Weatherby Accumark vs Vangard

[B23]

B23, the newer ones use Bell & Carlson stocks and button-rifled Criterion barrels... The older models used cut-rifled Kriegers and H.S. Precision stocks. So, that might explain the differences in your experiences with them.

I knew the early ones used HS Prec. stocks but I thought they've always, only, used Criterion barrels.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I knew the early ones used HS Prec. stocks but I thought they've always, only, used Criterion barrels.

No, Criterion is a sister-company of Krieger. Up around the early-to-mid 2000's, they tried to cheap-out and swapped from the cut-rifled Kriegers to the button Criterions. It was a flop. Everyone noticed something was different, because some shot, some didn't, and most were REALLY picky with ammo and handloads. My Accumark was a 2007-2008 production, so it was one of the crappy years. The whole gun was just a lemon. The stock was horribly built, the barrel caved in, the trigger couldn't be improved (even by my smith), and they even had to shim the bottom metal to make it fit in the stock right, if that tells you how far down their QC sunk. I guess word finally got back to them after years of everybody complaining and thoroughly reaming them out on the intewebz, and posting so much negative PR about their cheap-a$$es trying to screw-over everybody and pretend it was the same high-quality Mark V that it was before, and has always been known for, and kept hiking the prices higher and higher and higher with cheaper and crappier parts on them. Several years back they made a big announcement that they've started going back to the cut-rifled Kriegers and improved their accuracy guarantee (no longer 1.5" @ 100), to now I believe 1" @ 100. Blah blah blah... And of course, they jacked the prices back up like another $500 on top of the already ridiculously prices they have. They never should have tried to screw everybody over in the name of the almighty dollar, so I'm still not convinced they really give a crap about the products they are producing these days. If Roy Sr. was still alive today, and they had tried to pull that cheap barrel swap crap, he'd have probably punched the guy for even suggesting it.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Roy was in the gun business. Ed seems to be in the money business and is trying to use guns to make money.

 

[cacsrx1]

I have 3 factory untouched MK5's that are .5 moa or better. They were built from 2001 to 2016.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I have 3 factory untouched MK5's that are .5 moa or better. They were built from 2001 to 2016.

American made.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

So why is an accumark cost $1800 and a vangard cost $900, but Weatherby states that the vangard will shoot sub moa 100 yds and the Accumark a 1 1/2 at 100 yds but it costs about $1000 more? So for shooting long distance is the vangard better?gun)

Different. Not better. Weatherby is said to be working on improving the Mark V based rifle out of the box accuracy. Rifles in the field and experiences like @MudRunner2005 really hurt the Mark V. I still love them. I admit to bias based on being able to see the factory from my house and the unique design features that are so different from everyone else.

I have 4 Vanguards and um, some number of Mark Vs more than 3, maybe silly more than 4.

The Vanguards at this moment are more accurate then the Mark Vs out of the box. The price difference is Made in America, materials quality, etc..

I would not hesitate on either. At present, I buy for builds or rebuilds mostly. I recently got a 338/378 with a smoked barrel. No worries, I'll rebarrel it.