Winchester Model 70 Featherweight

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kamagong

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Now that I've gotten a carbine I find myself wondering what firearm I should get next. I still have three guns that I need to round out the collection, a bolt action centerfire rifle, a shotgun, and a Springfield M1A. As I already have a semi-auto, I'm leaning towards getting a .308 bolt action.

I'm taking a serious look at the FN re-issue of the Model 70 Featherweight.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?mid=535109&family=001C

I know that I can get a rifle just as good as this one for less, but the Featherweight is such a gorgeous rifle with its Schnable fore-end. I don't mind paying a little extra for aesthetics. My problem is that I can't find any info as to its construction. I want to know how prevalent the use of MIM and polymers is in this rifle. I don't mind spending a little extra, but I won't do it if the new Featherweights are chock full of plastic.

Does anyone have experience with the new Winchesters made in South Carolina? If so, what do you think of them? How's the workmanship? How do they shoot?
 
I've held one, that's about it. The fit and finish were good. It's the same basic rifle as the New Haven guns. The biggest new thing is a redesigned trigger. I didn't dry fire the one I looked at, so I can't comment on it.
 
I havent understood the mystique of the Model 70. Owned one.. sold it.

Get a Savage.
 
I am a great fan of the pre-64 Model 70. As Ross Sefried says, it's a case of the whole being more than the sum of the parts. My personal rifle was made in 1939, and has been to Africa at least once. The Mauser-style claw extractor, the manual ejector, the 3-position safety and the elegant, simple open trigger are all very good things.

On the other hand, I have zero experience with the newest reincarnation of the Model 70. The earlier Classics had an extractor made of something other than fine spring steel, and a lot of people replaced them with after-market extractors. The Classic also had a two-piece bolt, and people who bought them liked to spot weld then in an inconspicuous place, lest they come apart under stress.

The new Model 70 has the M.O.A. Trigger System, which is an enclosed trigger, as opposed to the open construction of the classic Model 70 trigger. I've been leery of enclosed triggers ever since I had moisture seep into my custom '03 Springfield and freeze up the Mashburn trigger. It's embarassing to be 11,000 feet up in the Rockies staring trough your scope at a bull elk and have the trigger fail to release.
 
I am a fan of the model 70..I own two.I think Shooting Times did a work up of the new FN model. I have the same triggers that came with mine.My Classics or after '64 with the boss.Mine are customed with Hart barrels,and I wouldn't trade them.All triggers set @ 2.75lbs
 
I finally handled a Featherweight today in .30-06. Wonderful rifle -- gorgeous wood, clean checkering, and excellent balance. Two problems though, it wasn't in .308 and the shop was selling it 25% over the MSRP.

Anyone else have experience with the new Winchester Model 70s?
 
kamagong:

The new version of the Super Grade is really nice. I own that in .30-06 Sprg. I have not yet fired it due to waiting for a new torque driver to assure I have my screws evenly torqued. The torque driver arrived today, and I just completed confirming the ring screws torqued at 15 Lbs. :cool: <<Sorry, dirfted>>

I did own a Classic Featherweight in .308, and liked it. I never had difficult keeping MOA, which impressed me for a light barrel. Mine preferred 165 grain bullets. I sold it after an auto accident that required me to undergo 45 surgeries. At the time, the classic stock really hurt the neck. I should have kept that rifle. After the doctor burned the nerves, my neck feels better. <<Sorry, again, I drift>>

The Featherweight is a beautiful rifle, and so are the other versions of the Model 70. The pre-64 is still dear to my heart, but at $2,000.00+ for a nicely maintained rifle, sheesh! That's steep!

Anyhow, I agree, the Featherweight in .308 Win is beautiful. I did handle one at Williams in Davison, MI. It was incredibly light, balanced. It had pretty wood. I couldn't find anything unpleasant about it. The price was $689.00. There was one in stock at Guns Galore in Fenton, MI at $640.00.

Geno
 
Are you sure it was a featherweight at 25% over MSRP and not a featherweight deluxe for less than MSRP?

Try some different shops, call around for pricing. You can have them order it for you in .308 if thats what you want. If you can't get it for under MSRP, buy one off gunbroker or Buds Gun Shop or other online dealer of your choice. I just got a price quote of $680-690 for a new featherweight in .308 from my dealer, but I buy a lot of guns from him.

What do you plan to do with this rifle? If you are just buying it to "round out the collection" and don't hunt, you might be better off with a standard weight Model 70 rather than the featherweight. The featherweight is a light hunting rifle made to be carried a lot and shot a little. It will have more recoil. A standard weight will be more fun at the range.

