So I have this weatherby vanguard chambered in .300 win sitting in my safe begging to be re-barreled in a big bore cartridge. I keep telling it that its a push feed with a crappy plastic stock and will never amount to anything but it wont listen. My other guns are tired of listening about its dreams of someday becoming a "real gun" and threatening to mutiny if i don't do something soon. As you can see I am left with no choice. The question i have is the ever present "what cartridge" I am leaning toward the .458 win as the mag length and bolt face already work and I like the idea of the .458 cal just for bullet options. This rifle will probably be overkill for every thing it ever hunts (no plans for Africa or Alaska in my future) but its an itch that needs to be scratched. What are your thoughts? Also any reason that a stock from Boyds wouldn't handle the recoil because $100 looks pretty good to my wallet.

Bedded correctly a Boyds should handle a 458. If you are wanting more power talk to Jeffe about the 458AccRel or the one I like a 416Accrel.

I was hunting with a fellow who had a 425 Express, at the end of the hunt he took my 300win mag home with him and in the spring brought it back as a 425,,same case,in fact I make 425's out of 300s. 400gr @ 2450 if you please,I'm happy with a 350gr @ 2350fps for Alaska.

Go for the .458. As you said, there are a lot of bullets available, cast, jacketed, monolithic. You can load it down to .45-70 levels.

The .416 Taylor and .425 Express are practical rounds, but bullets are somewhat more expensive.

George

Thanks for the input any thoughts on barrel makers or lengths.

I have barrels by Shilen and PacNor. Both are excellent. Whatever you do, do not buy a cheap barrel; you'll be handicapping yourself.

If you're going with a .458, 22"-24".

If you're going with .416/.425, 24" to wring out the higher velocities.

George

Add McGowen and Shaw to that barrel list...I've also used Midway AB barrels and they shot OK, but you get to do the bore polishing to smooth out the high spots. The last 3 McGowen barrels were polished as well as some of the high dollar target barrels, at half the price.

I would lean toward the 416/458 belted or use the Ruger case...maybe 425 bullets are few and costly, but 416/458 cost the same as any other large cal bullet and are just as plentiful and available, including cast bullets. I'm VERY tight with the nickel and have no problem with feeding my several 45 cals or 416 Taylor.

If you don't want to muck about with wildcats or high bullet costs, stick with the 458 WM or 416 Ruger.

I like 26" bbls...most of my large cals have 26" - 34" bbls. I shortened my 375 H&H and 510 Makatak to 23" with a 2" internal MB and wish now I had left them at 26" and used an external MB.

Luck

Have a look at my 458 accrel. Links in my signature. Can break 2400 with a 500gr and lower speeds are easy. Quite a few loads posted on ammoguide as well

quote:

Originally posted by FOOBAR:
Add McGowen and Shaw to that barrel list...I've also used Midway AB barrels and they shot OK, but you get to do the bore polishing to smooth out the high spots. The last 3 McGowen barrels were polished as well as some of the high dollar target barrels, at half the price.

I would lean toward the 416/458 belted or use the Ruger case...maybe 425 bullets are few and costly, but 416/458 cost the same as any other large cal bullet and are just as plentiful and available, including cast bullets. I'm VERY tight with the nickel and have no problem with feeding my several 45 cals or 416 Taylor.

If you don't want to muck about with wildcats or high bullet costs, stick with the 458 WM or 416 Ruger.

I like 26" bbls...most of my large cals have 26" - 34" bbls. I shortened my 375 H&H and 510 Makatak to 23" with a 2" internal MB and wish now I had left them at 26" and used an external MB.

Luck

Agree, the McGowen barrel on my 500 Jeffery shoots sub MOA when I do my part ...

A 375 Ruger is a straight rebarrel from any win mag action. I did mine off a 264 win mag Mod 70 Winchester with a Pac-Nor 3 groove finished at 24" in a #5 contour. It fits in a 3.4" action and has a .532" case head. A little more powder capacity than a 375 H&H and unbelted.

Shoots lights out and easy to get 2900 fps out of a 270 gr bullet

I love my .416 Taylor, but the 375 Ruger is a great idea. Also, if you want a .458 Win Mag, I have a Mod. 70 push feed that I would sell for about what it would cost to rebarrel and restock, $800......Tom

416 Taylor is easy and lots of fun. If you want more horsepower, the 458 AR is a great conversion I - really like mine.

Ok Here's my Vangaurd / Howa, it started life as a 300 Win Mag.

I originally had it clambered in 416 Taylor, and it shot very well, but the barrel was 24 inches and a bit heavy.

So I took it to my gunsmith, to shorten to 22 inch and flute to take some weight out. I was a little concerned about velocity loss, so while it was there he also rechambered it in 416 Ruger and it actually gained velocity at the shorter length.

Nothing else needed changing, its a pretty simple conversion and functions flawlessly

There is nothing wrong with the factory stock, they already have 2 internal cross bolts as standard. I also stripped the horrible weatherby high gloss finish off it and oiled it. And have devcon bedded it

It is without doubt the most accurate big bore rifle I own.





Reg S&F