Weatherby Vanguard Badlands

About the Weatherby Vanguard Badlands

The Weatherby Vanguard Badlands is a bolt-action hunting rifle built on the Vanguard (Howa 1500-derived) action and distinguished by its Badlands Approach camouflage stock and Burnt Bronze Cerakote metalwork. Chambered here in 6.5mm Creedmoor, it feeds from a hinged-floorplate internal box magazine, wears a 24-inch cold hammer forged #2-contour barrel, and carries an adjustable match-quality two-stage trigger. Like all Vanguard rifles it ships with Weatherby's Sub-MOA accuracy guarantee, printing a three-shot group of under one inch at 100 yards from a cold barrel.

Weatherby introduced the Vanguard in 1970 as a more affordable companion to its flagship Mark V, using the robust Howa 1500 action. The Badlands edition, launched in the late 2010s, paired that proven action with First Lite's Badlands Approach concealment pattern to court backcountry big-game hunters.

Weatherby Vanguard Badlands specifications

Marketed as the first production rifle offered in the Badlands Approach camo pattern. The Vanguard action is manufactured by Howa of Japan and assembled/finished for Weatherby. Specifications given are for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 24-inch barrel configuration; other calibers and barrel lengths change overall length, weight, and twist rate.