I need a new rifle like I need a cup of sugar but while I was nosing around one of my favorite gunshops today, I spotted a Weatherby Vanguard in 270 Winchester. It was used but looked like it was unfired....it was love at first sight, :-\ The price was good too.
I bought it and since it had a crappy scope, off to Bass Pro for their sale prices.
I bought a Leupold Ultimate Slam scope for it. It is designed as a muzzleloader scope but I have it's predecessor on three other hunting rifles and even on my crossbow. It's just a darn hard design to beat.
I haven't loaded for the 270 for years so I had to dig out my load data and will be ready for the weekend.
Sweet. You know what this means? Mtn Don needs a new gun too.
Quote from: NM_Shooter on September 22, 2011, 09:26:17 PM
Mtn Don needs a new gun too.
:o I do?
:) Yes, I do! Just not sure which.
My favorite all-around, versatile rifle for NM has been the Mini-14. Short, light, durable, and cheap. It will take a nice scope, or is accurate through the iron. Lots of accessories available. Fits under the back seat of my truck. For serious hunting it's hard to beat a good bolt-action, but for plinking and playing, the Ruger is tough to beat.
If you want more horsepower, the Mini-30 is nice also.
I've had plenty of time to really ring out the Weatherby and with two exceptions, I love it.
There is a very small almost un-noticeable feeding problem if only two shells are loaded. I think that's just a break in problem and doesn't happen if I load one or three shells, just two. Weatherby has agreed to fix it if it doesn't work itself out.
The other is the trigger. Weatherby triggers have a spotty record and by those standards, mine is good. It does have a small step though, a little like setting a set trigger then a crisp letoff. To be honest, I could live very well with that but since I can't ever leave well enough alone, I just ordered a Rifle Basix Varmint grade trigger for it.
This may turn into one of my favorite rifles when it's finished.
The new trigger got here today and It took 5 minutes to put it in. I cleaned the rifle while I was at it and used a little steel wool to slick up the box walls. That may do away with the feeding thing.
This trigger is NOT what I'd suggest for a field rifle where I may be wearing gloves but is perfect for what I wanted. It's adjustable all the way and the weight of pull can be safely set from 2 oz to 2 pounds. It came factory adjusted at 16 oz and I bumped it up to a tad under 2 pounds. Absolutely no creep and it breaks as cleanly as glass.
I backed it down to 14 oz and I'll keep it there for my load development, then go back to 2 pounds where it'll stay.
At 14 oz the safety holds and I couldn't induce a slam fire.
This is my first Rifle Basix trigger and it appears as well made as any of my other aftermarket triggers except the Canjar.
I'm guardedly impressed with it.