New rifle...Weatherby Vanguard in 300WSM

KonoctisWigwam · Apr 24, 2026

I've been on the fence of getting the 300WM setup, as the recoil lug that is currently chambered on it, is not as thick as the recoil lug slot in the rifle stock. I also had a 300WSM barrel, but don't have a rifle stock for that, and was intending to use a Manners SA stock I have. Then this screaming deal passes my eyes on another forum for a Weatherby Vanguard chambered in 300WSM...what can I say...check's in the mail (money order). This doesn't change my hunting plans too much. Bullets, powder, primers, brass all stay the same for me, the previous plan was to use those for 300WM.

I was also searching to find out if I could bed the recoil lug on the 300WM, which seems you can. Eventually I will bed it, but the 300WSM throws a wrench into those plans. This was only $400! Possibly my best score to date. A new stock may be in order for this, I'm not sure. It has a Timney Trigger upgrade and comes with the vortex rings. Really nice guy, seems legit on the phone. I need a couple days for him to get my money order, and ship it to my FFL, and then another 10 days to put it in jail. We don't need no stinkin' jails...

He said he's only shot it at the range, but his BIL hunted with it for a year or two.

Unfortunately this is in a long action, but fortunately it is in a long action.

By that I mean, it's better to have the 300WSM in a long action to set the bullets out farther. It's not easy to do if the rifle stock was not routed for the wider mag/DBM, since the WSM is wider than the WM, albeit a short action cartridge. This also ensures that the 300WSM should feed fine in this LA. IMO, the WSM has been proven in the past 25 years. It definitely compliments most quivers, I know it does mine.

The seller has a bunch of 7mm rifles that he's hunting with, and said he plans to use them. In a way, this was a gift.

Roguehunter · Apr 25, 2026

Nice! Sometimes the right rifle just finds you and suddenly all those plans shift without much regret at all

KonoctisWigwam · May 15, 2026

Roguehunter said:
Nice! Sometimes the right rifle just finds you and suddenly all those plans shift without much regret at all

That seems to have happened here. I wasn't really wanting another rifle, but it came to me for $400, and I couldn't say no. I have one problem, in that the stock I bought for it seems to fit, but when it's assembled it won't fire after the bolt is cam'd over. I swapped it back to the synthetic stock and it does work. Has anyone seen that problem before? It's a tight fit, so I suspect it must be pinching the trigger to prevent it from firing.

I may need to enlarge the width some...in the meantime I can use it with the original stock. These S1 Vanguards are guaranteed to be sub-moa from Weatherby. I have an additional $40 into this for the picatiny, and the stock was less than $400 on sale.

I put a full picatiny, to replace the Weatherby scope mounts. I tried with the old Weatherby mounts, but the same thing, no fire. Synthetic stock fires fine.

The Picatiny

Bought this cheap soft case for it.

New carbon fiber stock, right.

New carbon fiber stock, left.

KonoctisWigwam · May 27, 2026

Replacement stock shipped today, should be here on Tuesday.

KonoctisWigwam · Jun 15, 2026

Update:

The replacement stock was shipped, but the Timney trigger wasn't working correctly. I could get the trigger to work out of the replacement stock, but not when the barrel and action were in the stock...this was a stumper, but a fairly common problem.

I ordered an original Weatherby Vanguard trigger, hoping that it would work with the replacement stock from Stockys.

I just got the trigger today and was able to install it, and my suspicion was correct. I now have a one and done hunting rifle for California. 300WSM will take down any game I plan to hunt. I have everything I need to reload 300WSM, including bullets, brass, powder, dies.

This is a rifle I bought for $400, a $200 Primary Arms 4-14 BDC scope, $50 trigger, and $350 for the Stockys Carbon on sale. Not bad for a $1,000 hunting rifle.

My hunting partner is leaving for Idaho next week, Him, his Girlfriend, and one of his hunting partners all got Elk tags for Idaho, in the Bitterroot Valley. I don't know what the guys are shooting, but his Girlfriend shoots 270WSM. Hopefully his horse mends by then, but he has side-by-sides, he can use.

KonoctisWigwam · Jun 19, 2026

I can't leave anything alone, I have to tear everything apart and put it back together a half dozen times before I'm happy...

Was having problems bore sighting in the Primary Arms 4-14 BDC, and put my best scope on this, a Leopold VX5 HD, 4-20x52. No illumination. I have this setup bore sighted in, and going to zero this in at the range. Pig, Bear and Deer, look out...Bear and Deer come into the mix on July 1st.