My Story Of My New In-between Rifle & Why It's A .300 Win Mag...

Badboymelvin said:

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd just share a pic and a bit of a back story about how I acquired my latest purchase.
It's nothing fancy or exotic.
It's a Weatherby Vanguard and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag.
It's fitted with a Bell & Carlson stock and up top it has some Nikko Stirling one-piece rings and a Nikko Stirling 'Platinum' 3-10x42 scope.
Once again, nothing fancy.
A lot of people don't like Nikko Stirling scopes, but they are fitted with Japanese glass and are nice clear, rugged scopes. I've had a few now and all have been dependable and done what I asked of them.
And actually, a lot of people don't like Weatherby Vanguards either, but I do so here's my story...

View attachment 748021

There is a bit of a running joke between me and my friends about the amount of firearms that I buy and sell while I try and find my 'perfect' collection of rifles that suit my style of hunting... and I think that I'm finally there.

Before everyone laughs, let me give you an example...
I haven't bought a DG rifle for years.
I have finally settled on my 425 Express to fill that role, and since acquiring it, I haven't ever considered selling it and replacing it.
Just like I haven't bought a lighter caliber rifle in a long time as I've chosen my Marlin XS-7 in .308 to fill that role.
And, I haven't purchased a shotgun in a long time as the U/O Baikal 12g does everything I want - plus I really like it and it fits me like a glove.

You see... I'm getting there, and the only rifle I hadn't really settled on was my in-between rifle.
By in-between rifle I mean the rifle thats sits between my .308 and my 425 Express...
After trying a few different cartridges as my potential in-between rifle, I finally had it narrowed down and knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum of some variety.

If you ask me, the various .300 Magnum's are just simply magnificent hunting cartridges.
They just shoot so flat if a longer shot is required - yet just absolutely smash big things up close if needed.
Of the dozens and dozens of cartridges I've owned over the years, the various .300 Magnums in my opinion are just the most versatile big game cartridges available.

I've personally owned quite a few .300 Magnums over the years.
These have included several .300 Win Mags, a .300 Weatherby and a .308 Norma Magnum.
I've also considered at times buying a .300RUM, a 300WSM and a .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. But despite these temptations, I always end up coming back to the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Weatherby.

In my opinion the .300 Weatherby is just plain the coolest .300 Magnum you can get.
The one I owned was sheer dynamite on big Sambar and smaller Fallow deer.
Using the Woodleigh 180gn PP every single deer I shot with it was a one shot kill. And when shooting Fallow with it, it produced the quickest bang-flops I've ever seen in my life.
But the downside to the .300 Weatherby is that factory ammo is getting hard to find down here, and both ammo and brass is expensive.
But factory ammo for the .300 Win Mag on the other hand is plentiful, and brass and components are readily more available and less expensive.
So as much as I adore the .300 Weatherby, I decided on the .300 Win Mag.

I've owned a few rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag over the years and the last one I just traded was really nice.
It was a Sauer S100 and I think it's probably the nicest factory rifle I've ever bought.
I just can't believe how much quality and how many features can be packed into a rifle - and especially one for the price they're sold for.
Mine was well made, accurate, had lots of impressive features in it.
And it had an absolutely amazing trigger.
Plus mine had a beautiful wood stock and in fact it was the nicest piece of wood I've ever had on a factory rifle.
The Sauer was a bit of a departure to the kind of rifle that I usually buy - and I really liked it.
Actually it was almost perfect.
But not quite.

Firstly, I didn't like the detachable magazine. This is not a knock on the Sauer's magazine - it worked fine and was reliable and never jammed.
I just don't like detachable magazines on rifles. (The only exception to this rule is the magazine on the Lee Enfield, and that's because everything is steel and I've never heard of one falling out...)
And secondly, the other thing that put me off funnily enough was the beautiful wood stock.
As attractive as it was I just prefer synthetic stocks for the kind of hunting that I do. With a synthetic stock I don't find myself worrying about scratching it or worry about getting it drenched in rain.
Once again, this is just a personal thing but it's a big thing for me.

So while I was happy with the Sauer and couldn't fault it's craftsmanship, I think I knew deep inside that it wasn't my forever .300 Win Mag.
A really nice rifle - and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone, but just not MY ideal rifle.

So a few weeks ago I found myself randomly scrolling through the gun classifieds online when suddenly a rifle jumped out at me.
It was a Weatherby Vanguard - a rifle that I knew very well having owned several in the past, but this one was fitted with an aftermarket Bell & Carlson stock.
I really, really rate these stocks and just looking at this rifle/ stock combo, I think I knew that this was the type of thing that I have been looking for all along.

So, I went up to the gun-shop that was advertising it to have a look, and just like that ad said it was in great condition.
It felt nice when I shouldered it and it was surprisingly light.
I really liked it - but then again, I have always really liked Weatherby Vanguards.
I like them because they are all usually very accurate, well made and have a basic and simple design.
They have a nice simple push-feed action that's smooth and reliable, and basic 2 position safety that's just safe and fire (well, that's the safety that's fitted on the early ones which this was).
And something that always gets top marks in my book - no plastic detachable magazine to break or fall out.
Yep, I really like the Weatherby Vanguards and I really, really liked this one.
So I showed the gun-shop my Sauer and asked if they were interested in a trade... and 30 min later I walked out with the Vanguard and $50 cash in my pocket!
That's how you do business!

Once I got it home I fitted the rings and scope to it and sighted it in.
It shot well - just like I thought it would and feeding, extracting and ejection was all 100% reliable.
The only thing that surprised me a bit at first was the recoil... it was definitely there, snappy and rude.
I think I've been shooting .308's and .303's too much lately, and I just didn't give the big .300 the respect it deserves.
And on the very first shot of the day I copped a scope right between the eyes!
After that gentle 'reminder' I held onto the rifle a bit firmer and all was good.

As my in-between rifle, the main role it would fill would be for long range Fallow hunting as well as close range Sambar hunting.
As this was nothing too exotic, I decided to go for something nice and simple as far as ammunition went.
That's the beauty of a .300 Win Mag, even cheap factory ammo performs really well on game.
I think sometimes we do (and I'm guilty of this too) and that's to write off the basic cup-core factory ammo that the big ammunition companies produce.
This ammo is nice and cheap and even if you ever find yourself on a tight budget, it gets you back out in the field hunting.
For basic deer/ pig hunting at normal ranges, the cheaper cup-core stuff is usually all you need. Save the more expensive, premium stuff for the more exotic game...

