Winchester Model 70 Featherweight

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:08 pm
Winchester Model 70 Featherweight
http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/historic-detail.asp?family=001C&mid=535109
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The legendary handling and quickness of the Model 70 Featherweight is justly famous among hunters everywhere. The Model 70 action offers Pre-’64 style Controlled Round Feeding, a three-position safety and is highlighted by a jeweled bolt body with knurled bolt handle. Inside is the M.O.A. Trigger System, the finest trigger ever offered in a bolt-action with zero take up, zero creep and zero overtravel. Like the original Featherweight, the angled comb Grade I walnut stock still features the Schnabel fore-end and satin finish with elegant cut checkering. A premium Pachmayr® Decelerator® pad helps soak up felt recoil. It’s available in the most popular long and short action calibers, including WSM chamberings.
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.22LR
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Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:42 pm
Hello gents, I will give you a quick run down of my impressions on this rifle, for pics, please click here:

http://www.winchesterowners.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=338

The particular model I bought is the 2008 Limited Edition in 300 WSM. It was the first year the model 70 was brought back into production at the new plant. It is the same rifle that is in current production with the exception that it sports a fancier wood grade.

I was very happy when I took the rifle out of the box. Everything was as advertised. Fit and finish was excellent. The safety selector was a bit rough at first, but it was smooth as it should be after it was broken in. The advertised 0 creep, take up and over travel trigger is just that, awsome! The trigger even lightened up a bit after a few trips at the range, so I won't even bother adjusting it.

The Pachmyre Decelerator recoil pad helps absorbe the kick of the 300 WSM at the range, making extended sessions enjoyable. The bolt cycles nicely and the large Mauser style extractor performs flawlessly, even with the short mags.

Accuracy is good, delivering every five shot groups within 1 to 1.5 in. MOA from a rest. I suspect I good get better groups if I had more time to experiment with other loads... And give more time to the barrel to cool down.

The only down side to this rifle is that it looks so good that your afraid to take it in the bush! :D
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:48 am
I see that you speak very highly of the M70, and Winchester. As do I, I have fallen in love with this company. It's a shame that Winchester has discontinued several of there Models do to the closing of there factory in Connecticut.

I must say i agree with you on the only down side, "The only down side to this rifle is that it looks so good that your afraid to take it in the bush!".
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.22LR
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:13 pm
It's easy to speak good about a company that make guns the way they out to be. I'm not against companys that want to bring affordable products to their clients and cut some of the cost by innovative manufacturing techniques like Savage did with the Steven's 200. But some of the other big outfits out there are just cutting corners out of greed. I'm glad Winchester is back and on the right track putting a product on the shelves that you can be proud to own. My Winchesters are on my "never going to sale list".
Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 7:16 pm
I have a Classic Featherweight made in New Haven. It's chambered in 6.5x55 and is a joy to carry and shoot. It's taken a few deer and an antelope. The 6.5 Swede is just about a perfect deer cartridge.
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:54 pm
Welcome and enjoy the forum !!

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:09 am
Can anyone tell me if Winchester made a FW rifle after 1964 with a Control Round Feed? My serial number is G235XX, and it has a 22" barrel. Just wondering what I might have. Thanks
PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 9:46 am
Not sure Tom...but maybe Winchester Customer Support can help you with that question:

http://www.winchester.com/Customer-Supp ... ct-Us.aspx

Copper BB
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:04 am
I talked to a historian, "Lennie" with Winchester this morning. He told me it is a Classic Featherweight made in early 1991. The CRF threw me off. Thanks for the response.
PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:37 pm
Awesome news...how about a few pictures !?

.410
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:01 pm
I'm guessing stags30 is talking about the New FN made Model 70. Mine is an early 90's Classic Feather Weight made at New Haven in .308 Winchester. It's at it's best in the game fields, what it was made for and has become my favorite deer/bear rifle.
PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:37 am
Let's see some pictures Krag...

