“For those who do not know, the Howa M1500 and the Weatherby Vanguard 2 are essentially the same rifle.”
There are some differences. For one, I like the Weatherby stock and cheek rest much better. Have a look:
http://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/vanguard_2/series_2_synthetic
I agree, I like the Weatherby stock a lot better but you pay a premium price for it with about a $200 difference. I had a Howa in .308 with a Nikko Nighteater on layaway at Buds and was trading in a ... older ranch-style rifle in .223 for $400, but when I saw what my rifle was selling for ($8-900) I cancelled the deal.