So bearing all that in mind, I decided to try the standard Winchester 180gn PowerPoint ammunition.
I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Winchester ammo and I really like the PowerPoint projectile.
To give an example of this, on one hunting trip I dropped 2 big Sambar - including a big stag (that was actually in the process of fighting another big stag) up close, as well as a big doe at well over 300m. This was actually the longest shot I have ever personally taken at game.
They were both shot with a 150gn PowerPoint fired out of a 270WSM going a chronographed 3100fps.
Both were one shot kills and the recovered projectiles looked like they could've been used in an advertisement for Winchester... that's how good they looked.
So that was the first ammunition that I wanted to try in it, and it ended up shooting really well.
This is now the stuff I'm going to use.
If I was going to hunt abroad I would load something a bit more fancy, but for here the Winchester stuff is perfect.
And as an added bonus, it clocked faster than the factory said it would.
The box said 2960fps and in my rifle it did 2976fps. Awesome.
I think that this might be the first time that I have had factory ammo actually clock faster than the box said it would, and it was achieved in the cheapest ammo I could get.
This load will be an absolute hammer on deer-sized game.

View attachment 748020

So there's the story on how I think I've found my forever in-between rifle.
I knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum (a very close second would've been the .338WM) in a basic, no frills, rugged rifle with a synthetic stock.
And up top I wanted and a nice basic scope without glow in the dark reticles, batteries, knobs and fancy crosshairs. There's nothing wrong with any of this stuff - it's just not what I wanted.
And after trial and error, and many, many rifles passing through my hands, I've narrowed it down to what I actually really wanted... and I found it.

Now, if money wasn't an option my dream in-between rifle would undoubtedly be a Winchester M70 with an McMillan synthetic stock and nice Leupold on top.
This would be chambered in either .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby and I'd live happily ever after... really happily.
But I work as a nurse and I have 4 kids and a mortgage so unfortunately, money IS a consideration.

But as I write this, I'm looking at my inexpensive Weatherby leaning against my bookshelf, and I find myself smiling...
I'm smiling because as I'm looking at it, all I want to do is head out to the bush with it and spend a day or two doing the thing that I love to do best...
And as I'm admiring it, leaning next to it is my custom Zastava in 425 Express.
And looking at them together, I just can't think of a better combination that I'd like to hunt the world with.
I'd load a nice, sleek 200gn projectile at 3000fps in the .300 Win Mag - and pair that with the 360gn Atomic29 copper projectile at 2500fps that the 425 Express fires, and I would happily hunt any place in the world with complete confidence.
What a dream come true that would be...

But that is just a dream (for now) so until then I'll keep hunting my usual spots...

So, I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm never going to buy another rifle to use as my in-between rifle.
Because if I do buy another one, that would make me a liar...
But I can say this, this Weatherby Vanguard fits the criteria I set myself better than anything else I've bought so far.
So I think it's time to now stop searching and go head to the hills...
And when I do just that, using this rifle, a rifle that I chose after many years of narrowing down... I know it will just be the best feeling in the world.

Russ

Click to expand...

Badboymelvin said:

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd just share a pic and a bit of a back story about how I acquired my latest purchase.
It's nothing fancy or exotic.
It's a Weatherby Vanguard and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag.
It's fitted with a Bell & Carlson stock and up top it has some Nikko Stirling one-piece rings and a Nikko Stirling 'Platinum' 3-10x42 scope.
Once again, nothing fancy.
A lot of people don't like Nikko Stirling scopes, but they are fitted with Japanese glass and are nice clear, rugged scopes. I've had a few now and all have been dependable and done what I asked of them.
And actually, a lot of people don't like Weatherby Vanguards either, but I do so here's my story...

View attachment 748021

There is a bit of a running joke between me and my friends about the amount of firearms that I buy and sell while I try and find my 'perfect' collection of rifles that suit my style of hunting... and I think that I'm finally there.

Before everyone laughs, let me give you an example...
I haven't bought a DG rifle for years.
I have finally settled on my 425 Express to fill that role, and since acquiring it, I haven't ever considered selling it and replacing it.
Just like I haven't bought a lighter caliber rifle in a long time as I've chosen my Marlin XS-7 in .308 to fill that role.
And, I haven't purchased a shotgun in a long time as the U/O Baikal 12g does everything I want - plus I really like it and it fits me like a glove.

You see... I'm getting there, and the only rifle I hadn't really settled on was my in-between rifle.
By in-between rifle I mean the rifle thats sits between my .308 and my 425 Express...
After trying a few different cartridges as my potential in-between rifle, I finally had it narrowed down and knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum of some variety.

If you ask me, the various .300 Magnum's are just simply magnificent hunting cartridges.
They just shoot so flat if a longer shot is required - yet just absolutely smash big things up close if needed.
Of the dozens and dozens of cartridges I've owned over the years, the various .300 Magnums in my opinion are just the most versatile big game cartridges available.

I've personally owned quite a few .300 Magnums over the years.
These have included several .300 Win Mags, a .300 Weatherby and a .308 Norma Magnum.
I've also considered at times buying a .300RUM, a 300WSM and a .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. But despite these temptations, I always end up coming back to the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Weatherby.

In my opinion the .300 Weatherby is just plain the coolest .300 Magnum you can get.
The one I owned was sheer dynamite on big Sambar and smaller Fallow deer.
Using the Woodleigh 180gn PP every single deer I shot with it was a one shot kill. And when shooting Fallow with it, it produced the quickest bang-flops I've ever seen in my life.
But the downside to the .300 Weatherby is that factory ammo is getting hard to find down here, and both ammo and brass is expensive.
But factory ammo for the .300 Win Mag on the other hand is plentiful, and brass and components are readily more available and less expensive.
So as much as I adore the .300 Weatherby, I decided on the .300 Win Mag.

I've owned a few rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag over the years and the last one I just traded was really nice.
It was a Sauer S100 and I think it's probably the nicest factory rifle I've ever bought.
I just can't believe how much quality and how many features can be packed into a rifle - and especially one for the price they're sold for.
Mine was well made, accurate, had lots of impressive features in it.
And it had an absolutely amazing trigger.
Plus mine had a beautiful wood stock and in fact it was the nicest piece of wood I've ever had on a factory rifle.
The Sauer was a bit of a departure to the kind of rifle that I usually buy - and I really liked it.
Actually it was almost perfect.
But not quite.

Firstly, I didn't like the detachable magazine. This is not a knock on the Sauer's magazine - it worked fine and was reliable and never jammed.
I just don't like detachable magazines on rifles. (The only exception to this rule is the magazine on the Lee Enfield, and that's because everything is steel and I've never heard of one falling out...)
And secondly, the other thing that put me off funnily enough was the beautiful wood stock.
As attractive as it was I just prefer synthetic stocks for the kind of hunting that I do. With a synthetic stock I don't find myself worrying about scratching it or worry about getting it drenched in rain.
Once again, this is just a personal thing but it's a big thing for me.