.410
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 5:24 pm
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I made several changes to this rifle, first was to dig that ball of snot out of the recoil lug cut in the stock that Winchester called "Bedding" and replace it with Accuraglass. Next was a steel trigger guard from Brownells, and a front sight from NEGGC, (call me old but I like a back up to a scope). The scope is a Burris Mini 4-12x in Burris mounts and rings.

Bye the way, it is a true short action.
PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:07 am
Very nice sir...
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20g
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:29 am
Mr. Krag, your 70 is a beauty queen. The Burris is top-tier in rifle optics. The early leather sling with brass keepers completes a desirable package.
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.410
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:19 pm
That "queen" see's a lot of use, but is taken well care of. The Burris Mini was a luck purchase, the local gun shop had it on sale, the only Burris they had and a Burris is what I ask for. The sling is an older Boyt I had on my M-1 until going to a canvas sling. With the addition of the front sight and detachable rear, I have the package I always wanted...except clip guides. I do miss those from the pre-war and early post-war M-70's.
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:40 pm
I was thinking the sling was from a Garand. Then I am thinking...Naaaaaa...just resembles a Garand sling. I was married to a M1 Garand for 10.5 years. Saw canvas sling replace leather. Then M14 replace M1.
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.410
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:00 pm
It's a 1907? sling used on the 1903, M-1, and M-14. Later as more a dress and match sling, just my opinion the canvas sling was better for field duty. I liked em better anyway.

.22LR
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:54 am
Thought I'd record some of my impressions and experiences with my FWT. I won this used rifle on Gunbroker. It is chambered in .308 Win. When I received it, it seemed to be new. I am not sure it was ever fired. Workmanship is very good - I could find no flaws. Glass bedding is neatly done. The free-floated barrel is nicely centered in the fore end. My rifle was manufactured in Columbia, SC. in 2009. I got this information from Winchester customer service quickly and cheerfully during a telephone conversation.

The rifle wears a VX-III Leupold 3.5-10X40mm matte scope in matching Leupold 2-piece base and rings, along with a black 1" nylon sling. I removed the stuff covering the trigger adjustment screws and adjusted the pull weight to 3 lbs-6 oz. The fully equipped rifle's weight and handling characteristics seem nearly ideal for this 65 y/o rifleman.

I have run a couple hundred rounds of factory and hand loads through the rifle at the time of this writing. Everything works exactly as intended. Accuracy is exciting, BR 3 shot sub-MOA groups at 100 yards are common, as long as I do my part. Today, my intention is to settle on a hand load featuring a 165 grain boat-tail spitzer bullet, probably from Speer, both for hunting and practice.

I have a mule deer hunt lined up for this fall. I am anxious to take this rig afield and apply it to its purpose. I have every confidence in the rifle. Practice will provide me the confidence I need in myself.

Jim
PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:16 am
Looking forward to pictures of that downed Mule Deer...

.410
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 06, 2017 1:52 pm
Mine is a .308 also. I bought it slightly used from a private party, was his sons and said it wouldn't shoot to their expectations. He was right with the factory bedding, a small ball of snot about the color and consistency of a pencil eraser. I dug that out and replaced it with Accraglass gel. It shoots very well now, 3 shot sub MOA off a bench with my handloads. It does tend to open up a bit after 3 shots to 1.5" though. It's a hunting rifle, I have other rifles for precision work if needed.

.22LR
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:19 am
It's been 15 years or so since I traded away my 1990s .270. Some memories may be hazy. However, I do remember being disappointed with its bedding material. Mine shot well, though, until it's barrel got hot. Just like you wrote, krag96, its a hunting rifle.

My .308 was made in South Carolina in 2009. Noteworthy differences from my earlier Model 70s are the one piece floorplate, neatly done bedding, and careful close-tolerance barrel free-floating. It is really quite a nice rifle. Mine was purchased used, too. But it certainly wasn't used much. In fact, the only evidence of use I found were the Talley rings mounted upon it when I received it. It is being used (and properly cared for) now!

Jim

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