This is a great rifle and a great value! It is becoming my favorite backpack rifle. Weatherby’s rich heritage began in 1945 located in Southern California. Mike Powell reviews the Pulsar Forward F455, Mike Powell reviews the Savage B17 FV Rifle, SPONSORED: Supporting the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (MDT), Visitor/Service Center According to the book Weatherby, The Man, The Gun, The Legend, the .270 and .300 Weatherby were the first of the proprietary cartridges offered in the Vanguard, and that was 18 years after introduction, in 1988. The Vanguard Series 2 comes from the factory with a 0.99-inch accuracy guarantee. Although I did not hunt with the 300 Win Mag, I am looking forward to do so in the not too distant future. Weatherby has also removed the rather tacky red ‘F’ and ‘S’ stamped on the bolt shroud, instead opting for black lettering – much more sensible. After months of waiting, the Vanguard Mk 2 is finally here. Specifications Caliber: .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO) Barrel: 24″, 1:12 twist Operation: Bolt action Finish: Glossy blue (Rifle DOES NOT come with bipod, scope or mounts) Capacity: 5 rounds MSRP: $1,019. Best Performing Ammo (300 Win Mag) – 03:46 Bear Hunt Video – 04:02 Long Range Test – 04:25 Conclusion – 04:46. The one major criticism I have of the rifle is easily rectifiable, though it is marginally frustrating that such details were not considered in the factory. However, everyone is different, and from a functional standpoint the wider bottom holds a bipod more securely. Although the case design of the Weatherby was entirely different from the .300 H&H, enabling head spacing at the shoulder, Weatherby retained the belt at the case head, resulting in a very successful marketing ploy. The other noticeable difference between the two brands of rifle is the addition of flutes on the bolt shaft of the Weatherby. In the hand it feels quite chunky, owing largely to the flared forestock. I have always been a big fan of Howa rifles, with their rock-solid and simple design. The .300 Weatherby Magnum really needs a 26-inch barrel to reach its full velocity potential. Shooting from 150-grain through to 180-grain, the standout winner was the 162-grain and 168-grain A-Max from Hornady. I was, however, eager to examine the tweaks that had been made to modernise the rifle. The Vanguard comes with a 1MOA guarantee using premium ammo, so this certainly bodes well. American rifles have historically been fitted with heavy and really quite poor triggers. Unboxing, Firing, and Discussing a fine Weatherby Vanguard 300 win mag rifle. Weatherby Vanguard Wilderness Rifle -The heart of the Wilderness rifle, the renowned Vanguard action, is affixed to a hand-laminated, raised comb Monte Carlo, carbon fiber composite stock with full length aluminum bedding plate, matte gel coat finish, and spiderweb accents. A true family business operated by third-generation leader Adam Weatherby headquartered in Sheridan, Wyoming. Sportsman Gun Centre, which imports Weatherby rifles, screw cuts all the models on arrival, making them ready to accept the moderator of your choice. Hunters can select their Vanguard First Lite in four flat-shooting, hard-hitting Weatherby Magnum calibers (240 Wby Mag, 257 Wby Mag, 6.5-300 Wby Mag, and 300 Wby Mag) and four traditional rounds (270 Win, 308 Win, 30-06 Sprg and 300 Win). As with any rifle, range results are important, but as I have said before, results have to be observed with caution, as it can take some time to find a load that demonstrates what a rifle is really capable of. Ratings (Out of Five Stars) All ratings are relative to other similar products. This is a review of the Weatherby Vanguard RC (Range Certified) rifle in 300 winchester magnum. Like the Mk V, it was built by Howa in Japan, but the design was quite different. I didn’t have time to work up hand loads before getting this review out – owing largely to the terrible weather that has tormented hunters and farmers – but a good selection of factory ammo allowed a fair test. Growing up with Weihrauch air rifles, I was spoilt with a quality Rekord trigger from an early age, and really appreciated the two stages offered by the design. The 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum bested even the Nosler, with the initial load firing a 127-grain Barnes LRX bullet at 3,531 feet per second (fps) from the muzzle. There isn’t a lot you can buy for £600 these days, and every penny will certainly be well spent for anyone who adds the Vanguard to their collection. Weatherby’s rich heritage began in 1945 located in Southern California. The trigger on the Mk 2 has been vastly improved, offering a two-stage adjustable unit, with a three-position safety catch. Those who are familiar with Howa rifles or the old Vanguard will find few alterations here. After finding that I had a serious problem with my right shoulder that was exacerbated by recoil, I gave the rifle to my stepson, who still hunts with it. There is no doubt that for the money this is the best synthetic stock on the market. Weatherby Vanguard RC Bolt Action Rifle .300 Wby Mag 3 Rounds 26" Barrel Green S... Weatherby Vanguard RC Bolt Action Rifle .300 Wby M... Our Low Price $923.34 My personal preference is for a slightly slimmer profile, such as that sported by the sleek lines of a Classic Steyr Mannlicher. This