Weatherby Vanguard S2 300 WM, How far would you try and push it out to ?

[Canadiankeeper]

ok, I have found my main interest in the shooting hobby. Handguns and medium Range rifle shooting (mainly because in Southern Ontario hard to find 1000+ Yard areas lol).

I purchased a budget rifle to test the waters if I would really enjoy it and if I would shoot a lot. Fun fact, I do. So I shoot the Weatherby Vanguard S2 300 WM the most out of all my firearms now. It is a good rifle for the price point, but with no muzzle break it kicks like a mule and not many ways to customize it and fit it to me.

Im wondering how far should I really try and push out to distance wise as I might be heading out to Alberta to visit a buddy for a while and do some shooting.
if there are other rifles that I should think of maybe investing in and selling the Vanguard?
I shoot 600-1000 yards, would a 308 maybe be a better fit then the 300 WM ?
Cost less to shoot?
Is the performance that big of a difference in the calibers ?
Stick with the 300 WM cal and change up to a bit better of a preforming rifle ?
OR just enjoy shooting it.

 

[redshooter]

300 WM is a wee bit stiff in the recoil dept if the rifle isn't heavy or braked. Since you live in Ontario there is the issue of many ranges being limited to .308 win. .308 Win can shoot out to 1,000 yds. Others to consider are 260 Rem, 6.5X55 Swede, 7-08 Rem, or 284 Win. 6.5mm and 7mm are great for shooting paper out to a good distance. High BC's and moderate bullet weight makes for a good combo.

 

[Canadiankeeper]

300 WM is a wee bit stiff in the recoil dept if the rifle isn't heavy or braked. Since you live in Ontario there is the issue of many ranges being limited to .308 win. .308 Win can shoot out to 1,000 yds. Others to consider are 260 Rem, 6.5X55 Swede, 7-08 Rem, or 284 Win. 6.5mm and 7mm are great for shooting paper out to a good distance. High BC's and moderate bullet weight makes for a good combo.

Yea, I don't go to the range with rifles much. If the rifles go to the range its a semi auto just mess around with. The two ranges close to me go to 200 and 300 so... Thankfully a shooting buddy with plenty of farm land lets us go out to 1000 yards.
Its nothing unmanageable with the recoil but it is very hard to keep it from jumping up a lot and then you have to reposition usually.

How much of a difference are we talking about between 308 and 300 at 100 yards ? Cant be much.

 

[supernova]

I shoot a Howa 1500 varmint .308, recoil is mild. A sporter weight .300wm is going to be difficult to learn on with the harsh recoil and expensive ammo. That being said its still doable. I'd look into a common Remington or Savage factory hvy bbl rifle like an SPS tac or one of the Savage model 10's for a budget starter rig. Aftermarket support is geared towards both. The Howa/Weather by rifles are fantastic out of the box but aftermarket support is limited and not all gunsmiths are willing to deal with the metric threads for a barrel swap. The actions however are said to be very true from the factory, to the point its often not worth the investment to square up the action. Kind of a conundrum but I've got plenty of learning to do before mine will need a new barrel. And then of course there's reloading. A basic setup will pay for itself very quickly when you start comparing factory match ammo to the cost of good hand loads. A .223 or .308 is always a safe choice for low cost, rifle and component availability, low recoil and excellent performance.

 

[Canadiankeeper]

Thanks I know I don't really want to go near 223. Get pushed around by the wind to much, just a couple weekends ago we were shooting 600 yards in almost 50 mph winds... Still hitting a 12x12 gong though, was a good day to practice hold offs.

The 308 performance tips rounds are a lot cheaper then the 300s ballistic tips that's for sure ! At this time im unable to start reloading due to space.

Yea this barrel and rifle are new, but I find myself a very proficient shooter already for the limited long distance shooting I've done. Debating on do I sell the rifle with the under 200 round count and get something like a Remington 700 police in 308 or 300 win mag (if it has a break)

Or do I just keep trying to learn on this beast.

 

[Canadiankeeper]

Here is a pic just because lol

 

[sgt.rock]

My .300wm is a Howa Lightning stainless/synthetic. I have pushed pills out to 750 but that was in the dead of winter on a frozen lake, so it wasn't the most comfortable time I've had. The difference in speed can be 200-500 f/s with the .300 over the .308. The big difference is that to push the LONGER , HEAVIER bullets that shoot best at long distance, you end up taking up too much space in a .308win case. It is neck and neck with the .30-06 pretty much with 150 gr bullets, but thats where the extra case capacity comes in handy. To shoot a KM, every bit of speed helps. There is considerable wind drift when the bullet begins to slow down, and at .308 win speeds, it will just about be out of gas at 1000. You will need a good scope, and possibly a 20 moa base to help with the extreme elevation corrections. You could just get the barrel of the .300 muzzlebreaked if its not, and wear a sissy pad to help cut down recoil. (I sometimes take a thin lifejacket with me to the range for extended shooting sessions. It goes under my coat, and no one knows that I am wearing it to help cut down recoil.

 

[Canadiankeeper]

The 300 sounds like a suprerior performer from all the readings ive done even from what Ive looked into before I purchased the gun. I think I will stick with that round cal.

I purchased the "package" rifle, the optic got the tilt 20 rounds in lol, I ended up putting much better optic on it that is good for up to at least 800. The old package optic went back for warranty and is on its way back to me, will put it on a 22. lol.

If I put a break on my 300 would it have and negative effect on the gun ? Any recommendations on breaks ? I know gunsmiths are booked way in advance around here.

 

[supernova]

Reloading can be done in a tight space if need be. I hear good things about the Lee hand press, you could get loading your .300wm for well under $200 with a setup that fits in a shoebox lol. Far from ideal but workable and the savings in ammo costs plus load tuning make it very worthwhile. You can also turn the wick down to manage recoil and extend shooting sessions. But as for the rifle, if you're going to keep it I'd bed it and if necessary do a little trigger work. Does it have the 2 stage trigger?

 

[Canadiankeeper]

Reloading can be done in a tight space if need be. I hear good things about the Lee hand press, you could get loading your .300wm for well under $200 with a setup that fits in a shoebox lol. Far from ideal but workable and the savings in ammo costs plus load tuning make it very worthwhile. You can also turn the wick down to manage recoil and extend shooting sessions. But as for the rifle, if you're going to keep it I'd bed it and if necessary do a little trigger work. Does it have the 2 stage trigger?

no but ive adjusted the pull down to as low as it can go, I was thinking of putting a break on it but the break is 300 plus tax, if I sold the rifle and took the 300 I could just get a Remington in 300 WM that already has a break or is threaded an much more customizable.

I have a cheap, ikea table I use for my gun cleaning, parts storage and cleaning tools and supplies... I Don't think I could mount anything on it unless it was a stand alone press.

 

[supernova]

This is the press I meant:
http://www.budgetshootersupply.ca/frame.cfm?ItemID=650&CategoryID=107
No bench required, just add dies, scale and trimming tools and you're all set. As to whether or not to get a different rifle that is entirely up to you. A hvy bbl'd rifle in a good stock with a brake will cost you more than you'll get for the S2 but on the flip side recoil will be mild like a .308 sans brake and the heavy bbl will handle longer strings before groups open.

no but ive adjusted the pull down to as low as it can go, I was thinking of putting a break on it but the break is 300 plus tax, if I sold the rifle and took the 300 I could just get a Remington in 300 WM that already has a break or is threaded an much more customizable.

I have a cheap, ikea table I use for my gun cleaning, parts storage and cleaning tools and supplies... I Don't think I could mount anything on it unless it was a stand alone press.