Weatherby vanguards

B

Boogershooter

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My wife has starting coming to the range ( behind the house) with me a lot lately. She is wanting to shoot at 300 and 400 yards with us. I have a sleu of purpose built guns for this but she wants her own. She won't let me have her one built because she don't like spending that many coins on herself. So to the point she likes the weatherby vanguard with the pink accented stock. It's cheap so she would b happy. My question is this; is the weatherby vanguard capable of the accuracy needed to shoot at these ranges. I have several mark v's that do it but she don't like shooting my mags off the bench. I know howa makes them and I've seen plenty of howas drive tacks at 200 and 300.
 
I have a Vanguard S2 in 6.5 CM that will shoot within 1 MOA out to 800 yards. I had to call Wby direct and find out if they had any and then had it sent directly to my local dealer. Price was around $530. As soon as I can find a 1,000 yard field I'm gonna see what it will do :cool:
 
The S-2 should be capable of handling 300-400 yards with the right ammo. My .223 will shoot cloverleafs at 100 yards with a couple of types of ammo.
 
Thanks for the reply's. If I had know buying a few hundred dollars worth of steel targets would have my wife and kids shooting more I would have done it years ago. The folks at shooting targets 7 have helped me improve my home range tremendously. I guess the ringing of steel is as addictive to women as it is to men.
 
I have a S2 in 243 and one in 22-250 that I shoot at a 4" square @ 300 yds, furthest range I have around here. They both shoot cloverleafs at 100yds when I do my part.
 
I also have a S2 in 243. Very accurate rifle, MOA is easy to achieve with every bullet I've tried so far. Mine prefers 80 grain TTSX's over IMR4350, I have shot multiple sub .5 three shot groups with them. I don't think you or your wife would be disappointed with one.
 
I'd say for sure that the Vanguard series is good for .75-1.0 MOA at least, maybe even .5 MOA if you get a good rifle. The one asterisk would be you need a good bedding job that free floats the barrel or a stock that does so like the Bell & Carlson Medalist stock. In fact that is all the Vanguard sub moa series is.
 
My question is this; is the weatherby vanguard capable of the accuracy needed to shoot at these ranges.
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Yes.

The Weatherby Vanguard is the Howa 1500 wearing Weatherby clothing. It has also been sold as the S&W 1500 and Mossberg 1500. It's a good solid rifle.

During the years when Weatherbys were made in Japan Howa made all of them, including the Mark V.
 
Weatherby vanguards:

I have one, the serial number is in the neighborhood of 250. I called Weatherby, I had a question. They made it very clear I did not have a Weatherby, I had a non-Weatherby and I did not have a Weatherby chamber. It did not take long for me to forget what it was I was going to ask them.

I started with 4 boxes of Federal Gold Medal ammo, round #74 was absolute zero, the next five went through t the same hole.

At the same time I had a Model 70 Winchester also with the 300 Win mag chamber. The Winchester model 70 had the ugliest chamber I have ever seen. Long story, we had words. They did return the rifle in a new box.

F. Guffey
 
I wouldn't be in a hurry to free float a Vanguard, at least not until you have tried a bunch of loads.

I have a Vanguard in 270 win, it will shoot the right loads 3 shots into a 1/2 inch, give or take, and 5 into 1 inch. Before I even slightly consider free floating, I will replace the 3 lb. trigger with a Rifle basix that will go down to 1 1/2. I'm pretty sure if there's any more accuracy to wring out of it, the trigger will help more.
 
The Vanguards are deliberately NON-free-floated, I wouldn't mess with one.

Mine, in .223, is one of the most accurate rifles I own.
Denis
 
I was just talking to a friend about my S2, it shoots awesome and as much as I like the Boyds stocks I wouldnt change the synthetic on my S2 for fear it wouldnt shoot as well if free floated. I do have a pet load for my S2 but it shoots very well with just about every load I have tried.
 
300 and 400 yards is short range, but the rifle doesn't matter much. Any .308 hunting rifle will do. Mind you, so will a .223 AR that she can have entirely pink if she wants.
Free floating is a subjective thing. It guarantees nothing and some rifles just don't like it. You have to try it to find out if your's does. Putting a pressure point back in isn't a big deal if it dos not.
 
T O'heir ive read many of your posts and have agreed with you many times. I just can't agree with you on this. I have several rifles that have a hard time keeping a 3 shot group on a 16 inch gong at 400 yards. They shoot inch or less at 100 but groups fall apart quickly past 200. I have some cheap rifles that shoot just as good as some custom rifles at 300. I shoot with some of the best shooters in louisiana and they have several titles to their names. They have shot these same rifles with the same results. Even changed scopes several times. It's nice to have a 1000 yard range of my own even tho I can't shoot that far. They love to come shoot for free so I often get a chance to play with toys I will never own myself. I get my revenge on my 3 gun course because I'm better suited at that than they are.
 
There are a number of ways to treat a barrel to get accuracy. The name of the game is consistency of course, and free floating tends to work well most of the time. Thin barrels will like a little upward pressure more than free floating sometimes, but again it's generally what your rifle prefers. I always start a bedding job with the intent of free floating the barrel and if need be add pressure after if it's not shooting well. I haven't ran across a rifle yet that I needed to add pressure, however my rifles have heavy-ish barrels.
 
Just like DPris, I wasn't crazy about the appearance of the black plastic stock my Vangard came in, but it was hard to argue with its performance. I bought a nice B&C Medalist which is offered in the Weatherby style and has two distinct, rectangular pressure pads in the forearm. My action dropped right in, and its accuracy wasn't compromised. Still shoots way better than a rifle in its price range has a right to, but now it looks really classy as well. I also like the way the BC stock feels; it doesn't have that flimsy hollow feel to it. Solid, although I have to admit, it added a few ounces of weight.
Maybe some day I'll try free floating the old stock just to see what happens but for now my focus is on an improved trigger.
 
Without opening the safe and checking but do the original Vanguards have a No. 2 barrel like the newer (S2) models? My old model (S1) in '06 has a Medalist stock and is free floated. Shoots right at 1 MOA out to 200 yards. Haven't shot it beyond that distance.
 
Mine is an older one; pretty beefy 24" barrel compared to the 22" version on the Howa counterparts. I couldn't say with regard mto the S2s.
 
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