Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- 2011
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic is a synthetic-stocked bolt-action hunting rifle, a value-oriented configuration of the Weatherby Vanguard line built on the Japanese Howa 1500 barreled action. It pairs a push-feed, two-lug bolt and a cold-hammer-forged barrel with a target-crown muzzle, an adjustable two-stage match trigger, and a three-position safety, all set in a lightweight Monte Carlo Griptonite synthetic stock with molded grip panels. Like the rest of the current Vanguard family it carries Weatherby's sub-MOA accuracy guarantee, promising a three-shot group of 0.99 inch or less at 100 yards with premium ammunition. It is offered across a broad range of chamberings from .223 Remington up through .300 Weatherby Magnum, with .308 Winchester among the most popular.
The Synthetic trim brought the Vanguard's sub-MOA guarantee to an affordable, weatherproof package, letting budget-minded hunters buy into the Weatherby name with a rugged all-weather rifle rather than a blued-walnut showpiece.
The Vanguard Synthetic is the entry-level synthetic-stock trim of the Weatherby Vanguard line and shares its Howa 1500 barreled action. A shorter-barreled Vanguard Synthetic Compact and a dark-finished Vanguard Obsidian share the same base rifle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Weatherby, Inc.
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2011
- Variant of
- Synthetic stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Overall length
- 1118 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Adjustable two stage
- Trigger pull
- 11.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Synthetic
- Finish
- Matte blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 840 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3430 J
- Effective range
- 550 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Howa 1500 action
Push feed action
Two lug bolt
Cold hammer forged barrel
Target crown muzzle
Adjustable match trigger
Monte carlo griptonite stock- Sub moa guarantee
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 157 .308 Winchester rifles | 3.40 kg | 3.22 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 146 .308 Winchester rifles | 1118 mm | 1067 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 166 .308 Winchester rifles | 610 mm | 559 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 162 .308 Winchester rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic
How much does the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic weigh?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic is chambered in .308 Winchester, .257 Weatherby Magnum, .30-06 Springfield, and 6.5 Creedmoor.
How many rounds does the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic hold?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic is 1118 mm (44.0 in) long overall, with a 610 mm (24.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic is made by Weatherby, Inc. (United States). It was designed by Roy Weatherby.
When was the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic introduced?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic was introduced in 2011.
How does the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic operate?
The Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
76%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/weatherby-vanguard-synthetic' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "weatherby-vanguard-synthetic", "name": "Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic", "manufacturer": { "id": "weatherby", "name": "Weatherby, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1945, "website": "https://weatherby.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "6689e1ae88fcd394201cfcfefd25ac47296f21d963ddff69126a0a05febdc937" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2011, "barrel_length_mm": 610, "weight_empty_g": 3402, "action_type": "bolt_action"}