I have a Winchester model 70 xtr feather weight in 257 Robert's it is a post 64 long action it is the first rifle I ever owned and it has been 35 plus years been great! Just thinking of a change. I have many other rifles to do any needed thinkng of rechambering to 25-06 or selling! Would like people's thoughts both positive and negative, rifle is in great shape many guys at the range have tried to get me to sell it, not sure if I even want to rechamber or let it collect dust waiting for the day I take it out, and looking for another one for the collection. Thanks to all who comment.
Possible rechambering or not?.
- Thread starter accumark
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
accumark - I bought a new M70 in 308 Win in 1976. Took many deer and an elk with it. Our son has had it at least 20 years - also took his first elk with it, and multiples of white tails and mule deer. Has been some minor "tuning" regarding that original trigger, and some bedding - but pretty much, I am not sure that our work added anything to it - in my mind a great hunting rifle. Your 257 Roberts will be same - maybe some "panache" about the chambering. If that bothers you, or you think it is somehow inadequate - take up hand loading - I doubt, at all, that there is anything you can do with factory 25-06 that you can not do with hand loaded 257 Roberts. You might want to fuss about magazine length, etc. since the 257 is sort of "between" the 308 Win length and the 30-06 length - but mostly is about the throating in that barrel - learn to hand load, get that stuff figured out, and you have about as good a rifle as is suitable for most of our game.
The 257 Roberts is a classic deer cartridge. It does the job with efficiency & effectiveness while at the same time does it in style. I think if an owner such as yourself modified that nice old Winchester, you'd very soon regret such a foolish move. Leave it as is and enjoy it as is.
I had a 257 Roberts built several years ago by Bevan King with the thought of having the "AI" treatment done to it down the road. I never did have that done and after years, it remains as one of my favourite all time deer rifles.
I had a 257 Roberts built several years ago by Bevan King with the thought of having the "AI" treatment done to it down the road. I never did have that done and after years, it remains as one of my favourite all time deer rifles.
I am a hand loader for long range so that's not a problem, these are 80ish model 70 257 Robert's xtr feather weight they were made with a long action so very beneficial for reloading long bullets to allow for jump. As a side note rifle shoots 1 moa if not better if I do my part! Just retired to much time on my hands do to broken ankle hunting is out is season. Some may have seen post regarding guided elk hunt. And yes some would say don't Fu###xx that up buy another one.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I can stand to be corrected, but I think all Model 70 of that era were "long action" - they did stuff with bolt stops and blocking pieces within the magazine to make work with shorter cartridges - I do not think there is an iota of difference in the receiver length among that 308 Win, a similar aged 338 Win Mag that I have, and a 300 Win Mag that my brother has - changes were all done inside. To be clear, it is your rifle to do with as you wish - not for me to say what to do. I, too, got "bored" with that 308 Win - did not alter it after doing the bedding - I put some dollars into other rifles - and that just seemed to grow on itself - with new-to-me scopes, rings and bases needed, new reloading gear, new loads and powder to figure out, and so on - somehow I no longer have any thought about altering that first one that I had. Just a thought, for you...
Winchester use to use long action for everything in the 70's...I have a factory 1975 222rem on one of those, the mag block is massive, longer then the cartridge lol.
It was early 80's I think they started making a short action for short action cartridges.
Now, for that XTR, I think it has a 22" barrel, not going to get a big jump in performance from 257Bob to 25-06, like very minimal, increased muzzle blast but likely almost nothing in performance worth noting.
I'd leave it as is and work up a stout load with 110 accubonds, not much those won't knock over.
