weatherby or savage
12-22-2011, 04:23 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: missouri
Posts: 305
weatherby or savage
This has probably been asked before but here goes I am trying to decide between a Weatherby Vanguard S2 and a Savage 116 Weather Warrior the caliber will be 270 Win. I know the obvious differences are the Weatherby is blue and the Savage is stainless my concern is accuracy I know they are both accurate but I would like some personal experience/opinions on which one is better thanks chad
12-22-2011, 06:16 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
I sold a Savage Weather Warrior in 270 WSM a few years ago. The accuracy was reasonable but the fit and finish was lacking, IMO. The factory synthetic stock was the flimsiest stock I have ever seen on anything other than a toy gun. I have never owned a Vanguard but have come close to buying one several times.
12-22-2011, 07:56 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
The S2 stainless is out.... ie apples to apples, I'd want to compare both in person and see how they feel.
Some guns look great on paper/online then you put them in your hands and you think darn, this looked so nice online, and it's a complete piece of crap!
Some guns look great on paper/online then you put them in your hands and you think darn, this looked so nice online, and it's a complete piece of crap!
12-22-2011, 08:58 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/
Last edited by VAhuntr; 12-23-2011 at 07:58 AM.
12-23-2011, 03:31 AM
#7
I don't know about the Weatherby, by my vote goes for Savage. They are wickedly accurate, giving you sub-MOA groups.
No lie... My old Savage 110 in .308 did this at 100 yards with a secure bench rest. I then clicked the elevation knob up 4 clicks, so I'm 1" high at 100 yards, and I still get the same groupings!
Savage rifles...
No lie... My old Savage 110 in .308 did this at 100 yards with a secure bench rest. I then clicked the elevation knob up 4 clicks, so I'm 1" high at 100 yards, and I still get the same groupings!
Savage rifles...
Last edited by ButchA; 04-25-2022 at 04:42 PM.
12-23-2011, 09:32 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,905
Personally, I'd opt for the Savage.
I personally haven't seen any real lag in "fit" for Savages, even in the budget friendly models, that do sacrifice on "finish". Guys lump that together and say "the savages are poor on fit and finish", which is absolutely NOT true. The Vangaurd finishes might be nicer (debatable) than the Edges, I wouldn't personally say they're any nicer than the Weather Warrior line though, and the FIT on the Savages is much better.
Even if everything else were equal, I'd take the Savage simply for the Accu-trigger. Bar-none the most versatile and shooter friendly production trigger on the market. The Accu-stock is also a nice bonus for synthetic stock rifles. I would definitely make sure in buying a Weather Warrior that I got one with the Accu-stock (not much more expensive, I think $50 last I checked).
Frankly, the Vangaurd accuracy guarantee is a joke. Who cares if a rifle can shoot 1MOA when it's locked in a receiver mount (NOT IN THE STOCK) and fired at the factory for group? That doesn't mean it will EVER group that well in the real world. Basically, Vanguard "guarantees" that the target they shipped with the rifle is a 1MOA group. Nothing more, nothing less. Savage ALSO carries an accuracy guarantee of 1MOA, however, they mean it. Their rifles will shoot 1MOA, stocked and over a bench, or they'll fix it. However, I've never bought a Savage that shot "that poorly". I currently have 5 production Savage boltguns that shot better than 1/2MOA "Factory Fresh" (including my wife's new Savage 16 Bear Hunter .300WSM).
I personally haven't seen any real lag in "fit" for Savages, even in the budget friendly models, that do sacrifice on "finish". Guys lump that together and say "the savages are poor on fit and finish", which is absolutely NOT true. The Vangaurd finishes might be nicer (debatable) than the Edges, I wouldn't personally say they're any nicer than the Weather Warrior line though, and the FIT on the Savages is much better.
Even if everything else were equal, I'd take the Savage simply for the Accu-trigger. Bar-none the most versatile and shooter friendly production trigger on the market. The Accu-stock is also a nice bonus for synthetic stock rifles. I would definitely make sure in buying a Weather Warrior that I got one with the Accu-stock (not much more expensive, I think $50 last I checked).
Frankly, the Vangaurd accuracy guarantee is a joke. Who cares if a rifle can shoot 1MOA when it's locked in a receiver mount (NOT IN THE STOCK) and fired at the factory for group? That doesn't mean it will EVER group that well in the real world. Basically, Vanguard "guarantees" that the target they shipped with the rifle is a 1MOA group. Nothing more, nothing less. Savage ALSO carries an accuracy guarantee of 1MOA, however, they mean it. Their rifles will shoot 1MOA, stocked and over a bench, or they'll fix it. However, I've never bought a Savage that shot "that poorly". I currently have 5 production Savage boltguns that shot better than 1/2MOA "Factory Fresh" (including my wife's new Savage 16 Bear Hunter .300WSM).
