Frustrated with Weatherby

[HairyScandinavian]

Once you degrease and properly torque the action screws and any other rails and such, just pawn it an move on. I've seen a few Vangards with backed out action screws including one of my own and proper torque fixed them into pretty good shooters. Apparently they're not designed to be free floated which is weird but whatever.

 

[Hschweers]

Factory Weatherby barrels have never had the reputation of being really accurate. Rather than selling and getting another average shooting factory rifle, I’d rebarrel with a good quality tube and enjoy the little groups.

This was my initial thought. Admittedly, I’ve never done any tinkering to any rifles. Again, my tikka, browning, and bergara work as they should. No need to tinker. Instead of taking a $200-$300 hit selling it, I’d rather spend $200-$300 (maybe a little more) to just make this one shoot. You’d go barrel over stock (chassis) or action work?

 

[Bugger]

Listened to the Weatherby guys on someone’s podcast. They are damn proud of themselves when they produce the Sub Moa group of their picking and get to send the rifle back with a $200 charge.

I pity anyone working in the “accuracy guarantee” dept of any company. Seeing the average shooter at the range not even know what action screws are, cheap scope holding on for dear life by Amazon-special rings and bases tightened down with the provided Allen key, shooting off elbows and a fully extended bipod through a wicked flinch… then proceed to bash the brand for not being a surgical instrument. I completely understand the $200 fee for the wasted time. Just a bummer it’s half the cost of the gun for those who actually do it right and get a lemon.

 

[Choupique]

I had two vanguards that shot good even with the crappy weatherby Tupperware stock with the barrel contact patch and all. Its made by howa, so it should have a decent barrel.

Id do the whole take apart and put back together carefully and correctly thing, give it one more try, and if it don't act right I'd sell it.

 

[The Guide]

I understand this isn’t 100% correct, but after all the different ammo changes I had to try something else. I was at the range and had limited tools available to me. Was just looking for proof of concept. I removed the action, cut a piece of target and folded it up till ~1/8” thick, and placed under the action to pick the barrel up. Torqued back to spec. Was contacting the stock badly in 2 different places. If this improved the groupings at all, I would sand out the touch points on the stock to free float the right way. It made 0 difference on the groupings. Still sat in the 2.5” range with two different loads

I had the same issue with a Vanguard in 300WM that my BIL owns. We were talking and he said he couldn't get better than a 2.5" group with it. It has a plastic stock that was super loose on the action screws and had a really tight barrel channel with more contact than not. I tightened the action screws and it shot worse. I used a rotary tool to cut the barrel channel open for a full float. No Change. We changed the scope mounts to get a better eye box. No improvement. I bought a B&C stock and put it in that. No improvement. Put my Maven 1.2 on it and got one group almost an inch with 150 grain Hornady Whitetail ammo but the 180 grain Hornady Whitetail was 4 inches and the 200 grain Hornady Precision Hunter was over 6 inches.

I have over $600 in this rifle trying to get it to shoot for my BIL. I've tried ammo from Hornady, Federal, Nosler, Barnes, and Berger. I've tried handloads for one of my 300WM rifles. I've tried 150, 165, 180, 190, 200, and 215 grain bullets. 2 stocks, 2 scopes, and 2 mounting systems. I finally gave it back to him after working on it for 3 months.

When I ordered the B&C stock I also ordered a Howa 1500 6.5 PRC barreled action from Brownell's as I figured on way or another I would have a stock that wasn't being used. I put the barreled action in the B&C stock and put my Maven on it and shot rounds 3, 4, and 5 touching. Put the scoped barreled action in the Weatherby stock (without free floating it) and shot a sub MOA group even with the stock touching the barrel a little. I feel like I did my due diligence on trying to get the rifle to shoot. The barrel is just not going to shoot. I told him to sell the rifle and he can buy the stock and 6.5 PRC barreled action from me. He wants to try and send it back to Weatherby. Sometimes people just won't give up and want to chase good money with bad.

Jay

 

[Skerhunter]

On the cheaper factory rifles the first thing I always do is scrap the factory stock for one that had a block/chassis and make sure the barrel is free floated before I worry about accuracy.

Great chance it is a simple bedding/torque/free float issue. BUT it could still be barrel/chamber issue. In the last 6 months I have had friends return a proof research rifle that they rebarreled for free. Another returned two tikkas and it’s safe to say will never buy another one (chamber issue on both)!

If it was me I would put it in a better stock/chassis to see if it shoots, if not I would put the factory package back together and trade it back in.

 

[sndmn11]

Yeah, not much. I think I spent around $700 but it’s a little fancier (cerakote, fluting, threaded). I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t shoot any of them before going out, and gamble that people won’t take the $200 risk on a $500-$700 rifle to send back. Much like myself lol

If you get to selling it, hit me up.

 

[Hschweers]

If you get to selling it, hit me up.

LOL. not enough to scare ya off, huh?

 

[Hschweers]

On the cheaper factory rifles the first thing I always do is scrap the factory stock for one that had a block/chassis and make sure the barrel is free floated before I worry about accuracy.

