Quote:
Originally Posted by ak257
Yes, it does have an adjustable trigger. I have lightened it up as far as I can.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ak257
Yes, it does have an adjustable trigger. I have lightened it up as far as I can.
I have a S&W Model 1500 .30-06 that I picked up for a really reasonable price used. S&W contracted with Howa to make this rifle for them. It's identical to the Vanguard, which is also made by Howa. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I sighted it in with factory ammunition. I got 3/4" groups at 100 yards. The trigger was fine. It could still be a little crisper, but it's fine for a sporter.
The trigger on a Vanguard is adjustable but I couldn't manage to get the creep out of it. So I put a Timney replacement trigger in it. Got the trigger from lockstock.com web site for lock stock and barrel in Valentine NE. Little spendy but made my Vanguard a much better shooter. Also the Timney trigger has a three position safety which I think is an upgrade.Quote:
Originally Posted by ak257
To Ableshooter and AK257..... I bought my Vanguard in .300 Weatherby at my local "china" mart for $299 quite a few years ago. The trigger pull was comparable to dragging a cement block across a dirt road with your trigger finger! I measured the poundage at a very real 8.5 lbs.! I tried adjusting the pull, and cleaning and stoning to very little improvement. My gunsmith said only to "live with it"! I contacted most trigger makers, all put me off. Timney, however, said they were going to come out with a trigger shortly - would I like to be put on a waiting list? Turns out I was number "1" on the list. About 8 months later I had the first trigger, it cost $80 then with shipping. I adjusted it to 2.5 lbs. With my handloads of Nosler partitions I am getting nice 5 shot 3 leaf "Irishclover leafs" at 100 yds after breaking in the barrel. To answer your question, "Why buy such a bad trigger pull "? Simple, the trigger lock policy on all store guns had started. I could handle the show model but the trigger lock stayed on the trigger so I couldn`t test the pull till I was out of the store and home. I`m stubborn enough that I would fix the pull. I believe that the problem is almost all makers make their trigger pulls "Lawyer Proof" and as cheaply as possible, what a shame.
I tried to adjust the trigger on my friends 243 Vanguard, and had no luck. Methinks the Timney is the only good solution. That makes the Vanguard a 500 dollar gun, not a 400 dollar gun. My new Stevens 200 7-08 has alot better trigger than the Vanguard, and that surprised me. Go Figger
Woody
As far as group sizing goes, have you had the action bedded and the barrel free floated? Bedding job and triggers are the first jobs in getting acurate rifles. If you are reloading trying for 1/2 in groups without bedding, you are kinda beating a dead horse in my opinion.
I fully agree on the trigger and bedding.
I bought mine (a Rem 7 mag) from a pawnshop for a really good price. It was NIB with the Butler Creek plastic stock. My eyes were open and I knew I would either replace the trigger or have it adjusted by a gunsmith. I put it in a Boyd laminated stock and bedded the action after floating the barrel. I had adjusted the factory trigger as much as possible, but it still had a lot of creep. Even so, I was getting 1 inch groups with my handloads, which I attribute to the stock and the bedding. I was getting a few fliers, which I blame primarily on the creeping trigger (Couldn't be me flinching, you know :confused:).
I have a Howa 1500 and a trigger job by the gunsmith fixed the creep and gave me a steady 3 lb. pull.
I decided to get the timney trigger for this new one and installed it last night. Nice. It came set at 3 lbs. so I adjusted it down to 2.5. Absolutely no creeping. I did have to cut a little on the stock to get the safety to go all the way forward but that was easily done.
Hopefully, the trigger and a little more tuning on the reloads will reduce those groups.
So does that mean the Savage will stay in the store? I have a model 12 BVSS-S in .308 that shoots almost any jacketed 165 -168 grain bullet into very small groups at fairly far ranges. I haven't convinced it to like cast bullets yet, but I believe that was my fault...
Not to pick on weatherby rifles in particular but here is a different view concerning any other centerfire rifle you can buy new on the market today................why should you have to do any "modification" at all to these rifles (especially the new ones)? Why aren`t the firearms manufacturing companies producing quality products to begin with? I think that "we" as buyers should demand more quality at a good price from the companies that are supposedly producing these rifles to begin with. :mad:
It makes no sense to me when I go and buy a new rifle that I would have to go out and buy additional items to make the rifle shoot 1 moa or less at 100 yards at least with premium factory ammo (e.g. a different trigger, or barrel, or free float the stock or modify the bedding). Those quality products should have already come with the rifle to begin with. And that new rifle should be accurate enough already without having to make modifications to it.
Example given here for me is my two Browning Abolt II Composite Stalker (in both 300 WSM and 280 Rem calibers bought brand new in 1996 and 2003) rifles topped with Leupold scopes (in Millett rings and bases) that are absolute tack drivers. Both of these rifles will shoot 0.5 moa when I do my part with either factory loads or my own handloads. No modification whatsoever.............factory guns with factory barrels/triggers and factory Leupold scopes.
JMHO
Works for me!!!!!!