Vanguard 2

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BIGDONK

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Hey all!

I have been looking into a new hunting rifle for medium-large game and have been considering the Vanguard 2 Sporter DBM by Weatherby in 30-06...Now I have been hearing nothing but rave reviews from the Tikka T3 but I cant help but lean toward the Weatherby.

Anyone own one of these bad boys? Would I be better off with just picking up a Tikka T3? Would be great to hear from an owner of both.

Thanks!!
 
Well I bought a Weatherby Vanguard 1 for my dad in 30-06 with tan rubber touch sub moa stock and both the hinged floor plate and detachable mag. I also own 2 Tikka T3's. Now I'll start by saying both are very accurate. However here is what I don't like. The vanguard is heavy, the trigger is okay but not as solid as the Tikka and the bolt throw is longer. Also we almost lost the bolt once, it fell out while walking. Also the detachable mags are very plastic compared to the Tikka ones. Now like I said it is a model one and is very accurate. But all things aside for me I would by a Tikka hands down, but both will get the job done.

Chad
 
I have both a vanguard s2 and a t3 lite.

IMHO for the money the vanguard s2 is the best rifle out there. New stock is very good, new trigger is excellent. 3 position safety (can unload with safety on), no plastic parts (bolt shroud, magazine, trigger guard) and it has sub moa accuracy guarantee. It also has a flat bottom receiver and an integral recoil lug.

T3 costs more, is a bit lighter, has lots of plastic, very good trigger, and excellent barrels. Also has an accuracy guarantee.

I will recommend the vanguard s2 without hesitation. It is an excellent gun for ~$550.
 
I recently bought a vanguard S2 22-250 and for the price I cannot complain at all; shooting sub moa 100 yard groups with 50gr hornady superformance ammo. Love the gun and would definately recommend one to someone looking for a great shooting, inexpensive gun.
 
My son owns a T3 and I own a S2 with the wood stock. For me, the Weatherby is a little heavier and for me, seems a little more balanced with the heavier 24" barrel.

Mine out shoots son's with identical loads. His seems to have a wee bit more kick too. The price for mine was about $100 less than the Tikka. IMHO, I prefer the S2, hands down.

WbyS2002.jpg


WbyS2001.jpg
 
If you are new to shooting you might avoid the t3 light as they recoil quite sharply, they are only 6 1/4 lbs, good way to develope a flinch, (I do own two they are great rifles, stupid accurate)if you want a tikka you could try the laminate stock model. With that said if you plan on doing some backpack hunting then the t3 light is a great choice. I don't own any Vanguards but I think that will be my next purchase, come to think of it if I didn't want a lightweight rifle I would probably take one over a tikka, they are priced better and just feel a little more "solid", for whatever that's worth.

I have "heard" a couple of concerning things about the tikka's ability to handle escaping gases in case of a case rupture and therefore I like the gas ports on the vanguard's bolt. Maybe somebody with more knowledge about this might chime in.

good luck with your purchase
 
Nothing is perfect. Both those rifles have way more satisfied owners than unhappy ones. It is best to try shooting each before deciding but that is usually not easy. It is good to at least handle them to get a sense of how they feel. But whether you get that close beforehand or have to just buy them mail order unseen, get the one you think you will like better or you'll be looking back wondering...
 
Buy the Weatherby which is cheaper and use what you saved to get a good scope and rings.
I have a Vanguard in .243 win and its a solid MOA gun. Plus it has a metal trigger guard and bolt shroud.
Very happy with mine and was lucky to buy it for $350 when they were clearing out.
 