Great chance it is a simple bedding/torque/free float issue. BUT it could still be barrel/chamber issue. In the last 6 months I have had friends return a proof research rifle that they rebarreled for free. Another returned two tikkas and it’s safe to say will never buy another one (chamber issue on both)!

If it was me I would put it in a better stock/chassis to see if it shoots, if not I would put the factory package back together and trade it back in.

I’ve thought about buying an MDT chassis to try… if it doesn’t work I can sell the factory setup and buy a barreled action for the chassis. Mainly because I haven’t seen it for myself (nor have I tried), but I find it so hard to believe that a stock would affect accuracy THAT much. Slightly more comfortable, the shooter shoots better. I can see that. Taking a turd to a shooter through a stock just doesn’t seem likely to me, but from what I’ve read on this forum that’s incorrect thinking

 

[sndmn11]

LOL. not enough to scare ya off, huh?

Depends on the price!

@KickinNDishin is taking a shoot2hunt class this summer and we have been weighing the pros/cons of renting their banger or buying a vanguard/tikka. She shoots a 7-08 vanguard; we have four vanguards in the family, and if she ended up taking a 223 chambered one in a bravo stock she probably wouldn't be upset.

 

[TaperPin]

This was my initial thought. Admittedly, I’ve never done any tinkering to any rifles. Again, my tikka, browning, and bergara work as they should. No need to tinker. Instead of taking a $200-$300 hit selling it, I’d rather spend $200-$300 (maybe a little more) to just make this one shoot. You’d go barrel over stock (chassis) or action work?

I think two boxes of different ammo will usually show the accuracy potential of most rifles. I have been burned by a scope with an internal lens that was loose, so try a second scope and double check the base screws.

I shoot bare bones old blued receivers with good stainless replacement barrels and it’s been the easy way to get an accurate rifle. I don’t miss the days of trying to get a dog to shoot well. However, it is an emotional hump to get over to pay as much for a good barrel as an entire rifle, but it’s been money well spent time after time.

I would not try the least expensive custom barrel - one of my friends did that and it didn’t shoot any better than what he had to begin with.

I have friends who will tinker with loads in the factory barrel every weekend for a year and the best load isn’t much different from the first, and there’s nothing wrong with that if you enjoy it.

 

[Skerhunter]

I’ve thought about buying an MDT chassis to try… if it doesn’t work I can sell the factory setup and buy a barreled action for the chassis. Mainly because I haven’t seen it for myself (nor have I tried), but I find it so hard to believe that a stock would affect accuracy THAT much. Slightly more comfortable, the shooter shoots better. I can see that. Taking a turd to a shooter through a stock just doesn’t seem likely to me, but from what I’ve read on this forum that’s incorrect thinking

I understand - need to see it to believe it deal (kind of like the scope testing stuff on here). Just need to remember the more surface area contacting the action/stock interface with uniform pressure just reduces the chances of that stuff moving/slipping. If it’s bad you can have those parts slipping/moving when you fire a shot and you POI will be all over.

I recently posted on another thread for a custom CA rifle I bought. Factory stock had to be torqued perfectly to shoot a decent group, still not great. Following CA torque specs it shot horrible. If I put it in a chassis or stock with bedding block it shoots sub moa 30 round groups with the same factory ammo. Not sure what that gun sold for new, but definitely a waste of money based on the stock/bedding job!

 

[Skerhunter]

For cheapo beater truck guns. We have had pretty good luck hogging out some material in the factory stock and dropping in a bunch of JBweld.

JB weld for the win!

 

[Hschweers]

They “shoot”
55gr Winchester Ballistic Silvertip
55gr Barnes TSXFB
55gr Federal Ballistic Tip

Guess I’ll buy a box of each and see what I can get it to do.

 

[Deere_Man]

They “shoot”
55gr Winchester Ballistic Silvertip
55gr Barnes TSXFB
55gr Federal Ballistic Tip

Guess I’ll buy a box of each and see what I can get it to do.

Man, what if it likes really light stuff?

 

[Hschweers]

Man, what if it likes really light stuff?

Ive tried 55gr hornady factory ammo (I’ll admit not premium match stuff) and it did about 3” on a 3 shot group. But hey, hopefully I’m wrong and they shoot great!

 

[PAHunter777]

I have a few older mark V and they come from the factory with a pressure point on the tip of the forend. Once the bump is removed they shoot fine, not sure if the vanguard has that or not.

 

[Deere_Man]

Ive tried 55gr hornady factory ammo (I’ll admit not premium match stuff) and it did about 3” on a 3 shot group. But hey, hopefully I’m wrong and they shoot great!

Maybe it likes ammo in the 30-50gr range.

 

[Hschweers]

Maybe it likes ammo in the 30-50gr range.

If that’s the case I’ll sell it lol

 

[JFK]

I wouldn’t waste more time or money on the current barrel. Rifles that are that picky have something going on. I’d either sell it or probably better yet, put a new barrel on it.