Characteristic of Weatherby rifles, this Vanguard High Country wears the same classic Monte Carlo stock profile. Shankle characterized the Vanguard High Country as “old school,” which is neither good nor bad. We put the 6.5 Creedmoor model through its paces. It comes “woods ready,” with a black and green camo finish on the stock and FDE Cerakote barrel and action finish.
The Vanguard scored enough high marks among evaluators to put it in the top four. Modzelewski commented that the “bolt lift is positive and moves with ease.” We shot the rifle without the muzzle brake, and there were mixed opinions as to whether the rifle needed one.Regarding accuracy, it should be noted that this particular rifle has been through the wringer, so to speak, prior to testing. I used it last fall during deer season, and it’s been “blooded” a few times. I also used it as a test platform to work up 6.5 Creedmoor loads for an article in the Complete Book of Reloading. That said, it has had a few hundred rounds down the pipe, and is capable of putting handloads into a 0.90-inch group at 100 yards. During testing with Hornady’s 143-grain ELDX factory loads, we managed to average 1.52 MOA for all shooters at all ranges. MSRP is $999.
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