Thoughts on the Winchester model 70 featherweight?
- Thread starter Aabradsh
- Start date
ALBERTA BOY
Regular
- Location
- Edmonton, AB
The new one are absolutely outstanding. I could sing its praises in great detail but no real need. There are no flies on that rifle and the design is classic. Very expensive to manufacture but super high quality to own. 10/10. Highly recommended.
I really like the newer baco production rifles. My friend has a featherweight in 270. Very nice handling rifle. There isn’t anything I didn’t like about it. A few years back the local Canadian tire had a maple one in 300 win. I wish I would have bought it.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Is sort of a confusing thing - that I know of, was Winchester Repeating Arms, then United States Repeating Arms Corp, then FN that each in turn used the Winchester brand and trademark to manufacture and sell rifles. About NADA is common among them, except the brand. Is like discovering a Winchester "Westerner" - is that a pre-64 by WRA in 264 Win Mag or is it something that USRAC cooked up in 1980's? - I have one in 22-250 here - is NOT the same. Marketing and sales driven. But people seem to post and think they are the same - they are not - may as well be separate brands, but they used all the same brand name / trademark - as licensed from the brand owner - and I believe the owner was Olin Corp, that may still own and operate the ammo manufacture thing.
What do you mean “nada is common among them”?
When I wanted to buy a 300 WM my choice was between a Featherweight and a Super Grade. i finally went for the Super grade which has a longer barrel and finer wood. If I wanted to hunt in the woods I would have definitely chosen a Featherweight. Whenever I visit a gun store and look at a gun rack those Model 70 stand out, and from a long distance...
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I own a made-in-1955 M70 in 30-06. I bought new in a store a 308 Win XTR in 1976. I also have a "Sporter Magnum" - push feed in 338 Win Mag - made in 1983, I think. And a made-in-1982 Winchester Westerner in 22-250. I have not owned one of those that were made in Portugal or South Carolina. External extractors on the 1955 is spring steel - later ones are reputed to be very soft metal - can bend into an "L" with your hands. Open type triggers on the 1955 and the push feeds - enclosed in a box triggers on the newer ones. And so on. For sure, the general outline and visual, and the brand, might be similar - I guess that is what sells. But they are very different in their details - in their construction - that stuff likely does NOT sell well, as it appears many buyers do not know or care.
Perhaps I am getting jaded in old age, but the M70's, I think - are like many other products - terrific reputation based on what they made in 50's and 60's - then inflation pressure or whatever created a push to reduce production costs - most all changes than go to Marketing who convince the new buyer that the "cheaper to make" is actually "better" - is an "improvement" over what used to be. Often "modern" management is cashing in on a previous generation's hard work to create a reputation - is now being "mined" for the last nickel - then move on and acquire a next company/brand ...
Today, Weaver, Tasco, Redfield, Bushnell, Simmons and perhaps other scope brands owned by same company - not really "competitors" as in the past. FN owns Winchester arms and Browning arms - not exactly "competeing" with each other, except to benefit their owners in some way. None of those items being made by same people, same tooling, same plants as in the "old days", so past experience means about nothing regarding them. Is hard to accept that an item that has given you reliable and dependable service for 30 plus years, CAN NOT BE REPLACED. Even if the brand of the thing still exists, it is NOT the same as what you bought back then.
Something as mundane as metal files - when I apprenticed, the tradesmen insisted the Nicholson files were the "ONLY" files to work with, where we were. Made in USA - about "perfect" for what we did. So when I retired, I "splurged" and bought a Nicholson set for myself - not even all made in same country - some are stamped "Made in Mexico", some are "Made in Brazil" - wavy sides, uneven teeth - but they do have the Nicholson brand and logo on them.
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I inherited the one my Dad bought new in around 1958, and yeah, the whole 'featherweight' thing is a bit of a stretch. Used Aluminum for the trigger guard and bottom metal, as well as for the butt plate, and a slightly lightened barrel profile.
I figure the weight they saved using Aluminum, was barely enough to offset the variability in the stock woods from one to another.
Mine shoots adequately, and I don't care, as I'm never parting with it.
I bought one new in 2016 in 7-08. It’s my understanding that the components are US made then assembled in Portugal. I couldn’t care less; it’s a beautiful rifle. Shoots well, but I still am working to find a hand load that it loves. I have mine topped with a late 80’s vintage Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8. It’s a classic pairing. Biggest thing to be aware of if you shoot at a bench is that skinny barrel gets hot quite quickly. It’ll start to string vertically if you don’t let it cool down sufficiently between shots. Not an issue when hunting, obviously.
