In my opinion the Vanguard is an underrated rifle. Its bolt is very similar to a Remington and has the advantage of having an M16 style extractor. This is a better & more reliable extractor than the Remington's. I have a Smith & Wesson 1500 in 25-06 that shoots extremely small groups with handloads. The Smith & Wesson & Vanguard are both produced by Howa out of Japan. The Smith & Wesson is no longer available but my next purchase will be a Vanguard in 300 WSM.