Precision Winchesters?

wce323078

wce323078

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After reading a bit about precision rifles,I have to wonder why or for what reason no one seems to use Mod 70s as a basic start for a Precision rifle.
I have a couple of mod 70s that seem to shoot really well.one in 30 06 and an other in 270.Is it because there is not a large supply of aftermarket parts or is it just not really suitable as a platform?
 
wce323078 said:
After reading a bit about precision rifles,I have to wonder why or for what reason no one seems to use Mod 70s as a basic start for a Precision rifle.
I have a couple of mod 70s that seem to shoot really well.one in 30 06 and an other in 270.Is it because there is not a large supply of aftermarket parts or is it just not really suitable as a platform?
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This one was built by Alberta Tactical Rifle. Winchester Mod70 Long action. Its a 300WM but now wears a Nightforce 5.5-22x50 with Mil reticle and turrets. I love this rifle and loaded with 210gr Bergers is like shooting a laser:D

I think the reason you don't see that many Win builds is that there are not many aftermarket parts (nothing compared to Remington).



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Atrs M70

I love that rifle, Blackcloud. What a work of art......... I'd use the M70 for a precision build, just cause.......... It would be nice if a decent 'hi-capacity' detach mag system was out there for the M70 though.........
 
The Winchester lock time (firing pin fall) is a little longer milliseconds .
In earlier years they were the favourite of the Highpower crowd. After the short action Remingtons came out They started to domminate the scene.
Most of the custom smiths and builders seem to prefer the round action Remington. As was stated above the aftermarket stuff leans toward REmington. Remington developed a reputation for accuracy with their factory guns in PAST years that seems to have stuck .(Right or Wrong????)
 
If they brought back the Stealth I'd buy one. My friend has had one for years and every time I see it, I try to buy it from him.

Its a very smooth rifle with a beefy but not heavy stock.
 
When I eventually shoot out the barrel on my M70 Coyote (.243 WSSM), I'll probably get it redone for 6BR. I'm thinking the internal magazine will feed with this round as well since it's pretty similiar to the .243 WSSM. Then I'll have a real precision Winchester M70 :D.

Right now ammo is the biggest issue. I'm only starting into reloading and the factory offerings for the 243WSSM suck. I've already had the medium bull barrel free floated, the action bedded and the trigger done up. So it's slowly on it's way to a precision rifle.
 
Diameter on the WSSM is much wider then the 6BR. You might want to stuff some 6BR or 45ACP brass into the mag and see if it will hold.

Might just dump all the cases because they are too narrow.

Jerry
 
Epoxy7 said:
When I eventually shoot out the barrel on my M70 Coyote (.243 WSSM), I'll probably get it redone for 6BR. I'm thinking the internal magazine will feed with this round as well since it's pretty similiar to the .243 WSSM. Then I'll have a real precision Winchester M70 :D.

Right now ammo is the biggest issue. I'm only starting into reloading and the factory offerings for the 243WSSM suck. I've already had the medium bull barrel free floated, the action bedded and the trigger done up. So it's slowly on it's way to a precision rifle.
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Your boltface is far too big to build a 6BR on unless you get is welded up then recut, which in my opinion is not worth the hassle.
I built a custom 243WSSM for a fellow recently and it shoots extremely well.
The right bullet/twist rate combination and some precision work fitting a quality barrel will make a great rifle.
You may need to do some work on the brass to get all the gun is capable of however as match brass and WSSM are not on the same page.
 
In the '90's the RCMP armourers in Regina were rebuilding M70s that had circulated back from the detachments. They were issued as perimeter rifles for the ordinary patrol officer to secure his portion of a containment area with better range than a .40S&W, and to put down wounded livestock or game animals. Some of those rifles were also selected for building as ERT rifles. I'd don't know if it is still the situation or if the Rem 700 has taken over there too.

The Winchester business died a whimpering prolonged death a few years ago. They had old machinery, old plants, old labour agreements and absolutely horrible Quality Control. Their strength was in somewhat misplaced customer loyalty and some of the strongest brand recognition of any firearms manufacturer. Who doesn't think 'Winchester' when they see a lever action? That and their reputation never resolidified from the changes pre 1964 vs post 1964.

