Ended up with a crappy Winchester M70 push feed

Hitzy

Hitzy

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My brother had this for a bunch of years, he never really warmed up to it. Said it shot like ####, which it did until last year when I gave it a going over (cleaned, added pressure point, worked up some loads) and then it was pretty impressive. He dropped a deer last year and kinda liked it again, but not enough obviously. He wanted something with detachable mags, more bang, light weight, so I told him to come over and take his pick and I'd swap him something. He liked a synthetic stocked Browning AB3 in 270 I had, so we went out to the range and he shot it pretty well after a few rounds. It was pretty much new, I may have put 50 rounds through it, 3 mags, Nikon 4-12 on it, handy little rifle. It was the only 270 I had so I was a little reluctant to let it go, but I do have a 7x64 so I can live without it I guess lol.
The Winny isn't in too bad of shape, couple little rust spots I'll touch up, wood is pretty decent with no major dings, kind of surprised me because he hunts pretty hard and not really easy on his gear.
I already adjusted the trigger for overtravel and pull, great simple triggers on these things.
I know everyone hates these low grade push feeds, but I think I'm going to keep this one. I already load for 7x57, had a Zastava M70 for many years now that I can part with, as I never warmed up to that one too much..but who knows, I'm not real good at selling guns, better at buying them lol.
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My very first "bought my own new rifle" was a Win M70 push feed - 308 Win - also an XTR, but not "featherweight" - in 1976. My son has it now. Many many deer taken - while each of us owned it, we have each taken an elk with it. I adjusted trigger, did glass bedding, etc. Really nice dependable 1 1/4" 5 shot groups with 165 grain Speer HotCor. Once he took the M70, I bought myself a Ruger #1 in 7x57. Very happy with that. So, from what you show, to me, you have the "best" of two experiences of mine - great rifle and a great cartridge. Lucky you!!!
 
Did you notice more than a few years ago during one of Winchesters many restructuring, they rebirthed the Mauser type CRF? However the dedicated target rifles were left alone as push feed. It was said the huge extractor of pre 64 put a load on the chambered cartridge. And quite possibly prevented a perfect line up bullet to bore. Interesting theory.

Notice the Musgrave and Winchester model 70 solid bottom single shot receivers are long gone history?
 
I actually like the push feed Winny's, have an old 1975 one in 222, they only had the one action length back then so it's long like this one...it's odd throwing a tiny 222 cartridge in such a long action lol but it shoots really good.
I figured he wouldn't get much for it trying to sell it, then would pay a lot more for something new, so a trade made more sense. It came with a newer US made 3-9 Redfield that I bought him for xmas a few years ago, I'll probably put it back on as its a decent enough scope.
 
The method of feeding and extraction doesn't really matter. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Get it fixed.

Nice rifle.
 
The exact same rifle my brother has also in 7x57, it has a very nice trigger and shoots well enough with handloads .He shot a very nice whitetail last year with it.
 
Bought a Featherweight in 280 Rem back in the 80's. Put it in a Brown Precision stock and pillar bedded. Painted and stippled with Endura paint. Decelerator pad. Triggerr done, Bolt lapped, Rings lapped. Used the original wood stock (nice fiddleback) to hold a new Classic CRF 270 Win.
 
Geez. I wouldn't dub it a 'crappy' rifle by any means. Push feeds are more than reliable and frankly splitting hairs with a controlled feed when it comes to a dangerous game rifle. In a hunting rifle it's moot point. The fact it has irons is something to embrace as they're not the easiest thing to get anymore. If it was me, I'd not overthink it and just use it as a solid irons only bush gun/hunting rifle. Scoping and trying to get it to shoot like a target rifle seems like a waste.
 
Hitzy said:
Do Leopold dual dovetail hold zero well? Needs a nice set of rings/bases
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I suspect you're going to put picatinny or weaver type bases on that rifle by your question?? The Leupold rings will work fine.

I assume you're going to hand load for the rifle??? If so, you can load much hotter than most of the manuals indicate. You likely know they keep the loads around 40,000 CUP, in deference to the old pre 98 Mauser rifles.

The Mod FWT in 7X57, has a 1-9 twist rate and it will stabilize 160 vld bullets very well.

The Brazilian military used to load their 7x57 ammo quite hot. They loaded 140grn fmj, over a powder with a burn rate almost identical to H414 or W760 at 49.0grains, over their standard primer, for a velocity of 2700fps at 40,000 CUP.

Brazil issued Mauser rifles in several different models, from the 1893 to the 1935. They needed ammo that was interchangeable and stable in the equatorial heat.

I used the above load for a few years, before realizing I wanted a bit more.

Your rifle is capable of easily digesting much hotter ammo.

I presently use 56 grains of H4831ssc, over CCI250 primers, 139SST in Lapua cases. No visible pressure signs IN MY RIFLE (1935 Mauser) with a 24 inch bbl. 2870 fps average.

My custom 1935 also has a 1-9 twist rate and stabilizes 160 grain bullets well, when I use them. Very accurate load

You will likely get around 50-100fps less with your 22in bbl.

I believe you will find that the venerable 7x57 will do anything the 270 will do with similar pressures and bullet weights.

Those mod 70 FWT actions are quite slick and I've never had a push feed fail to chamber or extract a round.

Nice rifle, it may just become your go to rifle for just about everything.
 
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Leupold dual dovetail rings and bases are perfect. Tough, no extra screws to come loose, they’re what my model 70’s wear. If you want to save a little weight Talley lightweights.
 
Hitzy said:
Do Leopold dual dovetail hold zero well? Needs a nice set of rings/bases
Click to expand...

And then some!! My second rifle purchased was also a Win M70 - "Sporter Magnum" - in 338 Win Mag (rifle was used, but-new-to-me) and it has been holding a Leupold M8-6x in Dual Dovetail mounts since about 1995 (?) I have no complaints about them, in any way. Took a bit of fussing with pointy and flat ends of alignment bars, then check with lapping bar to get perfectly straight to each other, but as "solid as a rock" since then... As I recall, I was using flat open end wrenches on the ring "stems" to wiggle them into what I thought was perfect alignment.
 
Ha! Your rifle has iron sights - if you go with the Dual Dovetail, likely gonna remove them like I did on my 338. Just no reasonable way you are going to remove a scope and those rings without tools, so not going to happen in the field, if you are old guy like me that thinks iron sights might be a "back up" to a scope. Currently fussing with a 1955 Win 70 in 30-06 - complete with iron sights and front sight hood - whatever I settle on for scope mounts I will have to have some ability to remove scope in the field, or those nice irons are completely superfluous! I have been taking deer with scoped centerfire rifles for at least 45 years, and yet to have a scope "fail" while hunting, so pretty much just a "mind game" for me - has not really been my experience at all to ever "need" iron sights on a scoped rifle.
 
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