Just purchased this new a few weeks ago. I was looking for something a bit more stout than my old trusty 243 Winchester, and was considering 30-06 7mm-08 and the 270 Winchester. My dream is to some day have the opportunity to hunt out west with my Father. His health is declining and we need to go in the next few years. While looking around I was pointed to the Vangurad but first thought that it was way to much power for your average WV whitetail, then thought about the future trip to Alaska. Make a long story short I bought it. Topped with a BSA Cateye 3.5 by 10 scope. Yea I went from the old trusty deer slayer 243 to a heavy magnum with high ammo prices. Got to the range to work it in and told myself that it was going to kick my butt and just to relax and take whatever it dished out. I shot all 20 rounds and have it set 3.5 inches high at 100 yards which puts it dead on at 300 with the 180 grain bullet. No problems shooting it. My shoulder did bruise a bit, but very similar to shooting my old double barrel 12 gauge Lefever Nitro Special at clay targets for a few hundred rounds. Very accurate and tolerable recoil. I know it will be hard on your average 125 pound whitetail, that is with his guts in him, but for shoulder shots in the right area it will mess the meat up I don't care to have anyway except for making jerky. I purchased a chance on a 300 wsm in the vanguard also and what the heck I won it! The 300 wsm will have less recoil than the Weatherby and the ammo can be bought for much less if you look around also.
Weatherby Vanguard in 300 Weatherby Mag
- Thread starter RedOak
- Start date
- Status
I walked into a 300Wby almost 20 years ago. I could get through about 16-20 shots at the range and my shoulder would call it quits, which makes load development a PITA, or PITS. It really wakes up with handloads, eventhough the factory Weatherby stuff is no slouch. All I ever used it for was moose. I have an ancient Mauser in 257 Ackley for whitetail chores.
257 Ackley a wildcat version of the257 Roberts? I bet that is a sweet load on deer. Much of the energy is dispensed into the shoulder cavity for enormous quick kills. That was my experience with the 243 winchester. Only problem I ever had was hitting a old mature buck high in the shoulder with those stinking Remington Corelocks. Found the deer the next day, but the bullet blew to pieces when I did not make the best shot and hit high in the shoulder.
The Vanguard is a very accurate line of rifles. Good price too. Thing is I think you got a bit too much when you bought that particular caliber. Good Luck hunting! Though I doubt you'll need any luck as straight as that thang(s) shoot.
Have fun hunting with the ol' man!
Have fun hunting with the ol' man!
That is a nice looking piece Bill T. I won a 300wsm at the same time I bought the Weatherby. The recoil is tolerable to me, yet I have a muscular build and can take the thrashing. I learned real quick to relax all muscles and not push the gun butt into my shoulder. When doing that the recoil seemed no worse that a pump 30-06. The larger issue is the significant jump of the barrel. The thing must jump at least 6 inches off my base. And good golly the roar, You could hear the echo from the blast at least 2 seconds from the time of fire bouncing off the hills. My dream would be have a big alaskan brown bear at my shooting range with this rifle. I bet it would do it's job as long as I did mine.
If you handload it's allways an option to develop reduced power loads that are ultra accurate.
Bob
Bob
- Status
Similar threads
