I don't know when Weatherby first began guaranteeing that its flagship Mark V rifles would shoot 1 1/2-inch groups at 100 yards with factory loads, but it was many years ago. That claim helped sell a lot of Weatherby rifles.

Selected Vanguards are identifiable by their "SUB MOA"-engraved floorplates.

With ongoing improvements in both firearms and factory ammunition, that claim has become less spectacular. Today's shooters routinely expect 1 1/2 minute-of-angle (MOA) accuracy (or something very close to it) in new rifles they tote home from the sporting goods store. While some fresh-out-of-the-box centerfire rifles still won't deliver that kind of accuracy, many others will. Weatherby's 11?2-MOA guarantee no longer raises eyebrows.

This year Weatherby has raised the accuracy bar with a new sub-MOA guarantee. Here's another surprise: That guarantee isn't reserved for a new breed of super-accurate Mark V rifles; it applies to individually selected Weatherby Vanguard models.

That's right, Weatherby has elevated its "ugly duckling" economy rifle--previously sold only in Wal-Mart stores--to star status. Actually, that status had long been deserved. I've owned a couple of early Vanguards and was more than happy with their quality and how they performed. The Vanguards currently in my safe deliver very good to excellent accuracy and continue to get regular use

While the Japanese-made Vanguard still represents the economy end of the Weatherby lineup, it features a well-designed, smooth-operating action. The fluted bolt has three ports to shunt gas safely out the side of the ejection port in the event of a cartridge-case failure, along with a streamlined, fully enclosed bolt sleeve with visible cocking indicator. The face of the bolt completely encircles the cartridge head and sports a sturdy claw extractor. What's more, the trigger can easily be adjusted for sear engagement and weight of pull.

Shooting tests were done using non-premium Winchester USA factory loads.

Wal-Mart customers clearly had a good thing going, but the budget retailer's lock on Vanguard rifles has now come to an end. Weatherby decided to celebrate its 60th anniversary by upgrading and extending its Vanguard line with a series of new versions and then supplying these bargain-priced rifles to Weatherby dealers across the board. The new sub-MOA Vanguard is just one example of Weatherby's fresh treatment of the formerly plain-Jane rifle.

"Because we factory-shoot every Vanguard rifle, we know that a number of exceptionally accurate Vanguards are produced each year," says Brad Ruddell, Weatherby's vice president of sales and marketing. "Armed with this knowledge, we decided to take Vanguard's accuracy guarantee to the next level. We hand-pick factory test-fired targets with a maximum of .75-inch groups, so we can be certain of our .99-inch-or-less-MOA guarantee."

To help achieve this standard, rifles selected for the sub-MOA treatment are fitted with a 24-inch, No. 2-contour, cold-hammer-forged steel barrel. The barreled action is then mounted in a pillar-bedded stock composed of Aramid, fiberglass and unidirectional graphite fibers. The butt is capped by a Pachmayr Decelerator pad, and "SUB-MOA" is emblazoned on the hinged floorplate. Sub-MOA Vanguards are available in right-hand versions only, in your choice of black or tan synthetic stocks.

The author personally tested the sub-MOA accuracy guarantee. With one exception he blames on operator error (center target), the Vanguard passed with flying colors.

The sub-MOA guarantee applies only when the rifle is used with specific Weatherby factory loads or premium non-Weatherby calibers. Bargain-basement promotional ammo or poorly assembled handloads can't always be counted on for tackdriving results.

I had a chance to personally test the Vanguard's sub-MOA guarantee while attending a Weatherby writers' seminar in Oregon last fall. While we spent most of our time hunting ringnecks and chukar partridges with Weatherby's new Athena D'Italia side-by-side, I also wanted to give one of the new Vanguards a workout. There was a 100-yard range handy, complete with bench and sandbags, so a couple of other shooters and I put a few of the sub-MOA rifles through their paces.