They are fine rifles and shoot very well...1/2 at 100 yrds is common with good ammo and good shooter. But as you mentioned, most manufacturers can produce a rifle that does this these days especially in .308. The 5R's have the jeweled bolt which runs a little smoother than the standard bolt which is nice. The HS stock is good to go, although bedding is always an improvement. If I were to recommend an out of the box shooter, it's always the 5R based on value, reputation, and availibility. I have yet to see one in .308 or .223 that is not a shooter, and now they are available in .300 WM.
It is not an M24 in any way though other than sharing the 5R rifling design. 5 groove rifling can be had in various forms from several barrel manufacturers but is just a design. My Winchester is a 4 groove barrel and shoots great, and lots of 6 groove barrels are still used wih huge success. Part of the theory of odd number grooves is that the bullet is never 'pinched' between two lands so it's less stress on the bullet and therefore slightly less drag supporting some claims of additional velocity.
If Winchester expands their product line to these types of rifles, I beleive them to be better, however the lack of aftermarket
parts would limit their popularity. Few choices in bottom metal, and the new MOA triggers have no alternative. I called Jewel to inquire about a replacement and they currently have no plans for one. Remington on the other hand is the small block Chevy with lots of parts available to suit the individual.
