M70 Featherweight

[rjm158]

I have very little experience with Model 70's of any variant/caliber (I only own one) but I saw one in a gun shop today that caught my interest.

It is a Model 70 Featherweight in 7mm-08, serial G80XXX. Doing research on the net didn't give me any concrete info but the best I could deduce it was made in about 1994 which, if I'm right, was the first year the Featherweight was chambered in this caliber. It has the New Haven inscription on the barrel.

The rifle is immaculate, a solid 95-98%, with the only flaw I could find being two small parallel scratches on top of the barrel about 1/8 long. The wood has no flaws I saw, not even "honest" hunting marks. There is a thin red recoil pad on the stock. It has been shot but doesn't appear to have any significant number of rounds through it based on the bolt jeweling. It is equipped with Leupold rings and bases. The price after tax would be about $675.

Thoughts, opinions, enablements :lol: ?

Ron

 

[DrMike]

If the price is solid, grab it. The final years for Winchester in Hew Haven produced rifles that can be "hit or miss." All I ever handled could be made to shoot acceptably, but some did require a bit of attention. The cartridge is an excellent cartridge for most of North America.

 

[rjm158]

Dr Mike, according to what I could find on the 'net, the New Haven factory closed in 2006. Not trying to pick on your words, but when you say "final years" how far back from 2006 are you referring? If I'm correct and this is a 1994 rifle (or close at least) do you think it would be "safe" or likely to be a "hit or miss"?

Ron

 

[PJGunner]

I have two from the early 80's, 80 and 81 IIRC. One is a 7x57 Mauser and the other a .257 Roberts. The 7x57 is a good shooter and very accurate depending on what you feed it. Even the factory ammo has been sub-MOA for the most part. The .257 Bob is a horse of a different color. Accuracy with anything can be a problem. The 100 gr. bullets average 1.5 to 2.0" and 120 gr. bullets? Forget about it. Maybe 2.5 to 3.0" on a good day. I've been to busy with other projects so have not had the time to do more with that particular rifle. One of my sons in law has that same rifle, also a .257 Bob and his shoots in the .50- to .75" range. May after the first of the year I'll turn it over to my gunsmith and see if he can do something with it. I know one thing. My M70 7x57 would be one of he very last rifles I would ever let go.
Paul B.

 

[DrMike]

Candidly, anything coming out of the New Haven factory during the final fifteen years was subject to some interesting experiences. I love Winchester firearms, but they could be maddening at times. I had to let a 7X57 go because I simply could not get it to shoot. I was prepared to rechamber it when the smith I worked with offered to buy it. It was sold in a heartbeat and I picked up an early 300 WSM. I had mixed experiences throughout the final decade and a half with my beloved Winchesters.

 

[desertcj]

I have 2016 or so model 70 featherweight in 7mm-08. Best I've been able to get out of it is about 1 moa. It's huntable, but not a tack driver.

 

[SJB358]

I’ve got mostly G series Classics and a Classic Featherweight is a keeper for 675 in my book Ron. Some of them were projects in a box and some were awesome. All needed a bit of bedding at the recoil lug but for the most part I have done well with mine. My opinion but I’ll take a Classic any day.

 

[rjm158]

Thank you, guys, for the info.

Ron

 

[DrMike]

I’ve got mostly G series Classics and a Classic Featherweight is a keeper for 675 in my book Ron. Some of them were projects in a box and some were awesome. All needed a bit of bedding at the recoil lug but for the most part I have done well with mine. My opinion but I’ll take a Classic any day.

Agreed, for $675, I'd grab a Classic just because... Chambering wouldn't matter. All my Model 70s required at least bedding. Most did shoot, some much better than others. Most became shooters after working with them a bit. Some were more fussy than others about what they were fed. I'm still a fan of Winchesters. I hate hunting with a bag over my head when I use other rifles.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah- at $675, that's an easy buy in excellent condition. Even just to turn it into something else.

 

[5shot]

I'd take a chance on it. My dad gave my daughter one in 257 Roberts. It is one of the last WRAC guns, and it will drop every shot in a nice little ragged hole (with her doing the shooting no less). My later 308 Classic won't do that even on a really good day.

I'd say for the price you can't go wrong.

 

[SJB358]

I’ve got mostly G series Classics and a Classic Featherweight is a keeper for 675 in my book Ron. Some of them were projects in a box and some were awesome. All needed a bit of bedding at the recoil lug but for the most part I have done well with mine. My opinion but I’ll take a Classic any day.

Agreed, for $675, I'd grab a Classic just because... Chambering wouldn't matter. All my Model 70s required at least bedding. Most did shoot, some much better than others. Most became shooters after working with them a bit. Some were more fussy than others about what they were fed. I'm still a fan of Winchesters. I hate hunting with a bag over my head when I use other rifles.

Me neither Mike. Hard to glass with the bag over my head as well.