So while I was happy with the Sauer and couldn't fault it's craftsmanship, I think I knew deep inside that it wasn't my forever .300 Win Mag.
A really nice rifle - and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone, but just not MY ideal rifle.

So a few weeks ago I found myself randomly scrolling through the gun classifieds online when suddenly a rifle jumped out at me.
It was a Weatherby Vanguard - a rifle that I knew very well having owned several in the past, but this one was fitted with an aftermarket Bell & Carlson stock.
I really, really rate these stocks and just looking at this rifle/ stock combo, I think I knew that this was the type of thing that I have been looking for all along.

So, I went up to the gun-shop that was advertising it to have a look, and just like that ad said it was in great condition.
It felt nice when I shouldered it and it was surprisingly light.
I really liked it - but then again, I have always really liked Weatherby Vanguards.
I like them because they are all usually very accurate, well made and have a basic and simple design.
They have a nice simple push-feed action that's smooth and reliable, and basic 2 position safety that's just safe and fire (well, that's the safety that's fitted on the early ones which this was).
And something that always gets top marks in my book - no plastic detachable magazine to break or fall out.
Yep, I really like the Weatherby Vanguards and I really, really liked this one.
So I showed the gun-shop my Sauer and asked if they were interested in a trade... and 30 min later I walked out with the Vanguard and $50 cash in my pocket!
That's how you do business!

Once I got it home I fitted the rings and scope to it and sighted it in.
It shot well - just like I thought it would and feeding, extracting and ejection was all 100% reliable.
The only thing that surprised me a bit at first was the recoil... it was definitely there, snappy and rude.
I think I've been shooting .308's and .303's too much lately, and I just didn't give the big .300 the respect it deserves.
And on the very first shot of the day I copped a scope right between the eyes!
After that gentle 'reminder' I held onto the rifle a bit firmer and all was good.

As my in-between rifle, the main role it would fill would be for long range Fallow hunting as well as close range Sambar hunting.
As this was nothing too exotic, I decided to go for something nice and simple as far as ammunition went.
That's the beauty of a .300 Win Mag, even cheap factory ammo performs really well on game.
I think sometimes we do (and I'm guilty of this too) and that's to write off the basic cup-core factory ammo that the big ammunition companies produce.
This ammo is nice and cheap and even if you ever find yourself on a tight budget, it gets you back out in the field hunting.
For basic deer/ pig hunting at normal ranges, the cheaper cup-core stuff is usually all you need. Save the more expensive, premium stuff for the more exotic game...

So bearing all that in mind, I decided to try the standard Winchester 180gn PowerPoint ammunition.
I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Winchester ammo and I really like the PowerPoint projectile.
To give an example of this, on one hunting trip I dropped 2 big Sambar - including a big stag (that was actually in the process of fighting another big stag) up close, as well as a big doe at well over 300m. This was actually the longest shot I have ever personally taken at game.
They were both shot with a 150gn PowerPoint fired out of a 270WSM going a chronographed 3100fps.
Both were one shot kills and the recovered projectiles looked like they could've been used in an advertisement for Winchester... that's how good they looked.
So that was the first ammunition that I wanted to try in it, and it ended up shooting really well.
This is now the stuff I'm going to use.
If I was going to hunt abroad I would load something a bit more fancy, but for here the Winchester stuff is perfect.
And as an added bonus, it clocked faster than the factory said it would.
The box said 2960fps and in my rifle it did 2976fps. Awesome.
I think that this might be the first time that I have had factory ammo actually clock faster than the box said it would, and it was achieved in the cheapest ammo I could get.
This load will be an absolute hammer on deer-sized game.

View attachment 748020

So there's the story on how I think I've found my forever in-between rifle.
I knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum (a very close second would've been the .338WM) in a basic, no frills, rugged rifle with a synthetic stock.
And up top I wanted and a nice basic scope without glow in the dark reticles, batteries, knobs and fancy crosshairs. There's nothing wrong with any of this stuff - it's just not what I wanted.
And after trial and error, and many, many rifles passing through my hands, I've narrowed it down to what I actually really wanted... and I found it.

Now, if money wasn't an option my dream in-between rifle would undoubtedly be a Winchester M70 with an McMillan synthetic stock and nice Leupold on top.
This would be chambered in either .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby and I'd live happily ever after... really happily.
But I work as a nurse and I have 4 kids and a mortgage so unfortunately, money IS a consideration.

But as I write this, I'm looking at my inexpensive Weatherby leaning against my bookshelf, and I find myself smiling...
I'm smiling because as I'm looking at it, all I want to do is head out to the bush with it and spend a day or two doing the thing that I love to do best...
And as I'm admiring it, leaning next to it is my custom Zastava in 425 Express.
And looking at them together, I just can't think of a better combination that I'd like to hunt the world with.
I'd load a nice, sleek 200gn projectile at 3000fps in the .300 Win Mag - and pair that with the 360gn Atomic29 copper projectile at 2500fps that the 425 Express fires, and I would happily hunt any place in the world with complete confidence.
What a dream come true that would be...

But that is just a dream (for now) so until then I'll keep hunting my usual spots...

So, I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm never going to buy another rifle to use as my in-between rifle.
Because if I do buy another one, that would make me a liar...
But I can say this, this Weatherby Vanguard fits the criteria I set myself better than anything else I've bought so far.
So I think it's time to now stop searching and go head to the hills...
And when I do just that, using this rifle, a rifle that I chose after many years of narrowing down... I know it will just be the best feeling in the world.

Russ

Click to expand...

Doug Hamilton said:

Congratulations Russ! I'm A big fan of the .300 Win Mag myself. I've used mine to take a bull moose, black bear, a couple of mule deer, a waterbuck, nyala, bushbuck, and impala. I believe that the .300 along with my .458 Win Mag gives me a two rifle battery that I can use to take any large animal anywhere in the world. That's what I took on my last safari.

Speaking of .458, I thought you were a .458 guy. No?

Click to expand...

rdog said:

The Weatherby Vanguard & Howa 1500 are very good rifles & great value for the money & the BELL& CARLSON & HS PRESSION STOCK version make it even better i own 6 of them a 204 Ruger a 243 AI , 308 WIN 270 WIN 270 WSM & 7 MM REM MAG. All shoot 1 moa or better.

Click to expand...

Badboymelvin said:

I absolutely agree
I've owned several Vanguards (and a Howa 1500) and never had a bad one...
For the money I just don't think they can be beat...

Russ

Click to expand...

buffybr said:

Congrats on finding you dream rifle.

Growing up in Colorado then moving to Montana 51 years ago where I've practically lived on the elk that I've shot, I've been a solid .30 caliber fan. My first centerfire rifle was a .30-06 that I later had rechambered to .30 Gibbs. At that time I also built a .257 Ackley for my deer and antelope rifle, and a .22-250 for my varmint rifle. I then thought that I had a good rifle battery for all of my Montana hunting.

