Winchester M70 Featherweight

[sage5907]

The words "free floated" can have a different meaning to a Model 70 featherweight as it progressed from 1953 to the current time. The original featherweight rifle manufactured from 1953 throught 1963 had a barrel that was inlet tighly into the barrel channel. Winchester's tolerances were very close and it was almost like the CNC machining that is done today. Starting in 1964 there was a big space between the stock and the barrel and those barrels were truly free floated. Somewhere along the way and depending on the individual rifle the tolerances were reduced so the space became smaller. As for me, a barrel for a hunting rifle needs to be tighly fit into the wood with no upward pressure exerted by the wood on the barrel, or the barrel needs to be completly free floated with only the rear 2 inches of the barrel glass bedded. I can't stand to push over on a barrel that fits tightly into the wood and feel it move. Some gunsmith's in the past tried to put upward pressure on the barrel with the wood but after an amount of time the wood warped to fit the barrel which resulted in a tight fit at the pressure point.

 

[hughie]

Claiborne- How does you 22-250 Featherweight shoot. Plan on getting the same gun when I can find one.

 

[280shooter]

I bought my classic feather weight in 280.when they first came out, I just had to have one,, the lines are just classic, and the thin red recoil pad, just sets it off. The barrel was free float.but not to much, just enough, with my reloads will shoot a bout one inch, groups, and I think that's good for a feather weight, with the thin tapered barrel, I don't know how they did the checkering,but it looks and feels good. I'll never sell my beauty,

 

[Savage99]

Robert wrote:

Robert wrote:

"The bedding was so bad on my Safari Express that it had issues staying on paper at 100y. Some are great, mine was not. When the smith got into removing the factory bedding he said some of it did not harden and it was not applied evenly. "

And Roberts says "Come to texas and shoot mine!"

LOL

 

[skoro]

I've had my FN made M70 featherweight in 243 for 5 years now. To be honest, it's hardly a lightweight - only about 5 oz lighter than a sporter model, and that's probably due to the 22" vs 24" barrel. But it's a great looking, good handling, accurate rifle with a buttery smooth action.

I like it well enough that I'm seriously thinking about replacing my Weatherby Vanguard in 30-06 with another M70 featherweight.

 

[Fremmer]

I want a featherweight in .243 as my back up or secondary deer rifle.

A pleasure to carry and shoot in the field (despite the light weight, target remains in view after the shoot, the caliber helps with that).

 

[Robert]

I don't live in Texas, I was born there and lived there until I was 16 or 17. I live in Colorado now. And the offer still stands. If ever you find yourself my way I'd be happy to let you handle or shoot my rifle.

 

[Nimrod2]

Another Winchester fan

I'm not sure why but I have been a fan of all things Winchester since the 60's.
Jack O'Conner didn't help and it seemed that every old timer I knew carried some form of pre-64 Winchester rifle or shotgun.
My M70 270 featherweight has over 100 deer to its credit and the scars to prove it. Now I'm getting fired up about a new featherweight and you guys aren't helping.
Now let's see....what caliber?

 

[hughie]

I plan on getting M70 Featherweight in 22-250. I think Savage99 is just trying to stir the pot. I work at a nationaly known sporting goods store in the gun dept.
We carry the new Winchester M70 and they have quality fit and finish. The Savages we carry are popular because of their price point, but they feel cheep and look it. Everyone says how accurate they are but I don't think they are anymore accurate then anything else out there in the respective price range. For me it's Winchester, Ruger then Weatherby. Not a Tika fan or Savage fan. They may be accurate but they look and feel cheep to me.

 

[murf]

good plan, hughie.

stirring the pot is a good thing. keeps things from getting stale and crusty.

murf

 

[claiborne]

Hughie

Hey Hughie, my 22-250 shoots well.
It is not quit as accurate yet as I would like but I have not had much time to develop a load yet. I installed conetrol bases and rings and a Leupold Vari X II 3-9x40. I have not fired factory ammo in this rifle. The working load I have come up with is a CCI 200, fire formed, NS Winchester brass. Nosler 50 gr bt and 37 grains of H380 It is giving me about 1.5 inches at 200 yards. I am stuck on this bullet-primer-brass combo. I tried three different powders with 380 being the most accurate.
When I have more time I will work with seating depths and fine tune the powder charge. Right now it is minute of coyote, ...I have a CZ 527 19 Badger and a Kimber 223 Long Master Classic that are both capable of killing chicken eggs at 300 yards. That is the level of accuracy I am after for this 22-250.
I really like this rifle, Over the last couple of years they have stocked this model/caliber rifle at my local sportsmans wh. I let three pass before I latched onto this one with a nice piece of wood-certainly a keeper!
Good luck in your search, I would buy this rifle again before I bought anything cheap enough to have a matte finish and plastic stock.

 

[Geno]

Nimrod2:

Seems to me that you can't go wrong with another .270.

Geno