Weatherby Vanguard - Same basic rifle as Howa 1500.

Looking for your opinions on:

Accuracy - My Remington is a tackhammer. The Howa I had was "ok".
Distance - Not sure what you mean.
Quality - I'd say equal quality on the three.

I'd also look at the Tikka T3. In the reviews I've read it gets the tightest MOA's of any of the similar priced rifles, even Savages.


Here's my rifle....
 

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As much as I like the Ruger GSR......

Ruger scout?? Reasonable price
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OP did mention

reach out and touch something really far away rifle.
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A 16" barrel cuts a couple hundred f/sec off max muzzle velocities, which, combined with efficient bullets, are the bread and butter of "reach out and touch something really far away"

I have a Ruger Frontier in 7-08, and by using a quicker powder (IMR 4064) than the top loads, I only lose about 160 f/sec, and get lest muzzle blast/flash .....
 
Remington 700 all the way.

You will hear a lot of opinions out there about the accuracy of Remington 700's, or rather inaccuracy.

It's just plain not true. Mine was accurate from day 1. Got more accurate with a good handload, got scary accurate after I installed a Timney 1.5 lb trigger.

Remington 700's are great, because it is a good, sm0oth, tough action, there are a ton of aftermarket parts and accessories for them, and they are resonably priced, leaving more room for Glass and ammo.

Are there more accurate rifles out there, sure. For what you pay though, you can't go wrong. When I shoot out the barrel on my 700 .308, I will buy another barrel. Not another rifle.
 
And Howas (Vanguards) have always been made in Japan. Made in Japan is GOOD, not bad.
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My post referred to the Mark V, not Vanguard. Vanguard is a budget Weatherby and doesn't have the same quality standard.
 
golfnutrlv is right on. I read in here all the horror stories about the decline in Remington quality and accuracy. Went and looked at all the guns I ever would consider owning at Cabela's huge store, cash in my pocket. The Remington was the smoothest action, the best made and had by far the best trigger of them all and this included handling and checking the triggers of Tikka T3's (next best of them all by a big margin), Vanguards, TC Icons and Ventures, Sako A7's, Savages (forgot the number but had all the goodies), X-bolts, A-bolts, Model 70's (as nice as the Remington but much more money) and more I can't think of right now. I bought the Remington on the spot, got a scope for it and mounted it, bore sighted it, took it to the range and sighted it in and then shot for groups. Not one over 1" at 100 yards and most were 3/4" or less and this is shooting factory ammo. What more can you want. I'm sure you can get a lemon in any rifle but if you really look that puppy over in person at a store you should get a good one. Don't ever buy a rifle sight unseen.

My post referred to the Mark V, not Vanguard. Vanguard is a budget Weatherby and doesn't have the same quality standard.
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Okay but aren't the new Mark V's now made in Japan by Howa (to higher standards)? I found this (Wikipedia) saying so...

In 1970 Weatherby moved Mark V production to the Howa factory in Japan. The move was a result of increased costs to production in Europe and Howa could make the rifles cheaper. Although the strength of the actions were never compromised, fit and finish suffered. Howa manufactured Mark V's until production was brought to the United States in 1994.

Oops. They're back to making them in the US now.
 
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The Remington was the smoothest action, the best made and had by far the best trigger of them all and this included handling and checking the triggers of Tikka T3's (next best of them all by a big margin), VanguardsI really wish people would not judge Weatherby by this "budget rifle." Finger a Mark V and you'll be amazed how quickly you hand over the $1500-$2500., TC Icons and Ventures, Sako A7's, Savages (forgot the number but had all the goodies), X-bolts, A-bolts, Model 70's (as nice as the Remington but much more money) I do love a Model 70and more I can't think of right now.
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See above in red.
 
Okay but aren't the new Mark V's now made in Japan by Howa (to higher standards)?
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Don't know. I quit buying Weatherby when they moved overseas. All 3 of my Mark V's bear the stamp MADE IN USA, and all 3 were fantastic out of the box.
 
But this thread was not talking about the Mark V, it was only considering the Vanguard. Obviously the Mark V is superior to any rifle we've discussed so far. And I wished I owned one!!! :)

And you can buy them again since it said they're being made in the states again.
 
Understood Warbird.... I was being persuasive ;) to him

I inherited 1, got 1 from my cousin dirt cheap cuz he needed cash, and stumbled on one at a pawn shop where the guy didn't know what he had...

Only reason I was able to score them.

In my opinion, if you were going to buy a rifle in the price range of the one's he listed... you should look at the new Savage and the Mossberg (100ATR?). Friend at the gun shop was getting really good groups with the Savage but I think it only comes in .270WIN and .30-06... I mean he was raving about the Savage... and it's like a $250 rifle new.
 
I shot a Mk V years ago in .300 Weatherby Mag (180 gr). We aimed it at a old fence post and it disintegrated it! (Hurt my shoulder too as that was the first magnum I'd ever shot). :D
 
I shot a Mk V years ago in .300 Weatherby Mag (180 gr). We aimed it at a old fence post and it disintegrated it! (Hurt my shoulder too as that was the first magnum I'd ever shot).
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I have one in .30-06, .300 Wby Mag, and .270 Wby Mag... the .300 was the first gun I've ever fired that made me think twice. I had to lighten the trigger to tighten the groups so I would be less prone to flinching. I'm okay with it now, but definately don't want to shoot more than 10 or so rounds at a time.
 
Look what I found!!

Weatherby® Mark V® Rifle Production Coming Home10/15/2011
Weatherby® has begun the process of moving Mark V® rifle production to company headquarters in Paso Robles, Calif.

Mark V rifles have been manufactured in Brainerd, Minn., since 1999. The transition to Paso Robles is expected to be complete by October 2011.

“I am very proud to announce that our Mark V rifles will once again be made here in California,” said company President Ed Weatherby. “By going in-house, we can more easily oversee and control all aspects of craftsmanship, production, quality control and shipping. The Mark V has always been the heart and soul of the Weatherby brand. It’s only fitting that our first-born rifle is coming home.”

Weatherby introduced the Mark V action in 1958. The first Mark V models were made in the company’s facility in South Gate, Calif. Over the years, Weatherby has built the Mark V action in factories from the U.S. to Germany to Japan.

“Today, many still refer to our Mark V action as the world’s strongest bolt action,” Weatherby
remarked. “Hunters and shooters around the world continue to recognize Mark V rifles for their flat-shooting, hard-hitting and accurate performance.”

And I forgot to mention my friend who hunts in Texas and shoots 500 yards from one "hill" accross the valley to the other "hill". He has a Mk V in .30-.378 Weatherby. He doesn't shoot it very often.
 
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