But then I started going on African hunts, and in 2005 I needed a bigger rifle for an African Cape buffalo hunt, so I bought a .375 RUM. Then I thought that I had a good rifle battery for all of my hunting. But about that time, a case fireforming misshap retired my .30 Gibbs so I had a void in my rifle battery. So after wanting one for over 40 years, in 2009 I finally bought my first Weatherby rifle, a Vanguard in .300 Wby.

I like to tinker with my rifles and have built stocks for most of my rifles. I stocked my .300 Wby in AA Fancy feathered crotch Claro Walnut and cut checkered it in my favorite 5 panel, wrap around pattern. I pillar and glass bedded the action and barrel channel and free floated the barrel. I had a KDF muzzle brake installed on it and I put a recoil reducer in it's butt stock. I also swapped the trigger for a Timney.

This quickly became my favorite hunting rifle and have used it on hunts here in Montana, Texas, Canada, multiple hunts in Africa (its the rifle in my Avatar pic), and New Zealand.

Since buying this rifle, I liked that Vanguard so much that I bought 2 more, one in .308 Win and the other in .223. Both of them are Stainless barrels and actions and came in Weatherby's Griptonite stocks, which I also pillar and glass bedded, etc, etc.

The only drawback with my .300 Wby is with it's fancy walnut stock, I hate to take it out in foul weather. Then a couple of years ago I saw two long action Griptonite stocks for sale, so I bought them. I pillar and glass bedded, etc, etc both of them, one for my .300 Wby and the other I also modified to fit my Rem 700 7mm RM.

My Weatherby Vanguard rifles, .300 Wby over .308 Win over ,223.
View attachment 748293
My .300 Wby in it's foul weather Griptonite stock.
View attachment 748294
And my Rem 700 7mm RM in it's Griptonite stock.
View attachment 748292

Click to expand...

buffybr said:

Congrats on finding you dream rifle.

Growing up in Colorado then moving to Montana 51 years ago where I've practically lived on the elk that I've shot, I've been a solid .30 caliber fan. My first centerfire rifle was a .30-06 that I later had rechambered to .30 Gibbs. At that time I also built a .257 Ackley for my deer and antelope rifle, and a .22-250 for my varmint rifle. I then thought that I had a good rifle battery for all of my Montana hunting.

But then I started going on African hunts, and in 2005 I needed a bigger rifle for an African Cape buffalo hunt, so I bought a .375 RUM. Then I thought that I had a good rifle battery for all of my hunting. But about that time, a case fireforming misshap retired my .30 Gibbs so I had a void in my rifle battery. So after wanting one for over 40 years, in 2009 I finally bought my first Weatherby rifle, a Vanguard in .300 Wby.

I like to tinker with my rifles and have built stocks for most of my rifles. I stocked my .300 Wby in AA Fancy feathered crotch Claro Walnut and cut checkered it in my favorite 5 panel, wrap around pattern. I pillar and glass bedded the action and barrel channel and free floated the barrel. I had a KDF muzzle brake installed on it and I put a recoil reducer in it's butt stock. I also swapped the trigger for a Timney.

This quickly became my favorite hunting rifle and have used it on hunts here in Montana, Texas, Canada, multiple hunts in Africa (its the rifle in my Avatar pic), and New Zealand.

Since buying this rifle, I liked that Vanguard so much that I bought 2 more, one in .308 Win and the other in .223. Both of them are Stainless barrels and actions and came in Weatherby's Griptonite stocks, which I also pillar and glass bedded, etc, etc.

The only drawback with my .300 Wby is with it's fancy walnut stock, I hate to take it out in foul weather. Then a couple of years ago I saw two long action Griptonite stocks for sale, so I bought them. I pillar and glass bedded, etc, etc both of them, one for my .300 Wby and the other I also modified to fit my Rem 700 7mm RM.

My Weatherby Vanguard rifles, .300 Wby over .308 Win over ,223.
View attachment 748293
My .300 Wby in it's foul weather Griptonite stock.
View attachment 748294
And my Rem 700 7mm RM in it's Griptonite stock.
View attachment 748292

Click to expand...

BeeMaa said:

@Badboymelvin - Congratulations on the new rifle. So glad you are happy with your decision and it sound like you have come to it in a very logical way.

Any thoughts of using a lighter bullet? Something like the Barnes 150 or 165 grain TTSX? The 165's shoot lights out in my 300WM. They are moving over 3100 fps leaving the barrel and carry over 1600 lb-ft of energy at 500 yards. Adequate for elk sized game (with proper shot placement) out to that distance if you have the scope and skill for it.

Barnes also makes a 190 grain long range bullet (LR LRX) that's carrying 1700 lb-ft of energy at 500 yards. I'm sure you could bump those numbers up with handloading if you wanted.

Click to expand...

Badboymelvin said:

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd just share a pic and a bit of a back story about how I acquired my latest purchase.
It's nothing fancy or exotic.
It's a Weatherby Vanguard and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag.
It's fitted with a Bell & Carlson stock and up top it has some Nikko Stirling one-piece rings and a Nikko Stirling 'Platinum' 3-10x42 scope.
Once again, nothing fancy.
A lot of people don't like Nikko Stirling scopes, but they are fitted with Japanese glass and are nice clear, rugged scopes. I've had a few now and all have been dependable and done what I asked of them.
And actually, a lot of people don't like Weatherby Vanguards either, but I do so here's my story...

View attachment 748021

There is a bit of a running joke between me and my friends about the amount of firearms that I buy and sell while I try and find my 'perfect' collection of rifles that suit my style of hunting... and I think that I'm finally there.

Before everyone laughs, let me give you an example...
I haven't bought a DG rifle for years.
I have finally settled on my 425 Express to fill that role, and since acquiring it, I haven't ever considered selling it and replacing it.
Just like I haven't bought a lighter caliber rifle in a long time as I've chosen my Marlin XS-7 in .308 to fill that role.
And, I haven't purchased a shotgun in a long time as the U/O Baikal 12g does everything I want - plus I really like it and it fits me like a glove.

You see... I'm getting there, and the only rifle I hadn't really settled on was my in-between rifle.
By in-between rifle I mean the rifle thats sits between my .308 and my 425 Express...
After trying a few different cartridges as my potential in-between rifle, I finally had it narrowed down and knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum of some variety.

If you ask me, the various .300 Magnum's are just simply magnificent hunting cartridges.
They just shoot so flat if a longer shot is required - yet just absolutely smash big things up close if needed.
Of the dozens and dozens of cartridges I've owned over the years, the various .300 Magnums in my opinion are just the most versatile big game cartridges available.

