Weatherby Accuracy

[Sweet 6.5]

Hi

Is there anybody who bought a Weatherby that is not as accurate as their guarantee?

Sweet

[mjbgalt]

well sorta. i had one that would just barely meet the inch and a half, and every other gun in my cabinet would go less than .75" with my reloads at 100 yards. it also showed signs of high pressure (extractor marks, hard opening the bolt, case stretch, shiny marks on the case head, etc) WAY before book max. i was not impressed. And the factory target had one ragged hole for a 3-shot group. i'm not believing that one.

however i had another in .243 that did exactly what the target showed.

hard to tell what you're going to get. i just bought another one, we will see.

-Matt

[Sweet 6.5]

 

I think I will take 100 views as a NO.

Sweet

[277284]

I have a newly purchased 30/06 Weatherby Vanguard inexpensive version Tan synthetic with black web stock and brushed blue metal.  It holds 1 and a quarter inch with 165 gr Rem Cor locked, it is bone stock, no tuning.

[PeterCartwright]

I'm a "No", too.  I own only one Weatherby-a Mark V of Japanese vintage in 270 Roy.  The rifle was made in '84 and came to me two years ago unfired since it left the factory (really).  The target in the display box measures perhaps 1.25".  However, groups from factory loads (Hornady 130 and 150 gr.) I've put through the rifle measure so small, I've never put them into print.  I was especially stunned by this performance since the 24" barrel is so light in contour. The barrel heats up VERY fast, but it's a remarkable shooter.

I'm in the process of restocking the rifle with a synthetic.  (It was a Deluxe walnut job, complete with a cheesy brass plate commemorating the '84 Olympics!)

[Fat NDN]

I had a Vanguard 300 Mag., First 3 shot from cold barrel .50" group @ 100yds.  After that The groups go more like a 12 guage blast.
Had the gun 9 years and did everything that me and 3 gunsmiths could think of to improve the accuracy, but it never happened.
Traded it for a 308 Savage, it shoots .50" groups  right out of the box.

[Graybeard]

Yup that would be me. I bought a Vanguard .257 Whby. Mag. and it had major bedding issues and would not shoot decent groups at all. Yeah they might would have made it right but I decided that since it was heavy enough to be a boat anchor that it really wasn't the rifle I wanted anyway so let the dealer I bought it from have it back on trade. Someone else can worry about it with Weatherby.

It was after I got it I found out that their guarantee is meaningless as they don't actually shoot the rifle you buy with the stock on it. From what I've read they really use a machine rest to mount the barreled action to. Some folks seem to think they use a stock but I don't think so I'm quite certain it's actually a machine rest type deal. I think it highly unlikely I'll buy another Weatherby rifle after my experience with it and finding out they don't really shoot the rifles they just pretend to.

[nodlenor]

I don't own a Vanguard but I do own 3 Howas. I understand that Howa makes the Vanguard for Weatherby. All three of my rifles are very accurate, that's not to say they all are, but I am really impressed with the quality of my Howas. I think all makers probably make a few bad ones. I know I got a NEF last fall that wouldn't do any better than 6" at 100 yards. I did the same as Greybeard. I don't know how he came out but I lost some money on mine. It would have left a bad impression as far as my confidence in NEF had I not owned several others that shoot really well. I'm left wondering what , if anything, NEF would have done if I had talked to them. I think if I had it to do over I would at least give them a chance to correct the problem.

[cointoss]

I'm a "No", too.  I own only one Weatherby-a Mark V of Japanese vintage in 270 Roy.  The rifle was made in '84 and came to me two years ago unfired since it left the factory (really).  The target in the display box measures perhaps 1.25".  However, groups from factory loads (Hornady 130 and 150 gr.) I've put through the rifle measure so small, I've never put them into print.  I was especially stunned by this performance since the 24" barrel is so light in contour. The barrel heats up VERY fast, but it's a remarkable shooter.

I'm in the process of restocking the rifle with a synthetic.  (It was a Deluxe walnut job, complete with a cheesy brass plate commemorating the '84 Olympics!)

I have one as well commemorating the '84 Olympics, only 200 were made in this caliber, 200 in the 7mm and  200 in 257.Wby and 400 in the 300Wby,  in all only 1000 rifles were produced.  I have to agree the inlayed brass looked kind of chessey in the stock.

