Winchester got a new rifle coming out early next year.

Another plastic, low-cost bolt action rifle?

yawn...

Looking at the pictures I'd say it's another copy of a Savage.

d2wing said:

Another big plus is that the newer rifles are much more accurate than the old wood stock ones. You may forget that the reason for new stock designs in fiberglass and plastic is accuracy. Modern manufacturing has improve tolerances greatly. The pre-64 M 70 was done in buy high costs to make and it could not compete with the Remington 700 in either accuracy or cost. The post 64 was a better rifle but gun writers of the day and old guys complained so much the the company eventually failed. Due to the realities of modern take overs none of the great old names is what it used to be. Performance sells and that is what the new rifles do despite what is posted here by grumpy old men.

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I disagree with that. Not the accuracy part, but why it sells.

These guys that are driving the demand for sub $400 deer rifles are not buying them for accuracy. In fact they probably do not know the difference. They are buying it for the same reasons we bought Marlin 30-30's. Price point. Nothing more and nothing less.

Don't get me wrong. Synthetic stocks and the accuracy they can achieve(at least the good ones) have their place. If I was packing for doll sheep in Alaska and needed a light gun that could shoot cross canyon at 400 yard+ ranges, I would probably buy a Weatherby with a synthetic stock. But thats not the case here. These are guys shooting does at 80 yards.

One thing I question is the overall durability of these things. They don't make them like they used to is a saying for a reason. I can take a mid seventies anything and, assuming it got even minimal care, shoot it like its knew. We will see if thats the case with these new budget guns 40 years form now.

How exactly is a copy of a Savage?

It looks more like a Thompson Center Venture or Tikka T3, than anything Savage makes

Yeah, the only real direct savage influence I see in that rifle is the barrel nut construction. The rest seems to be inspired largely by Browning and Tikka features.

As a young man, I had the insatiable urge for a well blued Model 70 with a nicely figured stock. After getting one, I spend as much more making the gun shoot accurately. After a couple of years hunting, I realized how impractical pretty blued finishes and figured wood stocks are in the woods.

My next project was to get a Remington 721 and refinish it into matte metal and black wood. After a few more paychecks, I got a nice synthetic stock that would not warp in the rain.

After helping my brother scope and sight in a Ruger American Rifle, I realized that was what I wanted all along but it was more accurate than my 1970 Winchester Model 70 and my 1960 Remington 721, at a fraction of the cost.

I finally settled on a Weatherby Vanguard S2 because it had MOA accuracy guarantee, A trigger that would have cost me $200 in todays dollars for my Winchester, and the feature that cinched the deal was a hinged floorplate. $479 at Bass Pro, a price that was less than I spent on a Model 70 and gunsmithing to make it accurate in 1970.

Progress is not all bad but I wish I could still buy a Colt Python or Colt 70 Gov serices for $150 again.

Curmugeonry is not all bad, but sometimes you have to be a little flexible.

After a couple of years hunting, I realized how impractical pretty blued finishes and figured wood stocks are in the woods.

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A man after my own heart! (minus the M70 dislike)

Go-to hunting rifles 1 and 2.
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That trigger looks like it would have some odd feelling take up

As far as I can tell, it's the same trigger that is in the M70's, and its also very similar to the trigger in the X-bolt. I have been very pleased with the M.O.A triggers in my rifles, they can be adjusted down to 3 lbs as is, and if you get a replacement trigger spring from Erniethegunsmith.com, a safe 2 - 2.5 lbs is possible.

HOOfan_1 said:

I like Shakespeare's advice, via Polonius...especially with my guns and my cars.

"neither a borrower nor a lender be"

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Carolina Kalash said:

I don't understand "ye olde English". What's that mean in modern talk?

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Buy your own. Don't lend it out.

I am guilty of hunting 99% of the time with a Savage with synthetic stock. I have a sporterized Swede, several 50 year old lever guns, and other wood stock rifles that I occasionally use but the Savage is the gun I use virtually every time I go into the woods.

Wood sure does look better. I probably wouldn't be at all interested in this gun no matter what the price.

It ain't just you old guys... I'm 21 and I much prefer classic looking rifles over sythetic stuff that's being made now.

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I'm old enough to be your grandfather and I agree.

First of all, I like the Mauser claw extractor and think it beats all other designs in rough conditions.

I like the 3-position safety that locks the striker.

I like the open, simple Winchester trigger. I had an enclosed trigger design freeze up on me one cold, foggy day in the Colorado Rockies, and I'll stick with my pre-64 Model 70 from now on.

Agsalaska said:

I disagree with that. Not the accuracy part, but why it sells.

These guys that are driving the demand for sub $400 deer rifles are not buying them for accuracy. In fact they probably do not know the difference. They are buying it for the same reasons we bought Marlin 30-30's. Price point. Nothing more and nothing less.

Don't get me wrong. Synthetic stocks and the accuracy they can achieve(at least the good ones) have their place. If I was packing for doll sheep in Alaska and needed a light gun that could shoot cross canyon at 400 yard+ ranges, I would probably buy a Weatherby with a synthetic stock. But thats not the case here. These are guys shooting does at 80 yards.

One thing I question is the overall durability of these things. They don't make them like they used to is a saying for a reason. I can take a mid seventies anything and, assuming it got even minimal care, shoot it like its knew. We will see if thats the case with these new budget guns 40 years form now.

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Cheap savages with plastic stocks in hunter packages along with the ruger American and the marlin bolt are real light guns perfect for mountain hunting and are cheap. A guy on you tube at a long distance training school used a stock ruger American in 243 shot small groups at 600 yds surprising the instructors. As long as they use the savage barrel nut real good accuracy can be obtained. There is no need to buy an expensive gun that you are scared to take outside only the fact that you want an expensive gun.

Looks nice as those rifles go

I look forward to seeing some 'real world' reviews on it on the forums when it becomes generally available. I quite like the look of it, and am interested to see what it will retail for here in Europe (typically 2x or more than the US price).