I have a Model 70 Extreme Weather SS in 30-06 and I am very happy with it. I compared it with multiple other stainless/synthetic rifles in the under $1000 price range and felt it was clearly the nicest of the bunch.
 
I think that its the best 70 ever. Best trigger, best stock, best looking, best price. The new Featherweight looks like the perfect hunting rifle to me. Using the same methods today, a pre-64 70 would cost double what they cost today. Comparing the almost-fifty year old pre-64 to the new Featherweight is like comparing an F-100 from 1963 & a F150 from 2010. They are both good products, but fifty years is a long time.

1963_f100_2-1.jpg
2010_f150_raptor_02th.jpg
 
Does anyone have experience with the new Winchesters made in South Carolina? If so, what do you think of them? How's the workmanship? How do they shoot?
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Yes. I bought one not long ago, scoped it and shot it.

Excellent rifle, great accuracy, no plastic, top-notch fit and finish, amazingly good trigger from day 1.

I'd take a new one over a pre-64. I looked at some pre-64s before buying it.

BTW I don't believe you can buy an equal rifle NIB for less money. You can buy a good number of inferior rifles for more money, however.

Winchester hit this one out of the park.
 
I have a very favorable opinion of the 70 featherweight - beautiful; love it. If only they'd make a new (FN) one in 6.5x55 or .280 rem, then I'd have one. I'd probably even be tempted with .260 Rem.
 
I have a very favorable opinion of the 70 featherweight - beautiful; love it. If only they'd make a new (FN) one in 6.5x55 or .280 rem, then I'd have one. I'd probably even be tempted with .260 Rem.
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Ding! I am right there with you and will add that I would also take one chambered for 6.5Creedmoor (though I would prefer one of the aforementioned 6.5s because the Creedmoor is fairly new and may not have staying power). The .280Rem. is nice, but I [...like to convince myself that...] I need the smaller caliber more (for the small-ish deer that are native here). My "squirrel gun", as Uncle Mike likes to call it, can handle any of the larger species quite nicely. ;)
 
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I am extremely confused as to why they would chamber the Featherweight in such heavy calibers as the short magnums and the 300 WinMag and not some softer deer and sheep calibers like the 6.5x55, 25-06, 260 Rem, or 257 Roberts. Mind you I dont want to see all these chamberings but at least one.

Just another example I guess of Americans overgunning themselves again. Deer dont die unless it is a 300 Win Mag to the liver.
 
I am extremely confused as to why they would chamber the Featherweight in such heavy calibers as the short magnums and the 300 WinMag and not some softer deer and sheep calibers like the 6.5x55, 25-06, 260 Rem, or 257 Roberts.
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Sales of the WSM's are crucial. The rifle does come in 7mm-08, 308, and 243. You could kill all the deer & goats in the world with those three chambers.
 
Abel, just curious why are sales of WSM's crucial? to me WSM's are not needed some people like them for their own reasons though.
 
I agree with others who say the new Featherweight may be the best all around hunting rifle currently produced. You really get a lot of gun for the money. It is a featherweight in name only however.

They weigh about the same as most standard rifles and are a good bit heavier than many others. This is not meant to be a critical remark. I think their weight and balance is about perfect. If I wanted a magnum chambering I would have no problems using the Featherweight platform.
 
Sales of the WSM's are crucial.
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Perhaps for their business plan...but not for my purchasing plan. :neener:

The rifle does come in 7mm-08, 308, and 243. You could kill all the deer & goats in the world with those three chambers.
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You can kill a great deal of game with a great deal of cartridges...but I want my dang 6.5mm...not 6mm, not 7mm, I want a 6.5mm. Not even picky as to which 6.5mm, but a 6.5mm it will be.

:)
 
Sales of the WSM's are crucial. The rifle does come in 7mm-08, 308, and 243. You could kill all the deer & goats in the world with those three chambers.
Click to expand...

I understand these calibers CAN be used for deer or sheep. The WSMs can be too. The 243 is really the practical minium and the 7mm-08 is pretty darn hot for a medium sized game round.

I really would have liked to see all the WSM except the 300 dropped.
 
Does anyone have experience with the new Winchesters made in South Carolina? If so, what do you think of them? How's the workmanship? How do they shoot?
Click to expand...

I bought one of the new Featherweights back in September. It's an excellent piece. Smooth action, consistent accuracy, finely crafted. It's a winner.
 
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