SOLVED! Thanks everyone! Winchester model 70 featherlight having grouping issues.

A bad spot on the barrel crown or just inside the muzzle will start building up lead and or copper after a few shots - a light and a magnifying glass will pick that up.

A wobbling bed will give troubles in an inconsistent way - sometimes fairly accurate and sometimes off the paper. Clamp a card or something between the barrel and stock near the receiver and it will affect groups - just for the purpose of diagnosing the problem.

Resting the barrel on something hard will throw bad shots.

Another shooter will maybe group a bit better - but that doesn't mean that you are the only problem.
 
grumpyold said:
Didn't see anything in OP if set-up is brand new. Is it?
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its a 20 + year old set up that has under 100 rounds through it, I think my grandpa bought it at sears for my dad as a gift. When i got it you would think it came off the shelf tho. I was resting it on something hard.... never relized that would throw off accuracy
 
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Resting the BARREL on anything soft or hard is a faux pas...................resting the forend on anything hard can cause shots to go high but should still group if shooter is doing his part. You really need to get a shooter of known ability to try it, especially if you think you may be flinching. A lot of the old push feed ftrwts were notorious for poor accuracy, but not to the point of missing the paper. I have seen quite a few that wouldn't do better than 3" groups @100 mtrs, and that was after bedding and load development.
 
c-fbmi said:
Resting the BARREL on anything soft or hard is a faux pas...................resting the forend on anything hard can cause shots to go high but should still group if shooter is doing his part. You really need to get a shooter of known ability to try it, especially if you think you may be flinching. A lot of the old push feed ftrwts were notorious for poor accuracy, but not to the point of missing the paper. I have seen quite a few that wouldn't do better than 3" groups @100 mtrs, and that was after bedding and load development.
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This is what i shot this morning at 100 yards after cleaning and using a soft rest. Let it cool for 2-3 min between shots. Dont really know any experienced shooters unfortunatly.

 
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That FWT should do better than that at 100yards, if there is no shooter or scope/mounts issues. If you are a decent shooter, before you start throwing money at different type ammo and weights, If a M70 won't group with Winchester SilverBox 130gr econo ammo, it needs work before wasting money on humpteen different makes and weights of ammo. My push feed circa 1991 in .270would do(I haven't reloaded for it in over 17 years or so) .75MOA with 130gr Sierra Game Kings over 59grains of IMR4831 at 3070fps. Factory thermo bedding and factory forearm pressure point.
It would always do well with the cheap Winchester ppsp ammo, in nearly every Win M70 I've owned and lots of other rifles as well, so I use it as a bench mark for new rifles to see whre they are at when I purchase them. I've fired sub MOA at 200 yards with a pre64FWT in .243 using the silver box Winchester.

Does this rifle have the Burris steel mounts that may have been included new as with my FWT with the adjustable windage in the rear base? If so ensure the rear base is set up properly and tight.
 
I have a m70 fwt in 30-06 and with a good load will put 3 consecutive shots into .75" or less and 5 into about 1" +/-. Took a some playing around to get it like that. Also did dyna bore coat in the barrel
 
Ill be taking it back out with federal 130 Grain tomorrow.Hopefully I group smaller. Turns out I was shooting regular federal ammo, not premium aswell.. I was shooting pop can at 100 ish yards this winter with it without problems, . unfortunately....I cant remember what ammo I was using or the grain it wasent premium tho.
 
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CBP...........you have a very experienced shooter right there..........might want to talk to "Eagleye", Dave.
Your group shape is circular indicating that it is not heat "walking", just not catching a node, or bad bedding, possibly crunched crown...........were I you I'd be PMing Eagleye and asking if he would take a look for ya. You're not going to find many more experienced shooters than Dave.
 
CBP
On the push feed M-70 I had the fore end tip pressure was a key factor in it's accuray. Like the post above above has pointed out your recent target definitely shows a grouping although be it a large one. I would check the tip pressure to see if the pressure is there and centred. With mine if you where to grasp the tip of the stock between your thumb and middle finger and then push on the barrel with your index finger, the barrel should come away from the stock with out excess effort to the index finger. My early 70's M-70 was a very accurate gun in 30-06. Unfortunately I couldn't leave well enough alone and had the action bedded and the barrel free floated. The rifle did not shoot as well as pre bedding and floating. Similar to your last group. I used strips of card board and reinstated the fore end tip pressure and the groups shruck back to where they were pre free floating the barrel. About 1.25". Mine was a standard contour barrel and it liked a little tip pressure.

Also take a look at your action screws. Some push feeds had 3 screws, some I believe later on 2. Mine had 3. The front screw should be good and tight, but not to the point you drive the screw up in and the bolt rubs on it as the threaded hole ends up where the bolt lugs cam over and if you crank that screww to tight you will feel the resistance when you close the bolt. The one in front of the trgger guard should be just tight enough not to rattle around and the rearward one that goes into the tang should be just snug no more.

Hope this gives you a few ideas to check out. Very good suggestion by the way getting to gether with Eagle Eye. Nothing like a very experienced hands on opinion.
 
If you were able to shot pop cans with it before don't think it's your shooting ability. Ammo could be the problem but most factory ammo from brand to brand will move your hits down range higher or lower, or left or right, not all over the target. Something has changed with the rifle and more likely the scope. Has the rifle been dropped or banged around by accident? Is the scope the original? Do you have access to another scope? Really wondering if something has gone south in the scope and it's not holding zero.
 
so after using a better rest, you're solved the flier issue....and you are back to a consistent 3" group, with a 20 year old rifle...positive on the under 100 round count? when was the last time the bore was cleaned?

a 3" group is good enough to hit pop cans, as you indicated you were shooting previously, so I don't think there is a 'new' problem with the guns accuracy...but you are trying to shrink the groups now....this is the order I would start looking at things - bore cleaning, bedding, crown, free float vs forend pressure, trigger job....and then consistent shooting skills behind the gun
 
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