I've personally owned quite a few .300 Magnums over the years.
These have included several .300 Win Mags, a .300 Weatherby and a .308 Norma Magnum.
I've also considered at times buying a .300RUM, a 300WSM and a .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. But despite these temptations, I always end up coming back to the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Weatherby.

In my opinion the .300 Weatherby is just plain the coolest .300 Magnum you can get.
The one I owned was sheer dynamite on big Sambar and smaller Fallow deer.
Using the Woodleigh 180gn PP every single deer I shot with it was a one shot kill. And when shooting Fallow with it, it produced the quickest bang-flops I've ever seen in my life.
But the downside to the .300 Weatherby is that factory ammo is getting hard to find down here, and both ammo and brass is expensive.
But factory ammo for the .300 Win Mag on the other hand is plentiful, and brass and components are readily more available and less expensive.
So as much as I adore the .300 Weatherby, I decided on the .300 Win Mag.

I've owned a few rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag over the years and the last one I just traded was really nice.
It was a Sauer S100 and I think it's probably the nicest factory rifle I've ever bought.
I just can't believe how much quality and how many features can be packed into a rifle - and especially one for the price they're sold for.
Mine was well made, accurate, had lots of impressive features in it.
And it had an absolutely amazing trigger.
Plus mine had a beautiful wood stock and in fact it was the nicest piece of wood I've ever had on a factory rifle.
The Sauer was a bit of a departure to the kind of rifle that I usually buy - and I really liked it.
Actually it was almost perfect.
But not quite.

Firstly, I didn't like the detachable magazine. This is not a knock on the Sauer's magazine - it worked fine and was reliable and never jammed.
I just don't like detachable magazines on rifles. (The only exception to this rule is the magazine on the Lee Enfield, and that's because everything is steel and I've never heard of one falling out...)
And secondly, the other thing that put me off funnily enough was the beautiful wood stock.
As attractive as it was I just prefer synthetic stocks for the kind of hunting that I do. With a synthetic stock I don't find myself worrying about scratching it or worry about getting it drenched in rain.
Once again, this is just a personal thing but it's a big thing for me.

So while I was happy with the Sauer and couldn't fault it's craftsmanship, I think I knew deep inside that it wasn't my forever .300 Win Mag.
A really nice rifle - and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone, but just not MY ideal rifle.

So a few weeks ago I found myself randomly scrolling through the gun classifieds online when suddenly a rifle jumped out at me.
It was a Weatherby Vanguard - a rifle that I knew very well having owned several in the past, but this one was fitted with an aftermarket Bell & Carlson stock.
I really, really rate these stocks and just looking at this rifle/ stock combo, I think I knew that this was the type of thing that I have been looking for all along.

So, I went up to the gun-shop that was advertising it to have a look, and just like that ad said it was in great condition.
It felt nice when I shouldered it and it was surprisingly light.
I really liked it - but then again, I have always really liked Weatherby Vanguards.
I like them because they are all usually very accurate, well made and have a basic and simple design.
They have a nice simple push-feed action that's smooth and reliable, and basic 2 position safety that's just safe and fire (well, that's the safety that's fitted on the early ones which this was).
And something that always gets top marks in my book - no plastic detachable magazine to break or fall out.
Yep, I really like the Weatherby Vanguards and I really, really liked this one.
So I showed the gun-shop my Sauer and asked if they were interested in a trade... and 30 min later I walked out with the Vanguard and $50 cash in my pocket!
That's how you do business!

Once I got it home I fitted the rings and scope to it and sighted it in.
It shot well - just like I thought it would and feeding, extracting and ejection was all 100% reliable.
The only thing that surprised me a bit at first was the recoil... it was definitely there, snappy and rude.
I think I've been shooting .308's and .303's too much lately, and I just didn't give the big .300 the respect it deserves.
And on the very first shot of the day I copped a scope right between the eyes!
After that gentle 'reminder' I held onto the rifle a bit firmer and all was good.

As my in-between rifle, the main role it would fill would be for long range Fallow hunting as well as close range Sambar hunting.
As this was nothing too exotic, I decided to go for something nice and simple as far as ammunition went.
That's the beauty of a .300 Win Mag, even cheap factory ammo performs really well on game.
I think sometimes we do (and I'm guilty of this too) and that's to write off the basic cup-core factory ammo that the big ammunition companies produce.
This ammo is nice and cheap and even if you ever find yourself on a tight budget, it gets you back out in the field hunting.
For basic deer/ pig hunting at normal ranges, the cheaper cup-core stuff is usually all you need. Save the more expensive, premium stuff for the more exotic game...

So bearing all that in mind, I decided to try the standard Winchester 180gn PowerPoint ammunition.
I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Winchester ammo and I really like the PowerPoint projectile.
To give an example of this, on one hunting trip I dropped 2 big Sambar - including a big stag (that was actually in the process of fighting another big stag) up close, as well as a big doe at well over 300m. This was actually the longest shot I have ever personally taken at game.
They were both shot with a 150gn PowerPoint fired out of a 270WSM going a chronographed 3100fps.
Both were one shot kills and the recovered projectiles looked like they could've been used in an advertisement for Winchester... that's how good they looked.
So that was the first ammunition that I wanted to try in it, and it ended up shooting really well.
This is now the stuff I'm going to use.
If I was going to hunt abroad I would load something a bit more fancy, but for here the Winchester stuff is perfect.
And as an added bonus, it clocked faster than the factory said it would.
The box said 2960fps and in my rifle it did 2976fps. Awesome.
I think that this might be the first time that I have had factory ammo actually clock faster than the box said it would, and it was achieved in the cheapest ammo I could get.
This load will be an absolute hammer on deer-sized game.

View attachment 748020

So there's the story on how I think I've found my forever in-between rifle.
I knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum (a very close second would've been the .338WM) in a basic, no frills, rugged rifle with a synthetic stock.
And up top I wanted and a nice basic scope without glow in the dark reticles, batteries, knobs and fancy crosshairs. There's nothing wrong with any of this stuff - it's just not what I wanted.
And after trial and error, and many, many rifles passing through my hands, I've narrowed it down to what I actually really wanted... and I found it.

Now, if money wasn't an option my dream in-between rifle would undoubtedly be a Winchester M70 with an McMillan synthetic stock and nice Leupold on top.
This would be chambered in either .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby and I'd live happily ever after... really happily.
But I work as a nurse and I have 4 kids and a mortgage so unfortunately, money IS a consideration.