is, however, rarely seen in fullbore rifles. The bottom metal is solid and functional, but didn’t fit as flush into the stock as I would have liked. As listed by the manufacturer, the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 Deluxe, $1149 MSRP, is available only in 257 Weatherby, 270 Win., 30-06 Springfield, 300 Win. Got a chance to try one out in .300 Win mag. Delivering the unmatched knockdown power of both Weatherby ® Magnum and standard calibers. Weatherbys usually come chambered in their own magnum calibres, but I was looking for a more commercially available magnum round and the .300 Win Mag fitted the bill. I was surprised to find, firstly, that the Vanguard offered this, and, secondly, that the release was actually very good. Have a hard time understanding why people think it needs to be “cheaper to compete.” Please subscribe below. The metal work features a blued finish high luster finish to complete the look. Your email address will not be published. 9MM.223 / 5.56 45 ACP.22 Long Rifle.22 Win Mag 12 Gauge.308 Winchester 40 S&W.38 Special View All Calibers. Weatherby Vanguard 2 300 win mag review. Weatherby Vanguard Review The trigger on the Mk 2 has been vastly improved, offering a two-stage adjustable unit, with a three-position safety catch. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Providing the confidence of guaranteed SUB-MOA accuracy. Your email address will not be published. Very comfortable and shot sub-moa the fee groups I had a chance to try. I am sure this is down to the lack of free-floating barrel. Under the barrel, inside the stock, there is plenty of free space, but the channel edges and tip of the forestock touch along the entire length. With these rounds, the rifle was able to drop bullets into the promised 1MOA, although it was apparent that the rifle shot better when rested on a sandbag as opposed to a bipod. The Vanguard Badlands is the first production rifle to appear in the popular Badlands Approach camo. This model came with a drop plate, although a magazine upgrade is available, providing either a five- or ten-shot capacity. It may be a trivial point, but dropping the black in favour of a grey/green stock does make the rifle appear and feel more expensive than it is. This rifle had a satin blue metal finish and lacked the contrasting line spacers at grip cap and forend tip of the new 2006 Vanguard Deluxe. Out in the field, 1.25in to 1.5in groups at 100 yards was the norm with Remington factory … This rifle would be great for big game hunting and is in excellent condi ...Click for more info As for comparing the 300 Weatherby against the larger diameter 338 Win Mag, not only you can hear the difference of the pop when the bullet strikes the moose there is much more damage and deeper penetration done by the 338. There is some awful injection-moulded rubbish on the market that is horrendous in both design and feel. Between the 300 Win Mag and the 300 Weatherby there isn’t any real difference except the harder kick. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (MDT), Written inquires can be mailed to: cartridges. See first post Tags: None. Most importantly, all Vanguard Mk 2s now come with a 1MOA guarantee, bettering the 1.5MOA that was previously the standard. This is an excellent choice, providing optimal grip in even the worst conditions. It would be interesting to see if the rifle could live up to this on the range, especially considering these promises were being made about a rifle with such a low price. Add in a match quality, two-stage trigger that breaks crisp and clean. Now, the Vanguard has been relaunched after many years without any wholesale changes. This helps to gather grit and dirt, while also carrying residual oil to lubricate loading. Weatherby Vanguard TRR Sub-MOA. This Weatherby Vanguard is chambered in .300 Weatherby Magnum and has a 24" barrel. Weatherby, Inc. Growing up with Weihrauch air rifles, I was spoilt with a quality Rekord trigger from an early age, and really appreciated the … Mag. I bought one in .300 Win Mag shortly after they were introduced. Given that the Weatherby Vanguard is almost an identical rifle, I had an idea of what to expect. Specifically, the company says, "Weatherby Van- guard Series 2 rifles are guaranteed to shoot a three-shot group of 0.99 inch or less at 100 yards (sub-MOA) when used with specified Weatherby factory or premium ammunition." Weatherby produces excellent long rifles. By comparison, the.260 Remington firing a 120-grain bullet at 2,890 fps produces around 2,225 foot-pounds of energy. Located minutes from public hunting access in the Bighorn Mountains, and endless grassland prairies. In line with modern trends, Weatherby also opted for a hard-wearing rubberised material instead of chequering, inlaying it in a similar way to the synthetic stocks in Sako rifles. I was testing the basic synthetic model, and of all the entry-level rifles that have passed through my hands, this had by far the best stock. The Approach pattern uses adaptive coloration to construct a neutral color palette that adapts to your surrounds and lighting conditions. My friend bought his Vanguard Series 2 Deluxe for $900. It is an easy trap for manufacturers to fall into as they try to cut costs to offer the most affordable rifle on the market. Sako Model 85 .223 review with Mike Powell. The Vanguard MeatEater