I’m a shooter and a collector. I’m old enough and I have enough toys that each time I buy a gun I’m pretty sure it will be my last. Occasionally a friend will ask if there’s anything I still want and usually the answer is no. But then something comes along and I decide I have to have it. The Weatherby Vanguard Safari is a rifle that fits that description, except it came and went before I even realized Weatherby had offered it.
Okay, let’s back up a bit and do Weatherby 101. Weatherby offers two basic rifles. The high ticket, fancy-schmancy rifle is their renowned Mark V. This is the original Weatherby and it’s a beautiful rifle. I’ve written about them here on the blog before, and I’ll give you the links that will get you to those stories at the end of this one. Then there’s the other Weatherby, and that’s the Vanguard. The Vanguard was originally conceived as a way to offer Weatherby rifles to someone who’s not a movie star, a head of state, or a blog writer. The funny thing is, though, that the Vanguards are usually more accurate than the Mark V. There’s a bunch of technical reasons for that I don’t need to get into here, and like always, I’m sure there’s an army of Internet assholes out there who will take issue with this conclusion. That’s fine. I own both and I will tell you that a Vanguard will usually shoot tighter groups than a Mark V. If you disagree you can leave a comment, or better yet, start your own blog and write an article about it.
Look, I like Weatherby rifles, and I make no excuse about that. I met Roy Weatherby 40 years ago and I’m still talking about it. I am a Weatherby fan boy.
Okay, so on to that collecting thing…in 2018, Weatherby offered a Vanguard model they called the Safari, and it was really something special. They were only available for about a year and only in three chamberings (.30 06, .300 Weatherby, and .375 H&H), and then Weatherby discontinued the model. That made me want one even more, but there were none to be had. Then the pandemic was on us, and they were really gone. As in POOF!, no more. I called Weatherby (they are in Wyoming) and offered to pay up if they would make one for me, but they wouldn’t. Absence. It made my heart grow fonder.
I kept my eye on Gunbroker and the other gun sites, but I had not seen a Vanguard Safari for sale in the last two years. I kept looking, and I kept getting frustrated. Finally, on a whim, I did a Google search a couple of weeks ago (“Weatherby Vanguard Safari for sale”) and what do you know, a small gun store in Oklahoma City had one. I called, and yes, it was new, and yes, they still had it. It was chambered for the mighty .300 Weatherby Magnum and that was what I wanted (I would have been okay with the .30 06 or the .375 H&H, too, but I wanted the .300 Weatherby). The price was $699, which might have been a mistake on the dealer’s part ($699 was the price for the non-Safari walnut Vanguard, another excellent rifle, but as Lloyd Bentsen might say to the regular Vanguard, “You’re no Safari, Senator.”
I asked the dealer they could do anything on the price and they knocked off $30 (which brought it down to $669), so I did what people do with guns and I pulled the trigger. I really scored.
Last Friday, my cooling off period ended and in the eyes of the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia, I had achieved the mandated state of acceptable chill. That’s nanny-state speak for my 10-day waiting period ended and the rifle came home with me. I’d never seen one in person before this.
With apologies for the disheveled state of my reloading bench and the iPhone photos, this blog includes some first look pics. The rifle looks even better in person than it does in the photos. The trigger is excellent. Weatherby calls it a two-stage competition trigger. It’s light and unlike that other political party, it is creep-free. There’s about 1/8-inch of slack takeup, then it breaks super clean at what I’m guessing is about 2 pounds. It’s exceptional for a factory gun. It would be exceptional for a custom gun, too.
The checkering is laser cut, but Weatherby did an above average job on it. There’s no fuzz like you would normally see on laser-cut checkering and it’s fairly sharp. I like the fancy pattern (fleur de lis, they call it) and the contrasting rosewood grip and fore end accents. The Weatherby website claims these rifles have an oil finish and that’s a plus for me, too. (In case you were wondering, fleur de lis is French and it means flower of the lily.)
The 26-inch barrel is free floated and I believe the action comes from the factory glass bedded, but I can’t see enough to confirm that from the outside. Weatherby appropriately relieved the area behind the stock tang, which is good (it will prevent the stock from cracking).
Everything is subdued, including the satin oil finish and matte bluing. The walnut figure is not fancy, but I like it anyway. There’s just enough contrast to make it look good.
I called Weatherby to learn more about the Vanguard Safari line, and wow, I was impressed. The nice lady I spoke with told me the .300 Weatherby Magnum Vanguard Safari was only offered for about a year. Weatherby shipped 146 in August 2018, and then another 4 in 2019, so this is a relatively rare puppy. I guess that makes it worth more, but it’s a moot point. This one is not for sale. Still, it makes me feel better knowing I have something other kids on the block don’t.
I have a new Leupold FXII 4X scope that I essentially got for free from Leupold and I am going to mount it on this rifle. I bought a set of Leupold rings and mounts after I bought the rifle, and I will probably mount the scope in the next day or so. Then it’s out to the range. I have a bunch of .300 Weatherby ammo already loaded. I’ll let you know how it shoots.
Take a peek at an earlier blog on three rifles chambered for the .300 Weatherby Magnum!
What’s it like meeting Roy Weatherby? Hey, take a look!
How about a Ruger No. 1 in .300 Weatherby Magnum!
Hey, how about an earlier standard Vanguard in .300 Weatherby Magnum!
More gun stories? You bet! Just click here!
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