But as I write this, I'm looking at my inexpensive Weatherby leaning against my bookshelf, and I find myself smiling...
I'm smiling because as I'm looking at it, all I want to do is head out to the bush with it and spend a day or two doing the thing that I love to do best...
And as I'm admiring it, leaning next to it is my custom Zastava in 425 Express.
And looking at them together, I just can't think of a better combination that I'd like to hunt the world with.
I'd load a nice, sleek 200gn projectile at 3000fps in the .300 Win Mag - and pair that with the 360gn Atomic29 copper projectile at 2500fps that the 425 Express fires, and I would happily hunt any place in the world with complete confidence.
What a dream come true that would be...

But that is just a dream (for now) so until then I'll keep hunting my usual spots...

So, I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm never going to buy another rifle to use as my in-between rifle.
Because if I do buy another one, that would make me a liar...
But I can say this, this Weatherby Vanguard fits the criteria I set myself better than anything else I've bought so far.
So I think it's time to now stop searching and go head to the hills...
And when I do just that, using this rifle, a rifle that I chose after many years of narrowing down... I know it will just be the best feeling in the world.

Russ

Click to expand...

Badboymelvin said:

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd just share a pic and a bit of a back story about how I acquired my latest purchase.
It's nothing fancy or exotic.
It's a Weatherby Vanguard and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag.
It's fitted with a Bell & Carlson stock and up top it has some Nikko Stirling one-piece rings and a Nikko Stirling 'Platinum' 3-10x42 scope.
Once again, nothing fancy.
A lot of people don't like Nikko Stirling scopes, but they are fitted with Japanese glass and are nice clear, rugged scopes. I've had a few now and all have been dependable and done what I asked of them.
And actually, a lot of people don't like Weatherby Vanguards either, but I do so here's my story...

View attachment 748021

There is a bit of a running joke between me and my friends about the amount of firearms that I buy and sell while I try and find my 'perfect' collection of rifles that suit my style of hunting... and I think that I'm finally there.

Before everyone laughs, let me give you an example...
I haven't bought a DG rifle for years.
I have finally settled on my 425 Express to fill that role, and since acquiring it, I haven't ever considered selling it and replacing it.
Just like I haven't bought a lighter caliber rifle in a long time as I've chosen my Marlin XS-7 in .308 to fill that role.
And, I haven't purchased a shotgun in a long time as the U/O Baikal 12g does everything I want - plus I really like it and it fits me like a glove.

You see... I'm getting there, and the only rifle I hadn't really settled on was my in-between rifle.
By in-between rifle I mean the rifle thats sits between my .308 and my 425 Express...
After trying a few different cartridges as my potential in-between rifle, I finally had it narrowed down and knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum of some variety.

If you ask me, the various .300 Magnum's are just simply magnificent hunting cartridges.
They just shoot so flat if a longer shot is required - yet just absolutely smash big things up close if needed.
Of the dozens and dozens of cartridges I've owned over the years, the various .300 Magnums in my opinion are just the most versatile big game cartridges available.

I've personally owned quite a few .300 Magnums over the years.
These have included several .300 Win Mags, a .300 Weatherby and a .308 Norma Magnum.
I've also considered at times buying a .300RUM, a 300WSM and a .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. But despite these temptations, I always end up coming back to the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Weatherby.

In my opinion the .300 Weatherby is just plain the coolest .300 Magnum you can get.
The one I owned was sheer dynamite on big Sambar and smaller Fallow deer.
Using the Woodleigh 180gn PP every single deer I shot with it was a one shot kill. And when shooting Fallow with it, it produced the quickest bang-flops I've ever seen in my life.
But the downside to the .300 Weatherby is that factory ammo is getting hard to find down here, and both ammo and brass is expensive.
But factory ammo for the .300 Win Mag on the other hand is plentiful, and brass and components are readily more available and less expensive.
So as much as I adore the .300 Weatherby, I decided on the .300 Win Mag.

I've owned a few rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag over the years and the last one I just traded was really nice.
It was a Sauer S100 and I think it's probably the nicest factory rifle I've ever bought.
I just can't believe how much quality and how many features can be packed into a rifle - and especially one for the price they're sold for.
Mine was well made, accurate, had lots of impressive features in it.
And it had an absolutely amazing trigger.
Plus mine had a beautiful wood stock and in fact it was the nicest piece of wood I've ever had on a factory rifle.
The Sauer was a bit of a departure to the kind of rifle that I usually buy - and I really liked it.
Actually it was almost perfect.
But not quite.

Firstly, I didn't like the detachable magazine. This is not a knock on the Sauer's magazine - it worked fine and was reliable and never jammed.
I just don't like detachable magazines on rifles. (The only exception to this rule is the magazine on the Lee Enfield, and that's because everything is steel and I've never heard of one falling out...)
And secondly, the other thing that put me off funnily enough was the beautiful wood stock.
As attractive as it was I just prefer synthetic stocks for the kind of hunting that I do. With a synthetic stock I don't find myself worrying about scratching it or worry about getting it drenched in rain.
Once again, this is just a personal thing but it's a big thing for me.

So while I was happy with the Sauer and couldn't fault it's craftsmanship, I think I knew deep inside that it wasn't my forever .300 Win Mag.
A really nice rifle - and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone, but just not MY ideal rifle.

So a few weeks ago I found myself randomly scrolling through the gun classifieds online when suddenly a rifle jumped out at me.
It was a Weatherby Vanguard - a rifle that I knew very well having owned several in the past, but this one was fitted with an aftermarket Bell & Carlson stock.
I really, really rate these stocks and just looking at this rifle/ stock combo, I think I knew that this was the type of thing that I have been looking for all along.

So, I went up to the gun-shop that was advertising it to have a look, and just like that ad said it was in great condition.
It felt nice when I shouldered it and it was surprisingly light.
I really liked it - but then again, I have always really liked Weatherby Vanguards.
I like them because they are all usually very accurate, well made and have a basic and simple design.
They have a nice simple push-feed action that's smooth and reliable, and basic 2 position safety that's just safe and fire (well, that's the safety that's fitted on the early ones which this was).
And something that always gets top marks in my book - no plastic detachable magazine to break or fall out.
Yep, I really like the Weatherby Vanguards and I really, really liked this one.
So I showed the gun-shop my Sauer and asked if they were interested in a trade... and 30 min later I walked out with the Vanguard and $50 cash in my pocket!
That's how you do business!

Once I got it home I fitted the rings and scope to it and sighted it in.
It shot well - just like I thought it would and feeding, extracting and ejection was all 100% reliable.
The only thing that surprised me a bit at first was the recoil... it was definitely there, snappy and rude.
I think I've been shooting .308's and .303's too much lately, and I just didn't give the big .300 the respect it deserves.
And on the very first shot of the day I copped a scope right between the eyes!
After that gentle 'reminder' I held onto the rifle a bit firmer and all was good.

