Yet Another Hideous Omission: More Accurate Factory Rifles

In previous posts I have mentioned a number of factory rifles that would really shoot, but it comes to me now that I neglected to mention two of the best. One is the Weatherby Accu-Mark, and the other is the Weatherby Vanguard Sub-MOA, which is made by Howa in Japan. (A word about Howa. Their rifles first appeared in the U.S. in about 1967, and were sold under the name Golden Bear. The impression they made was roughly the same that Honda automobiles made on Detroit when the first appeared. “Holy s**t,” said everyone, “how can they build something that good at that price?” And nothing has changed since. They build a hell of a rifle.)

The Sub-MOA rifles are flat-out guaranteed to shoot sub-moa, and are supplied with a target attesting to that fact. They sell for $860, and you will probably have to spend a few more bucks having the trigger tuned, but it is some bargain. I don’t know if Weatherby puts an accuracy guarantee on the Accu-Mark, but the one I have, a .300 WBY, shoots three loads into .900-inch, .903-inch, and .670-inch, which suits me fine. It is not a cheap gun at $1,800, but think of it as a $4,000 gun at a bargain price. They really take some pains with this one. Excellent fit and finish, decent trigger (but no better) and one of the smoothest barrels I have looked down (up?) with a borescope. It would be very interesting to load it with match-grade bullets and see what it does.

By the way, just to be completely honest, this is one of the very, very few rifles I’ve ever been given. Ed Weatherby presented it to me on the condition that I please shut up and leave him alone. And I have, more or less.

Comments

[`skunk]

Well Dave........ You talked me into investing in a custom rifle and I chose the Nosler Model 48
in 325WSM. Now you aare telling me I spent too much money? I'm crying in my coffee here.......
I like the Tikka Lite, much better than the sub moa which is a little too heavy. I think the Tikka Lite is the best buy under $1,000. I have always loved Weatherbys except for the fact that the barrels are way too shiny and and because of that; I have never bought one.

[`skunk]

On a side note Dave; why don't rifles come with iron sights anymore? I'd hate to think that I spent a bunch of money on a hunting trip and have my scope break down in the middle of no where. Tell the rifle makers to put iron sights back on rifles.

[MattWV]

So you're saying that if we bug Weatherby we can all get rifles too? Awesome.

[GunGeek]

Isn't the Sub-MOA model the one where they test every rifle coming off the line and take the ones that do well and give them some extra TLC and then label them as "Sub-MOA" and a bunch extra for them?

When I first read that, my immediate reaction was to make sure I never buy one of the standard models because you're virtually guaranteed to get one that doesn't shoot very well. If it did, they would have made it into a more expensive Sub-MOA model.

Could Hitler dance? Could he! Of course the Furher could dance! He was an incredibley gifted dancer, and to see him swoop and glide around the grand ballrooms of Europe was like living a dream!

The music would begin, and our Furher would step, glide, and whirl, then make a little leap, and click his heels so crisply! Gravity could not constrain him! He moved like an enchanted zephyr, seeming to float above the polished floor! Women swooned at the sight, and the men could but try to conceal their chagrinned envy! Such was the perfection of his expression that the music seemed to flow from him, and not from the orchestra! Such grace! Such perfection of expression and such precision of terpsichoric synchronicity! Hubert, Bertie and I were simply spellbound every time our Furher took to the floor, as indeed was all of Europe!

Of course, Hitler had a phalanx of other talents besides his superhuman ability at dance, but as the darkening war clouds gathered, stern duty called him away from artistic pursuits and he began to devote his attention exclusively to the darker arts of war, arts at which he also excelled.

It is so sad that the tumult of the times never allowed our Furher to devote his tremendous talent and insight to the art of figure skating. I am near to tears each time I think of what might have been had not the vexing Jewish question, compounded by England's belligerence, demanded so much of our selflessly devoted Furher's time and attention!

But Churchill would not cease his bellicose ravings, and of course, the Jews and the homosexuals were simply bleeding the Fatherland white, so Hitler, being uniquely qualified among all the German Folk, was driven by none other than Destiny herself to take command of the world and to implement the mighty task of setting everything right again. So the Fatherland lost a great artist, but gained a great Furher! SEIG HEIL! SEIG HEIL!

Please infor me as to what Hitler an Churchill has/had to do with Weatherby firearms?????

[`skunk]

Get off the blog you ignaramous; this is for gun lovers, you dumb Kraut!

[Bubba]

He could dance because he was a faggot!

[LENNY REED]

HE IS REALLY WEIRD

[LENNY REED]

WITH RIFLE PRICES RISING THE WAY THEY ARE 860 IS NOT A TON OF MONEY ANYMORE. AND IF I AM CORRECT, 860 IS THE MSRP AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUY IT FOR 729? GOOD DEAL BUT THE 399 VANGAURD WILL SHOOT AS GOOD AND DOES NOT NEED SUB MOA PRINTED ON IT

[dave]

I would have loved to see your little prancing Furher twirling and leaping across the stage...It would have made great target practice. Please find a blog that will suit your twisted thought pattern!! Why am i even wasting my time? Back to healthy gun thoughts now....sorry all

[Jack Bohm]

What's with the Nazi stuff on here?