I have mine with a gunsmith for a proper bedding job at the moment as it always had a bit of movement, which doesn’t help with accuracy. Sometimes I wonder if manufacturers “free float” their barrels because it’s simpler than doing a proper bedding job.
All around, an elegant, classic hunting rifle. The Leupold 2-7 will look perfect on it (I have that scope on another rifle). I prefer a bit more magnification on the high end, but 7X on a 308 will work fine. Shame you can’t still get the Leupolds with a gloss finish to match a gun like this.
I have mine with a gunsmith for a proper bedding job at the moment as it always had a bit of movement, which doesn’t help with accuracy. Sometimes I wonder if manufacturers “free float” their barrels because it’s simpler than doing a proper bedding job.
All around, an elegant, classic hunting rifle. The Leupold 2-7 will look perfect on it (I have that scope on another rifle). I prefer a bit more magnification on the high end, but 7X on a 308 will work fine. Shame you can’t still get the Leupolds with a gloss finish to match a gun like this.
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Sounds like the 7/08 is a bit of a lemon, an elegant classic lemon.
Last summer I shot a Portugal FW 30/06 that wasn’t accurate as well. Bunch of gunsmith trips later I think he was going to sell it. I was surprised at how badly it shot.
I’m not a fan of the modern built Featherweight. The combs low, the fore stock is skinny, moa trigger needs work to get below 3.5#, checkering looks overly manufactured, w/o a wood upgrade it’s plain. Of all the winchesters I been through it would be my last choice. And I like the Winchester m70.
I’ve gotten 1” groups with some loads, 2ish with others. I haven’t spent a lot of time experimenting since I got it as a nice weather hunting rifle and haven’t done any hunting in a while. I don’t think it’s a lemon by any means, I just need to spend some quality time at my loading bench, focusing on it. My attention has been on a couple other cartridges these days, but once it comes back from the shop I’ll buckle down and find out what it likes. It’s a hunting rifle; I don’t care whether it shoots less than MOA. It’s always fun when a rifle is a tack driver, but not always important. I have a 17 Hornet that I’ve shot .25” inch groups with that’ll let me get my brag on
I’m not worried about it not shooting well. I’ve been doing this long enough to know what to expect. I have been hand loading for going on 40 years.
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I’ve gotten 1” groups with some loads, 2ish with others. I haven’t spent a lot of time experimenting since I got it as a nice weather hunting rifle and haven’t done any hunting in a while. I don’t think it’s a lemon by any means, I just need to spend some quality time at my loading bench, focusing on it. My attention has been on a couple other cartridges these days, but once it comes back from the shop I’ll buckle down and find out what it likes. It’s a hunting rifle; I don’t care whether it shoots less than MOA. It’s always fun when a rifle is a tack driver, but not always important. I have a 17 Hornet that I’ve shot .25” inch groups with that’ll let me get my brag on
I’m not worried about it not shooting well. I’ve been doing this long enough to know what to expect. I have been hand loading for going on 40 years.
There's certainly potential! And I agree...nice to punch tiny lil clusters but that things a reliable, easy to carry game getter, and sub MOA not needed. That said, interested in hearing how it shoots when it comes back from the bedding.
If it at least cuts down the variance, that would be nice but if its a consistent 1.5" shooter I too would just go slay beasts, fill freezers and worry not
Do you have a bad weather hunting rifle?
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Kinda two different threads going here. One talking about the model 70 featherweight introduced in 1981 and the other talking about the pre 64 featherweight which really wasn't a featherweight except in relation to the standard pre 64 model 70.
As far as weight goes I have not noticed any significant difference between pre and post 64 fwts. Stock shape yes, but not weight.(within a couple ounces) Two pretty nice pre 64 fwts downstairs, both in hi quality synthetic stocks! That makes for a great hunting rifle.
There's certainly potential! And I agree...nice to punch tiny lil clusters but that things a reliable, easy to carry game getter, and sub MOA not needed. That said, interested in hearing how it shoots when it comes back from the bedding.
If it at least cuts down the variance, that would be nice but if its a consistent 1.5" shooter I too would just go slay beasts, fill freezers and worry not
Do you have a bad weather hunting rifle?
Ya, recently purchased a cerakoted, synthetic stocked break-action in 44mag for bad weather and tight cover. Still working up loads for it.
