Weatherby’s New Vanguard Series 2 Jon R. Sundra
around the pistol grip. The Vanguard line, however, is a different story. Which brings us to the subject of this article, the new 2012 Vanguard Series 2. The test gun sent us for evaluation was the Synthetic Stainless model chambered in 223 Rem. Distinguishing the Series 2 from earlier models is a new
The new Vanguard Series 2 is a handsome rifle by any standard, particularly if one is a fan of the Monte Carlo stock.
the most glamorous, most coveted rifle in the world – at least in my world – was the Weatherby Magnum. Compared to the Weatherby, the typical Remington 720 series of the day, and even the Winchester Model 70, was like comparing a Prius to a Lamborghini. I think it’s safe to say that the visual impression any rifle
B
makes on us is determined primarily by its stock, and what a stock the original Roy Weatherby design was! There was the highly exaggerated Monte Carlo dip at the rear of the comb, which blended seamlessly with a forward-sloping cheekpiece. The pistol grip was fully formed and extended considerably below the toe line, and ended with a rosewood cap with a white diamond inlay. Then there was the squarish fore-end that ended in a reverse angle, and it too was crowned with a rosewood tip separated by a white-line spacer. Even in the base model of the Mark V Magnum, all these highly stylized features were incorporated into a highly figured stock sheathed in a high gloss finish that almost hurt your eyes. And the stock finish was matched by a barreled action polished and blued to where it looked like black chrome. All these elements combined to make up what was surely the most distinctive and glamorous production rifle in the world. But that was a half century ago, and tastes and trends
have changed to where most American-made rifles today feature more conservatively styled stocks. But not Weatherby, where they remain steadfast to Roy’s original interpretation of the Monte Carlo, but only with the wood-stocked models in the Mark V Magnum line. The synthetic-stocked versions are not very faithful to the original, as they lack detail, especially
ack in the late 1950s when my passion for guns and hunting delineated itself from my other interests,
two-stage trigger, a new stock, and an MOA guarantee for all 13 models in the line. Since we started this piece talking about the Weatherby stock, let’s start with it. Though I personally prefer a straight comb classic to a Monte Carlo, this new injection-molded handle just may be the best example of its type I’ve yet seen. While it is almost impossible to duplicate with a laid-up fiber- glass stock the kind of detail – the sharp lines and crisp edges – that can be maintained with a good quality hardwood stock, there’s no reason why every last detail cannot be duplicated with an injection-molded one. And that is what the Weatherby folks have done with this Series 2 Griptonite stock – it is a virtual polymer clone of the original design and is extremely well done. Finished in a medium gray color, which of course is not
a finish at all, it’s the color of the polymer itself, so it’s gray through and through. In handsome contrast to the stock color are black rubberized panels on the grip and fore-end which are finely stippled and provide a soft, non-slip surface with plenty of friction. The fit along the barrel channel and receiver is virtu- ally perfect; I could not slip a piece of paper anywhere along the seam lines. It looks like the barreled action is glass bedded, it’s that tight. Of course that’s only along the seam lines; below the seams the barrel channel is hollow, so it does not contact the bar- rel except for a pressure ridge at the fore-end tip that on the test gun applied about 6 lbs. of dampening pressure. In other words, it took about 7 lbs. to pull the barrel free of contact with the stock at the fore-end tip. In my experience, 5 to 10 lbs. is about right, so this is right in the ball park. Completing the stock furniture are the ubiquitous swivel studs, and a nice, soft recoil pad that should be very effective on calibers that warrant it. As for the Vanguard’s guts, it’s the same basic barreled
action originally introduced in 1970, and as such it’s one of the most time-tested rifles extant. Of course there have been minor changes made over the years to arrive at the Series 2, but the basic bolt and receiver are the same as they were 42 years ago, and still made by the same Japanese manufacturer, Howa Machinery Ltd. The receiver is a flat-bottomed forging with an integral
recoil lug that’s massive enough to host the forward action screw. The bolt and its integral handle is also a forging. The handle, being integral, is a good thing because it lowers into a notch in the right sidewall of the receiver to act as a safety lug. The twin-
Largest Smallest Average Group Group 100 Yards
Hornady Superformance 53-gr. V-Max
The Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 in 223 Rem. with a Leupold VX-2 4-12x40 scope in Leupold’s QR mount weighed 8³⁄₄ lbs.
Page 76 Spring 2013
Barnes VOR-TX 55-gr. TSX Black Hills 55-gr. Soft Point
1.35" 0.95" 1.10" 1.80" 1.65"
Remington 55-gr. Accu-Tip 1.3"
1.20" 1.15" 0.75"
1.65" 1.40" 1.05"
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