 

[35 Whelen]

Double post see below

 

[35 Whelen]

Interesting subject....... Back in 70s/1995 my Dad had a pretty active gunshop selling the Big 3, Rugers
Remington and Winchesters. 77/700/70s. We prefered Model 70s and pushed them to customers.
Lots of guys bought a rifle and scope combo and had US, actually shoot the guns when compleated.
Over the years I did most of that work for Dad and often did 6/8 guns at a time. All done with factory ammo. This is what we found..... I would line em up
And mark the targets with the new owners name. So
the shop was selling about 150 new rifles per year with around 1/3 of them Rem 742/760s. So roughly
100 guns were bolt actions. For basic accuracy right
out of the box...... The Winchester Model 70s were always the largest groups......Rugers in middle. And our least favorite the 'Reminton 700's'1st place for accuracy. We also found that the Rugers would actually shoot as well as the Remingtons did IF you replaced the factory triggers
at a considerable expense.......
NONE of them would shoot as well " out of the box"
as the guns do today.......... We see Tikkas all the time that shoot 3X tighter than 1980s gun did. Realistically 1.5" /2" groups were considered normal
3" groups from a Featherweight ( and the shorter barreled " Lightweight ") were certainly not uncommon. ANY gun that would shoot a 1" group out of the box with factory ammo unmolested was very RARE indeed. The Model 70s that are so loved by all of us for their good looks, perfect balance, and 3 position safetys, were generally speaking a long ways off from the amazing accuracy of todays $350
rifles! We see T/C Compass's shooting under an 1" groups commonly at $250............ Very few Ruger Americans that will generally easily outshoot the more expensive Hawkeyes, and most of the older 77s. So if you own a Model 70 Featherweight and its your favorite rifle, but the best it would shoot before you
"SuperTuned" it was about 2" it was not a dud..... It was a normal one from what we saw sighting in probably 40/50 Model 70s a year for 25 years! Now I realize everyone of you reading this probably owns an "exceptional one that shoots" one ragged hole" with
Walmart ammo. But I am simply stating what we experenced. Your mileage may vary

 

[SJB358]

That’s pretty cool E. I remember you saying that before sometime. Wonder if it’d be the same outcome today?

Remingtons of that time period were what made them their rep.. seems like that throughout time, the old Ruger keeps plodding along and just being a solid hunting rifle, that’s never been a million bucks.

 

[35 Whelen]

I think both Remington & Ruger not only made better
barrels but the alignment trueing to the reciever was just better, than Winchesters were in the same time frame. Rugers triggers were their downfall..... We replaced alot of them and that would really get them
shooting. None of this is relative to todays firearm accuracy, I sold a bunch of low end rifles ( under $500)in the last
10 years that would shoot with; blueprinted Model 700s that cost thousands to build in custom gunsmithing fees, from 70s/80s/90s.
I own a 150 Anniversary model Winchester Model 70 Featherweight,(thats how much I like them) that was pushing 3 grand, that I would NOT want to put up against most of these $300 guns for accuracy! It would not be able to compeate in what I have observed.
If this has offended anyone that loves their beloved
M70 it was NOT my intention to do that at all.
I am simply passing on the fact that M700s consistantly out shot the Rugers and Winchesters.
And for the record 90% of these were in 30/06, 270, and 308 calibers. And I dont remember that any less
common calibers shot much differently. We had a run of Winchester "Lightweights" that were terrible and some had to be returned to the factory to be fixed, in mid 1980s. They all had Barrel problems. Had numberous Rugers that extraction issues and not fireing problems. Remingtons of course had their trigger recall hickup.
In closing we used to sell half dozen a year Sakos and they would normally outshoot the American made guns, outta the box.
I also hunted continuously from 1989 with the then "new model 70 with pre 64 style action" Featherweight 'All Terrain" in 30/06 until now, and it
Is a 2" gun with most factory ammo. After bedding it,
Trigger enhancement, and lots of handloading for it it is now a 1.5" gun............ Great "shooter" but not even close again to these newer low end tackdrivers
available today for short money.

 

[desertcj]

Guess I shouldn't complain too much about my 1 moa M70...

 

[Thankful Otter]

Earle, as always excellent information.

Wanted ask you a question. My grandfather got hooked on Weatherby's waaaay back when they used Mauser 98 and he said also some Model 70 action in their early years. He said he had a 257 and 300 that was very accurate when it was delivered. He still likes the Mark V's but not the others so much. He several years ago purchased a 257, 270, 300, and 340 for my husband and my husband fell in love and uses the 270 and 340 and hardly ever the 257 and 300.

I was curious what your experience with Weatherby Mark V's have beer sir, as "maybe" we just got lucky with the ones we got. The reason I ask is we are "thinking" about picking up one of their new "Camillas" Thank you

Also Fotis, have you or do you plan on getting a new Camilla for your daughter and what is your opinion of this new rifle they are selling . thank you

 

[35 Whelen]

Desertcj.
If you own an unmodified M70 that shoots 1MOA with factory ammo? Dont ever sell it! That is an exceptional one, from the data I have on them.
Good for you!

Cheyenne: I really dont know much about the Mark 5
Rifles ,except the older Alaskan Polar Bear guides were cautious about the floorplates flying open on them after you fired the first shot dumping the rest of the cartridges in the snow: pretty unpleasant if the
Bear was charging you???
That was in the 60s by the 70s when I started guiding they had obviously fixed that issue. Texas hunters all used them, so we saw lots of them in action in Alaska. And I got to chase alot of wounded
Caribou and Sheep around; that had been wounded by the 300WM caliber. It seamed like at 180gr ,with bullet jacket thickness they used in factory ammo;
They would consistently shoot right thru game under
3/4 hundred lbs....... With wounded game hobbling off, Leaving us to track em down and finish em off. The 300WM did great on Moose and I bet its great on Elk, but I cringed when I knew they would be using it on smaller stuff.
The .340WM is in a league of its own, the report
that returns back off the side of an animal hit with tbe 340WM made my .338 sound like milk toast. NOTHING in NA can stand one well placed shot from
a 340WM. However 98 percent of the hunters simply couldnt shoot them well because of the violent recoil....... As to accuracy with Weatherby rifles I cant
really comment ; except most folks dont seam to shoot them that well, ( again the recoil factor)and most all of them have the "Weatherby Nick" over their shooting eye! They did have flashy wood and finishes. I am not firmilar with their newer models at all, so cant help on that either......Good luck
E

 

[Thankful Otter]

Earle, thank you