Just bought one of my dream rifles! Win Mod 70 Featherweight 6.5x55 Swede!!

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GJgo

GJgo

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Well, actually it's on layaway, but it'll be in my safe soon! Today was a good day. I was perusing the gun library @ Cabela's and there it was- *a Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight in 6.5x55 Swedish* for a reasonable price. I couldn't beleive it. When I got home I told my wife about it and she said "Well honey, if you really want it you can put it on layaway." and that's right about when my neighbors must have smelled the tire smoke. :what: :neener: :evil:

When I got back to the store it was still there! I grabbed it and went into the room with the salesman for a good look-over. This thing is in absolutely cherry condition, inside & out. The manager says he knows the guy that traded it in, said he bought it & stuck it in the safe thinking it was going to be worth a ton some day. Says he shot it very little, and I can tell. Only a couple small scratches and a little copper away from NIB. Apparently he got tired of waiting...

It's a G178XXXX s/n which I can't find anything on, there's not a good USRA serial list I can find. It is push-feed, standard mod 70 safety w/ a jeweled bolt, iron sights with a hood in the front, and a SWEET trigger. Very nice bluing. It has a different stock than on most Featherweights- there's no checking in it, and it's a real nice lighter peice of wood. (I actually prefer it to the standard Featherweight stock.) Plus it comes with a Pachmayr pad. Curious to figure out the vintage..

I've really wanted a 6.5 or a 260 in 8 twist for a long time now and never thought I'd come across one of these in this condition, so I'm super excited. Thought about a Tikka (plastic) or the 2011 Savage that's coming out in 260 (also plastic) but neither of these have anywhere near the class of this M70.. Can't wait to work up some handloads!
 
So I've been scouring the net looking for info on this little gem. From what I can find, which isn't much, it looks to be a "XTR European Featherweight" produced on a limited run in 1986. Also interesting to note that the barrel is a heavier contour than all the other Featherweights I've seen, and the open sights look unique. Also, it looks like the original stock isn't on it, but I'm OK with that as I like this one. Good stuff.
 
Great rifle. My father had a featherweight .243 from the early '90s that was a fine rifle, but yours is better. He traded his on a BAR in .280 Rem.

Why do you think the stock is a replacement, the lack of checkering?

re: G178XXXX

From the Blue Book:

G1783276 was the last number of 1985
G1808838 was the last number of 1986
 
Congrats on your find!! I have a M70 XTR Featherweight in 7x57 with the iron sights - absolutly love it!!! I also found a gun shop take off "like new" Winchester M70 Synthetic stock...so now I don't worry about dinging the walnut stock.
 
Thanks for the research, John. My s/n puts it in early '86. Looking at the photos in the GB auction that's definitely it, save for the change in furniture. ...and the much lower price. :D Mine's got a light peice of smooth wood with a Pachmayr pad, and more of a "normal" fore end shape- might be a laminate. I'll post pics once I get 'er home.
 
So the next question I need to figure out is, does the M70 push feed use the correct bolt face for the .480" base diameter, or did they skimp & use the standard face from the .473" cartriges? Apparently while Lapua & Norma brass come with a correct .480", american brass cheaps out & uses .473"... Might have to wait till I pick it up to answer this question.
 
Congrats! 6.5x55 is one of my favorite calibers, I could never find a good deal on one of the M70's or Rem 700 classics.
 
I'll post pictures as soon as I get 'er home. :)

So I stopped by the store today to make a payment, and they were kind enough to grab the bolt so I could measure the head width with calipers. It measured .484", so it looks like it is good to go with Lapua brass. That's good news.
 
Wife got me one of those when they first came out, 1986. They were the overrun from a batch made for Northern Europe. Sold over here by, IIRC, Grice Wholesale in PA. You're right, the stock was checkered, fleur-de-lis pattern. I don't hunt much, but the four deer it has seen all fell Graveyard Dead, one shot, right there. Numrich used to have some correct stocks for those, maybe they still do. Any brand of brass works fine. Keep a check on case length. Mine likes 140 gr bullets over Reloader 22. You will kill more with this rifle than a magnum, as this one will never make you flinch. You should be able to hit golf balls with it at 200 yards. Enjoy!
 
So the next question I need to figure out is, does the M70 push feed use the correct bolt face for the .480" base diameter, or did they skimp & use the standard face from the .473" cartriges?
Click to expand...
You are good to go with the correctly sized Lapua and Norma brass.
I have a push-feed M-70 in 6.5x55 and it prefers the Lapua brass.

