Winchester M70 Featherweight

[Silverado]

I usually use a dowel with sandpaper and reseal with whatever I have lying around b/c it's under the barrel anyway. On my Win I only had to take down maybe 3/16 x 3-4" near the end.

You can basically see where the barrel bears on the stock there, from just behind that A mark to just past the swivel screw, but check with a feeler/bill/paper whatever. Is the barrel relief square or does it follow the barrel contour taper? I made a mistake once on a laminate stock, forgot the taper and ploughed out a bad looking reveal, and was a sad goose.

 

[Demonical]

^ It's round channel exact contour of the barrel.

I might have a can of poly clear coat I could use...

 

[Silverado]

You can't really suffer from trying it, it's so simple. If it shoots wild, you can use various shims or feelers to fine tune the spot where it's stable, then make it permanent.

 

[Joel]

Had a feeling she'd need something of the sort depending on how you want it to shoot...

Be interesting to try a few other rounds and see if there's something that it really takes a shine to as well though.

 

[bunny]

I have free floated close to 100 rifles and found they always shoot better, a few did not improve accuracy but group size and point of impact always becomes more consistent and in a hunting rifle that is the most important thing.
The other thing I noticed is if I have a 22” or longer barrel that doesn’t shoot great, they always improve by shortening them, and I really like bolt guns with 16” to 20” tubes.

 

[Demonical]

^ This will be #1 for me....

 

[Demonical]

 

[Silverado]

If that spar varnish doesn't seal it, it's under water.

 

[Demonical]

I sanded, refit the action, paper test, repeat... 6 or 7 times before I thought it was okay.

Hope it works, but it's got to be better?

 

[Silverado]

I sanded, refit the action, paper test, repeat... 6 or 7 times before I thought it was okay.

Hope it works, but it's got to be better?

It might not shoot better, but it will shoot differently. I wouldn't change those loads until you've compared the before/after.

 

[Demonical]

^ I've still got 11 loaded rounds from that sighting in loading.
One thing I know for sure is I seated those too deep, also lots of room to tweak powder or switch powders.

 

[Silverado]

FWIW, on new rifles I'd just buy a box of whatever FedPrem I could find (b/c I like that soft buttery brass and always found it very consistent), float the bbl do the trigger and bed the action if appropriate, use the 20rds to figure out bore sight, zero, group tests. Then I had fireformed brass to prep and reload for load testing. I test hunting rifles differently though.

 

[gordonlbyrne]

I love the win model 70 but seems like a lot of messing around with a new rifle to get it to shoot accurately I think a 1400 dollar plus rifle should be good to go before it leaves the factory, I been reading some post by people who own these rifles and lots have various complaints.
Trigger no good,bedding no good ,stock no good ,barrel no good and these are new rifles.why buy a Winchester then.

 

[steve-o1979]

I love the win model 70 but seems like a lot of messing around with a new rifle to get it to shoot accurately I think a 1400 dollar plus rifle should be good to go before it leaves the factory, I been reading some post by people who own these rifles and lots have various complaints.
Trigger no good,bedding no good ,stock no good ,barrel no good and these are new rifles.why buy a Winchester then.

I must have fluked it and got a good one. I only tried one ammo in mine…cheap federal power shok… and if I do my part, it shoots 1” groups

 

[Joel]

I must have fluked it and got a good one. I only tried one ammo in mine…cheap federal power shok… and if I do my part, it shoots 1” groups

Been my experience as well with 375 H&H and 7mm-08. I dont mind the triggers and they shot well.

The 6.5 Creedmoor FWT was buggy as far as feeding goes.

So far the 308 here hasn't really been tried with a lot of ammo, there might be one or two it shines with and the rest is kinda meh, which ain't really a surprise in a rifle

 

[m1008]

A pic from another site, junk

 

[Joel]

Is it supposed to be tight against the rim of the case or else theres no primary extraction, m1008?

I'd kinda figured as you raise the bolt handle and the bolt starts camming backwards, the extractor ends up against the case rim and starts pulling it back by the time the cycle is complete and the rifle is cocked/unlocked. But I've read the timing is off?

 

[Demonical]

Continuing on...

Buck knife, butane torch, 1/16" Allen key, red nail polish. That little torch is great btw.

The only issue is I don't have a trigger pull test gauge, so this was set by feel.
I did follow-up by ordering a Lyman gauge.

 

[Wally]

Sooooooo how much does it weigh!?!?!?!? I have a savage lightweight hunter in .308 and it weighs about 7lbs. Pure joy to carry but the fluted bolt leaves a lot to be desired. Accurate as hell though.

I've always loved the M70 but they are HEAVY. I'm very currious to know where this lands. I also wanna see some groups!

 

[Demonical]