Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Vanguard Accuguard in 6.5-300 Wby vs. Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter in 26 Nosler

I posted roughly the same elsewhere; I hope that’s not a crime.

Looking for feedback on a difficult choice for me.

I’m looking for an extremely flat-shooting, high-velocity long-range 6.5mm rifle for around $1,000 or less.

I’ve identified two options that, I think, would work.

(1) A Vanguard Accuguard in 6.5-300 Wby; and (2) a Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter in 26 Nosler.

Both are #3 contour free-floated 26" barrels with 1-8" twist.

I'm extremely tempted by the Accuguard in 6.5-300 Wby. I have a Mk V Accumark in .340 Wby, and, if I keep the barrel reasonably cool, I can get almost-unspeakable 3-shot one-hole groups with it at 100 yds; and the Accuguard is basically the same thing, but with a different bolt/receiver.

However, the possibly-temporary downside is that there is NO ammo available for it anywhere right now, and some 26 Nosler ammo is available. I don’t reload.

The Wby may put out around an additional 100 fps, but I guess that’s not enough to be material.

Would the X-Bolt Western Hunter would be as good or better?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

I’d do the Vanguard every day of the week myself. Solid rifles with good triggers in them and I haven’t had a bad one or shot a bad one yet. Nothing against the Brownings but I prefer the features and future workability of the Howa. Plus if you wanted another stock McMillan and others make them in a bunch of configurations.

Thanks Devil Dog. If it weren't for the ammo unavailability, I already would have pulled the trigger on the VG AG 6.5-300 Wby. Perhaps I should just get it and be patient, or ask Superior Ammo or another to load for me.

I think that’s a good idea. Weatherby won’t let their baby flounder too much. It’ll come around if you keep looking and sign up for notifications. We had a time getting brass for my brothers then when we gave up and got loaded ammo, brass was everywhere.

Tough time to get new stuff but I’m sure if that’s what you want, you’ll like it. It is a screamer.

Thanks Beretzs. I pulled the trigger, so to speak, for $729.

The stock’s not very pretty, but that is not why I bought it.



I signed up for notifications from Midway and Ammo-Seek.

Do you have any recommendations for an FFL in or near the Fairfax/Chantilly area?

Those gray/black handles aren’t pretty, but they have good ergos. I put a lighter gauge 2nd stage spring in my VG2 and it’s now one of my favorite factory triggers.

I send all of my stuff to Old Town Firearms myself, in downtown Fredericksburg, but I live just across the river.

That’s a good looking rifle and a stock change isn’t a big deal if that’s what you ever wanna do. The base rifle is sound and like JPro mentioned, the triggers aren’t too bad either.

Thanks guys.

Probably gonna put a 30 mm Vortex Viper 6.5-20 x 50mm on it—because that’s the only scope I have laying around.

Any objections?

Vanguards are solid rifles i have the meateater vanguard in 6.5-300 and like it

I’m no help with Vortex, but if it works then it works.

I’ve had a couple Vanguards, both great!!

About eight years ago, I bought my now-16-yr-old son what they used to call a Vanguard Youth Model .243 with a shortened LOP and a 20" bbl. It was fairly cheap, but shoots most ammo under a MOA. A couple of years ago, I bought him a full-sized low-end Vanguard for about $300 at Sir Walton's Mart so that my younger son could use the Youth model. It is not as accurate, but good enough for deer/black bear hunting. I have a friend who has an old S&W Howa 1500 in 7mm RM. It is built with a #3 contour bbl, like the Accuguard and shoots under 1/2 MOA with certain ammo. I'm hoping my new VG AG will shoot somewhat like that. My .340 Wby Accumark (which has the same barrel) is the most accurate rifle I ever have shot, and it does so with a variety of loads.

Maybe I will try to free-float or bed the full-sized .243 someday. But my older son wants to move up to a bigger caliber, and he has been shooting 1/2" groups out of my 7mm MkV Ultra Lightweight 7mm Wby. It's pretty finicky with ammo, but it shoots really tight groups with discontinued 160gr CorBon TSX loads (3,240 fps MV, per Labradar). When they were on sale and about to be discontinued, I bought 800 of them. So, my son should be good for a couple of decades or so. I probably wouldn’t have bought that rifle if I had noticed that it has a 1-10” twist on it. Except for those CB loads, it only shoots well with 140gr or lighter bullets, which is not my preference. I shot some 160gr Fed. TB-Tipped, super-hot rounds (about the same as the CB), and the bullets were yawing and making oval holes at 100 yds. If it had a faster twist, I likely would have kept that for myself, given my old 700 BDL .300 WM to my son, and not bought the 6.5-300.

I’m hoping that I can get some Wby 130gr Scenar 6.5-300 loads someday, and they work well in the new rifle. I’d like to use the 142gr ABLR, but I’m not optimistic, given some reviewer’s alleged bad experiences with them out of the VG AM.

Good call on the Vanguard. Very happy with the ones in our family. One, 7-08 in the same black and grey stock needed free floating to reach its best. The others a .243 Camilla and .375 DGR shot very well as is.

I got the BadLands version. Nice rifles.

I almost bought this "Ibex" version with a 28" bbl. Would put out a little more velocity, and it's more optically pleasing. But I wanted to get the #3 contour bbl, just because, anecdotally, the Wbys I've shot with the heavier barrels seem to shoot better with a wider variety of ammo. I couldn't find anything on the Weatherby website about the model. But it's on GB for $799.

