Looking for first new Weatherby rifle and optics need your experience and suggestions

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Psionicwiz

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I've decided I want a Weatherby Vanguard Sporter (Because of the wood stock) VDT308NR40
Caliber 308 - I like the flexibility of this round, and want to hunt deer, moose and elk
Will be going to the range every so often.
(If you know where I can get one of these please pm me)

Im a best bang for the buck kinda guy with quality in mind.... I've never setup nor added optics to a riffle... I've always used what I was given... This means I have 0 experience, I will be going out hunting for the first time with a group of experienced friends and I would rather pay once and be happy than make mistake and waste my money.

For you optics specialist what would your best bang for the buck optics combo be? (scope and rings) for this riffle?
 
That is an excellent choice for a first rifle.......

As far as scopes go, depending on your budget, I would love ok at one of the following:

Leupold vx2 if you want to spend $5-600 on a scope these are great bang for the buck....

Nikon Prostaff 5, if you have less to spend.... they are the best value to be had for the dollar in my opinion....

Both of the above have excellent warranties as well......
 
I'm likely gonna come off as a douchbag on this and will likely get beaten out of this thread....but why wood stocked???? Wood warps, shrinks, dries, splits/cracks. For hunting purposes synthetic stocks offer much more durability and practicality! I hated sitting in the rain in a deer stand watching the wood stock on my 30-30 win swell up over the edge of the rubber butt pad and wonder what it would do to the accuracy of my rifle. Wood looks great and feel good in the hand ...but for a hunting rifle I'd select composite over wood any day. As for you choice of rifle and caliber A+

This is just my opinion to each their own if you choose wood it's a free world and your money to spend.
 
cdn1canhunt said:
I'm likely gonna come off as a douchbag on this and will likely get beaten out of this thread....but why wood stocked???? Wood warps, shrinks, dries, splits/cracks. For hunting purposes synthetic stocks offer much more durability and practicality! I hated sitting in the rain in a deer stand watching the wood stock on my 30-30 win swell up over the edge of the rubber butt pad and wonder what it would do to the accuracy of my rifle. Wood looks great and feel good in the hand ...but for a hunting rifle I'd select composite over wood any day. As for you choice of rifle and caliber A+

This is just my opinion to each their own if you choose wood it's a free world and your money to spend.
Click to expand...

Just oil up your wood stock and it will be fine..... you can watch the water bead on it and take care of it when you get home.... and when it gets more "character" than you can take, simply strip it and apply some tru oil.......

That being said, I own several synthetic rifles as well and pick them when the weather is crap now..... but if I only had one you can bet it would be wood stocked and well taken care of......
 
Psionicwiz said:
I've decided I want a Weatherby Vanguard Sporter (Because of the wood stock) VDT308NR40
Caliber 308 - I like the flexibility of this round, and want to hunt deer, moose and elk
Will be going to the range every so often.
(If you know where I can get one of these please pm me)

Im a best bang for the buck kinda guy with quality in mind.... I've never setup nor added optics to a riffle... I've always used what I was given... This means I have 0 experience, I will be going out hunting for the first time with a group of experienced friends and I would rather pay once and be happy than make mistake and waste my money.

For you optics specialist what would your best bang for the buck optics combo be? (scope and rings) for this riffle?
Click to expand...

I know Weatherby guarantees their rifles to be sub MOA with premium ammo but mine has been "in service" for the past 6 months because it didn't group worth a $hit with any of the premium ammo I could get my hands on.
I've spent the rifle's worth in ammo for nothing!
Get a Savage!
 
You have just missed the annual orders where most shops order their stuff from their importers.

Of the two importers I use for Weatherby, one no longer lists the Sporter and the other shows zero stock. What you want could have been ordered, by a vendor, at the December shows and you would have likely seen it no later than August.

I personally own four Vanguard II's - a deluxe and a sporter (pretty much the same wood, different finish - deluxe is glossy, sporter is matte) also have one with a factory laminated stock and one of the synthetics.

