I own and hunt with a model 70 xtr in .270, bought it used for a great price. The previous owner hand shortened the stock so i restocked it with a Boyds composite thumbhold. The rifle is very accurate and reliable. I will never sell it.
M70 winchester push feed????
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
I have no issues whatsoever with push feeds and the argument between the CRF and the push-feeds is for the fuddy-duddies to argue about. I have put hundreds of rounds downrange with a Winchester Model 70 push-feed in .308. Super accurate and just pretty to look at too. Can't go wrong with one IMHO.
I've got a M70 push feed in 7x57, good rifle, well balanced and reasonable hunting accuracy, 140gr anything is around an inch, 175gr about 2", so good enough for the bush hunting, I was doing at the time, never bothered trying for any better, just went hunting, likely had it 12 years.
I since bought one of the limited run 7x57 M70 featherweights, (controlled feed) 4 years ago, its had a bit more accuracy work, and shoots slightly better, Also had nicer wood, Now its got nice wood, with big gouges and scratches, cause I took into South Westland Thar hunting, Still pissed off about that, esp. as I had a Bell and Carson stock, and didn't get it bedded.
I have pulled the scope off the 7x57 push feed, but cant bring myself to sell it,
I since bought one of the limited run 7x57 M70 featherweights, (controlled feed) 4 years ago, its had a bit more accuracy work, and shoots slightly better, Also had nicer wood, Now its got nice wood, with big gouges and scratches, cause I took into South Westland Thar hunting, Still pissed off about that, esp. as I had a Bell and Carson stock, and didn't get it bedded.
I have pulled the scope off the 7x57 push feed, but cant bring myself to sell it,
Tore one of those down to build a 240 Gibbs. Nice rifle. - dan
- Location
- Eastern Edge of the Foothills
Me too. Mine is stainless with a factory McMillan stock. Blind magazine. Shoots better than I can. Best group I've done with it is ~0.3" at 100 yrds with my 130gr Sierra Gameking handloads going 2980 fps. My spreadsheet where I keep track of such things shows average 3 shot accuracy with that load at 0.61". Sample size is >30 groups. Scope it wears is a lowly redfield revolution 3-9x40, but I've had no reason to switch it out. It took one of the mule deer bucks that is now mounted on my wall. I think I'll have enough priority to get drawn for another of those tags next year!
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I bought a 308 Win 70 XTR new in 1975. Took many deer and one elk. My son has it now - he used it for several deer and another elk. I did glass bed the action and coated interior with spar varnish. 165 grain Speer HotCor @ 2,800 fps with RL-15. In about 1994, I bought a used Model 70 XTR in 338 Win Mag. Working up new-to-me loads this past weekend - 225 Accubond and RL-19 - 3 shot 1 1/2" groups at 73.0 grains and 73.5 grains. A 3/4" group at 74.0 grains which is Nosler Max and Accuracy load.
A potential weakness in those Model 70's - that is the little nib that holds the bolt shroud from rotating when the bolt is opened - the proper name, I gather, is "Breech Bolt Sleeve Lock". On my 308, it wore enough that the shroud would rotate when bolt opened, so gun was jammed until the shroud got re-aligned. (Either that or the bolt shroud threads wore enough to increase the gap between shroud and rear of bolt body). Got so it would happen every time the whitetail were needing another shot! I could find no source for a proper replacement at the time, but discovered that the same part from a Marlin MR7 (?) bolt action rifle worked on the Model 70 XTR. Not an issue yet on my 338, but then the 308 got used a LOT more.
A potential weakness in those Model 70's - that is the little nib that holds the bolt shroud from rotating when the bolt is opened - the proper name, I gather, is "Breech Bolt Sleeve Lock". On my 308, it wore enough that the shroud would rotate when bolt opened, so gun was jammed until the shroud got re-aligned. (Either that or the bolt shroud threads wore enough to increase the gap between shroud and rear of bolt body). Got so it would happen every time the whitetail were needing another shot! I could find no source for a proper replacement at the time, but discovered that the same part from a Marlin MR7 (?) bolt action rifle worked on the Model 70 XTR. Not an issue yet on my 338, but then the 308 got used a LOT more.
IMHO, there's nothing wrong with a push feed Model 70.
I've had XTR models in .270 & .30-06. And a f/w in .30-06.