I handled the Accuguard and Ibex at Juniata Trading Post in Everett, PA and the Ibex at Sportsmans Warehouse in Cheyanne, all three solid rifles. I walked out of Juniata with andAccuguard in 270 Winchrsyter NIB for $500 because it had a small scratch in the stock, that was the last one. They had several in 6.5-300.

Not very reliable tracking. That much I can tell you. But I am sure you will upgrade later.

Thanks for the warning Fotis. I may upgrade later. For now, once I get it sighted in, I won't touch the dials. I would just use the MIL dots or whatever for holdover, but I shouldn't need that until out past 300 yds.

And, woo-whoo, I just found and bought three boxes of Wby 130gr Swift Scirocco ammo on GB. I hope those rounds shoot well out of my 1:8" twist barrel.

Lucky you!

I’d use steel Weaver-style bases or even a rail with Burris Signature rings (with inserts) on that, since it probably kicks a bit. They won’t mark your scope either.

I’m with JPro on the Griptonite stocks. Fit me very well. Solid too.

Thanks Pappy. On my favored Wbys, I have put Near Manufacturing one-piece bases on, like pictured below, but, for this one to start, I might just get some basic Rem 700 mounts. Let me know if you think that's crazy.

I just bought the .308 Ibex from Smoky Mountain Guns & Ammo. They had it on sale for $649 with free shipping. If I’m not mistaken they had a 6.5-300 as well. Cerakote on the fluted #2 seems like a winner to me!

Still shows as in stock

https://www.smga.com/weatherby/65300-wby-vgd-ibex-flt-28-11217

Cool Phil.

Does the .308 have a 26" bbl? Seems like a nice setup. What scope are you going with? Are you going to hunt with it?

I pick my 6.5-300 Accuguard up finally tomorrow afternoon. CTD still hasn't shipped the DNZ Game Reaper one piece scope base/ring combo, but it's supposed to ship on Monday.

I managed to order three boxes each of the Wby 127 LRX and 130gr Scirocco loads off GB.

Once all that stuff arrives, I’ll setup and bore-sight the scope, then head off to the range to see how those loads shoot and go from there.

From what I have seen the 308 does have the 26” barrel. The pics show a thread cap and the description states a brake is standard. Hopefully without a brake it is 24”. I do plan to hunt it and would love to make it my go to, all around rifle. I have a Cabelas / Meopta 3-9 ready for it. I was thinking a Warne Mtn Tech rail. Not sure on rings yet.

I actually was thinking that a 26" .308 would be kind of cool--perhaps sort of turn it into a 30-06, but I'm kind of weird. Either way, it sounds like a nice rig in the making.

I just got impatient and bored and went to Cabela's and bought these for mine:

Yep and I would sure not complain about the extra 2”

If you’re not necessarily planning on reloading, you might consider trying these:



They produce NASA-like accuracy from my DPMS 20” GII Hunter.

That’s exactly the first load I’ve been planning to try!! If it doesn’t shoot as well as I would like, I’ll just buy some dies to go along with that high quality once fired brass!

The DPMS also has a 1-10" twist, so it may work about the same in your rifle. It's not just insanely accurate, but it also is pretty fierce. It created this exit wound after travelling from this deer's chest all the way through a hind quarter:

Nosler says 2,750 fps MV, but that's with a test barrel undoubtedly longer than my 20"er. I got 2,613 fps with the DPMS. You possibly could get well over 2,800 fps if that has a 26" bbl.

Based on your past few responses, just another reason why I think this could be my do all! I’ve also been thinking that with the velocities of the .308, that ABLR would be good elk medicine if I ever get the chance to go.

I looked at some more data, and I would guess that you may get between 2,800 and 2,850 fps if that's a true 26" bbl. Nosler loads the same bullet in the 30-06 at 2,800 fps. So, you may have a short-action 30-06+P, except for maybe with the really heavy bullets.

That bullet held up a lot better going through that entire deer torso longwise than I expected. It's also got a fairly-high B.C. of 0.525. Even at 2,613 fps MV, it's still going almost 2,100 fps at 500 yds at 10,000 ft. You're rifle would do better. I would think it would be a great anti-elk bullet coming out of your .308. I have found some pretty good elk country on Colorado public land that that is accessible and you can hunt over-the-counter in central Colorado 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons. It's around $700 for a non-res. If you get closer to wanting to do something like that, I could give you a few ideas.

Sounds like fun. I’ve never hunted out of AR so would need all of the input I could get. Thanks! Is your username indicative of a Marine Corps past?

It does. It's somewhat of a combination of that, a Jayhawk past as well, and my views on foreign policy.

When I was young:

Semper Fi brother! 0311 Reservist 1999-2005 I Co 3/23

Semper Fi! I was a 2531 in the 24th Marines HQ Company in Desert Storm/Shield and in the reserves there for a couple years thereafter; but I was in 3/23 HQ Company in the Reserves from 1993-1996 (New Orleans). Small world.

Very Small indeed. We did a few trainings in the NO area prior to 2-week summer duties. Some of the snipers attached to us in Iraq from H&S were good to go!

We used to practice amphibious invasions on the coast of Lake Pontchartrain.

Seriously, let me know if you want to do the elk hunt described above. This is the place:

I got it all set up. Just waiting for the ammo to arrive this week sometime.

And the trigger is super sweet to me. I definitely wouldn't want it much lighter.

MH; nice looking rifle. Please share how it shoots with us.

Will do on Thursday or Friday depending on FedEx.