Weatherby
- Thread starter kochie
- Start date
Yup. How's 1500.
I've heard many people liking the 2nd gen Vanguard.
I had a first gen that I hated!!!
Shot the first 3 within their MOA guarantee.
After that groups would open up exponentially!
Tried many different things with it. Including letting someone else shooting it after letting cool for 2 hours.
Only gun I was happy to sell!!
I've heard many people liking the 2nd gen Vanguard.
I had a first gen that I hated!!!
Shot the first 3 within their MOA guarantee.
After that groups would open up exponentially!
Tried many different things with it. Including letting someone else shooting it after letting cool for 2 hours.
Only gun I was happy to sell!!
Ok thanks
I bought one, a Weatherby Youth Vanguard in 223. I put an Athlon 2-10 scope on it and killed a few coyotes with it and worked up some loads. Very accurate and one of the nicest triggers, although it is a two stage it really broke clean and light, never even gave a thought to changing it. After a couple years with it my granddaughter needed a rifle and I gave it to her, she loves it.
B23
Gold $$ Contributor
Around 15 years ago I was at Sportsman's Warehouse looking around and they had a little Weatherby Vanguard (Howa) varmint barrel compact 20in 223 on sale. It wasn't anything special just a basic blued model, not SS, with the standard cheap plastic stock and 20in varmint contour barrel, if I recall it was a 12tw. It was a close out deal and I barely paid 300 bucks for it so I figured it was worth taking a chance and it went home with me. Back then the Howa made Vanguards had horrible heavy triggers in them but that was an easy fix so I ordered a Timney for it and I had a scope sitting on the shelf for it and proceeded to do a quickie load work up using Nosler 40gr BT's and Benchmark. I was pleasantly surprised when it dialed right in quick and easy with very minimal development. It was one of the best shooting factory rifles I've ever had. I sometimes wish I hadn't sold it to a buddy of mine that still has it.
They also made a 6 lug Mark V, with a heavy, short tactical barrel. It was in the TRR line, starting about 20 years ago, and it was a very accurate, class act gun. They advertised the barrel to be sourced from Krieger Criterion, back when those names were combined together on certain projects. I cringed at the cost, but bought one, and that rifle infected me with the accuracy bug, a permanent keeper.
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yes I bet it’s a keeper one of a kind
NZ_Fclass
Silver $$ Contributor
But I think to myself....would any new rifle shoot more than 1 MOA at 100 yds with premium factory ammo?
Having said that, Howa's are fine. My Mini shoots OK. They do have a reputation for barrel wear, but that may be down to poor cleaning, as mine has had a lot of ammo through it (Grendel) and still shoots fine enough.
Having said that, Howa's are fine. My Mini shoots OK. They do have a reputation for barrel wear, but that may be down to poor cleaning, as mine has had a lot of ammo through it (Grendel) and still shoots fine enough.
I don’t disagree with you I already have a 6 x 47 lapua that does a nice job & a cooper 6.5 x 284 & having a 22 CM with a 1/8 twist to shoot 75 & 80 grain bullets so he’ll them rifles can shoot farther than this old boy can see anyway s
Some day I may look at the 240
Yes. A Weatherby Vanguard IS a Howa 1500. Made in the same Japanese plant with jus a few cosmetic changes but they are indeed the same and have been ever since there has been a Vanguard. Howa has been around for a good while and build good rifles under varios names. I still have a Smith and Wesson 1500 made in the late 70's or early 80's. It was a super nice rifle. Very high polish blueing and stock. Just a nice piece, overall. It was my first high powered rifle and I guess I'll keep it. Still shoots good. Had to replace the stock a few years ago on it. Not sure if I let the screws get loose or what but I was young and it beat the crap out of the lug area. I wish I had kept the stock because I woulda fixed it myself. It's in a good stock now, though. It's an Accurate Innovations with a full length aluminum bedding bock. They make some very good stocks. At the time, pretty affordably but when they sold out, the new owners really raised prices. I was with them when they were a small stock maker in Rapid City, near HS Precision, IIRC. That's probably where the idea came from of a full length aluminum bedding block, but in a nice wood. I bought several of them around 2005-2007ish. Good folks at the time. They sent me maybe a dozen at no charge to set up at a gun show and just said pay for what I sold and send the rest back. I sold a couple and bought a couple. There went the profit! Lol! They still make a very good stock but not cheap. I still have another one on a sa m70 that's very high AA or low AAA with all the bells and whistles, real ebony tip and cap, checkered, albeit a very functional laser cut fishscale design, pachmeyer pad...al finished, I think was about $600 bucks back then. I priced it out a while back on their site not long ago and near as possible, the same stock is now like $2450ish!!
The Howa is a very good rifle by any name...or was. I've had a few and worked on several. The threads are metric on them and the bbls are tighter than Dick's hatband.
Way better than a Rem 700 or M70 of even that era. The blueing was just superb back then. Not so much on the newer ones I've seen.
The stock is off subject but if you can stand the price, they made a top notch truly custom stock. I'd use one again in a heartbeat if money is little or no object and you like the idea of an aluminum bedding block in a custom wood stock. I seldom see them mentioned anywhere but it's good stuff.
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we’ll thanks for a little history and what you have to say it’s very interesting thanks again
Sorry to ramble on like I did but it was my very first high powered rifle Dad bought it for me. He's gone but the rifle is still here.
No,thanks for sharing my Dad is gone too but the model 06 Winchester 22 caliber we still have it was my grandfather’s & than my Dads than to me .
I had one, Vanguard Synthetic, 223 Rem. Yes, they guaranteed 1 moa.
- I liked the 24"-barrel, nice balance, and a little extra velocity.
- I liked the 9" twist for 50 and 55 grain varmint bullets.
- The 3-position safety was a nice feature.
- The action is sturdy, but a little stiff; extractor is excellent.
- The all-metal magazine I liked.
- The trigger was ok, it's two stage and adjustable. I got mine down to 2 1/2 pounds which is just right for my style of varmint hunting.
- The stock is sturdy and fit me well, but the barrel is not free floated by design. There's a pressure point at the tip of the forearm. This may be the reason I was never able to get it to shoot as tight as I wanted.
Mine shot under 1 moa with tailored reloads but not to my standards (1/2 to 5/8 moa) for a varmint rifle. Also, I had trouble with cases sticking in the chamber due to factory tool marks. My smith polished the chamber, and it was fine after that.
After using it a couple of years, I traded mine for a Tikka and never regretted the trade. However, I think this rifle has potential since it has a lot of nice features.
- I liked the 24"-barrel, nice balance, and a little extra velocity.
- I liked the 9" twist for 50 and 55 grain varmint bullets.
- The 3-position safety was a nice feature.
- The action is sturdy, but a little stiff; extractor is excellent.
- The all-metal magazine I liked.
- The trigger was ok, it's two stage and adjustable. I got mine down to 2 1/2 pounds which is just right for my style of varmint hunting.
- The stock is sturdy and fit me well, but the barrel is not free floated by design. There's a pressure point at the tip of the forearm. This may be the reason I was never able to get it to shoot as tight as I wanted.
Mine shot under 1 moa with tailored reloads but not to my standards (1/2 to 5/8 moa) for a varmint rifle. Also, I had trouble with cases sticking in the chamber due to factory tool marks. My smith polished the chamber, and it was fine after that.
After using it a couple of years, I traded mine for a Tikka and never regretted the trade. However, I think this rifle has potential since it has a lot of nice features.
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