Edition is the culmination of in-field experience, trends, and MeatEater’s personal touches rolled into a collaboration between two top brands in the outdoor industry. Most importantly, however, the ribbed design of the forestock ensures rigidity, and prevents the terrible side-to-side flexing so common in cheap synthetic stocks. I own a Vanguard Wilderness in 257 Weatherby, it is identical to the Vanguard Backcountry minus the cerakote. Weatherby Vanguard 2 300 win mag review. See first post 04-16-2013, 03:09 PM. Mag, and 300 W’by Mag, all of which have 24-inch barrels with 1:10 rifling. But the .300 Winchester Magnum is more efficient, and does better in a 24-inch barrel. I have a Ruger no.1 in it and it seems to sit right between my 300 WSM and 300 Ultra Mag in terms of power andhas more recoil then my 300 Ultra Mag. Although it would have been nice if the unit adjusted down another half a pound, I can’t really complain, and wouldn’t go to the expense of fitting an after-market trigger. Models tested: Vanguard in walnut .223; Vanguard Mk2 in .308Price range: Models from £600Contact: Sportsman Gun Centre, 01392 354854www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk. This rife comes with the original box. A small amount of time with fine emery paper will soon rectify the issue, and I would suggest doing this. Weatherby Customer Service representatives are available to assist you: Monday through Friday History Based on the .300 H&H case blown out to maximum capacity, the .300 Weatherby Magnum was introduced by Roy Weatherby in 1944. Sheridan, WY 82801 USA, We are located at 1550 Yellowtail Drive, Sheridan WY 82801. Full Tungsten Cerakote® finish on barreled action to prevent corrosion while … IM not too big ont he 300 Weatherby cartridge. Weatherby Vanguard Meateater Rifle – 7mm Remington Magnum With the substantial recoil lug and flat bottomed action, there is ample fixed area to support the generously profiled barrel. The action is a one-piece steel receiver, with a sturdy integral recoil lug, drilled and tapped for mounts on top. The Vanguard First Lite is available in four Weatherby Magnums—.240, .257, 6.5-.300 and .300—as well as .270 Win., .308 Win., .30-06 and .300 Win. Turning our attention to the action doesn’t really provide any revelations. Ammo By Manufacturer Qualified Professional Ammo. It has always been one of the cheapest fullbore rifles available in the UK, and gives a lot of ‘bang for your buck’. This rifle really is superb value for money, and I am sure it will find favour with many shooters. The company behind the Weatherby Vanguard is best known for producing some of the most powerful hunting cartridges in the world, chambered, of course, in its famous Weatherby Mk V rifles. When I first started using the .300 Weatherby Magnum back in the early 1980s, there was a notable velocity difference between it and the slower .300 Winchester Magnum. Across the board, Weatherby has been careful not to fall foul of the common mistakes. Located minutes from public hunting access in the Bighorn Mountains, and endless grassland prairies. This is a tried, tested, simple and strong design that I found hard to fault. It’s not the lightest of rifles, but is perfectly manageable, weighing in at 7½lb. Built off of the Vanguard action with the Weatherby SUB-MOA guarantee, you are assured to fill the freezer. There was also a Deluxe model with a checkered walnut stock and contrasting forearm tip in .300 Weatherby Magnum caliber. The bolt has been refined marginally with a matt finish on the handle, and, unlike the Howa, has a knurled band around the bolt knob. The twin lug design remains unchanged, providing push-feed loading, a push-bottom ejector and long, M16-type extractor. Most rifles today come with free-floating barrels as standard, yet here we see the stock firmly held in the barrel channel. The accuracy is fine and the stock is nice (to me at least). Weatherby Vanguard Meateater Rifle – 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum. A true family business operated by third-generation leader Adam Weatherby headquartered in Sheridan, Wyoming. It was a good rifle for me and accompanied me on several elk and deer hunts. PO Box 6630 This allowed Weatherby to launch the Vanguard to the shooting public at a very affordable price level. That equates to better than 3,500 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. In 2003 Weatherby reintroduced the Vanguard as a regular catalog item. The new stock is the first upgrade to become obvious on picking up the rifle. It would have been easier to design the stock mould to give generous clearance. The Weatherby Vanguard has enjoyed a lot of success over the years because it is seen as an excellent budget choice and still delivers solid build quality. Product Featured: Weatherby Vanguard Meateater Rifle – 6.5 Creedmoor. But, finally, they made the Vanguard truly a “Weatherby” rifle, at least in the eyes of a lot of consumers. Rated 5 out of 5 The overall finish of the rifle was good, with the bead blasted bluing on the metalwork particularly nice. Required fields are marked *. Included with this rifle is a gorgeous raised comb Monte Carlo "AA" Grade Claro Walnut stock with a high gloss finish and rosewood forend cap. I believe mine is 7 pounds with a Leupold 6x36 fx2 and Warne rings. 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