Weatherby Vanguard Sporter rifle: With its strong, reliable action and guaranteed accuracy, the Vanguard Sporter makes a great deer rifle…
The Vanguard series of rifles from Weatherby offers shooters the chance of owning the Weatherby name in a good-quality but less expensive rifle. The Vanguard is basically a Howa barrelled-action rifle from Japan that has been rebadged. There is nothing wrong with this, as I remember having the same Howa action in an old Smith & Wesson 1500 rifle at least 40 years ago.
The Bell and Carlson stock is as visually pleasing as it is practical
What you have is a well-made, time-proven design with modern upgrades such as a match-grade trigger, high-grade synthetic stock and tough exterior finish. The Vanguard is available in a Sporter-type trim for stalking rather than sitting and is offered in an array of cartridges from varmint to deer calibres.
Manufacturer: Weatherby (made in Japan)
Type: Bolt action
Model: Vanguard Range Certified
Stock: Bell and Carlson synthetic, green/black spider web
Barrel: 24in, threaded ½in UNF
Weight: 7.65lb
Overall length: 43.75in
Sights: N/A, drilled and tapped for scope mount
Trigger: Two-stage adjustable for weight
Safety: Three-position lever
Calibre: .243
UK supplier: Sportsman Gun Centre, tel 01392 354854
This Vanguard Series 2 rifle is the new Range Certified model that comes with a certificate proving the rifle’s accuracy downrange. At just over £1,000 it is becoming more expensive due to the poor exchange rate, but as a Weatherby rifle it offers good value for money and all the Vanguards I have used shoot well.
What I love about Japanese rifles is that there are no surprises — you get well-engineered, high-grade metals and good-fitting components. This all adds up to a well-constructed and reliable rifle that will take the strain of real-world stalking duties.
However, that does not mean the rifle has to be ugly, and the Vanguard is not. In fact, it is a very streamlined rifle of lighter profiled Sporter pedigree for walking and stalking. It has that reassuring heft from all-metal parts and a premium-grade synthetic stock.
Weatherby Vanguard Sporter rifle: With its strong, reliable action and guaranteed accuracy, the Vanguard Sporter makes a great deer rifle…
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Very smooth bolt action and good trigger are hallmarks of the Weatherby Vanguard range
The barrel is only as good as the action it is attached to. The Vanguard uses a fairly standard action format of 90° bolt-lift and twin-locking-lug arrangement. The action is engineered from a single piece of billet steel with tubular form, and the action top is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I used a one-piece 6in Weaver-type rail, so it is good for both a scope or night-vision device.
The bolt has a fluted profile to reduce binding in operation because it reduces friction, and the bolt head is similar to a Remington action’s “three rings of steel”. This ensures the action has a solid lock-up and the head of the cartridge is enveloped in the recessed bolt face, barrel then receiver ring. To ensure a positive extraction there is a recessed M16-type long-length claw with a sprung plunger-type ejector. On a push-round bolt-action system, this extractor grips the rim of the case well for reliable cycling.
I like a single-stage trigger, but this two-stage Vanguard model is user-friendly and adjustable. You have a clean first take-up and then a crisp second-stage release at 3.25lb. There is a standard lever-type safety, but with three positions: fire; safety on but bolt operates in the mid position; and fully rearward for safety on and locking the bolt.
Accuracy was amazing from teh Hornady 75-gr-SST, wtih groups of 0.35in at 100 yards
Accuracy with this rifle is pretty much guaranteed, as you get a Range Certificate proving the Vanguard’s capabilities — hence the name. Less than 1in groups at 100 yards are guaranteed for a three-shot group with premium ammunition. I fitted an older Swarovski target scope that I use for long-range hooded crows and a super-quiet MAE Scout moderator.
Very smooth bolt action and good trigger are hallmarks of the Weatherby Vanguard range
With the Vanguard shooting so well with the Hornady 75-gr SST loads, I reluctantly had to admit defeat with my reloads. I had been on a Chinese water deer stalk that yielded three bucks, so does were now on the cull list. I fitted a sling and even with the MAE moderator and scope, the Weatherby handled well. You could shoot off a bipod, freehand or using sticks.
After a few blank fields and endless viewing of hedgerows, a small Chinese water deer doe came slowly through one of the many “deer tunnels” in the hedge. She stopped 250 yards away and though the Vanguard would be capable of the shot I wanted to close the difference and make sure I had rising ground behind her.
I dropped to my knees, crawled and closed the gap to 150 yards. Now the wind was turning in the Chinese water deer’s favour. I quickly found a convenient fence to rest the TDS reticle on the doe’s heart/lung area. I took up the first pressure on the trigger and when her head went down to feed the second pressure sent the 75-gr SST bullet to its mark.
The Hornady 75-gr SST factory loads humanely despatched this Chinese water deer doe
This Weatherby Vanguard shoots well and makes for a rifle to use confidently in the field.
The Vanguard in any guise is always a nice rifle to shoot as it holds no surprises and its long pedigree has further enhanced its performance, especially with this Range Certified model. The groups with factory ammunition were amazing and I would not need to reload for this gun. The rifle is very solidly built but possesses the elegance and balance that is missing on many a new rifle these days.
Accuracy: Does exactly what it says on the tin, sub-1in at 100 yards for three shots with premium ammunition. 18/20
Handling: Good handling and weight distribution, even with a scope and moderator fitted. 17/20
Trigger: Nice two-stage trigger with adjustable capability. 17/20
Stock: Very well made and designed for all weathers. 18/20
Value: Good value still, despite the price creeping up. 18/20
Score: 88/100
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