Sell a Weatherby that grows

Shooting Industry, Sept, 2005 by Lisa Parsons-Wraith

Petite women or youths also have a Vanguard designed for them. The Vanguard Compact rifle features a lighter-than-standard Vanguard short action, bedded to a scaled-down, hardwood stock, which was created expressly for those of small stature.

What makes the Compact unique is it comes with a separate, full-size, drop-in, injection-molded composite stock that replaces the hardwood stock should the shooter grow or pass the firearm along to a larger person. This feature is a great selling point for parents looking to buy their child a rifle, as the rifle will be able to stay in the family for years.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"We can't keep the Compact in stock," said Aaron Smith, Weatherby's marketing coordinator. "Families are realizing they have two guns for the price of one with the Compact. A lot of people buying this gun are newcomers. It gives them confidence in the field that they can shoot well."

Initial reports from women hunters have been positive, too, said Smith.

"We have a woman currently testing the Compact at the range and she loves it," said Smith, who is looking forward to additional favorable reports after the hunting season when the lady hunter returns from the field.

The Compact's dimensions include a length-of-pull of just 12 1/2 inches to accommodate petite shooters. The Compact measures 38 7/8 inches overall, has a drop at the comb of 3/4-inch, a drop at the heel of 1 1/8 inches and weighs 6 3/4 pounds. It is also a right-hand-only gun.

Weatherby guarantees the Compact will deliver out-of-the-box accuracy of 1 1/2 inches with a three-shot group at 100 yards using premium or Weatherby factory ammunition. The Compact is available in .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester and .308 Winchester. Weatherby will be introducing a new cartridge for the Compact in the fall, according to Smith.

This great-value Compact has all the other standard features of a Vanguard, including a one-piece, forged-fluted bolt with three ports that allow high-pressure gasses to escape, and a fully-adjustable trigger. An extra measure of safety is provided by an easy-to-see cocking indicator.

The Vanguard in all its variations is a value-priced gun any lady hunter would be proud to own. It carries the presitige of the Weatherby name and delivers excellent accuracy along with outstanding quality.