Who has a Weatherby Vanguard & what have you done to it???

[atomicjoe23]

I just got a Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special in .22-250 Remington with a 22" #3 contour heavy barrel. . .

. . .and I want to do some minor upgrades to personalize the rifle, but I don't know a whole lot about the Weatherby Vanguards. . .

. . .I would like to change the bolt handle to one of the aftermarket ones. . .will all bolt handles fit on most rifles. . .i.e. can I use one for a Rem 700???

. . .things I'm considering:
-free floating the barrel. . .maybe changing the stock at the same time???

-when/if I free float the barrel/change stocks I will definitely be painting the stock and I'm gonna use Brownell's AlumaHyde II to paint the barrel in a matte color to match the stock. . .I'm thinking of using one of the 3 "peel-n-stick" digital camo spray patterns that Brownell's carries (Lauer's, Bulldog, and one other) to paint the stock in a 3 or 5 color digital pattern. . .I will paint the barrel to match in either one color or go the whole 9 yards and digital out the barrel as well. . .

-changing the bolt handle

 Thanks for letting me know what you've done, what will work, what won't work, and generally helping me out!!!

[mossback91]

dang you just got it and you are already pimpin it out 

[atomicjoe23]

I don't know about "pimpin it out". . .I don't even have a scope yet. . .could only afford the rifle, but I am thinking ahead. . .

I may start out with just glass bedding the action/free floating the barrel in the stock that it came with and painting the stock/barrel at the same time while I have it apart. . .

. . .painting it will go a LONG way to personalizing the it and it would be a relatively cheap route as well. . .

. . .the bolt handles are only like $40 so that's not bad either. . .

. . .first things first is I have to get a scope, base, and rings though. . .

. . .I'm not positive yet, but if I change out the stock I will probably go with an A5 style stock or with the Knoxx Axiom stock. . .I can get the Axiom stock for under $300 but it would definitely need painted. . .if I got a regular synthetic stock from someone like McMillan, HS Precision, or Manners the stock would already be painted for me. . .

. . .I looked at a .308 Savage LE model at the same time that I got my Weatherby and it had an HS Precision stock that was REALLY nice. . .that palm swell on the stock is absolutely amazing at how comfortable it is. . .I haven't ever held a rifle with a palm swell before but I have to tell you I'm sold on it now!!!

[demontang]

I have a vangaurd in .338win that I free floated the barrel on and I'm putting a boyd's target stock on. I dont know about the bolt handle but I'm sure someone will know.

[FrankDown]

Howd the bedding and free floating do on that?  I have a 300 weatherby mag and I can touch the holes on the bench with it out the box at 100 yards.  Thats good enough for me.  If I get them all through the same hole I may start to think Im missing the target altogether.

Ive done nothing to my Vanguard but reload for it lol.  At 60 dollars for 20 rounds of ammo I HAD to start reloading for it.

Ive thought about doing things to it but havent done anything.  It seems to shoot fine for what Im using it for.

[jackelope]

does the barrel need to be floated? it probably already is...have you checked?
bolt handles are application specific.
before you buy a stock, you're gonna need a scope. IMO concentrate on making it functional before you worry about making it pretty.
trigger upgrade is something i would do 1st and foremost after the scope.
timney, rifle basix, you have options.

[FrankDown]

I found my trigger to be acceptable for hunting.  I dont want something thats gonna go off when I stick a gloved finger in there anyway.

[satchel3006]

i painted one of mine havent painted the newest one yet. before you glassbed or freefloat it you should at least shoot it first.

[FrankDown]

Mine like I said was fine out the box.  I would shoot it a while and see how it works out.  Work on your techniques, grip, trigger pull, etc.  If theres still unacceptable variences or you need it moreaccurate then try the other stuff.  Benchrest shooting and hunting are two slightly different monsters, although they can walk down the same aisle in the sporting goods department.  An 1/8 in at 100 yards isnt much when you consider the size of a coyote or even a ground hog.  Just my two cents worth on it.  If I were shooting reproductive organs off of houseflies at that range Id maybe look into spending a lot of money but Im not.   

I think the Vanguards are a good rifle for the money and are fairly accurate for the money.  It doesnt to me make much sense to spend another 1000 dollars on it to have a Vanguard still.  Id rather just buy a 1500 dollar rifle to start with.  That said, Im happy with my vanguard, what I paid for it, and how it shoots.

I have a heavy barrel 10/22 that Im thinking about glass bedding and free floating better because I have nothing better to do with it than to try to shoot cheap 22 ammo in the same hole at 100 yards.  If thats what you want to I say do it.  I dont hunt with it much because it weighs as much as my Vanguard and two Beretta autoloaders combined almost lol.

Some rifles, even within the same manufacturer and model, will like one bullet better than the other.  Although Bob might get 5/8 inch groups with SuperDuper 55 grain, you migh not get 2 inches out of it, but will with Superduper 60 grains and 45 grains.  It depends on the particular harmonics of the barrel.

I have a good feeling that you will be more than happy with the paper holes being close together once you get teh scope on it.  What did the paper target that came with it look like?  I looked through three boxes and picked the best paper target grouping in the box and chose that rifle.

[bobcat]

I replaced the synthetic factory stock on my Vanguard with a Bell & Carlson. They're not the best stocks made but for the price I think it's pretty good and much better than the cheap plastic stock it came with. The rifle was just about unshootable with the factory trigger so that got replaced with a Timney, set to 2 1/4 pounds. I want to free float the barrel and bed the action. Right now it has a pressure point built into the stock almost at the end of the forearm. I think it would shoot better free floated.

[FrankDown]

Wow, I guess I lucked up on my trigger then.  Im not sure Id set mine to 2 1/2 pounds for hunting though, maybe Im just stupid and hardheaded.

[demontang]

After I free floated the barrel my groups got a lot tighter. It was shooting about 1.5 before and after with factory ammo it was shooting 1" now with my hand loads it down to 2 in one hole and 1 about 1/4" off to the side, which I think that I pulled on.

This is kind of what my groups look like

[atomicjoe23]

I have a 300 weatherby mag and I can touch the holes on the bench with it out the box at 100 yards.  Thats good enough for me.  If I get them all through the same hole I may start to think Im missing the target altogether.

If i can consistently touch holes I will be VERY happy and will leave the stock as is with regards to free floating the barrel and glass bedding the action. . .

At 60 dollars for 20 rounds of ammo I HAD to start reloading for it.

What ammo are you shooting. . .I checked Sportsman's and the most expensive box of .22-250 that I saw was $23.96 for the Hornady Moly Coated bullets. . .

[atomicjoe23]

does the barrel need to be floated? it probably already is...have you checked?.

Yes I checked. . .the barrel is not free floated

bolt handles are application specific..

That's what I figured. . .but I didn't see any listed for Howa or Weatherby or Browning. . .just for Savage and Remington. . .

before you buy a stock, you're gonna need a scope. IMO concentrate on making it functional before you worry about making it pretty..

I agree 100%. . .just thinking ahead is all. . .I'm a little excited to have a new rifle. . .this is the first new that I have ever owned. . .a new shotgun and a new rifle all in one year. . .yippee!!!

trigger upgrade is something i would do 1st and foremost after the scope.
timney, rifle basix, you have options.

I thought about that, but that is something that I'm definitely going to shoot for a little bit first to see how I like it before replacing the trigger. . .especially since the stock trigger is  supposed to be adjustable. . .

[atomicjoe23]

I dont want something thats gonna go off when I stick a gloved finger in there anyway.

+1 on that. . .