I believe the Weatherby Vanguard is made by Howa (a huge Japanese firearms co.) that makes a good quality rifle. Most will shoot 1.5 MOA with factory ammo right out of the box.
The Remington Model 7 is also a quality rifle, but the barrel is pretty thin, and with the 18.5 or the 20 inch barrels, alot of them will only shoot 2.0 to 2.5 MOA out of the box with factory ammo.They also heat up pretty quickly, so after 2 or 3 shots, they will walk . Also, because they are so short, they are butt heavy, and do not point worth a damn. (Yea, I hunted with one for 5 years. Great for hunting from a tree stand at fairly close range, out to 125 yards.)
If getting the lightest and handiest rifle possible is your objective, then get the Remington Model 7. If you are just looking for a good quality "lighter" rifle, then get the Vanguard. (You can always make it "handier" by cutting 1/2 inch off of the buttstock, and having the barrel cut and crowned back to 21 or 21.5 inches. I have done this with other full size hunting rifles, and it makes them amazingly quick and handy!)
And, if you are looking for the most inexpensive, best bargain, most accurate rifle out of the box, with a synthetic stock, then skip the Vanguard, and get a Stephens 200 synthetic stocked rifle (which is the same rifle as the Savage 111, but without the accutrigger, and with a grey colored stock instead of a black one.) You can find these for as little as $280!!!
Just some thoughts.
Mannyrock
