Vanguard s2 1/2 moa shooter
 

So I have a vanguard s2 .308 with a #2 contour and I've never seen it before from one of these but after bedding the action and floating the barrel I'm now getting sub 1/2 groups with my handloads. It has a long ass throat I have to seat 168gr eldm out to 2.970 to get to the .010 otl so it's a single feed for now but it got me thinking about the claim that upward pressure is required on these rifles to be decent shooters which is the opposite of what I'm seeing. FYI before I did the stock work I was sitting right around an inch. I settled in on 43.0 gr of imr4064 which produced a .343 group and I think it'll go tighter when I start playing with seating depth.

Good to hear it shot so well after bedding. If it were me, I would seat the bullets so they just fit in the mag and then play with loads from there. A single shot bolt action isn't my thing for a big game rifle. If you can't get it to shoot with mag length ammo, have the barrel set back just a touch to shorten the throat.

I had one Vanguard MOA that shot best with a pressure point, others shot better free floated.

That's good to hear. I had Dean help me bed my vanguard S2 (257 WBY) into a Boyd's AT-ONE stock and we floated the barrel a little in front of recoil lug. The stock needed some inletting on the bolt drop slot and some sanding to get the barrel floated. Dean also cleaned up and chiselled quite a few passes along the shelf where the receiver sits - so it wasn't a simple drop in.

The bedding job is now tight, strong and has an even reveal all the way around - should be a HUGE improvement.

The factory plastic stock that came with the gun had a pressure point at the very front of the stock and it still shot sub moa with factory ammo which I was thrilled using 2/3 factory loads I bought.

I can't wait to get out to the range and see how it shoots. Been on the road all of last week and again this week (and the next) so it might be closer to Christmas before I can test it.

This is my first "cheap" Vanguard but I have to say it shoots just like my Mark V's (all Accumarks BTW) and it's quite impressive for a "low to mid priced" rifle.

I've bedded my vanguard s2 synthetic stock (257 wby) with marinetex grey epoxy. First 3" of barrel rest free floated, recoil lug and front of action up to magazine, rear tang area as well. Only pressure point is at rear of recoil lug. I could not get rid of the forearm flex with resin fill. It will shoot 1/2 to 3/4, 3 shot groups with 100ttsx and 90 gmx, factory loads.

What bothered me was action screws loosening up a considerable amount after each use. It seems bedding has fixed that problem. So far it has about 35-40 rounds through it and has not let loose.

Good to see others had succes