On better note, I've seen a fair number of very accurate factory rifles, with reasonable proce tags- I had a Ruger M77MKII that would produce quarter size groups at 100 yards with at least 3 different loads.

[Dr. Ralph]

They test fire all the Vanguard's because they are guaranteed to shoot 1.5" at 100 yards and you get the target! If a particular gun shoots under .75" they pull it and put it in a Sub MOA package. Therefore you can still buy a $399.00 rifle that shoots .76", and many do.

[Dr. Ralph]

As long as we're discussing accurate cheap rifles, I have a Dave story. My most accurate rifle is a 30-06 that will put 220 gr., 180 gr., 165 gr., and 150 gr. bullets in the same spot at 100 yards. I can take a handful of factory loads of various weights and manufacturers and mix them up and still shoot sub moa groups... This gun was given to me by my father on the condition that I please shut up and leave him alone. I have not kept my word. 1963 Model 700 22" barrel. NOT FOR SALE

It is often asked, How did Gyemmy become the New Left's foremost political guru? How did this immigrant cobbler's son become the hottest consultant/shaman/whipcrack to top world leaders and the haute art/fashion crowd on this or any planet?

Why do the famous and not so famous movers and shakers, world leaders, trend-setters, dictators and democrats, Hollywood glamourites and hep young Xgen streetpeople beat a path to his ornate carved mahogany doors? Why are these A-list celebs and notorious oppressors and everyone else from J!mmie Carter to Papa Soros to Vlad Putin to Bobby Trendy to Hillary and the Pope lined up to get into Gyemmy's Euro-fab digs in the incredible old Sutro mansion outside of Frisco?

It could be the incredible fried pies and the world class wine cellar, but it's not. It could be the treasures of sculpture and avante-gard furnishings, but it's really not that, either. The whole-house Bose system? No, not even that. So... what is it about this itinerate cobbler's son become raconteur and fashion policeman to the world's glitterati that makes him the center of today's Powerpeoples' world?

http://www.pinkpistols.org/index2.html

[Clay Cooper]

I remember an article about a European gun manufacturer visiting a major gun manufacturer here in the U.S. He was asked what he thought about U.S. guns. He paused for a moment and responded with one word, “UNFINISHED!” I have a 03-A3, 30-06 that my Father customized for me by Jensons Gun Shop in Tucson Arizona when I was 12. 40 years have gone by now. I can still take that rifle with a Leopold Vari XII 3x9 and at 200 yards using Hornady 190 soft point boat tails with 58 grains of IMR4831, military match brass and a Federal 215 primer driving that bullet at 2826 fps group a just under a one inch. I wonder when the American gun manufacturers going to make firearms were everyone can afford them. Sounds like big oil? I thought of buying a .257 Weather Mag. But 30 dollars for a box of 20 empties forget it. I’m leaning of probably a 264 Win Mag or 25-06. If they renamed the 264 Win Mag the 6.5 Win Mag it might sale

[Been ther-Done that]

Clay; I have a 25-06 Rem 700 Classic love it.It will put 3 shots in bulls eye that a silver dollar will cover@200 yds). The recoil is zilt and accuracy is un-beatable. I am 72 yrs old, had this gun 30+ yrs and love to shoot it. I use Winchester Ballastic tip ll5 gr ammo and it will shoot flat as a board out to 400 yds and beyond if you think you can hold on target, ( I'cant) However it was pure instant death on a nice l4"Lope in Wy last year. Can't wait to try again this fall. Again, you will not go wrong with a 25-06 for its purpose, and if need more horsepower go with the 30-06. RR

PS; All my hunting firearms, from 22 mags,B/P's 25-06's and many 30-06's all carry a Nikon Monarch scopes in 3 x 9x 40 with Leupold bases.All bases are Dual Dove tails. When flying these days, the way your gun case is thrown around, you must have solid mounts.So far mine have been ok, but do take a pratice shot upon arriving in the Rockies, plus after my pratice sessions at home, I never clean the bore till season is over unless by chance I dropped it in mud,even then I always use Elec. tape on muzzle.Also, I always carry a extra firearm when going West, in the event one loses it effectiness.Rather safe than sorry. AS for the above mentioned Vnguards, I cannot in all good faith buy a firearm that has stamped on bbl,MADE IN JAPAN. Us hunters need to buy USA products or one day will be no USA firearms. I understand some Model 70's and 94's will be mfgerd in Japan????? what a shame. But to me, I prefer the Remington products to all others, as they fit me and my shooting style better than any other firearm I ever shot. Lastly: to each his own. RR

[Clay Cooper]

Been ther-Done that

AMEN there brother. By the way I burned out three barrels in my M-77 Ruger 25-06.

