Saw my local Big R store had a couple of these yesterday.
Would like to have taken a look ta one as there is nothing on the HOWA USA web site whatsoever, but it was all Weatherby in look including the 3 side ports on the bolt and grey laminated Monte Carlo stock design. The barrel looked 24" and the stock foreend profile and barrel profile seemed sleek,

Apparently the dare I say it, sales person, thought pictures of his dog on his phone was more a priority to run the counter length with than serving potential customers.

Anyone handled one yet?

Accurate but heavy

Heavy but are a hell of a rifle for the price!

HOWA Vanguard?

Was it a Howa, or a Weatherby? I've had a couple of both, and the Weatherbys seem a touch more refined, but nothing major except that the Weatherby tupperware stocks are better than the lumpy Hogues on the ones LSI sells here. Haven't seen a lammy version of either except the one I put a Boyds stock on. Currently, I have two, a Mini and an Alpine. Really like the forged-steel actions with one piece bolts and simple bolt takedown, but they are a bit heavy unless you can find a discontinued Alpine with its Bansner stock, light barrel, and slightly trimmed action. Mine goes 7 pounds 4.1 oz with a one pound scope in Talley LWs, 3/4 pound more than my Fieldcraft (but $1200 cheaper).

All good rifles. I keep finding bargain ones, which has so far prevented me from dipping my toe in the new econo-rifle market.

I've seen a bunch of Howa 1500 with laminated stocks and they were on the heavy side.

Weatherby sells the V2 stocks for around $130 and I think that they may be the best injection molded stocks currently being factory installed, far better than the Hogues. I've had a 1500 in 6.5x55 for awhile that went through a few different after-market stocks before I settled on a V2 take-off.

I have a Howa.....but not a Weatherby....it's a 20" barreled.308 Winchester.....a great shooter and contrary to other statements, not heavy at all.

What sort of stock?

This one













[img]https://image.ibb.co/nB0sU8/IMG-2927.jpg[/img]

It's a three piece sandwich maple laminate and nicely spalted….;add some cocobolo fittings a splash of checkering and wala…...a lightweight Howa ready to go hunting.

Was that one of the Lightweights like SAS was selling a while back?

I have no clue about that.....I bought it on Gunbroker with some sort of synthetic black stock and merely restocked it because in my world, there's no room for an ugly gun.

I'd guess it is. I stayed away from those because I couldn't find any hard info on them. Since buying an Alpine, I've discovered a bit more about them. Pretty much the same barreled action as the Alpine, minus (usually) the Cerakote. Great rifles, and yours is a beauty.

Who did the stock?

Vapodog,
That has to be the best looking Howa/Vanguard I've ever seen! wow.

The stock is my work.....checkering and all.....except that I had it semienletted and routed by Dennis Olson in Plains Montana.

What is considered heavy these days?

Pappy,
It was branded a Howa but as I said, the actions with 3 ports on the bolt was as the Weatherby Vanguard design. I have quite a lot of exposure to Weatherby's in all guises so know the difference. What puzzled me was a trade mark cannot be infringed, so although the name "Vanguard" is quite universal, that trade mark is obviously owned by Weatherby as it relates to Rifles.

Also, the laminated stock on these rifles had a distinctly different checkering pattern on the fore-end to any other variant. Whether Weatherby allows the branding to continue, we'll see.

Maybe they had some leftover parts.

Good rifles, regardless. Have to constantly restrain myself from pouncing on the deals I run into.

That one vapodog stocked is a beauty. I hate people that can do stuff like that!😡

I have a couple of short action V2s bedded in McM Hunter stocks, a couple of long action 1500s in V2 stocks, and a couple short action 1500s in B&C "Weatherby style" stocks.

For me, the installation of the McM Hunter stocks on the V2s in 223 and 6.5 Creedmoor made good rifles a whole lot better in terms of balance and handling. I think that the current V2 injection molded stocks are among the best, if not the best, factory installed stocks. I like them as well as the B&C stocks that run about twice the $130 price that Weatherby charges for them. If you're in the market for a short action walnut 1500 stock, GPC still has some NOS S&W 1500/1700 stocks for under $190 on their site, part numbers 1772680, 58444OC, 58447OC, and 58448OC.