I helped a buddy mount two new scopes on two of his rifles. Both Wby Vanguards (Howa). One a Backcountry model with a B&C stock and one a pretty wood/blued traditional model.

He was asking me a bunch of basic questions. One being, “what does it mean for a barrel to be free floating?” So I took a dollar bill out of my wallet and grabbed his rifle to demonstrate. I figured the one with the B&C stock would be fully floated. Nope. There was a pressure point at the tip of the forend. So I went to the wood stocked one. Same, at the same spot.

So is this a factory feature of all Vanguards? I didn’t take stocks off to examine further. Do they legitimately shoot better with this pressure point? I’ve heard of rifles that do, but personally, I’ve never seen it and fully floated barrels have always been more accurate in my experience. Is there something unique about Weatherby Vanguards?

Nothing special about the design of a Vanguard/Howa over other similar bolt guns that would mean a pressure point is necessary or not. Some factories still put them on nearly all their sporter models. Others have moved to free floating, although the float is sometimes a bit iffy with the cheaper injection molded handles at times. I'll generally shoot a sporter "as-is" and see how things go. If I'm not happy, it is often going to get the action bedded and the barrel floated. My one Vanguard wears a factory gray/black injection handle as has not been bedded. It shoots well enough to be left alone.

Same with me. My Vanguard s2 is a hunting rifle, and shoots fine with factory ammo. Mine has the factory injection molded Grey stock with black griptonite panels. Still just as it left the factory. I prefer free floated barrels but there's no need to float Mine. Ymmv

In the VG 2 owner's manual it states to keep the front action screw that goes up into the recoil lug at 35 inch/pounds. That seems to be Weatherby's recommended factory sweet spot for that Howa barrel, placing the correct amount of pressure need for accuracy where the barrel contacts the pressure point.

I own three all vintage with wood stocks, and all flat out shoot, all three are in 300 WM. I may thin the herd on these soon just too many options and these never get used.

With the exception of Accumarks, pressure points are standard on Weatherby's. Last time I floated a Weatherby (presently own 4), point of impact dropped 7 inches at a 100. Before floating, point of impact would elevate as the barrel warmed. If not floated, one will need to make a science out of torquing if he expects things to remain zeroed after dis- and reassembly.

I have an Accu-guard in .257wby

Has the pressure point

Thing is amazingly accurate with 100gr ttsx.

Have no reason to ever disassemble

I moved a very accurate Weatherby .243 into a fully floated stock chassis style stock and groups doubled in size. Too many variables to know if it was missing the pressure point or if other factors contributed. I’m in the process of finishing a Bansner to drop it into. If it doesn’t shoot better once it bedded into the new stock I may play with building a pressure point out of Devcon. I can always return to free float if needed.

Better a tip hump than a kinda-sorta float job that allows the stock to whack the barrel at random times of its choosing. My Howa Carbon Stalker was “floated”, but even under .223 recoil it contacted the barrel- sometimes…..

Thanks all. That’s what I was trying to gather…. That it’s a factory feature that Weatherby has obviously determined is there for a beneficial reason. It wasn’t an anomaly unique to my buddy’s guns.

having one Bedded and free floated as we speak. Be interesting to see how she shoots when I get it back.

I glass bed and float all of my rifles.

My Vanguard 6.5-300 has a really stiff factory stock that is “bedded” tight to the barrel. It’s a tack driver and I’m not messing with it. I have a 7mm Weatherby Mark V that came with a flimsy injection molded stock that only shot so-so groups out of its 26” barrel. I put on a Bell & Carlson composite stock with the full length bedding block and it shoots tight groups consistently.

I have a 257 Back Country and it has a pressure point. Shoots awesome with factory or hand loads.