12-23-2011, 09:56 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
Personally, I'd opt for the Savage.
I personally haven't seen any real lag in "fit" for Savages, even in the budget friendly models, that do sacrifice on "finish". Guys lump that together and say "the savages are poor on fit and finish", which is absolutely NOT true. The Vangaurd finishes might be nicer (debatable) than the Edges, I wouldn't personally say they're any nicer than the Weather Warrior line though, and the FIT on the Savages is much better.
Even if everything else were equal, I'd take the Savage simply for the Accu-trigger. Bar-none the most versatile and shooter friendly production trigger on the market. The Accu-stock is also a nice bonus for synthetic stock rifles. I would definitely make sure in buying a Weather Warrior that I got one with the Accu-stock (not much more expensive, I think $50 last I checked).
Frankly, the Vangaurd accuracy guarantee is a joke. Who cares if a rifle can shoot 1MOA when it's locked in a receiver mount (NOT IN THE STOCK) and fired at the factory for group? That doesn't mean it will EVER group that well in the real world. Basically, Vanguard "guarantees" that the target they shipped with the rifle is a 1MOA group. Nothing more, nothing less. Savage ALSO carries an accuracy guarantee of 1MOA, however, they mean it. Their rifles will shoot 1MOA, stocked and over a bench, or they'll fix it. However, I've never bought a Savage that shot "that poorly". I currently have 5 production Savage boltguns that shot better than 1/2MOA "Factory Fresh" (including my wife's new Savage 16 Bear Hunter .300WSM).
I personally haven't seen any real lag in "fit" for Savages, even in the budget friendly models, that do sacrifice on "finish". Guys lump that together and say "the savages are poor on fit and finish", which is absolutely NOT true. The Vangaurd finishes might be nicer (debatable) than the Edges, I wouldn't personally say they're any nicer than the Weather Warrior line though, and the FIT on the Savages is much better.
Even if everything else were equal, I'd take the Savage simply for the Accu-trigger. Bar-none the most versatile and shooter friendly production trigger on the market. The Accu-stock is also a nice bonus for synthetic stock rifles. I would definitely make sure in buying a Weather Warrior that I got one with the Accu-stock (not much more expensive, I think $50 last I checked).
Frankly, the Vangaurd accuracy guarantee is a joke. Who cares if a rifle can shoot 1MOA when it's locked in a receiver mount (NOT IN THE STOCK) and fired at the factory for group? That doesn't mean it will EVER group that well in the real world. Basically, Vanguard "guarantees" that the target they shipped with the rifle is a 1MOA group. Nothing more, nothing less. Savage ALSO carries an accuracy guarantee of 1MOA, however, they mean it. Their rifles will shoot 1MOA, stocked and over a bench, or they'll fix it. However, I've never bought a Savage that shot "that poorly". I currently have 5 production Savage boltguns that shot better than 1/2MOA "Factory Fresh" (including my wife's new Savage 16 Bear Hunter .300WSM).
I have a Savage bolt action, .22 rimfire and it is the only rifle in my collection that must be continually pulled from the safe and oiled to keep from rusting. I have since just left it out of the safe and stuck it behind a door and that seems to have stopped that issue. The Winchesters, Brownings, Remingtons, Glocks, Rugers, Taurus, Beretta's, Sigs, and TC's don't rust in my safe the way the Savage did.
IMO the accutrigger is a good trigger but I could take it or leave it on a rifle. I have found the triggers on the X-Bolt, the new M70's, and the TC Icon to be very good and I personally shoot and like them better.
12-23-2011, 03:32 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: WY
Posts: 2,056
Apparently not too many Vanguard owners responding here, so I'll fill in. For starters, I don't own a Savage centerfire. Given that the Savage and the Vanguard are often within the same market segment, and also based on my experience to date with the cheapest Vanguard there is out there (synthetic-stocked, Wal-mart version), I don't think there's a compelling reason in the world - or the "accutrigger" - that would entice me away from another Vanguard if I were in the market for another rifle within that price point.
My Vanguard was printing less than 1 MOA before there was any guarantee, and that's off sandbags and packs, not from a machine rest.
It'd be interesting to hear from someone who owns both the Savage and the Vanguard.
My Vanguard was printing less than 1 MOA before there was any guarantee, and that's off sandbags and packs, not from a machine rest.
It'd be interesting to hear from someone who owns both the Savage and the Vanguard.