I had the good pleasure of meeting Roy Weatherby at the 1974 NRA Convention in Atlanta and lusted over his rifle display but Weatherby rifles back then were expensive as was the ammo. The ammo still is. I don't recall the Vanguard back then but do the Mark V.
I have other rifles I shoot 2-3 times a month to include mostly a M70 270 and Sako .222. I can't say how much, after load development, I'd shoot the .257 but I'd say at least 20 rounds a month if not more. The 270 has a Featherweight barrel and even with it's modest velocity with a 130 gr bullet, in comparison to the .257, the barrel gets hot after five shot group. I can imagine how hot the Weatherby barrel would get. Although both are hunting rifles still you want to develop loads for them and don't want to wait fifteen minutes between five shot strings, especially when it's 45 degrees outside.
Having read some of the comments I've nearly talked myself out of this rifle. I'm primarily a paper puncher with hunting days mostly gone. You get older, retire, have money to spend and harken to the days of rifles and pistols you wanted in your 20's and 30's but didn't have the coins for a Python or Weatherby back then bu,t now you do. I think this is where I am, looking at Weatherby rifles.