I too purchased a "fire sale" Vanguard S1. I put a timney trigger on it with the 3 position and it is a phenomenal gun for $450 all together. A have a friend that purchased the T3 lite at the same time as well. Both in .243. The T3 is undeniably better for long walks as it's considerably lighter but I love the weight of the Vanguard for at the range. Not only will it dull the recoil much better but I like to feel a solid gun in my hands, not the weight of a toy. With 58gr v-max handloaded with 41.5 gr of H4895 I will easily do a group the size of a quarter at 100. Which is obviously good enough to hit gophers, coyotes, and the kill zone on a deer. The guns shoot similar with cheap federal ammo. If I recall the T3 is guaranteed 1 inch groups and the factory S1 is guaranteed 1.5. When it comes to the kill zone on a deer that half an inch isn't going to make much of a difference.

Like I said before the recoil on the vanguard in .243 was almost negligible. The T3 however was a little bit sharp (my friend is a smaller framed guy) and he put a limbsaver on it and now has no complaints. I would definitely put one on if you're buying it in .30-06 as it's going to like to jump on you.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that with getting into reloading the vented bolt on the vanguard was a really nice feature. The bolt (and gun in general) to me feels a lot more sturdy and therefore reliable.

Happy hunting.
 
I bought a Vanguard S1 in 257 wby and i'd have to say it's my goto rifle! good qulity, nice price, and it shoots just as well and maybe better then any tikka or MK 5 i've ever owned.
 
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Well, I am still a Remington 700 guy, but have several "other" makes that I like and shoot a lot.
Amongst the "Other" rifles are 3 Vanguards [First generation, not S2]
They are in 270 Winchester, 30-06 and 338 Win Mag.
The 270 was sub-moa right out of the box, even though not a sub-moa model.
My load with the 140 AB and Vihtavuori N165 regularly groups around ¾moa.
The 30-06 shot 1.5 moa out of the box.
I relieved the pressure on the forend, and the groups immediately shrunk to 1 moa or slightly less.
The 338 is brand new, and I have not had time to work with it yet, but the sample target [with the 225 grain pill] was about 1¼ moa.
Even if it stays at 1¼ moa, I will be pleased, but I'll bet a good handlod will shrink that a bit as well.
Buy a Vanguard with confidence, they are great rifles.
The triggers on all three of mine are factory, but I have adjusted them all.
They are not what I would call great, but acceptable on a hunting rifle.
If I had an issue with the trigger, I would simply install a Timney.
Regards, Eagleye
 
WOW...thank you all for such in depth responses, I really appreciate the help. I have decided to go with the Weatherby and use the saved money for a nice vortex scope..I will make sure to post some pics when the rig is all purrrrrttyy.

Thank again!!
 
Own a Vanguard 300 WM in first version. My go-to rifle. One weakness, as someone else noted, is that I've also had the bolt fall out twice while leaving the truck. The bolt release is far too exposed, the spring too light, and easy to bump. Minor, but damned annoying when it happens! (especially when there's a monster muley waiting for you to get your unowhat together...!) Been a pretty good rifle overall. Gunsmith set up the trigger, can't see any reason whatsoever to change up to a Timney or whatever. Note that the V2 uses a 2 stage trigger, or so I've read. Might take some getting used to.

A Limbsaver recoil pad helps tame the T3 Lite, but in a magnum like 300 WSM still has some bite. For packing on serious hikes, the T3 is pretty sweet. And they do shoot the lights out like few others!
 
Just an update on my Vanguard in 338 Win Mag.
Now that I have had a chance to shoot it, I already have two loads shooting under 1 moa.
The 210 grain Scirocco chased by H4831.
The 225 Hornady IL chased by RL 19.
I even managed to fluke a 1½ inch 3-shot group at 225 yards. :)
Buy with confidence, they are a great value.
Eagleye.
 
Just got back from the range with my Vanguard 338 again.
This time I was working with the 225 Accubond/Reloder 19.
To my delight it is solidly sub-moa, something I could not say for the Tikka 338
that I had previously. [Only thing it would shoot moa was the 250 Hornady]
Plus the recoil is considerably tamer with the Vanguard.
I'm loving this rifle so much I just bought another one. [My first S2]
Regards, Eagleye.
 
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