Ive got a friend that just purchased a winchester model 70 with a laminted stock and heavy barrel in .243 for a do-all rifle (groundhog - deer- coyote ) i've never messed with a model 70 action. I was just wondering what are some of the opinions on the newer winchesters. I love the older winchester rimfires i.e. the 52. I have remington 700 in 6mmbr as my do-all and I wouldn't trade it for anything but this gun looks pretty good
How does a winchester model 70 stack up
- Thread starter antitactical
- Start date
Good Morning,
I recently purchased a new Model 70 243 featherweight and love it. The fit and finish are outstanding, and she's a shooter. After playing around with hand loads, my last 3 shot group at 300 yards off of a bench was 1 1/2". Don't think you can ask for more than that from an out of the box rifle.
Ken
I recently purchased a new Model 70 243 featherweight and love it. The fit and finish are outstanding, and she's a shooter. After playing around with hand loads, my last 3 shot group at 300 yards off of a bench was 1 1/2". Don't think you can ask for more than that from an out of the box rifle.
Ken
jonbearman
I live in new york state,how unfortunate !
They are a fine hunting rifle and have seen many tack driving winny's in my life,most were rebarreled with aftermarket barrels after the originals wore out.
When I first bought my Mod 70 off the shelf it was average,until barrel was warm. Then it was horrible. Replaced bbl and trued the action and now its a dream come true.
I purchased a Model 70 Coyote Light in 22 250. Love the control feed action, trigger is good, accuracy is good. My only compliant is that the stock has a wide beaver tail front end making it difficult to shoot off shooting sticks. Why they put these kind of stocks on a hunting rifle is beyond me.
John Whidden won the Palma Individual Championship at Camp Perry a couple of years ago with a rifle he built around a M70 action. True, there are more custom parts available for M700s & other 'round' actions, but the M70's design is nearly twice as rigid as a M700. There are several reasons why the M700's popularity is greater than the M70's, but lack of good design features isn't one of them.
That one lost me a bit, too. Just doesn't seem very long ago that you rarely saw an M700 at Perry, and if you did it was in the hands of Mitch Maxberry. Model 70s absolutely dominated XC-HP competiton for decades, and anyone trying to use an M700 for that application would have been pitied like the village idiot. It wasn't until we started messing with smaller calibers that the round-bottomed M700s could compete against the M70s on anything close to a fair footing. If I were to build a 30 cal Magnum for prone LR (but why would I these days?) it'd be on a M70. Wouldn't even consider an M700 for that application. A 6.5x47, or even a 6.5x284, yeah, I'd do either of those two on a Remington. But certainly not a magnum, or anything with a bit more thump to it. Not unless I wanted to rebed it every few hundred rounds.
The Remington 700 has always dominated silhouette competition, and still does. I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen M70s used in that game; they're just not well suited to it. The M700 action is about a full pound lighter than the M70, and that weight can be put to use elsewhere, since it's on a pretty tight limit. With the milder cartridges used in that game, the round bottomed receiver doesn't have any disadvantages here, so that's not an issue.
Still have a couple XC guns built on M70 actions, as well as a few prone guns. Still a great action, and far from ready to be put out to pasture.
The Remington 700 has always dominated silhouette competition, and still does. I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen M70s used in that game; they're just not well suited to it. The M700 action is about a full pound lighter than the M70, and that weight can be put to use elsewhere, since it's on a pretty tight limit. With the milder cartridges used in that game, the round bottomed receiver doesn't have any disadvantages here, so that's not an issue.
Still have a couple XC guns built on M70 actions, as well as a few prone guns. Still a great action, and far from ready to be put out to pasture.
But........, the current NRA Longrange Highpower 1000 yd. record 200-19X was set with a 700 Rem action based rifle in 300 Win. Mag. I don't believe that either action has a distinct advantage over the other, when it comes to accuracy.
Times are changing, no doubt about it. But the fact is, you just don't see that many 300 Magnums out there anymore, either. With the move to milder cartridges that have superior ballistics (like the 6.5x284), the Remington is fully competitive. The issue that created the problem with the 700s in the 300 Mag days was the round bottomed receiver, and the fact that they wouldn't hold a bedding job as long as a flat bottomed M70 when dealing with heavy recoiling rounds. I alluded to that, but perhaps didn't make it clear. The accuracy of the 700 was never an issue, and they'll hold their own against most anything on the commercial market, easily. My comments were directed against the notion that the M70 wasn't a competitive rifle. It damn sure was, and still can be today. While the Remington aftermarket field is the 600 lb gorilla today, there's still a good supply of competitive aftermarket stuff directed at the Winchester action, too.
Besides, I defy anyone to point out a bolt gun that has a sweeter bolt-throw for rapids than a well worked M70!
Besides, I defy anyone to point out a bolt gun that has a sweeter bolt-throw for rapids than a well worked M70!
I get what you're saying but with the excellent epoxies, that we have at our disposal today, I don't think being round and using a large case has any bearing on the equation. Having worked on a bunch of the FN M70 clones, I cannot find any complaints about the actions. The chrome lined barrels, however, are another subject all together.
Haven't had the chance to mess with one of the FN actions yet, but I've looked at them and been tempted. Heard a lot of mixed reviews on these compared to the original 70s. Any thoughts or observations would be welcomed!
I've heard talk about the barrels, but the fact that they're chrome-lined pretty well ends the discussion where I'm concerned. All that says to me is, "Okay, so you'll need a new barrel to start with . . ."