[Sourdough]

I have an Accumark in .338/378.  The gun is very accurate.  I have not measured the size of the groups, but all the holes are touching out to 200 yards. 

[anthonyg]

Hi Guys   I bought my first weatherby in 1968 or 1970 not sure. It is a mark 5 varmit master in 22 250rem what A beauty, what A shooter. Made in germany with sauer barrel. half inch groups at 100 yards .killed more woodchucks at long range ( 350 to 600 yards)that I could remember. My second is A 340 mark 5 with the custom honed action with 90+ grains of reloader 22 and 200 grain hornadays i get app 3200 fps and one inch at 100 yard accuracy. You wont belive what it will do to A woodchuck and deer. the last weatherby i bought is A mark 5 accumark in 300 win. made in maine.after barrel break in and load workup it shoots 180 grain hornadays using A heavy dose or 4350 and fed 215"it shoots .500 to .700 5 shot groups. So i  have had some good luck with weatherbys My friends have weatherbys  that also shoot well thanks   Anthony G   rambuster40

[Fat NDN]

Hi Guys   I bought my first weatherby in 1968 or 1970 not sure. It is a mark 5 varmit master in 22 250rem what A beauty, what A shooter. Made in germany with sauer barrel. half inch groups at 100 yards .killed more woodchucks at long range ( 350 to 600 yards)that I could remember. My second is A 340 mark 5 with the custom honed action with 90+ grains of reloader 22 and 200 grain hornadays i get app 3200 fps and one inch at 100 yard accuracy. You wont belive what it will do to A woodchuck and deer. the last weatherby i bought is A mark 5 accumark in 300 win. made in maine.after barrel break in and load workup it shoots 180 grain hornadays using A heavy dose or 4350 and fed 215"it shoots .500 to .700 5 shot groups. So i  have had some good luck with weatherbys My friends have weatherbys  that also shoot well thanks   Anthony G   rambuster40

The Mark 5's have always been good shooters, but the one I have is a Vanguard 300 Magnum Synthetic stock. The 1st 3 shots will be very good from a cold barrel, as advertised, but after that the groups open up to 5 - 10 inches. It is 15 years old and I have had several gun smiths look at it but never could make it better. In 1965 I bought a Mark 5 .270, beautiful gun, shot a mule deer in Colorado at 650yds. In those days they made good rifles, now all they make are beautiful stocks.

[cobraa]

forget about the old ones what about the new Weatherby Vanguard rifles what are they like do they shoot a 1 1/2" group at 100yards and then continue after the 3shots ?
cause i just bought a Weatherby Vanguard stainless .300 win mag and im not going to be impressed if it starts shooting allover the place after 3shots... whats the go ?

[billy]

I have  Howa 1500 in .270 and it will shoot inch group all day at 100 yards which is a vangaurd,one of the best built rifles i have ever owned.

[bobg]

  I have owned three Weatherby  rifles. Vanguards in 22-250 and a 270 Win.  A lazer mark in 240 Weather mag.  The 22-250 Would not meet my accuracy requirement.  Traded it for a Ruger 22 hornet. The 240 was back to the factory twice. Still couldn't hit the side of a barn with it. It also would not feed a round from the magazine into the chamber. Traded that for a Ruger 22-250. The 270 Win. will shoot quarter size 5 shot groups all day.  I will never own another Weatherby.
                 bobg

[Slowpoke Slim]

Well I've had great accuracy with my wood stocked Vanguard in 257 Wby mag. With my handloads it easily shoots well under an inch with Nosler BT's and Berger MEF's (not made anymore). But, the barrel is quite thin, and heats up VERY fast. You can't get a 5 shot group without letting it sit and cool down, 3 shots no problem, but 5-no way. I guess it depends on what kind of shooting you're gonna do with it. I bought mine for deer and antelope (if I can ever draw a tag here!), so I don't really care about getting more than 1 or 2 shots off at a time. Once it cools down, I can continue shooting again, no problems. If I wanted a higher shot cadence, I'd have bought a different caliber.

Greybeard's right about one thing though, they sure are heavy. Mine's 8 pounds WITHOUT scope and ammo... dang that's a lot for a "sporter"....

[mudhen]

My blued Vanguard Sub-MOA .270 WSM will shoot sub-1" from a stone cold barrel with no wind.  My best (and I suck) is a .77" three shot group in perfect conditions with factory Federal BTs.

