The Winchester Model 70

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My Model 70 is in 7rem mag.It has a coned breech,controled round feeding.It was made after 64.I got it from my father in-law,I put a 6.5x20 leuopold on it and I love it, It also has a detchable mag.I spent alot of $ getting all the bell's and whistle's you can on that gun accuracy wise and a custom muzzel brake.But I have a Mil-Surp bug that wont go away so it's at the in law's gun safe.While my play around Military type collection grow's at my home,especially since I can't hunt anymore due to disabilities.
 
No Brainer

Only had time time to get the 1X-4X Leupold Turkey Scope on the 1958 .270 FWT close to zero at 25 yards and then squeeze off 3 rounds at 100 yards from a fouled warm barrel on a wobbly rest at a less than optimal target with reduced recoil factory loads.

I am very pleased. After I lock tight the ring screws I hope to shoot from a proper rest, at better target, and at a relaxed pace, and see just how well this puppy will shoot.

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From what I gather, the new production M70 guns are some of the best ever produced and one should be able to buy with confidence.

Is that a valid statement?

I'm deciding between purchasing a Tikka or a M70 Featherweight right now as my only bolt gun, .308 or 30-06 will be the calibers of choice.

-Jake
 
I have 2 Winchester mod. 70s that date back to the late 40s or earley 50s that sold for about $120. Would not consider parting with them because I still shoot them.
 
Except for the trigger. I don't use enclosed triggers ever since I had a bad day in the Rockies elk hunting and moisture inside an enclosed trigger froze up and put my rifle temporarily out of action. The old Model 70 trigger was open, simple, and easily adjustable. Winchester should offer it as an option on the new Model 70s.
 
I got one of the "new FN" Model 70s three years ago. It's a Featherweight in 243, and I really like it a lot. It wears a Weaver 2-10 scope and shoots and handles real well. I looked at Remington 700s at the time and have no regrets with my choice.
 
I had a model 70 post 64 called xtr westerner with a medium heavy barell 21 inch. I loved it. It was soo accurate. And the trigger was fantastic and easy to adjust. I've seen worse m70 but i've also seen worse remington. I cant say the 700 action is better than the m70. The only reason i would go for a 700 is the aftermarket and the short action.

I think winchester and remington built their best guns on the 60's. Since then it have all been about cut costs and making money. Today 700 is a piece of junk compared to the well build 60's.
 
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I have been around guns since the late 40s and I have to agree with Swede, Just recently I saw a Remington 870 out of the box that would not feed from the mag, I heard this gun described as dependable as a claw hammer. Last summer a friend bought a Winchester mod 70 that would fire sometime and sometime would not. My rifles are old like me and I never had problems like I hear today. My problem is ,I have too much to compare with.
 
And both remington and winchester gets away becouse of the "tacti-cool" looks. Seems like it doesnt matter if the barrels is straight in the action or if the inlet to the cheap plastic stocks is done properly as long as they look cool.

Here in sweden a prime remington 700 or winchester from the 50-60's is worth nothing. Becouse they are old. And thats sad to see becouse man are they well built or what! the finish is excellent, smooth action, great wood and great inlet fit.

I have to salute remington really for getting away with the todays production. Their advertising have really worked, selling junk wrapt in "tacticool". I would never ever buy a win or rem of todays production.
 
Quote: "Except for the trigger. I don't use enclosed triggers ever since I had a bad day in the Rockies elk hunting and moisture inside an enclosed trigger froze up and put my rifle temporarily out of action. The old Model 70 trigger was open, simple, and easily adjustable."

Vern, right on! Every serious hunter should read your words. The original Model 70 trigger is foolproof, simple and easy to adjust. BW
 
Why FN Herstal decided to marr an otherwise perfect reintroduction of the Model 70 with the current trigger instead of the old, simple, reliable one? CNC machining is good, and efficient, but some things shouldn't be messed with, just because they can be...
 
