Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Weatherby Vanguards

I have not seen any Weatherbys in our local gun stores or Cabelas for some time and wonder if it is just an area thing or something to do to them moving to Sheridan. Has anyone else noticed this?

There is a few at the gun shop I frequent.

Walmart sold them all to slumlord and renegade.

I believe the Vanguard was/is made by Howa. Same rifle, different stock. I bought one a couple years ago when I couldn't find anything else (in my budget) that was chambered in 6.5x55 Swede. I got a barreled action on sale at Buds Guns Shop online and ordered a stock from Boyd's. There are lots of stock options, Boyd's fit my budget. The Howa 1500 is a well made gun with an excellent trigger. They don't have a high polish but they work great, just have Howa 1500 written on them instead of Weatherby.

My local lgs doesn't carry weatherby guns but would order one if wanted. No sweat as they are cheaper on line. Local wmt might have 2 or 3. I've owned a few vanguards and they have been great rifles. I bought a 243 during the wmt closeout sale last year, and 5 or 6 boxes of 100gr federal blue box ammo. The rifle shoots that cheap factory stuff better than moa. Check buds guns or cdnn.

The Howa 1500s typically have 22" barrels while the comparable V2s typically have 24" barrels.

The V2 stocks are, at least IMO, far superior to those on the Howa 1500s.

I've restocked my Howa 1500s in 6.5x55 and 6.5 Creedmoor with V2 take-offs.

I saw a couple Howas and Weatherbys at my local GS the last time I was in town (perhaps a couple weeks ago).

Great guns. If I could get a Vanguard with a more classic style fiberglass stock id be pretty damn tempted!

While I like the mkV...I think i like the vanguard even more.

Guys I’ve had a few Howas , aka S-W 1500., They were very good rifles.

My ONLY complaint is they’re heavier than comparable rifles.

Jerry

Jerry, I agree they are a bit heavy, adding the laminate stock doesn't help that any. This one fits me well & it shoots well also, the trigger really is very good, in 6.5x55 recoil is next to nothing. I just like it, especially for stand hunting which is mostly what I do anyway. Plus, it gives me an excuse to look for something new someday.

Except for the Alpines.

I have a HOWA 1500 in 223 Rem, it's very accurate and smooth. It is the only bolt action I have that feeds from the mag so smooth that you can't tell if it fed or not. That is SMOOTH. Mb

Not long ago, the owner of our LGS told me there was little interest in Howas of either sort, but just a couple of days ago they had a couple of Vanguards, one new and one used. Plus, he seemed willing to buy my Walmart Special, however my ad in the local trading paper paid off on the first day.

Haven’t see them in any store here. The guys I know that have them are “gun” guys that special order. I prefer the Howa to Vanguard but haven’t bought (and won’t) one since they switched away from stainless. I do see a heck of a lot of Ruger Americans.

I believe the Vanguard line is one of the best deals in the low to "mid priced" rifles on the market today. They are, in fact, made by Howa, but are are about like the difference between an "Walmart" Remington 870 and the "original Wingmaster". The actions are "polished"; the bolts "fluted", operating as on "glass runners"; and the barrels give an extra 2" of length in a #2 contour barrel that is makes it particularly balanced and efficient in most calibers offered. Sure, the standard wood models weigh within a couple ounces shy of 8#, but in most "magnum" calibers this is more appropriate than the "featherweight" barrels that have recently been in "vogue" that carry like a "broom stick" and handle like one as well. They make them in enough different model that you can buy one under 7# with a "fluted" barrel and "fiber" stock that should meet the "light weight crowd (I am one of that crowd in certain types and caliber rifles). I've never seen a Vanguard, or Howa for that matter, that would not shoot well! I've never had a Vanguard failure to feed, eject, or fire my reloads.

Here is my Vanguard, with a Mcmillan Edge stock, bedded and free floated, with PacNor Super Match barrel, Timney trigger, and Leupold VX3 3.5-10x CDS scope in Talley LW mounts. Weight all up is under 8 lbs.
Chambered in .270 WSM, it feeds slicker than any other rifle I own, and with my handloads of 130 gr. Hornady E-Tip bullets, shoots little bitty sub-MOA groups.

IMO, anyone wanting to build a custom rifle could do far worse than choosing a Vanguard action.

Vanguard Back Country all stainless, .30-06.





A really nice rifle.





P

That is a nice rifle. Nice looking hunter, too...

What's the weight, all up?

DF

McM Edge fill, like Bighorn's rifle, won't be too heavy...

Laminates are pretty heavy.

They are good actions.

DF

I have 3 of them. A 300 Wby, and 2 30-06s. I like them. They are heavier than my 700s. I consider them comparable otherwise.

Heck, I don’t know. Light enough that a 12 year old boy can handle it, easy.






P