BUT, once that barrel heats up, you are done for almost the whole day.

The gun fits me very well.

mudhen

[Graybeard]

A barrel that opens up when it heats up is a barrel that is not properly made. It is unrelieved stress in the barrel that causes this. It's NOT mandatory that a barrel do this even a thin barrel. I've owned way too many Remington Mountain rifles and Model Sevens that DO NOT shift POI when the barrel heats to ever accept a barrel that shifts POI when it heats again. Good barrels do not shift POI in a five shot group.

[mikey_b]

I've put 100 rounds now through my Weatherby Vanguard. It's the basic blued/synthetic rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum. I was thinking of getting the Weatherby Magnum version instead but figured the Winchester should perform very closely since they both share a 24" barrel on this model.

My first 3 shots at the range, barely on the paper, went into 2". Since I was breaking in the barrel, I was scrubbing frequently and running patches. The next 3 were closer together, and I started adjusting the scope to center on the target for break-in purposes. I put 4 more rounds into the target, scrubbing each time and letting it cool. Then I started shooting 3-shot groups.

The first 3-shot group with maybe a minute cool-down between shots was 1.5", which made my extremely pleased since I was shooting into a 10mph crosswind. The rifle was easily able to best that throughout the day. I think I shot a total of 10 single shots and 10 3-shot groups, scrubbing between each of the single shots and then between each of the 3-shot groups and the gun never displayed any bad habits of throwing shots. Bear in mind that was with off-the-shelf Federal Power-Shok 180gr ammo, nothing fancy, I got 2 boxes free with the gun.

My next trip to the range featured Barnes 180gr. TSX bullets and 72gr. RL-22 with Federal 215's, they crossed the chrony at 2920fps which was a little surprising for a starting load, but 10 3-shot groups all went in under 1". Consistent, reliable, repeatable accuracy, and the weather conditions were a little more favorable with only 5mph crosswind at the most.

So no accuracy problems here, to say the least. It's a great gun that fits me much more comfortably than others I had shouldered.

[sachel.45]

my standard 30-06 will put three shots touching at a hundred yards with 180 grain federals. as to them putting the gun in a machine rest and shooting it who cares if it doesnt shooting into an 1.5" at hundred yards send it back and theyll fix it condeming a company without letting them fix it seems a little weird to me

[Sourdough]

Just got back from the Range, sighted in for 400 yards.  After sighting in sat down and shot three rounds for grouping.  2" at 400 yards, I'm happy.  I'm shooting a Weatherby Accumark in .338/378.  Night Force 3.5X15X50 scope, (love the lighted reticle).  Nosler 225gr accubond, in front of IMR 7828, MV of 3210fps.  I'm 1/4" high at 100 yards, 3" at 200, 3.5 at 300, and in the bulls eye at 400 yards.  I'm shooting from a lead sled rest, on a bench, no wind.

[dpe.ahoy]

Just put the first 20 rounds thru my Vanguard 257 W this afternoon.  Last 3 at 170 paces was less than 2 inches, shooting off a milk crate with the gun case folded up on top and me squirming around behind it.  Came home and went to Big Bear and bought a real shooting table, enough of that crap!  Will try it again later.  Only shot 1 or 2 at a time to keep the barrel from getting to hot until the last 3.  I'm to lazy to clean after all those shots, will clean it here.  Was just trying to get it close to the bull, hadn't shot it before, found out I have the scope to far back.  It's wearing a Ziess Conquest and that is a nice scope, just not sure it's worth paying 4 1/2 times some of the other scopes I have.   DP.

[DLEB]

My 257 vanguard sporter shot 1 1/4" from factory with 100 grain factory ammo. New Timney trigger and free float and it shoots 3/4" with 115 Wby Ballistic Tips and 1/4" with 100 Wby ammo. This thing absolutely loves the Wby 100 grain ammo. I am still alittle stunned that it will shoot the 100s so tight. Best grouping rifle I have ever owned. I have had a few that would shoot 1/2" groups but this is totally unexpected.

[p5200]

Hi

Is there anybody who bought a Weatherby that is not as accurate as their guarantee?

Sweet

  Yes, since my funds are limited, this 30-06 Vangard will be traded on a Savage!