Weatherby Vanguard

[el_magico]

Hey guys I've been trying to find somebody who has experience with the Weatherby Vanguard Sythetic .300 WSM, particularly I'm referring to the one that Wal-Mart carries. From what I have read the .300 WSM has had some success in bench rest shooting. But I was curious to see if anyone has any personal experience with this rifle.

Any info you guys can provide will be helpful. Thanks.

 

[RugerM77.270]

The vanguard is a good hunting rifle but that is what it is a hunting rifle. It won't get you to 1000 yards but for the average hunters limits it will. The 300 WSM is a great round and will take game out to 1000 yards with the right rifle. I have a vanguard and it shoots 1/2 inch at 100 yards but isn't a 1000 yards rifle.

 

[liltank]

I have to disagree. I think that the 300wsm is very capable of 1000yrds. If a .308 can make it, a 300wsm with any rifle will do fine. With the right load, and optics, the 300wsm Vangaurd should be very capable of thousand yard hunting. Now you may not be pinpoint enough to shoot say pdogs, but you could definitely take deer size game and smaller.

 

[rbecker08]

The round is perfectly capable of 1000 yard shots, but the rifle itself will need work before you can ethically take a shot at an animal at this range. I have a 30-06 version it is a great hunting rifle because most shots are 200 yards or less, anything to much further and I leave it to my Rem 700 which has had lots of work done to it. The round will work great for you and so will the rifle but it will need some things like a free floated barrel, a trigger job, and lots of practice........good optics help too but practice will make perfect.

 

[Chopaka81]

The OEM trigger on the Vangaurd is very poor. I replaced mine with a Timney srigger. Basically if you can operate a straight slot screwdriver you can handle swapping the trigger.
The plastic stock on my rifle is giving me fits. I about to replace it with a laminated woodstock and try having it pillar bedded.

 

[liltank]

Sorry, forgot to mention you will have to do a little fiddling. A good gunsmith should be able to clean up the factory trigger and make it capable if you don't have the money for a new trigger set. Bedding the stock and making sure the barrel is floating is definitely a good idea. You should be able to do that for under $300. I know I could get that all done with my smith for less than $200.

Respectfully,
Tank

 

[RugerM77.270]

I have to disagree. I think that the 300wsm is very capable of 1000yrds. If a .308 can make it, a 300wsm with any rifle will do fine. With the right load, and optics, the 300wsm Vangaurd should be very capable of thousand yard hunting. Now you may not be pinpoint enough to shoot say pdogs, but you could definitely take deer size game and smaller.

I know the 300wsm will take deer to 1000 yards and beyond I was pointing out that the average factory Vanguard is very unlikely to do it reliabley.

 

[liltank]

Ruger M77,

My bad, I understand what you are saying now.

 

[davebutler]

I own 7 Weatherby Vangaurds. I recently worked on my 300WSM by having a trigger job done the barrel ported and I glass bedded the front pressure post. This past weekend I shot it in with 66 grains of 4350 CCI mag primer and 180 Barnes Triple Shock bullet with the blue tip @ 3034 fps. I shot a 3/8 " group of three shots, one hole. At 1000 yds we are still super sonic and over 1000 lbs of energy. They shot good the triger is easy to hone, the forend is easy to bed and the rifles shot lights out.

 

[el_magico]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I did have every intention on modifying the rifle to suit me, I figured the price was right to get started with it. I plan on upgrading the barrel to 26" contour #7 or #8 right away. Also I have been carving out a stock for another rifle, but I will just use it for the vanguard instead.

The OEM trigger on the Vangaurd is very poor. I replaced mine with a Timney srigger. Basically if you can operate a straight slot screwdriver you can handle swapping the trigger.
The plastic stock on my rifle is giving me fits. I about to replace it with a laminated woodstock and try having it pillar bedded.

I guess I really didn't notice anything about the trigger guard when I was looking at it, but should be easy enough.

Thanks again for all the info guys.