[Clay Cooper]

A 25-06 with a 120-grain Nosler partition will blow the shoulder out of a deer like a 180 grain 300 Win Mag! My 25-06 nickname is “Quarter Pounder!”. That’s the group at 200 yards!

[Dr. Ralph]

Been there done that, I am sorry for not replying to your previous questions about the Rem 710. I do not own one, as it is far too ugly to rest alongside my grandfathers 1917 Winchester Model 1912, Ruger#1, Ruger Deluxe Sporter 10/22 with a .920 fluted target barrel which I had the Walnut stock routed out to accommodate etc.... From what I have heard, the 710 was a reasonably accurate rifle and the 770 is more a face lift to make the same gun more attractive. They did change the bolt as it had a tendency to operate poorly and a few people complained about it striking them in the face! Not a good thing. My Remington is a 1963 700 ADL with the most beautiful stock and fit and finish I have seen on a Remington. You can buy a Weatherby Vanguard with a plastic stock that is guaranteed to knock a golf ball off a tee at 100 yards! 399.00 baby! How can you go wrong? Put that same Bushnell scope you get with a 710 on it and you will have a world class shooter for less than the MSRP of the new 770.

[X Ring at 9]

I wish I were a gun manufacturer. I would actually run all the manufacturers out of business. I would take the old tried and competition proven action of the 03-A3. A good quality trigger, bolt, safety, synthetic stock and a good barrel. The 03-A3 has been the one of the best rifles to be rechambered for 308 Norma Magnum.

[Been there-Done that]

Thanks for the reply Clay: I too relish beautiful Walnut wood on my firearms. I am disabled/handicapped and hunt a lot from my 4 wheeler. Going where I must go on the 4 wheeler many trees, bushes kinda get in my way, therfore I was looking at a Syn stock firearm that would not break my heart if got scratched up somewhat. Remington has now come out with a model 715, new on market, syn stock in blk, and matte btl, det mag.)( I believe this model 715 replaces the 710 which Rem has deleted from it's lineup). My question is, has Rem just replaced the 710 with this new model 715 and eliminated the 710 grey ugly stock? I do believe from the Rem Web site, the 715 has a plastic det. mag, not a metal job, if so, it will follow the 710. As I stated earlier, a Remington just fits me and my style hunting so I don;t even look at other makes seriously. However, the Stevens 200 by Savage is likely a better built gun than the 710 or 715, but has a blind magazine. I prefer the hinged floor-plate or det. mag.As you stated, would put my money on the line that the 715 is a clone of the 770, and the 715 is somwhat a clone (Upgraded 710). Anyway, we not talking a lot of money on either of these firearms, so if a screw up, wan;t kill me, just yet. To me nothing takes the place of beautiful wood. I have a custon made 06 on a Mauser action, that the stock alone is worth 2K bucks. Some day will get up enough nerve to take to woods, now it only goes to the bench to show off to the other guys with their Wal-mart specials and to prove to them that I can still shoot well at 72+ yrs old. I know I can get a great argument started again when I state, that I don;t think the guns Wal-mart sells is the same quality guns we buy from the corner dealer who's been there 40 + yrs. Wal-mart detacts to mfgers what they will pay from A thru Z and some Companies will built a product cheaper to meet their demand. Many will disagree with me, but thats what this section is all about. Hopefully each of us lears from others, I know I have and plan to continue. Thanks for the reply ClayRR

[Been there-Done that]

Clay: Those burned out bbls on the Ruger 77, in 25-06, was that from bench shooting, hunting, etc. And what brands and wt of ammo did you use?Would be interesting to know, as I mostly use Remington and Winchester Ballastic tips, especially for hunting. I do prefer the Polymer tips and boat tails for big game hunting out West. May all be in my head, but with that type bullet, I feel I get better range and accuracy, providing I know the distance which I usually check out prior to shooting, unless its a snap shot un-expected.Not being a re-loader, I usally purchase the tried and proved Core-lokt by Rem for the bench and pratice, then switch to my hunting Ammo for the final few pratice shots prior to the hunt.If you have not tried the new Remington Scricco's , try a box. I feel sure you will be impressed, I know I was. PS; Clay back to the Rem 715 Sportsman model by Remington. This firearm is listed under their Premier Line, mfgered in KY, USA; MSRP about $325.00 up-wards with open sights, det Mag. Thanks for the replies. With my poor health, the Computer is my get-away-to hunt, kinda of. Plus, I;ve learned a lot from you guys and when I spend mega bucks for a trip west, I want to be prepared the best I can. Even at my old age, I too can and do learn a lot from this program. Again, thanks for your comments. Please continue at your pleasure. RR