Win70 featherweight = a big problem

Bishopus

Bishopus

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I'm a big nut for the win70, and my all-time favorite version is the classic featherweight. To give you an indication, I love the featherweight so much that I can get excited about shooting .308 in one, and I mean plain-jane .308, without even necking it down to .284 or .264 first.

I recently found a featherweight NIB, and in one of those cruel twists of fate it's in a cartridge that leaves me completely cold: the 7mm WSM.

So instead of handing them my cc# and thinking about scopes I'm going through 7 WSM load data trying to jump-start my interest in this dead fish. I'm combing shortmags.org for interesting wildcats I could rebarrel to. I'm even kinda hoping that someone else will buy it and I won't have to decide.

This sucks. It's like being let out of prison for one night to go to your prom, only you have to go with the janitor.

So what would you do? Suck it up and learn to love the bucktoothed prom date? Rebarrel to something exciting like the .264, .338, .375, or even (gasp) .416 WSM? Let it go, and accept that the universe is playing a cruel joke?
 
Bishopus said:
I'm a big nut for the win70, and my all-time favorite version is the classic featherweight. To give you an indication, I love the featherweight so much that I can get excited about shooting .308 in one, and I mean plain-jane .308, without even necking it down to .284 or .264 first.

I recently found a featherweight NIB, and in one of those cruel twists of fate it's in a cartridge that leaves me completely cold: the 7mm WSM.

So instead of handing them my cc# and thinking about scopes I'm going through 7 WSM load data trying to jump-start my interest in this dead fish. I'm combing shortmags.org for interesting wildcats I could rebarrel to. I'm even kinda hoping that someone else will buy it and I won't have to decide.

This sucks. It's like being let out of prison for one night to go to your prom, only you have to go with the janitor.

So what would you do? Suck it up and learn to love the bucktoothed prom date? Rebarrel to something exciting like the .264, .338, .375, or even (gasp) .416 WSM? Let it go, and accept that the universe is playing a cruel joke?
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I recently picked up a Kimber in .270 WSM and I'd have to agree that it takes a bit of getting used to. The cartridge simply isn't as sleek as a .270 or 7x57. Having three cartridges in the mag, rather than four is certainly no advantage. On the other hand, it sure seems to hold its own in the velocity and accuracy departments (definitely not better that my .270 Win (Tikka 695), just comparable). Recoil is reasonable, too. The only real advantage is the rifle's lighter weight (which would be similar with the Model 70 Featherweight)

So, if you can hold your nose while you "test drive" the rifle, you may find that it grows on you. If you still can't stand it, I'm sure you won't have any difficulty finding a buyer for it.
 
Awright, rifle ordered. I decided to try out the 7 WSM first and see if she wins me over--she has 100 rounds to justify my love :p

If for some reason she _doesn't_ melt my cold, cold heart, I'll send the dies and brass to bigredd with my compliments :bigHug: and rechamber to .375 WSM.:rockOn:
 
7mm WSM

I wouldn't mind a rifle in 7mm WSM. :eek:

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I too have had a longing for a featherweight, but a gunsmith that I hold in high esteem has recently told me to stay clear of "any" of them that was produced a year and a half prior to the closure of the Winchester factory. Didn't tell me why as time wasn't permitting, but that's good enough for me. A featherweight in 7WSM???....hold out for a 6.5 or a .257 Roberts (there is one advertised in Canadian Access to Firearms paper).
 
I would not rechamber it. Some day there will be a guy like Arch combing the used rifle racks trying to find that model and cartridge combo.

I had a Featherweight in 7x57 and still kick myself for selling it.
 
NAA said:
I wouldn't mind a rifle in 7mm WSM. :eek:

QUOTE]

Me either, let me know if you want to dump it. The 7 WSM is becoming a very popular and effective 1000 yard cartridge, which speaks volumes of its potential. My next caliber [almost] for sure !!
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Yeah, I'm slowly getting more excited about it... it wasn't that I thought it was a _bad_ round, it just didn't excite me at all. I already have a 7mm STW that I dote on, and duplicating a 7RM wasn't exactly lighting my world on fire.

Now I've got some loads planned, and I know the second I find something good I'll become one of the True Believers.

Just do me a favor, if you ever hear me claim that the WSMs magically have 'less recoil' with the same powder charge and bullet weight, because they are 'more efficient', please kick my ass...
 
I dont know much about the 7wsm but I did a ballistics comparrison on the Federal ammo web page . I looked for every 140gr bullet in 270 and 7mm and compared them all..the 7wsm was the flattest shooter of them all..wouldnt being able to say that it is the flattest shooting cartrige in this class be enough to make it more popular??
I am happy with my trusty 30-06 but if I ever wanted to dream about the ultimate open country rifle I think I would give the 7wsm some thought..
 
nothing wrong with the 7WSM...280 Ackley preformance in a short action. How can that be bad? I have one in a Coyote, it's on loan to a friend in BC right now...I really should get it back and shoot it. He says it does an easy 3250 with a 140...that's actually faster than a 280 Ackley.
I think the 7mm is the best of the WSM's and it's the least popular...can't figure that one out at all....I do have a hankering lately for a 300WSM...
 
Ever notice when guys discover a forgotten M70 at a gunshop it is inevitabley in one of the Short Mags? For the most part they weren't overlooked, it's more of a case of being hard to sell. The short fat cases don't have the greatest reputation of feeding in the CRF actions, and right or wrong that left them gathering dust when any and all M70s were jumping off the shelves.
There's another new one sitting in Saskatoon in .270 WSM (IIRC) if someone wants it.
 
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