I think because everyone else had a super dooper trigger, FN decided they needed one, too. They took the perfect rifle and messed with it -- to the detriment of good hunting.
 
I have a FN Mauser custom rifle built by Paul Jaeger. The action came from the FN factory with a Sako No. 4 trigger which was a real dog. It would suddenly develop creep and the safety would stick on occasion. I suffered with it for years before replacing it with a Timney which may not be much better. Like Vern says, I don't have any faith in a closed trigger mechanism. I watched the Winchester manufacturing video on uTube today and saw them assembling one of their triggers. I don't think their european management mind has a clue about how to make a good hunting trigger. BW
 
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"back in the day" as you say i shot a model 70 in 270 for a few years along with a 243 also a model 70 -- O'Conner was also my rifle & ammunition guru -- while he may have liked the model 70 if my memory serves me it was the 270 calibre he loved -- "back in the day" the model 70 was considered a very good rifle -- not great but very good -- the notoriety winchester received by making unpopular mfg. changes elevated the pre -64 popularity -- unaltered by a gunsmith it is and always was a very good rifle not great-- while i realize the following to be unfair as a comparison & it is not meant to be -- i sold
both my model 70's late 1966 & had a 270 & 243 built by a idaho gunsmith both with sako actioins and 26" douglas barrels these two were great rifles -- "in the day" we were not so interested in .5 inch groups -- today i guess the differrence between very good & great could be .25 at 100 yards
 
I just got a flier from Bass Pro, they have the M70 for 25% off and if you use their CC you get 10% off your first purchase. That sounds like a good deal if they are not asking MSRP for them and if they have a good selection.
 
I own (6) Winchester Model 70's;
.243 WSSM Coyote (Post 64)
.257 Roberts (Post 64)
.270 Westerner (Post 64) "My standard use rifle'
.270 Supergrade (Pre 64) :D
.30-06 Supergrade (Pre 64)

My father also considered Jack O'conner as being THE standard as a Hunter/Rifleman. I inherited that mentality. Jack O'Conners idealogy of stressing shot placement and not the power of the super magnums is how I conduct my hunting exploits, It has served me well. Jack's obvious preference of the M70 did not make him blind to Remingtons M700 quality. I have a inherited 70's era Rem M700 .30-06. After shooting it and seeing its quality of construction, I know it is fairly on a par with the new Win. M70's, but is not even remotely close to my "Pre-64's" in either shooting or quality. In my opinion, there will never be a out of the box factory rifle that compares with the Pre '64 Winchester Model 70.

My .270 Supergrade was my fathers, he could shoot. Once after re-conditioning it and re-sighting it in with his friend who was a competitive shooter, he put 4 out of 5 into the same hole at 100yds, he got nervous and put #5 cutting the first 4 for a 1/4in group. :D

I also used it to shoot a 3 shot group of 1-5/8" @ 500yds.

They don't make this kind of accuracy and quality these days, but IMHO, the new M70 Winchester's are as close as any manufacturer out of the box today for top accuracy & quality. Are they more expensive than their Remington counterpart? Yes, but you get what you pay for.
:cool:
 
Idaho Slim said:


They don't make this kind of accuracy and quality these days,
Click to expand...
I don't agree with that part, I have shot spectacular one hole groups with Savages and my Tikka, while Remington has gone downhill, there are still rifle makers that make quality accurate rifles.
 
I brought home my new M70 Featherweight in .308 Winchester yesterday and she is a real beauty...

The action feels much stronger than a Rem 700's or Tikka's push feed action. The bolt is fairly smooth without so much as a wipe down and lube. The walnut stock is very stunning for the price of the gun and I'm a sucker for a schnabel forend. I can run a dollar bill under the barrel all the way to the breech, this baby is free-floating and has been fitted well.

I can't wait to pick up some German glass for it and match ammunition for a day at the range!

-Jake
 
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