As my in-between rifle, the main role it would fill would be for long range Fallow hunting as well as close range Sambar hunting.
As this was nothing too exotic, I decided to go for something nice and simple as far as ammunition went.
That's the beauty of a .300 Win Mag, even cheap factory ammo performs really well on game.
I think sometimes we do (and I'm guilty of this too) and that's to write off the basic cup-core factory ammo that the big ammunition companies produce.
This ammo is nice and cheap and even if you ever find yourself on a tight budget, it gets you back out in the field hunting.
For basic deer/ pig hunting at normal ranges, the cheaper cup-core stuff is usually all you need. Save the more expensive, premium stuff for the more exotic game...

So bearing all that in mind, I decided to try the standard Winchester 180gn PowerPoint ammunition.
I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Winchester ammo and I really like the PowerPoint projectile.
To give an example of this, on one hunting trip I dropped 2 big Sambar - including a big stag (that was actually in the process of fighting another big stag) up close, as well as a big doe at well over 300m. This was actually the longest shot I have ever personally taken at game.
They were both shot with a 150gn PowerPoint fired out of a 270WSM going a chronographed 3100fps.
Both were one shot kills and the recovered projectiles looked like they could've been used in an advertisement for Winchester... that's how good they looked.
So that was the first ammunition that I wanted to try in it, and it ended up shooting really well.
This is now the stuff I'm going to use.
If I was going to hunt abroad I would load something a bit more fancy, but for here the Winchester stuff is perfect.
And as an added bonus, it clocked faster than the factory said it would.
The box said 2960fps and in my rifle it did 2976fps. Awesome.
I think that this might be the first time that I have had factory ammo actually clock faster than the box said it would, and it was achieved in the cheapest ammo I could get.
This load will be an absolute hammer on deer-sized game.

View attachment 748020

So there's the story on how I think I've found my forever in-between rifle.
I knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum (a very close second would've been the .338WM) in a basic, no frills, rugged rifle with a synthetic stock.
And up top I wanted and a nice basic scope without glow in the dark reticles, batteries, knobs and fancy crosshairs. There's nothing wrong with any of this stuff - it's just not what I wanted.
And after trial and error, and many, many rifles passing through my hands, I've narrowed it down to what I actually really wanted... and I found it.

Now, if money wasn't an option my dream in-between rifle would undoubtedly be a Winchester M70 with an McMillan synthetic stock and nice Leupold on top.
This would be chambered in either .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby and I'd live happily ever after... really happily.
But I work as a nurse and I have 4 kids and a mortgage so unfortunately, money IS a consideration.

But as I write this, I'm looking at my inexpensive Weatherby leaning against my bookshelf, and I find myself smiling...
I'm smiling because as I'm looking at it, all I want to do is head out to the bush with it and spend a day or two doing the thing that I love to do best...
And as I'm admiring it, leaning next to it is my custom Zastava in 425 Express.
And looking at them together, I just can't think of a better combination that I'd like to hunt the world with.
I'd load a nice, sleek 200gn projectile at 3000fps in the .300 Win Mag - and pair that with the 360gn Atomic29 copper projectile at 2500fps that the 425 Express fires, and I would happily hunt any place in the world with complete confidence.
What a dream come true that would be...

But that is just a dream (for now) so until then I'll keep hunting my usual spots...

So, I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm never going to buy another rifle to use as my in-between rifle.
Because if I do buy another one, that would make me a liar...
But I can say this, this Weatherby Vanguard fits the criteria I set myself better than anything else I've bought so far.
So I think it's time to now stop searching and go head to the hills...
And when I do just that, using this rifle, a rifle that I chose after many years of narrowing down... I know it will just be the best feeling in the world.

Russ

Click to expand...

Badboymelvin said:

Hi everyone...

I thought I'd just share a pic and a bit of a back story about how I acquired my latest purchase.
It's nothing fancy or exotic.
It's a Weatherby Vanguard and it's chambered in .300 Win Mag.
It's fitted with a Bell & Carlson stock and up top it has some Nikko Stirling one-piece rings and a Nikko Stirling 'Platinum' 3-10x42 scope.
Once again, nothing fancy.
A lot of people don't like Nikko Stirling scopes, but they are fitted with Japanese glass and are nice clear, rugged scopes. I've had a few now and all have been dependable and done what I asked of them.
And actually, a lot of people don't like Weatherby Vanguards either, but I do so here's my story...

View attachment 748021

There is a bit of a running joke between me and my friends about the amount of firearms that I buy and sell while I try and find my 'perfect' collection of rifles that suit my style of hunting... and I think that I'm finally there.

Before everyone laughs, let me give you an example...
I haven't bought a DG rifle for years.
I have finally settled on my 425 Express to fill that role, and since acquiring it, I haven't ever considered selling it and replacing it.
Just like I haven't bought a lighter caliber rifle in a long time as I've chosen my Marlin XS-7 in .308 to fill that role.
And, I haven't purchased a shotgun in a long time as the U/O Baikal 12g does everything I want - plus I really like it and it fits me like a glove.

You see... I'm getting there, and the only rifle I hadn't really settled on was my in-between rifle.
By in-between rifle I mean the rifle thats sits between my .308 and my 425 Express...
After trying a few different cartridges as my potential in-between rifle, I finally had it narrowed down and knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum of some variety.

If you ask me, the various .300 Magnum's are just simply magnificent hunting cartridges.
They just shoot so flat if a longer shot is required - yet just absolutely smash big things up close if needed.
Of the dozens and dozens of cartridges I've owned over the years, the various .300 Magnums in my opinion are just the most versatile big game cartridges available.

I've personally owned quite a few .300 Magnums over the years.
These have included several .300 Win Mags, a .300 Weatherby and a .308 Norma Magnum.
I've also considered at times buying a .300RUM, a 300WSM and a .30-378 Weatherby Magnum. But despite these temptations, I always end up coming back to the .300 Win Mag and the .300 Weatherby.

In my opinion the .300 Weatherby is just plain the coolest .300 Magnum you can get.
The one I owned was sheer dynamite on big Sambar and smaller Fallow deer.
Using the Woodleigh 180gn PP every single deer I shot with it was a one shot kill. And when shooting Fallow with it, it produced the quickest bang-flops I've ever seen in my life.
But the downside to the .300 Weatherby is that factory ammo is getting hard to find down here, and both ammo and brass is expensive.
But factory ammo for the .300 Win Mag on the other hand is plentiful, and brass and components are readily more available and less expensive.
So as much as I adore the .300 Weatherby, I decided on the .300 Win Mag.

