Stevens 200 or Weatherby Vanguard?

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aletheuo

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Hi - I've just stumbled onto a deal and a half. Ran into a closeout with NIB rifles and am going to pick up one.

Stevens 200 - 2 calibers only
7mm mag
300 winmag $299 (yes, 299)

Weatherby Vanguard blued syn - either
270 wsm
300 wsm $499

Trying to decide. I think since the stevens is only 6.5lbs those mags will kick like mules so the 7mm mag seems to be the only choice. But I will be reloading so I can load the 300 winmag to 30-06 levels instead, I suppose. Thoughts?

Personally, I think the best choice here is the 270wsm in the vanguard but... the extra $200 is a bit painful right now. Talk me into the vanguard, pleeeeeeese! (and while you're at it find a way to explain it to my wife that's respectful, honest and fully convincing that it will fit her needs better than $200 worth of groceries for the 4 kids)

ps - after I get my rifle I can pm anyone who would like the contact for this person cuz there's more, abolts, m77's. About $50 less than wss on everything but very little selection in calibers, mostly those stupid short mags that everyone likes.
 
Get the Weatherby 300 WSM if you reload. Both rifles are capable of great accuracy but the Weatherby is much much better built. 300 WSM is an awesome all round load

My 2 cents worth.

Or buy em both and sell one and maybe make a bit of profit. $299 for the Stevens is a good price because of the dollar now and if things keep going up next year you might make a decent return on your investment. Better than your mutual funds anyway.This may be a way of selling it to your significant other:D
 
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mylesrom said:
The have both, the Vanguard is worth the extra 200 bucks, and the Stevens will kill your shoulder in those calibers.
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Yes, but I am reloading so I can load them down - the question is... would I? After about 20 rounds I probably would not forget to. I've heard of others who filled the stevens stock with a removable insert of lead shot and epoxy to add a pound or two extra for the range and then removed it for hunting.
 
Yeah, I have used the lead trick in the stock. The Vanguard handles the recoil much better than the stevens. So you can buy the Stevens, fix it and change the recoil pad (50 bucks) download the cartridges and not use it at its full capacity. Or buy the Vanguard and use is to its full capacity.

Stevens is great in the other calibers, 25-06, 7mm-08, 270..... but I had both the 7mm mag and 300 mag in the stevens, and can't recommend either. If you are buying a Stevens, can't recommend buying them in a Magnum cartridge
 
Most important of all... who still has Stevens 200s for that cheap!?!?!


I would get a Stevens. There are a lot more companies producing accesories for the Stevens/Savage line.
 
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Buying a mag caliber and loading it down to shoot is a waste of potential. You should buy a lighter round instead. Maximizing the potential of a round in terms of hunting energy and trajectory generally produces better results than minimizing another.
 
For another 99 bucks you can have two Stevens compared to the Vanguard. :evil:

The Stevens is extremely low priced and people seem to forget this because the action and barrel is great. For those who don't know, the recoil pad on the Stevens stock is very hard and very thin, expect some recoil when testing but you won't notice when hunting.
 
I have both. Get the Vanguard. Both mine have new triggers, one a Rifle Basix and the other a Timney - the stock triggers were too rough. Either of the WSM's will do you just fine.
 
Stevens 200

Have/had the Stevens. Never had a Vangard.

For the money, I'd say get the Vangard but I'm not keen on the WSM ctg's.

So, we're back to the Stevens.

Of the two, I'd get the .300 Win Mag [only because I already have the dies/brass to reload for it].

But either 7mm Rem Mag or .300 Win Mag would do the job.

At $299 you can't lose. That's what I paid for the 200 I have in .243 Win.... :cool:

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
powdergun said:
Buying a mag caliber and loading it down to shoot is a waste of potential. You should buy a lighter round instead. Maximizing the potential of a round in terms of hunting energy and trajectory generally produces better results than minimizing another.
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So, you are saying that loading the 7 mag down to, say, 280/284 or even 7/08 & 7x57 velocities is a waste? Actually seems more efficient to me. What about the extra powder you are burning in the mags to get WAY less fps per grain? I really don't have the experience in loading, but I do have a BSc in physics and math and for some reason your thoughts here grab me wrong - actually totally opposite seems better in theory. I could be wrong, however. In fact, I've been known to be wrong before.

