Went to a Gunshow today and came home with this!

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xd45gaper

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Finally I found my gun! Ive been wanting Model 70 Featherweight for about 2 years now. well either the gun store didnt have one or when they did I didnt have any money etc. well i was going the gun store finally got one a .243 and i was going to buy it this weekend. well there was a gun show going on so i thought i would look there and found a Never fired 1981 Model 70 in .308 ( i wanted something bigger than the .243 but was going to settle on it lol) still has the orignal box and all the paper work and tag. the guy wanted 500. cash for it!! talk about a steal! i checked the serial number when i got home and it is a 1981. its in Excellent shape the box is a little rough but ya know and the best part was i saved my self 200$ from the one at the gunstore!


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Since it's an '81, I'm assuming you know it's a push feed, and not the Classic CRF claw extractor action. Still a beautiful rifle. They were making the push feed models well by 1981. Good shooting to you.
 
nice

what a beautiful rifle...nice and shiny...and looks in GREAT!!! condition my hats off to you:cool:
 
my brother bought one in 81 - a 30/06 we could never get it out of the stock ,because they were glas bedded and the factory did not use a release agent on the action. they were having lots of problems back then
 
I've got a Featherweight (1983 vintage) in .30-06; it's my most-used deer rifle - I love the handling characteristics, weight, balance and accuracy of these rifles, especially in brushy or heavily-wooded country. I've no problem with the push-feed and have always felt the whole push-feed vs. controlled-round feeding controversy was a bit overblown (but sure helped all the owners of Pre-'64s see the value of their rifles appreciate) ... I don't even take my classic Model 70 in .308 out in the field anymore ...
 
the pre 64's are the ones with the claw type extractors right? what is the big diffrence in them? and what do they make them with now days?
 
xd45gaper said:
the pre 64's are the ones with the claw type extractors right? what is the big diffrence in them? and what do they make them with now days?
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Well, there was a huge difference in over all quality of workmanship between pre-64 and post-64 70s. Gradually, quality of workmanship improved post-64, and the quality was pretty good in the early 1980s, though still not what it was pre-64. That issue aside, however, the rifle itself was radically changed in terms of the design of the action in 1964 from a Mauser type action to a much simpler to manufacture push feed type. In the 1990s, due to a failure to regain their old popularity, they went back to the Mauser type action. They really should not have retained the model designation of 70 when they so radically altered the action in 1964. The difference is that a Mauser type action controls the cartridge from the moment it is stripped from the magazine to the moment it is chambered. If at any point between those to points the bolt is opened again, the cartridge would come out with it held to the bolt face by the claw extractor. This theoretically makes double feeds impossible. Double feeds (resulting in a temporarily useless weapon) are less likely to happen to an experienced shot, but tend to happen when people can least afford them, such as when a bear is charging you, for example. That's the reason lots of folks prefer the pre-64s and the modern Classic actions. Nothing at all wrong with your gun, as 99.99% of the time it will not matter which type it is. In fact, many have found that the push feed 70s actually have more accuracy potential, and are safer in other respects.
 
thats sweet,,,i noticed in the pic that it was still light outside. did you shoot it in the back yard? i would have.
 
Nice rifle. I would have to shot it as soon as i got home if it was still daylight.

:D
 
On the upside of the "pre-64" debate, the post 64 rifles are and have always been more accurate than the (pre) rifles were.

The older guns used very nice but outdated manufacturing procedures and Winchester was having serious trouble competing in the marketplace with Remington and Savage.

The "die-hards" (me included) squealed like wounded rabbits when they made the change and for several years I refused to buy new Winchesters...

But once I tried one of them I was sold.... yes they were not as "pretty" but they actually were and are more accurate.... especially the push feed models.

You won't find a "controlled round feed" rifle at a benchrest match and there's good reason why.

Some will give you the "dangerous game" argument, but in reality it doesn't hold water... unless you plan on holding your rifle upside down and trying to chamber a round while a pissed water buffalo charges you.

I miss the old ones.... but they'd likely be $2,500 hunting rifles now.... and inferior in the accuracy and weather beating ability of modern rifles.
 
That is a very nice rifle. Do yourself a favor, add the $200 you saved to whatever you budgeted and get a quality scope worthy of that rifle.
 
kaferhaus said:
Some will give you the "dangerous game" argument, but in reality it doesn't hold water... unless you plan on holding your rifle upside down and trying to chamber a round while a pissed water buffalo charges you.
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lol i dont really plan on hunting dangerous game with it unless you consider hogs dangerous!

i think im going to top it with a Leupold Vari X II 3-9 or 4-12 scope :D any one have any experince with Zeiss scope mounts? i found a set online for like 28bucks.

*edit*

No i did not get a chance to shoot it :( i live in an apt in the middle of town and i had to go with my fiance to look at wedding places boooring lol
 
Actually, it's funny you mention this. I was at a gun show today and picked up a MDL 70 feathweight in .30-06 and was amazed at how much lighter it was compared to my 1946 Model 70 in .30-06 (which is an amazing, well crafted rifle in it's own right).

The only downside I could see in a featherweight is much more recoil. If it's going to be used for deer, I wouldn't have a problem with the .243 in a featherweight, but the .30-06 could be a bit much. With my Model 70 weighing about 300lbs unloaded, recoil is negligble.
 
You'll enjoy your M70 fwt

I had one in 7x57 mauser that was my primary deer gun for years. Purchased in the mid 80s, closeout because of the caliber. The gun was simply too nice to drag through the bush, so it was sold and a stainless plastic stocked killing machine took its place. My M70 had iron sights and wore a 2-7 Leupold that never let me down.

I can't think of a more pleasant gun to shoot. If your taste in fiances is half as good as your taste in boltguns, you should all enjoy a long and happy life.
 
Evil5Liter noted
The only downside I could see in a featherweight is much more recoil.
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There is that ... a bit more than a standard Model 70 or say, Rem. 700. But, you get used to it. I try and get in one last long range session with my .30-06 Featherweight before taking it afield. This fall at the range, I shot a couple 3-inch magnum slugs from the ol' Slugster first as well (ouch!) ... In the excitement of a good deer hunt, the recoil of a .30-06 Featherweight becomes a non-issue.

Personally, I think that .270 may just be the ideal caliber for the Featherweight; it's my wife's favorite rifle.
 
Old Dog said:
Evil5Liter notedThere is that ... a bit more than a standard Model 70 or say, Rem. 700. But, you get used to it. I try and get in one last long range session with my .30-06 Featherweight before taking it afield. This fall at the range, I shot a couple 3-inch magnum slugs from the ol' Slugster first as well (ouch!) ... In the excitement of a good deer hunt, the recoil of a .30-06 Featherweight becomes a non-issue.

Personally, I think that .270 may just be the ideal caliber for the Featherweight; it's my wife's favorite rifle.
Click to expand...

I agree whole heartedly. My M70 is a brute to carry on long walking hunts as I found out recently on a trip to West Virginia. We were covering 10 miles a day on foot on some very hilly terrain. The weight of that gun compared to a featherweight was very apparent to me at that time. It's not so bad in a treestand, but when you are stalking it becomes very apparent.
 
Mine (ours?) wears an older Leupold V-X II 3-9 and shoots so good I hate to change anything, but I think a 2-7X or compact 3-9X would be even better.
It has killed a bunch of game over the years. deer, antelope, coyotes, groundhogs.
 
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