Hey Trevor,
since you are so willing to answer questions and seemingly very competent I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain a little. I have a chance to get a seemingly pretty good deal on an older but NIB weatherby vanguard in 300wby. would this be a decent rifle to start out with that could possibly be expanded upon later? maybe someday turn into my 1 and probably only long range gun? I have never shot past 100yds but would love to have something that could do 500 maybe 600 yards and even someday attempt a 1000 yard shot. If I did try to get this guy what would I need to look at doing to it to make it the ultra long range rifle
BTW those are some pretty sweet rifles
Steak....I'll do the best I can here with this, it's 3am and I'm typing all this on a iPhone so bear with me.
First off let me say the "older" Vangaurd actions are very good actions. I have 2 matching mid 1980's Vanguard rifles, one in .270 and it's twin in .300win mag. They are both very well made and super super smooth actions. Obviously your .300wby is a "long" action versus a "short" action like a .308 or a .243 so any caliber you build off of it, should you ever choose to rebarrel would/will need to be a long action caliber. There are lots of great long action calibers to choose from.
Let's talk ammo for the .300wby since this is a very expensive rifle to shoot. Will you be reloading your own or buying ammo off the shelf? I ask because off the shelf "Weatherby specific" ammo is very expensive and can sometimes be hard to find. I've seen .300wby ammo selling for $50-$70 a box at Cabelas. So this is something to keep in mind. If your going to be reloading your own, then you'll get off a lil cheaper once you make the initial investment for the brass and dies.
The .300wby is a good caliber and very capable of achieving your 500yd goal as long as the person behind the trigger does his part. This would not be my #1 pick for a true long range rifle for a number of reasons. The .300wby is gonna have a high operating cost, even if your reloading your own. There are many calibers better suited to long range shooting that are much cheaper to shoot shot for shot. Also, I'm assuming you dont spend lots of time behind the trigger so your probably not used to repeated heavy recoil. This rifle is gonna smack you pretty good and after 5-10 shots your gonna be anticipating the shot and accuracy goes out the window. Your rifle needs to be comfortable to shoot and fun, otherwise your not going to enjoy it. Now, ofcourse adding a heavier filled stock and having a smith put on a muzzle break will help recoil reduction significantly if this is something youd have done.
Please understand that I dont want to sound negative, but if your END goal is to be able to shoot long range (500yds+) this just isn't the rifle I'd pick for the obvious reasons I've pointed out above. Now, if you can get this rifle for a really good deal, then go for it, but do it with the intent of having it rebarreled/rechambered into a more cost efficient and easier to shoot caliber. Be sure to calculate this into your overall cost. This is really hard to answer because you could really go so many different directions. For a hunting rifle, the gun is perfect just like it is, but to make it your primary range/target rifle it just isn't practical like it is. I'm not trying to discourage you from a good deal, I'm just trying to be honest.
Now, here is another option for you to consider. Buy a basic .308 in a Remingnton 700 or a Savage model 10 or 12 and shoot it just like it is for a while. It's easy to shoot, ammo is much cheaper and always easy to find. It's capable of shooting long range right out of the box if the shooter's skill level permits. As you sharpen your skills, you can customize/upgrade the rifle to fit your needs with a better stock or a custom barrel. Doing it this way is gonna be cheaper on you, both initially and long term, and you'll end up with a gun that you built to fit your needs. I mean just ammo cost alone for a .308 is about $20-$22 a box for Federal Gold Medal Match and the Weatherby ammo is atleast $50-$70 a box and as high as $80 for some. Your looking at roughly $2.50 a shot (at $50 a box) versus $1 a shot with a .308 or a .243
If it were me just starting out on a medium budget with your goals you stated, I'd buy a new or used Rem700 PSS, SPS Tactical, or SPS Varmint in .308 and get a decent scope. This will give you a good solid platform to start from, it will be fun to shoot, cheap to shoot, and you'll be able to upgrade as needed with better stocks, barrels, and triggers. This rifle will be capable of 1000yd shooting right out of the box with off the shelf ammo with adequate skills pulling the trigger. The Rem 700 short action is the small block 350 of the gun world. Its ability to be customized is endless and easy. ****This is just my opinion on what I'd do if in your situation**** Please take no offense in regards to me thinking the Weatherby isn't the best rifle for the goals you stated. If that's what you want, get it.
I'd be glad to visit with you in greater detail over the phone if you'd like and id be able to give you a few more scenarios for both options and see what you think. PM me for my number if you'd like.
Best of luck to you sir and I'm always here to bounce ideas off of.