Seems to me, I would rather, for safety sake, have a round that, when loaded regularly is blistering and safe - rather than pushing a smaller case too hot to get enough out of it.

I know loading a large case down could cause detonation if you load it down too much with slow powders, but there's great support for reduced loads with Richard Lee's "modern reloading" in his One Grain factors, at least for the 300 winmag. He doesnt' have data for the 7mag, though.

Blast away - is my thinking screwed?
 
The other point being, here, that I am only saving $30 on the vanguard vs. $100 on the stevens.
Percentage savings 100/400 = 25% Stevens
30/530 = 5.7% Vanguard
More thoughts from a guy who cuts his own hair... now, that's cheap! The Stevens is just plain inexpensive.
 
Loading is a matter of efficiency. ( note: I do not support loading beyond legally published parameters )
If you look at data comparing 300 wsm with 300 win mag in some situations the wsm will equal or even slightly better the 300 win with less powder due to the efficiency of the powder burn rate and casing size.
Speed and energy are a product of bullet size and amount of powder but you need to consider efficiency as well. I feel that lets say a .308 win loaded with a proper powder bullet combination to meet your needs will be better efficient and economical than lets say a 300 win loaded down to the same level. You will have a lot of empty space in the win casing and that is not always the most efficient scenario.
If recoil is an issue I would buy a lighter recoiling cartridge rather than loading down a mag. However, if you want a greater range of versatility then by all means buy the mag. Load it up for Elk and down for the range.
I guess an analogy might be if you want to drive a 200 HP engine would you put it in a Big half ton or a small sedan to achieve the most efficient use. Its a tough question because efficiency( as it relates to hunting bullets) is a product of speed and mass.
This is what makes reloading fun. Just when you get a big mag figured out they come out with the wsm's

BTW I've been teaching physics and reloading for over 20 years and I used the word efficient way too many times. English is not my strength:D

Also I am not the David Suzuki of physics and I may be flawed in my thinking as well. One thing I do know is that keeping an open mind will only increase what you know so if any one out there has another take on this I'm all ears and looking to learn.
 
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powdergun said:
BTW I've been teaching physics and reloading for over 20 years and I used the word efficient way too many times. English is not my strength:D

Also I am not the David Suzuki of physics and I may be flawed in my thinking as well. One thing I do know is that keeping an open mind will only increase what you know so if any one out there has another take on this I'm all ears and looking to learn.
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Thread hijack in effect... (oh wait, I started the thread so I guess I can hijack my own, right?)
Me, too. What else do you do with a BSc. in Physics? We don't have any nuclear reactors here in BC yet. I've only been teaching for 8 years, though, and have always taught jr science so far. Right now I'm the school computer jock, however. Ok - enough personal info. I'm a gun nut and I don't wear my remington hat to school - yet. I can change.

Actually, I'll never forget my grade 11 physics teacher waiting for the end of school on opening day - he showed me his rifle behind the door in the physics prep room. He is no longer teaching but it wasn't that moment of indiscretion that caused his demise.

Aleth
 
I guess this isn't so bad of a hijack. I remember a few years back when a couple of my students asked if they could keep there shotguns in the principles office cause because they wanted to go duck hunting. He talked to their folks and it was no worry. He let them and they went duck hunting after school no fuss no muss. Oh for the good old days. I remember hunting before school and coming in at the last minute pulling off my camo ( I was dressed underneath so no weird stuff) as I came in the door of the school at the last minute. Never had a single complaint because people in that community were good down to earth folks.

Back on topic though. Let us know what you buy and how it goes. I'll have to test out our theories on reloading as soon as the snow is gone. I've got a new .243 and a 300 wsm ready to be played with.
 
if the cost were a big factor I'd get the Stevens in 7Mag and put a good recoil pad on it....or just load it to about 3000 with a 140 and keep the 280AI shooters happy....if cost were somewhat of a factor I'd get the Vanguard in 300WSM..
 
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