I don't fully buy into the "synthetic is better than wood". I have a Remington and a Winchester rifle, both from the 1950's, both hunted extensively over the years, neither babied by any means and my cleaning regimen is not exactly stringent and both of the stocks are in fine shape.

As a vendor I also assemble shot guns, put in bolts, mags etc for the "showcase" and can tell you that if I am going to run across a warped stock, and particularly on a shotgun, it will be a "synthetic stock" 99 times out of 100. Maybe they don't warp over time, but they certainly come warped right from the factory.

Anyhow, at this point in time if I was looking for a 308 Sporter I would contact Prophet River. I believe they import themselves and they can source what you are after if it's available. The Sporter's were almost always in stock at the wholesalers I use a couple years back but once the price started climbing they became a "only bring them in if they are pre-ordered".
 
If you want something a little more unique then the Sporter, Wholesale Sports carries an exclusive "True North" edition that is $999, wood stock and cerracoted from the factory. Probably the same cost as a sporter these days anyway.
They don't come in .308, but the big brother 30'06 or (puke) 270Win if you are after less recoil.
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In 3-9ish scopes, VX-1 seems to be about $370, VX-2 is about $470, and VX3i is $599 at WSS.

The VX2 might have some drop in clarity or light transmission, but it's really hard to see, if so. The VX-2s actually have a couple of upseides, like less variable eye releif through the zoom range and noticeably lover weight.

I'd spring for a VX-2. I think mine fit in Talley Lightweight Extra Lows. I remember that my rings were the extended ones, and I had to file the front of the "base" to get it to clear the scope bell. My Vanguard is a long action, though.

As for Leupold in general... I just love the people at their distributor, Korth, and the service and support they provide, so I'm very brand loyal. Bushnell is very good too.
 
I prefer synthetic stocks simply because I don't feel bad if I scuff them, etc. As far as wood being inferior, you'd be hard-pressed to tell from the millions of wood-stocked firearms out there. Some have been in service for hundreds of years. Take care of your gun, it will last. Also, a nice wooden stock (heck, even a cheapie) is a lot classier than any synthetic.
 
I lucked out a little with mine. Remember when we all went on the buying frenzy at WSS and bought all the flamers lol? I bought one in .30/06 then almost immediately scored a walnut sporter take off from the EE. I then stripped and repainted the flamer to have for a spare. If a B&C medalist happens along, for a good deal, I will grab one.
 
I'm a fan of the Vanguard, so good choice. Mine has been my go-to rifle for about 15 years now.

As for optics...

I am also a big fan of Bushnell Elite scopes. Their two latest models have excellent glass. I'd compare the 4500 series to scopes costing two to three times as much (without naming any brands).

The 3500 Elite is almost as good.

Put some Weaver style bases on it (steel if you can get 'em, or the Leupold version in steel, much better quality than the aluminum ones). Uses the same bases as Remington 700s.

Then find a set of Burris Signature rings, medium height, and install a 3500 3-9x40, or the 4500 2.5-10x40, with duplex reticle (keep it simple!) and you're good to go for many years.

There are certain dos and don'ts when it comes to mounting a scope properly. If you're not familiar with the process, find someone who is...and do not assume the sales guy behind the counter knows what he's doing when it comes to scope mounting! (speaking from experience!)
 
I've got a pair of Vangaurds, nice rifles. Mine are both the older S1 version, and I don't know for sure if the scope bases for the S2's are the same, but the Remington 700 bases aren't quite a match for the older ones like I have. They will bolt up, but the rear mount needs to be slightly higher for a Vanguard than it does for the 700. I'm pretty sure I got the dimensions from the Talley website, and I think it was .008". I used a steel shim under mine because I could get the 700 mounts locally but would have had to order the Vanguard specific ones. Also, you can't use a one piece rail for a short action 700 on a short action Vanguard, but the long action will match up. My 30-06 has a Bushnell Elite 4200 3-9x40 on a one piece rail for a 700, and my .243 has an Elite 4200 2.5-10x40 in Talley lightweights. I'd buy either setup over again if I had the chance.
Kristian
 
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