I've owned a few rifles chambered in .300 Win Mag over the years and the last one I just traded was really nice.
It was a Sauer S100 and I think it's probably the nicest factory rifle I've ever bought.
I just can't believe how much quality and how many features can be packed into a rifle - and especially one for the price they're sold for.
Mine was well made, accurate, had lots of impressive features in it.
And it had an absolutely amazing trigger.
Plus mine had a beautiful wood stock and in fact it was the nicest piece of wood I've ever had on a factory rifle.
The Sauer was a bit of a departure to the kind of rifle that I usually buy - and I really liked it.
Actually it was almost perfect.
But not quite.

Firstly, I didn't like the detachable magazine. This is not a knock on the Sauer's magazine - it worked fine and was reliable and never jammed.
I just don't like detachable magazines on rifles. (The only exception to this rule is the magazine on the Lee Enfield, and that's because everything is steel and I've never heard of one falling out...)
And secondly, the other thing that put me off funnily enough was the beautiful wood stock.
As attractive as it was I just prefer synthetic stocks for the kind of hunting that I do. With a synthetic stock I don't find myself worrying about scratching it or worry about getting it drenched in rain.
Once again, this is just a personal thing but it's a big thing for me.

So while I was happy with the Sauer and couldn't fault it's craftsmanship, I think I knew deep inside that it wasn't my forever .300 Win Mag.
A really nice rifle - and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to someone, but just not MY ideal rifle.

So a few weeks ago I found myself randomly scrolling through the gun classifieds online when suddenly a rifle jumped out at me.
It was a Weatherby Vanguard - a rifle that I knew very well having owned several in the past, but this one was fitted with an aftermarket Bell & Carlson stock.
I really, really rate these stocks and just looking at this rifle/ stock combo, I think I knew that this was the type of thing that I have been looking for all along.

So, I went up to the gun-shop that was advertising it to have a look, and just like that ad said it was in great condition.
It felt nice when I shouldered it and it was surprisingly light.
I really liked it - but then again, I have always really liked Weatherby Vanguards.
I like them because they are all usually very accurate, well made and have a basic and simple design.
They have a nice simple push-feed action that's smooth and reliable, and basic 2 position safety that's just safe and fire (well, that's the safety that's fitted on the early ones which this was).
And something that always gets top marks in my book - no plastic detachable magazine to break or fall out.
Yep, I really like the Weatherby Vanguards and I really, really liked this one.
So I showed the gun-shop my Sauer and asked if they were interested in a trade... and 30 min later I walked out with the Vanguard and $50 cash in my pocket!
That's how you do business!

Once I got it home I fitted the rings and scope to it and sighted it in.
It shot well - just like I thought it would and feeding, extracting and ejection was all 100% reliable.
The only thing that surprised me a bit at first was the recoil... it was definitely there, snappy and rude.
I think I've been shooting .308's and .303's too much lately, and I just didn't give the big .300 the respect it deserves.
And on the very first shot of the day I copped a scope right between the eyes!
After that gentle 'reminder' I held onto the rifle a bit firmer and all was good.

As my in-between rifle, the main role it would fill would be for long range Fallow hunting as well as close range Sambar hunting.
As this was nothing too exotic, I decided to go for something nice and simple as far as ammunition went.
That's the beauty of a .300 Win Mag, even cheap factory ammo performs really well on game.
I think sometimes we do (and I'm guilty of this too) and that's to write off the basic cup-core factory ammo that the big ammunition companies produce.
This ammo is nice and cheap and even if you ever find yourself on a tight budget, it gets you back out in the field hunting.
For basic deer/ pig hunting at normal ranges, the cheaper cup-core stuff is usually all you need. Save the more expensive, premium stuff for the more exotic game...

So bearing all that in mind, I decided to try the standard Winchester 180gn PowerPoint ammunition.
I actually have a bit of a soft spot for Winchester ammo and I really like the PowerPoint projectile.
To give an example of this, on one hunting trip I dropped 2 big Sambar - including a big stag (that was actually in the process of fighting another big stag) up close, as well as a big doe at well over 300m. This was actually the longest shot I have ever personally taken at game.
They were both shot with a 150gn PowerPoint fired out of a 270WSM going a chronographed 3100fps.
Both were one shot kills and the recovered projectiles looked like they could've been used in an advertisement for Winchester... that's how good they looked.
So that was the first ammunition that I wanted to try in it, and it ended up shooting really well.
This is now the stuff I'm going to use.
If I was going to hunt abroad I would load something a bit more fancy, but for here the Winchester stuff is perfect.
And as an added bonus, it clocked faster than the factory said it would.
The box said 2960fps and in my rifle it did 2976fps. Awesome.
I think that this might be the first time that I have had factory ammo actually clock faster than the box said it would, and it was achieved in the cheapest ammo I could get.
This load will be an absolute hammer on deer-sized game.

View attachment 748020

So there's the story on how I think I've found my forever in-between rifle.
I knew what I wanted.
I wanted a .300 Magnum (a very close second would've been the .338WM) in a basic, no frills, rugged rifle with a synthetic stock.
And up top I wanted and a nice basic scope without glow in the dark reticles, batteries, knobs and fancy crosshairs. There's nothing wrong with any of this stuff - it's just not what I wanted.
And after trial and error, and many, many rifles passing through my hands, I've narrowed it down to what I actually really wanted... and I found it.

Now, if money wasn't an option my dream in-between rifle would undoubtedly be a Winchester M70 with an McMillan synthetic stock and nice Leupold on top.
This would be chambered in either .300 Win Mag or .300 Weatherby and I'd live happily ever after... really happily.
But I work as a nurse and I have 4 kids and a mortgage so unfortunately, money IS a consideration.

But as I write this, I'm looking at my inexpensive Weatherby leaning against my bookshelf, and I find myself smiling...
I'm smiling because as I'm looking at it, all I want to do is head out to the bush with it and spend a day or two doing the thing that I love to do best...
And as I'm admiring it, leaning next to it is my custom Zastava in 425 Express.
And looking at them together, I just can't think of a better combination that I'd like to hunt the world with.
I'd load a nice, sleek 200gn projectile at 3000fps in the .300 Win Mag - and pair that with the 360gn Atomic29 copper projectile at 2500fps that the 425 Express fires, and I would happily hunt any place in the world with complete confidence.
What a dream come true that would be...

But that is just a dream (for now) so until then I'll keep hunting my usual spots...

So, I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm never going to buy another rifle to use as my in-between rifle.
Because if I do buy another one, that would make me a liar...
But I can say this, this Weatherby Vanguard fits the criteria I set myself better than anything else I've bought so far.
So I think it's time to now stop searching and go head to the hills...
And when I do just that, using this rifle, a rifle that I chose after many years of narrowing down... I know it will just be the best feeling in the world.

Russ

Click to expand...

coreydb said:

Great trade! my 300 Rem Mag is the perfect hunting caliber from small game to large plains game. Ammo is a plenty and if you hand load, the bullets can be tailored to anything sub DG.

Click to expand...