The eternal 70 Vs 700 debate..

Model 70 for me in the hunting rifle department. Just love the way they fit and function. Only Remington’s I have are short action small cartridges for target/varmint. In long action cartridges, my Winchesters have proven just as accurate as any Remington I’ve owned.
 
I think the controlled round feed doesn’t have much advantage from a feeding standpoint. I think it’s biggest advantage is the massive extractors ability to extract a round even if it becomes stubborn.

I have only one controlled round feed rifle and I’ve actually never had a problem with it or the push feed.

The extractor has never made any difference on any of my deer or bear. It only has for me on my 22s (double extractors vs single hinged) but even then only on the range and not while hunting.

I don’t have either a M70 or a M77, but I would love to have both in controlled feed version.
 
My 2 main hunting rifles forever, have been a 1980 ADL M700 .30-06 and then a 1989 BDL M700 .338WM.

I always hunted in sleet, rain, snow and I didn't like the factory wood stocks on them, cuz of the abuse I'd put them through.

Took them to K&S Arms, Edmonton and got both actions mounted in Wildcat Composite stocks. And then have never looked back and never worried again about adverse weather.

The only failure I ever had with either was due to some small amount of rust in the bolt of the .30-06, and missed a really nice whitetail due to it.

I've since acquired a tool for stripping the bolt (I can't do the bolt on the edge of a table thing) and regularly inspect the bolt, firing pin and spring.

The Winchester M70 which I have just ordered, corrects a mistake I made a long time ago. I had a M70 Featherweight in 7x57 and sold it. Now that was a push feed model, fwiw, but I've always regretted selling that rifle.
Getting this fine new Featherweight in .270Win corrects that error, and improves on it, as I believe these new production CRF Winchesters are superior to that older M70.

And I'm not sold on the need of CRF but just think it's cool.
 
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That "hot take" comment is a really strong statement.
I am curious mikeyb, how many pre 64's you have owned, how many USA models with the moa trigger you have owned, but extra curious how many of the early/mid 1990's CLASSIC models you have owned, especially the 5 or 6 digit serial number ones.
Since it sounds like you are an expert, I might need to own a new Portugal one soon. If they are now the best they've ever been, I am doing myself a dis service by not owning one.
 
Mine was a 'Classic' CRF made in New Haven. I don't know what you'd do to improve that rifle, the wood and gloss bluing were gorgeous, and it shot really nice little groups about 1" across all the time.
 
Maybe I'd think differently if I was hunting dangerous game in Africa, however for this continent I like both pushfeed and controlled round feed, I don't see any advantage between the two imo. It's all hype!
 
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