Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard rifle - advice :-)

[Midlander]

Dear All,

I have found a Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard brand new at a nearby dealer for a very good price (.223 cal).

I am going to use this gun mainly for hunting so I dont want to spend a fortune on a rifle to lug it around woods and fields in the rain!

As long as it shoots accurately enough and wont fall to bits I would be happy with it.

However, I know very little about this gun. I have done some searching on the web and most websites I found seem to think the gun is good for the price, generally OK and pretty accurate.

Just thought I would come here and see if anybody had any personal experience of this gun.

Thanks.

 

[rbernie]

I've had several Vanguards, and one of 'em was in 223.

It's a very nice, very solid rifle that was prety accurate. Not sub-MOA with a lot of stuff, a bit heavy, but well made and certainly accurate enough. My biggest gripe was the 1:12" twist rate; it clearly favored the 55gr and under stuff, and I couldn't get it to shoot 60gr-65gr stuff particularly well.

 

[ojibweindian]

I've got a Vanguard in 7mm Mag. With handloads, I shoot 5/16" groups of three at 100 yards. Repeatedly.

 

[Midlander]

Thank for that guys.

You both pretty much reinforced what I had already read, but its nice to get some advice from people with personal experience.

I am off to the gun shop now....

Why is gun shopping so much fun even though its so expensive!

 

[Ala Dan]

Price on a NIB Weatherby Vanguard should be 'round $399 in blue and $499
in stainless.

 

[ojibweindian]

Ala Dan

Would you happen to have a Vanguard, with a heavy barrel, in 7mm Mag?

 

[Midlander]

Living in Treasure Island (the uk) means you can pretty much add 50% onto any US price for anything (especially guns!).

 

[Ala Dan]

We probably do have a Weatherby Vanguard HB in 7 mag, but I'm not in
the store until Thursday, the 8th; and I will check for sure~! If you got
have it in a hurry, PX Clay Simmons at (205) 426-0490, and he will be
glad too check on it for you. Be sure and tell him that Ole' Dan referred
you.

 

[ojibweindian]

Not in a hurry, so there's time

 

[Essex County]

I think highly of the Vanguard/Howa. My .270 was a great value...Essex

 

[itgoesboom]

I have one as well, in .30-06.

Straight from the factory, it was able to shoot right at or below 1" with certain factory loads.

I have done a few improvements, such as replacing the synthetic stock with a laminate, which was then bedded with marine-tex. I am also handloading now.

Best group so far has been .344", and I have a few others between that and .400". With the current load I have, the rifle is averaging .658" for 3 shots, center-to-center.

As you can imagine, I think highly of the Vanguard.

I.G.B.

 

[DogBonz]

A great value

dollar for dollar, or in your case pound for pound ( HA HA ain't I punny) they are an excellant value. They are made by Howa in Japan if memory serves correct, so they are good quality.

 

[never_retreat]

I have one in .270 win also. Very acurate gun out o' the box.