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Forum Index > Rifles general discussion > Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...

Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...

05 Feb 2023
@ 02:02 pm (GMT)

Michael Roach

Hey everybody, my apologies for the long rant however your thoughts please.
My father (after I asked him if I could borrow his 223 X bolt, to thin and eat some of the wild goats that exist on our property ) took it upon himself to purchase (on my behalf) a 2nd hand 223 Weatherby Vanguard at a gun show he visited. I think he just had to buy something to be honest.. when I received said rifle it looked near new, it came with an old Bushnell banner 3-9 scope and an overbarrel suppressor that lies within 1 cm of forend, it felt short /chunky almost tactical and at 900$ (NZ) all up, I thought ok, so I happily paid him back the money and took it home.
. When I removed the suppressor I found the crown/threading covered in carbon/light surface rust and the barrel had been shortened to 18 inches.(2 major red flags I thought).I cleaned the rifle and touched up the muzzle with a toothbrush and then tried to sight it in with cheap PMC 55 grain ammunition. Results were dismal, 70 metres 'prone and sandbagged' my best group was 1 1.5 inch (3 shots). 40 rounds down range with and without suppressor that day. Sometimes I would get 2 shots within an inch or closer and then the 3rd would fly off by an inch or more
In the end I decided she was kinda sighted in and gave her a good clean and decided to focus on some fun offhand shooting practice over the next week or so. After killing 50+ beer cans at ranges between 20-50 metres my confidence was renewed, I trekked up the hill, crawled within 30m of a mob of goats and let fly. Rifle performed well I shot 3 small goats all dropped instantly with either head or shoulder shots with forementioned PMC ammo but I cant help but think "could that calibre/ rifle configuration have done the same at 60-100m with better accuracy and ammunition

I then decided I would start taking the rifle a little bit more seriously, I purchased 20 rounds of Hornady V max 60 grain from the local store, soaked the rifle barrel in Eliminator for half a day then bore brushed/patched though/bore snaked until the barrel and crown was as spotless (for want of a bore scope) as possible. I worked on the trigger until it was as light and crisp as it would allow and then went back to shooting on paper at 15m and the groups where worse than at 70m?!?... shots all over the place 'scope adjustments didn't seem to make much difference either'.

So I guess my questions are 1, Is this rifle even worth working on? Is a 223 with an 18 inch barrel even a viable option ( if I can salvage it) for hunting goats and cans? or did the previous owner retard this rifle so much that rebarrelling is the only sane option.


2.Is the Weatherby Vanguard action, with time and money spent going to give me a potentially better result than say just selling it to my friend who thinks its the bees knees(his standards are low, however he only hunts beer cans ) and putting the money on a new Bergara or dare I say a Tikka that would probably suit my needs right out of the box?

3. should I consider this a blessing, or a learning opportunity and try and DIY problem solve/accurise/bed the whole rifle on a very limited budget (keeping in mind safety considerations of course) I have a very nice remington 270 that is near completion but I am hesitant to start bedding process as I have never done it before, I could practice on this one. I could also swap out the scopes as to rule out the possible optics factor. I seems to me that I dont really have much to lose based on the performance I have seen so far..

Replies

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06 Feb 2023
@ 07:42 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
Hi Michael, as per usual it is hard to diagnose this sort of thing via the internet. I suppose the first thing to consider is that few people will sell a good and accurate rifle. Whoever owned this previously, likely shot it until it was poked and shifted it.

The Vanguard (Howa) receiver is possibly worth holding on to. Recently, Howa started producing the mini action, a copy of the Vixen, a compact receiver design scaled down for the .222 /.223 case dimesnions. The only trouble with this receiver design is that it cannot handle very long projectiles. If you study your rifle, you will find that the Weatherby variant utilizes the regular .308 receiver but with a sheet metal block in the mag well to shorten it up. This means that you have room to make alterations should you wish to use longer projectiles in conjunction with a fast twist rate barrel.

The barrel may well be stuffed. The use of suppressors in NZ has been a veritable muppet show. If its blued (chrome moly), it likely is poked. Stainless tends to last a little longer but will still corrode and delaminate if poorly cared for.

A barrel length no shorter than 20" is generally best in order to obtain a reasonable speed (kinetic energy), especially if using factory ammo. It is a hunting rifle, not a CQBR. But of course, common sense barrel lengths runs counter to current NZ trends. Yours is short but probably also of loose dimensions following corrosion. A low energy .223 can sometimes fail to produce clean kills whether neck or head shooting.

The Bushnell Banner may or may not be an issue, hard to say with the Chinese stuff. One can generally 'get away with it' on low recoiling rifles.





08 Feb 2023
@ 09:12 am (GMT)

Scott Struif

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
The problem could also be a pinched magazine, or loose action screws. Remove the 2 action screws, and separate the barreled action from the stock. Drop the floor plate, and remove the magazine. Clean the action to stock mating surfaces, and the recoil lug recess. To reassemble, fit the magazine into the action with the magazine facing up. Then place the stock on it. While holding things together with one hand, confirm that the magazine has some vertical play. Stand the rifle on the floor, or your work bench, with the muzzle pointed up. Apply pressure downward on the barrel to ensure that the recoil lug is forced against the lug recess. Torque the forward action screw to 45 in. lbs., then torque the rear action screw to 45 in. lbs. The magazine should still have vertical play.
08 Feb 2023
@ 10:44 am (GMT)

Michael Roach

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
Thanks Nathan and Scott I will play with it a bit and see what I can come up with. Action seems to be well cared for.. might send it to true flight and get their opinion if I am at a complete loss.
08 Feb 2023
@ 10:44 am (GMT)

Michael Roach

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
Thanks Nathan and Scott I will play with it a bit and see what I can come up with. Action seems to be well cared for.. might send it to true flight and get their opinion if I am at a complete loss.
09 Feb 2023
@ 06:47 pm (GMT)

Mike Davis

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
try winchester 55grn factory..mate has same rifle and it LOVES it...half inch clover leaf groups.
09 Feb 2023
@ 06:50 pm (GMT)

Mike Davis

Re: Weatherby Vanguard 223 is it a resell...
also DEFINATELY try another known to be good scope..dont even have to zero it..just poke some holes in paper somewhere..and while changing it over triple check scope bases and rings to ensure they are firm and not moving...Ive been caught twice by loose scope bases before,strangely enough both times were after it had visited gunsmith to have work done.
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