I try to keep my M-70 loads separate from the loads I use in my old Swede Mausers.
The M-70s are MUCH stronger and thus I load them a little warmer.
Plus our M-70 featherweights only have a 22 inch barrel, so a little extra zip does not hurt.

Mine looked nice at first glance when I bought it...New in the box but stored sine the late 80s or early 90s...

But , it had a few problems.
The bedding was garbage
The front action screw was too long and hit the bottom of the bolt
The magazine popped open due to a non-completed latch
The bolt and feed ramp were very rough.

So I fixed all that and now she shoots ok for a super lightweight rifle.

Here are some loads that mine likes.

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 6.5x55 Swede Mauser.
*This rifle has been glass bedded.

At 100 yards, light snow, 32F. 6-8 knot wind.

Federal factory 140gr Soft Point:
= 2,375 fps, 0.50 inch group.

120gr Nosler Ballistic Tip: 46.5gr RL-19, Lapua, CCI BR-2, 3.085 col
= 2,560 fps and a 1.0 inch group

120gr Sierra Match King: 46.0 gr RL-19, Lapua, BR-2, 3.085 col
= 2,508 fps and a 0.50 inch group.

140gr Rem Accu-Tip, 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.970 col
= 2,640 fps and a 1.0 inch group

140gr Nosler Partition, 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.950 col
= 2,569 fps and a 1.5 inch group

140gr Hornady Soft :point , 47.0gr RL-22, Lapua Brass, CCI-200, 3.850 col
= 2,575 fps and a 2.0 inch group

160gr Hornady Round Nose: 45.0 gr RL-22, PMC, Rem 9.5, 3.100 col
= 2,288 fps and a 1.5 inch group
 
super good find!ever notice yu dont ever hear a lot of complaints about any rifle in 6.5x55?ive shot them against other bigger more powerfull calibers and was always surprised how they performed.there is no better more effecient caliber for deer sized game.
 
Congratulations. I only have two 6.5x55s - a Remington 700 and a Howa 1500. I would really like to have a Winchester of Ruger but the prices have gone out of sight. The only way I would do it is to buy a donor .270 or 30/06 and re-barrel. It wouold probably work out to be cheaper.
 
Finally got some pictures! So, looking at this stock again, I'm wondering if it isn't original. it has a really, really tight glove-like fit to the action & barrel. I addition, a couple weeks ago I saw another Win 70 on the used rack in the local shop that had the same stock. What do you guys think?

I then removed the stock. It's already full length glass bedded! Looks like a pro job. Score. No pillars, but I can add those easy enough. It's got a seperate trigger guard / magazine cover.

I got out my trusty trigger gauge to test the trigger pull. Out of 5 pulls, it broke inconsistently between 1.4-2 lbs. I'm not familiar with W70 triggers, but I wonder if I could stiffen it up a bit to make it a consistent pull in the 2-2.5 range? My other hunting rifles are 2.5 lbs.
 

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I spent some time with the rifle today looking it over & cleaning it up. Just like Float Pilot, the bolt is rough & the feed ramp needed some polishing around the corners- there are a couple brass-scratching sharp edges. Also, on the open sights I noticed that the front sight is too high / rear sight is too low so you can't actually line them up! I'd like to find some blanking screws and remove it, anyway. I'll also need to fit the floor plate better, it is just a hair too long to close. I don't think this rifle was actually shot enough to be broken in, so I'll happily take that task on. :D
 
USSR said:
GJgo,

That is a nice looking rifle, but it is definitely not a M70 Featherweight.

don
Click to expand...

I would have to agree, the schanable fore end is a distinctive feature of the featherweight. The 80's FWT's had walnut stocks not a Boyds laminate classic style type stock.
 
I've been looking around and I'll agree with you that it's not the original featherweight stock. However, as you can see from the second photo, the rifle itself is a Mod 70 XTR featherweight & the SN puts it as made in early 1986. I actually like this stock better, so win for me I guess.
 
Spent some time working on the rifle today. First I removed the front sight & plugged the holes with blanking screws. The screws came right out which was nice. Next I tightened the trigger spring up a bit so now it breaks at a consistent 2 lbs. It was a little too light before. Finally I glass-bedded the 1-piece picatinny rail. It wasn't perfectly flat when tightened on both ends, so I bedded the "high" end so that it's perfectly flat when screwed down. You never would have known without a straight-edge & a feeler gauge.. Last thing to do is on the trigger guard- it's not square where the magazine plate snaps in so I need to file it to fit. Now I just need to find the right scope for 'er!
 
Hey GJgo,

Nice Gun!

One other question that's a little off topic...Do you know if cabelas does layaway on all their guns, and if so, what are the terms?
 
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