Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Oh my! Weatherby stocks! You gotta be kidding.......

Been years since I worked up loads for a new rifle and was shocked at my nephews Weatherby Vanguard with that tupperware monte carlo. Off the bench with 180 gr it kicks worse that a 300 mag with 200 gr or 375 h&h with 300s. What rubbish. Checked with McMillan and they have discontinued Howa/Vanguard, anyone got a recommendation? Found a 3/4 inch (N160 and Hornady IB) load after changing out one of the worst factory triggers I have ever felt so it's worth getting some stability in the stock. Gonna have enough $ in this thing to have bought a real rifle.

Get a walnut Vanguard stock. They work fine and they don't suck. My buddy put his in a Hogue but it still isn't accurate.

Sako Classic.

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-stocks-hunting-stock-list.php?subnav=branch2f#sclassic

$50.00 saddle on a $10.00 horse.

The Vanguard MOAs come with a Bell & Carlson synthetic stock. I've only heard good things about them.

Yes good call

Nevermind

Glass bed a factoy wood stock

Or

http://www.accurateinnovations.com/weatherby/weatherby-rifle-stock.html

Or

McMillan Sako Classic
McMillan Sako Hunter

Just put a Mcmillan Edge on a Howa. Now my horse and saddle are worth $60. I used the Sako style and am very happy. Lost nearly a full pound over the factory plastic.

I have a Vanguard Back Country and I couldn't be happier. It wears a Bell & Carlson stock that doesn't look too bad.



All stainless, 24" fluted barrel, weighs 6 1/2 pounds sans scope (Leupold FX3 6x), crisp light trigger, shoots little bitty groups.





I'm pretty happy with my $10 horse.

P

I put my .300 Wby Vanguard in a Rimrock stock (before Jim quit selling them to the public). I would still recommend that you send the barreled action to Jim and let him bed one for you...

The same could be said for a quality scope on an inexpensive rifle, but if the combo does what you want it to do, you just saved a few bucks.

Swampy loves talking [bleep].It's not smoke unless it comes out his chimney.

handsup,

I've been down the road with Vanguards and the el cheapo stocks, including the B & C Medalist.
I finally ditched the B & C, bought a McMillan Edge Sako Hunter, had it bedded, and turned the Vanguard barrelled action into a super shooter. (Also added a Timney trigger, and Pac Nor barrel).

A lot of folks seem to like the B & C, but if you ever get the chance to compare one side by side with a McMillan, you'll see the difference in rigidity between them. I don't think floppy forends contribute to accuracy.

In other words, I bought a Vanguard for the action, and custom-built it from there.

Once all said and done, if I want to build up another custom job, I would just buy a cheap Vanguard for the action, and go all-in with barrel, stock, trigger, etc. from day one, instead of doing it a step at a time. I do really like the action.

Yeah, I could have bought a 'real' rifle (read factory), but where's the fun in that?

I agree with changing the stock and trigger but I'd shoot it before changing the barrel. Some of the Vanguard barrels shoot as well as the custom you'll replace it with.

Yes. Save up enough $$$ to buy a rifle with a real wood stock.

John Barsness aka Mule deer around here has written some TERRIFIC treatise on stock fit and stock styles for different body shapes including the best cover on custom rifles I have ever read, whish I could remeber which gun rag it was in but the point was, and it made sense when I read it is this: "Classic" and similar stock styles make sense for some peoples builds but will be painful for others to shoot and the same is true with the Weatherby or Calif look stocks. For some builds this stock style rocks it and for others it is a torture device. The most interesting part of one of his stories, to me, was when he pointed out that todays "tacticool" stocks really are not much different in design and shape from some of the more radical Weatherby or Calif look + designs of the 60's. Seen side by side it made sense! A real eye opener for me. If the WBY style stock hurts the rifle owner, change it out for him but no hard and fast rules apply to all stocks for all folks. The Classic style is not THE best for handling recoil for all people at all times even though I like the looks of it. I also like the looks of a Mk V and Lazermark. Pretty in a different way like a Lamborghini vs a Cadillac STS-V. (Jap cars all look like a Mossberg 4x4 stock to me.... )

If you can't or don't want to drop the loot for a McMillan, go get the B&C Medalist. It's a great option in my opinion and they handle recoil very well.

The article Safariman referenced about stock design appeared in the January-February 2008 issue of Rifle magazine. It is a great article. I wish I had discovered 20 years ago that a Weatherby stock fits me better than a classic stock, but I wasn't wild about the Weatherby look so I never tried one until 5 years ago. The Weatherby or Remington BDL style stocks are far more comfortable for me to shoot than a classic design due to the difference in contact area with my shoulder pocket between the two designs. There is definitely a reason that both of these styles evolved.

Much of the same information in the article mentioned by bberg7794 and Safariman is contained in JB's book "Obsessions of a Rifle Loony" in Chapter 6. (The entire book is a very good read and I recommend it highly.) CKW