I've heard talk about the barrels, but the fact that they're chrome-lined pretty well ends the discussion where I'm concerned. All that says to me is, "Okay, so you'll need a new barrel to start with . . ."
BoydAllen
Gold $$ Contributor
I think that when making comparisons of unmodified factory rifles, that it all comes down to the quality of the barrels. If your friend was lucky and his rifle has a decent one, he will be happy with his choice. I have a push feed .222 that I love.
Years ago, I spoke with a highpower shooter who was one of the few that was shooting a 700. He told me that a California gunsmith was addressing bedding stability in a couple of ways, by using very thick recoil lugs, that were bedded on one side to resist the torque generated by heavy bullets, and by TIG welding a half sleeve on, below the stock line, that had a flat bottom. His particular rifle had also been fitted with an Anschutz two stage trigger, and, if I remember correctly, a model 70 bolt handle.
Round actions are easier to set up in a lathe for blueprinting, and they more readily lend themselves to being sleeved. Also, IMO the tang of the model 70 is more challenging to bed to its highest potential. Until Jewel made one, there was not a benchrest lignt trigger that would install as a drop in. On the other hand none of this really relates to the comparison of stock, factory rifles. My .222 has a safe 1 1/4# trigger, and although it takes me a couple of shots to transition from my 2 oz. Jewel (which I would never take into the field, set that light), after that, I am good to go.
Years ago, I spoke with a highpower shooter who was one of the few that was shooting a 700. He told me that a California gunsmith was addressing bedding stability in a couple of ways, by using very thick recoil lugs, that were bedded on one side to resist the torque generated by heavy bullets, and by TIG welding a half sleeve on, below the stock line, that had a flat bottom. His particular rifle had also been fitted with an Anschutz two stage trigger, and, if I remember correctly, a model 70 bolt handle.
Round actions are easier to set up in a lathe for blueprinting, and they more readily lend themselves to being sleeved. Also, IMO the tang of the model 70 is more challenging to bed to its highest potential. Until Jewel made one, there was not a benchrest lignt trigger that would install as a drop in. On the other hand none of this really relates to the comparison of stock, factory rifles. My .222 has a safe 1 1/4# trigger, and although it takes me a couple of shots to transition from my 2 oz. Jewel (which I would never take into the field, set that light), after that, I am good to go.
The M70 is a great design and look good too. I love both the push feed and control feed actions. I never had an extractor problem with a M70, It is a real issue in the M700, I ve had several factory guns that needed work out of the box and the Sako and M16 extractors are not great fixes.
Boyd, I have a pushfeed 222 that is marked "Short Action Carbine". 19 inch pencil barrel. It has been my walking groundhog rifle since the middle '80's.
bpd459
Gold $$ Contributor
Greetings,
Do not forget that the shooter of the still standing 200-19 record was an veteran active duty marksman for a government agency, and shooting an identical (if not the same) copy of his duty rifle.
I shoot Barnards for LR, but the M-70's still rule!
Take care,
John
Do not forget that the shooter of the still standing 200-19 record was an veteran active duty marksman for a government agency, and shooting an identical (if not the same) copy of his duty rifle.
I shoot Barnards for LR, but the M-70's still rule!
Take care,
John
I am the first to admit that I do not have near the experience that most of you have and have hunted all of my life with Winchester rifles and shotguns but have only recently tempted competitive shooting thanks to my mentor. My father retired from Winchester at the plant in East Alton, IL. so I might be a bit biased. I love my Model 70's, collect them and have recently purchased a Model 70 Stealth in 308. 26" heavy bull barrel, Bell and Carlson stock, MOA tirgger system and have a Bushnell Elite 4200. I love this rifle! The way it feels, looks and shoots. I have a lot of practicing to do behind the trigger and at the loading bench before I can fully appreciate just how well this rifle can shoot. I have recently started reloading and have been testing loads and my current loads are using 150 GR Barnes TTSX, Winchester brass and primers and 46.2 GR of Varget powder and I have had .5 and less MOA grougs at 100 yards with average velocity of 2858fps. don't get me wrong, I have also had groups greater than that but that was the shooter I am sure. The load is very consistent at 100 yards and I am looking forward to practicing out to 300 yards and the fall deer season which is the reason I am testing with a hunting load. Can anyone give me any advice on a better match bullet and what weight for distance to 500-600 yards. I would like to start going to matches as an observor and later next spring as a competitor..........hopefully, thanks to the help from my mentor and all of you who are so patient with those like me. LOL
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
dskinner103,dskinner103 said:
I don't have any loads for you I don't compete with a .308 but I have friends that have competed with 155's, 168's, 175's, and 210's so I guess there is plenty to choose from, I only replied because you had a very well written post and I enjoyed it, thanks.
Wayne.
My grandfather bought me a push feed M70 XTR in .222 when I was about 6-7 years old. our whole family used it at local 100 yard matches for about 30 years and Killed 100's of chucks and crows. It always would shoot .5" 10 shot groups. In the last few years I started to have to load the OAL longer and the accuracy dropped off to about moa.....So I bedded it, and added a brux barrel chambered for .223 ack and we are right back where we started. 10 shot groups right at .5" We never kept track of the round count of the .222 but I bet it was in the neighborhood of 5000. Not bad accuracy or life out of a stock rifle. I was tempted to trade the m70xtr for a remington for the .223 ack build but I'm just as glad that i didn't.
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