Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Default Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Good morning PAFOA. I just won a gun last night at a raffle. It's a Weatherby Vanguard 300 Magnum.

    From what I've been told by everyone is that I'm not going to like the gun. They say it kicks like a mule and the ammo is expensive. I was able to confirm that. It's over 2 dollars a round. But I'm really interested in hearing about how the gun shoots. And if it does kick like a mule what can be done to help fix it. (like adding a muzzle brake). And if that is even practical or cost effective.

    So what do you all say?
    I'll be moving to PA soon enough

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    West Shore!, Pennsylvania
    (Cumberland County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Free gun? Whoooo Hooooooo !

    (You can always sell it if it's not what you want.)
    Selling off a a sizeable Spyderco collection here

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Perry Co., Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Congrats on the new gun. I've never shot a 300 Weatherby Magnum, but I do have guns in 300 Win Mag & 7mm Rem Mag, and yes, they do kick a bit. Nothing I can't handle, but they're not guns you'd want to shoot all day.

    The large magnums are a bit overkill for PA or MD deer unless they've gotten body armor for this deer season.
    "It's hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
    Thomas Sowell

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Centre
    (Bucks County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Good job Knuckle's .. Free Gun is always nice ..

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Clinton, Pennsylvania
    (Beaver County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Congatulations on the new gun.I have 7mm mags and a 338 win mag,if shot correctly they are a pleasure to shoot,but as you indicated the cost of ammo can be prohibitive,unless you reload.
    Μολὼν λαβέ
    Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Hagerstown, Maryland
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    I can't wait to pick this thing up on Monday. But I wont get to shoot it until Wed or Thur. Even then I won't have a scope for it yet. Which is another question I guess. Now I have to buy a scope for this bad boy. I'll have to think on this for a bit. As IronButt pointed out, this gun is over kill for the deer around here unless PETA is handing out body armor to the deer population. So this means I'll only really be shooting it if I take a trip for elk or something even bigger.
    I'll be moving to PA soon enough

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Falls Twp., Pennsylvania
    (Wyoming County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Define overkill...dead is dead.

    Enjoy your new rifle

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Lubbock, Texas
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Knuckle66 View Post
    Good morning PAFOA. I just won a gun last night at a raffle. It's a Weatherby Vanguard 300 Magnum.

    From what I've been told by everyone is that I'm not going to like the gun. They say it kicks like a mule and the ammo is expensive. I was able to confirm that. It's over 2 dollars a round. But I'm really interested in hearing about how the gun shoots. And if it does kick like a mule what can be done to help fix it. (like adding a muzzle brake). And if that is even practical or cost effective.

    So what do you all say?
    Congratulations on winning a new rifle, I know I wish I could win one, lol. The truth is, most people don't like recoil all that much. So what you're hearing has SOME truth to it, but I'm going to say it's a bit biased. Most people just don't shoot enough big bore rifles enough to get accustomed to the recoil. The average hunter or shooter also doesn't shoot with the correct form/shooting position, and this makes the heavier recoiling rifles seem to recoil even harder. For all practical purposes, the .300 Weatherby magnum will "kick" about as hard as a .300 Winchester magnum. The Weatherby magnum has more case capacity, and they usually load their ammunition close to the maximum, so it's going to kick just a little bit harder, but most people will consider it close to the same.

    You're seeing one of the problems with all the magnums, and that's the price to shoot them. They're not really rifles that you want to just go and burn 20 rounds in a hurry. Honestly, most people will be flinching before then end of a box of 20 rounds.

    If you aren't familiar with shooting big heavy recoiling rifles, you're probably going to find the recoil to be pretty heavy and brisk. There are some things that you need to do with a heavy recoiling rifle that will help you manage the recoil better. You can't get away with the bad habits that most people get away with on smaller calibers or softer recoiling cartridges, including the .308. It's important to make sure that you have the rifle FIRMLY pressed into your shoulder; this is sometimes referred to as "hard hold" shooting. You'll get a big surprise if you just barely put the rifle against your shoulder, or try to shoot it with "free recoil" (not touching the shoulder). If you give the rifle some distance to run away, and build up some speed, when it does hit your shoulder, it's going to be harder and it's going to try to jump out of the pocket. So you want the rifle firmly against your shoulder, and your body weight leaning forward. Something else that I recommend to people is that you "square up" your shoulders. Most of the time you see people wanting to blade their shoulders in what looks like a "weaver stance" for shooting a pistol. This is NOT what you want to do with a heavy recoiling rifle, you want your shoulders almost square to the target. This makes for a flat surface for the recoil to push against, so it can hit your shoulders flush, and push straight back. If you have your shoulders bladed, when the stock slams back into the pocket, it hits your shoulders/collar bone area on an angle. This sort of deflects the rifle towards the outside of your body, and out of the pocket where you're holding the rifle. Sometimes the rifle will completely jump out of the pocket, and that's one of the ways people get scope bit. Ever see guys with a mark on their forehead or upper eyebrow? Lots of times this is the reason, it's not just because they hair their eye too close to the scope.

    Another important thing is to get a scope with enough eye relief. I'm not saying you have to buy the most expensive scope you can find. Typically though, cheaper scopes ($100-200) can sometimes have less eye relief than some that are in the $200-300 range. Not having enough eye relief will mean you have to get your eye closer to the scope to get a sight picture without shadowing. Being closer to the scope, and having bad shooting position is a good way to get scope bit on a magnum rifle. I'm not trying to scare you, it's very easy to shoot magnum rifle. Square up to the rifle, hold it firmly into your shoulder with your body weight forward, and don't have your eye right in the scope. If you do those things, chances are you'll find the recoil to be much more manageable, and won't have a problem of getting hit in the face with the scope. IF you still find the recoil to be a bit too brisk, starting with a better recoil pad, or an additional one that you can wear on your body may help a lot. Keep in mind that these were designed as hunting rifle, where you sighted the thing in, went out on the hunt and fired a round or two to kill a big animal and were done with it. Most of the time you don't want to go and shoot 20-40 rounds in one sitting. I'm not saying you can't do it because I do, lol, but just saying most people don't enjoy shooting magnum rifles that many times. If you still find the recoil brisk, you can put a muzzle brake on the rifle, it'll cost you a little bit of money, but not a ton. Not all brakes are created equal, but some significantly reduce felt recoil, just keep in mind that they will make the alread loud rifle MUCH louder. Best of luck to you, and please feel free to ask questions if anything I said is unclear.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    erie, Pennsylvania
    (Erie County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    Most of the time the dealer will let you trade calibers before you do the transfer. Worth a try.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Somerset, Pennsylvania
    (Somerset County)
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    Default Re: Gun Raffle Winner!!

    I've shot one, recoil is there but I didn't find it bad. Tomcat offers great advice.

    I would look at a Leupold scope, as a general rule, they tend to have the most eye relief and have a good reputation.

    When shooting my hard kickers (a lightweight 358 Win and a 12 ga with slugs) from the bench, I find laying my left hand across the top of the barrel helps limit the rise due to recoil and reduces the chance of getting whacked by the scope.
    No down pressure, just hang the hand by a couple of fingers.

    And congratulations on the good luck!
    Dale

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