The parent company folded its tent, and respectfully shut down the New England plant. Then after a decent interval they reopened in a new plant in South or North Carolina with a slimmer model line and hopefully a better product.
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
Your boltface is far too big to build a 6BR on unless you get is welded up then recut, which in my opinion is not worth the hassle.
I built a custom 243WSSM for a fellow recently and it shoots extremely well.
The right bullet/twist rate combination and some precision work fitting a quality barrel will make a great rifle.
You may need to do some work on the brass to get all the gun is capable of however as match brass and WSSM are not on the same page.
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I haven't really played with it much. There were some stringing issues at first due to the barrel not being free floated. After that was taken care of, the scope that came with it died. So I haven't done much with it. I'll be reloading for it shortly. It sounds like I might as well just leave it as a 243WSSM.

As for the RCMP Winchester rifles.
Yes we still have those with a 4x Weaver scope. They're chambered in .308. When I went through Depot we had to qualify on the rifles. I hear they took rifles out of the program. Which is a shame.

However rumour is that the .308 Winchester rifles will be replaced with an AR-15.
 
Well, personally I don't think that's an improvement (the 70 vs AR trade), but obviously they need the extra firepower to deal with the barbarian hordes. In regards to M70 precision builds, they are a little harder to work with due to the receiver design, but that just takes a little extra set up and time. I have a couple that are tack drivers, and receivers to build a few more. I like the safety and the trigger, probably more then the 700s. As mentioned, Rem dominated target shooting for a while (as did Winchester before them), but all things change. FWIW - dan
 
I just got, bedded and scoped my Win 70 Stealth.....
with Federal Gold Mutch 168 it`s capable to do a 1/4MOA centre to centre...
not bad for an older rifle :)
 
dan belisle said:
Well, personally I don't think that's an improvement (the 70 vs AR trade), but obviously they need the extra firepower to deal with the barbarian hordes. In regards to M70 precision builds, they are a little harder to work with due to the receiver design, but that just takes a little extra set up and time. I have a couple that are tack drivers, and receivers to build a few more. I like the safety and the trigger, probably more then the 700s. As mentioned, Rem dominated target shooting for a while (as did Winchester before them), but all things change. FWIW - dan
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The AR is just more versatile. They both have their uses, strengths and weaknesses. The AR is mostly to replace the shotgun. Which in my mind is a huge improvement. I hope they'll keep the .308 rifles as well but who knows.

I have a number of Remington rifles. While I really like them. I have to say the saftey on the Winchester is much nicer. Overall I do like the Winchester action a little better. But.. the Remingtons also shoot pretty well.
 
To change the WSSM to a 6BR it would be a simple matter to bush the boltface then replace the extractor. However, getting the box to hold and feed the BR might be another matter. I suspect you would have to want to do it!
I have built a few Winchesters which performed very well and I like them but confess that Remingtons are easier to work with. Regards, Bill.
 
Epoxy7 said:
The AR is just more versatile. They both have their uses, strengths and weaknesses. The AR is mostly to replace the shotgun. Which in my mind is a huge improvement. I hope they'll keep the .308 rifles as well but who knows.

I have a number of Remington rifles. While I really like them. I have to say the saftey on the Winchester is much nicer. Overall I do like the Winchester action a little better. But.. the Remingtons also shoot pretty well.
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I suppose that's true, particularly the shotgun vs AR thing. I was thinking more of rural and remote officers, where I believe that a 308 Model 70 would be a much better choice. Still and all, the 70 is a good rifle, fully the equal of the 700, and in some small ways, even better. - dan
 
The Winchester has been widely used in the US for NM shooting. There are rapid fire strings in the US NM course, and the Winchester works better for charger loading than others.
I have an factory original Winchester M70 NM rifle, and it is an excellent shooter.
There are more aftermarket accessories available for Remingtons, but there are triggers, speedlock firing pins, stocks, etc. available for Winchesters. A pushfeed Winchester is easier to rebarrel than a Remington. There are those who believe that the flat bottom of the Winchester receiver is a bedding advantage.
 
I was at our local range the other day and the RCMP had the long range rented for their snipers to practice. The one fella had a M70. They were using Federal Match 168 grain factory ammo. Don't know what kind of groups they could shoot, would have been neat to stick around and find out.
 
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