Currently, have a pushfeed featherweight Model 70 in 6.5x55mm that I consider one of my 'keepers'.
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NAA.
I've had XTR models in .270 & .30-06. And a f/w in .30-06.
Currently, have a pushfeed featherweight Model 70 in 6.5x55mm that I consider one of my 'keepers'.
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NAA.
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
I had a Model 670A which is a plain jane Model 70 pushfeed in 3006. Apart from kicking pretty good it was a very good shooter.
I personally like CRF's but the whole pros/cons of each is highly over rated.
FME the pushfeed winchesters were at least as good if not better then the 700's.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I ain't worried over push feed vs crf m70's. The most accurate one I used back in the day was a 338 mag that shot a tad tighter than the one I had in 30-06 back then. That said, I also had a Ranger youth model back then in 223 that shot crappy even after bedding 'er up. The Ranger line was " El Cheapo" and it showed.
As with many choices, it pays to test 'em out, hunt 'em and see.
As with many choices, it pays to test 'em out, hunt 'em and see.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Although I have a tendency to prefer CRF actions, there are times that its nice to just drop a round on top of the follower and close the bolt. My opinion has pretty much shifted now to where I believe that the feeding and extraction system of a particular rifle either works or it doesn't, and if it doesn't, it needs to be fixed before the rifle is used in the field. Thus no intrinsic advantage exists between one system and the other. Right now I'm playing with a M-70 XTR in .300 Winchester, which has proven to be a pretty smooth cycling rifle, and is a candidate for some mild customizing.
In hindsight, Winchester's mistake in 1963-64 wasn't the introduction of a push feed rifle, the mistake was calling the new push feed rifle a M-70. Had the push feed M-70 been sold under a different designation as an affordable alternative to an expensive CRF M-70, (retained in their super grade trim for discriminating riflemen) they would not have lost their market share to Remington, particularly when the push feed proved to be as smooth and accurate as the big dollar CRF rifle, or for that matter the 700 Remington. Instead, Winchester opted to abandon the iconic rifle that made them a commercial success in the bolt action field, then acted surprised when the consequences were the loss of the lofty position they held in the hearts of American riflemen and their wallets.
If we're going to compare the push feed M-70 to the Remington 700, the M-70 has a more positive extractor, and is more appealing to those who prefer actions with a flat bedding surface. The M-70's 3 position safety blocks the firing pin, where the M-700 2 position safety blocks the trigger, some prefer the Remington safety for it's position, but I think Winchester's safety is superior. The Remington 700 is a proven platform used in target shooting, varminting, big game hunting, and on the battle field as the M-40 the M-24 and the XM-2010. It has been used extensively for custom rifle builds, and I've owned my share of them over the years, but IMHO, the 700 does nothing that the push feed M-70 doesn't do equally well.
In hindsight, Winchester's mistake in 1963-64 wasn't the introduction of a push feed rifle, the mistake was calling the new push feed rifle a M-70. Had the push feed M-70 been sold under a different designation as an affordable alternative to an expensive CRF M-70, (retained in their super grade trim for discriminating riflemen) they would not have lost their market share to Remington, particularly when the push feed proved to be as smooth and accurate as the big dollar CRF rifle, or for that matter the 700 Remington. Instead, Winchester opted to abandon the iconic rifle that made them a commercial success in the bolt action field, then acted surprised when the consequences were the loss of the lofty position they held in the hearts of American riflemen and their wallets.
If we're going to compare the push feed M-70 to the Remington 700, the M-70 has a more positive extractor, and is more appealing to those who prefer actions with a flat bedding surface. The M-70's 3 position safety blocks the firing pin, where the M-700 2 position safety blocks the trigger, some prefer the Remington safety for it's position, but I think Winchester's safety is superior. The Remington 700 is a proven platform used in target shooting, varminting, big game hunting, and on the battle field as the M-40 the M-24 and the XM-2010. It has been used extensively for custom rifle builds, and I've owned my share of them over the years, but IMHO, the 700 does nothing that the push feed M-70 doesn't do equally well.
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A pre-64 300 H+H ,SS Classic FWT in .270 and another SS standard in .338win mag and a 26" 7 mm Rem mag blued Classic all CRF..........push feed FWT 6.5x55 and one standard blued in .338 Win mag.How many Win safeties have been recalled compared to Rem 700's?
