Winchester Model 70 (post-2008 FN-made models)

Guns.com Vault
Gather App
D

Digger

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
33
City & State/Province
NE Ohio
I'm thinking about adding a new rifle to the fold and looking to branch beyond Rugers for my bolt actions (heresy, I know). I love my m77's, and have looked at the Hawkeyes but the new versions of the Model 70 featherweight have caught my eye. Does anyone have any experience with the post-2008 versions (built by FN in South Carolina, I believe). I tried searching the forum before asking, but the search function wasn't playing nicely with me. Internet wanderings seem to show the many have been pleased with them, but most of the reviews I've found are from several years ago.

Thanks, all. Any information is appreciated.
 
Digger,

I have an extreme weather stainless M70 in .338 Win Mag. I like the B&C Medalist stock and the recoil pad is very nice - it's softer to shoot than the M77 tang safety model my dad has. The the action is very smooth. I've had it for about a year and haven't shot it a lot, so I can't speak to accuracy.

I like it enough to have another one on order - a Featherweight model.

In general, I've been impressed with the new M70s. I would recommend one.

SR
 
Digger,
I bought a new M70 SS/walnut Featherweight in 30-06 about 6 months ago. I am very impressed with it. I believe it is the first rifle I have ever bought that all I had to do with it was adjust the trigger down a bit, mount a scope and go shoot it. It is beautiful and well finished. I found no metal particles in it and no finishing defects. Every spec of the wood underneath the barreled action was covered with stock finish, something I have never seen before. The best part about it is that it easily shot under MOA 3 shot groups from the start. Also I think along with the Ruger M77, it is one of the most beautiful rifles made.
 
Thanks, gentlemen. I appreciate the information. Your experiences sound a lot like the others I was able to read from 2008/2009. Looks like a trip to the fun store is in my future.

Cheers,
Digger
 
I got 270 Featherweight last fall and I'm very happy with. The trigger was very crisp and right at 3 lbs. - no adjusting needed. It shoots right around 1" groups and I'm hoping to kill a pronghorn with it in October.
 
Sagebrush, glad to hear you're happy with your rifle. Pronghorn would be the ulimate goal of this rifle, also. I've been considering a 270, but think I've settled on a .243. I don't shoot at much if anything beyond 300 yards, and the 270 is to close to a host a .30 cals in my safe. So, i don't think i'd be sacrificing much in terms of an antelope rifle. The 270 is such a classic though, its very appealing to me.
 
I bought a Featherweight Model 70 when they were first offered in 2008, with the engraved floorplate. I must admit that I've never shot a game animal as yet but I make a token hunt each year....The rifle is very accurate on paper. I believe the FN production are the best Model 70's ever produced. The barrel rifling looks better than a custom makers barrel and the stock wood on mine is very nice.
I believe that Cliff's Guns in Boise, Idaho still has one of the original rifles from late 2008 in 270 caliber? Not positive......
 
Mine shoots well enough, but it takes a lot of cleaning effort. The barrel is full of tool marks (you should see it through a bore scope!), and it fouls fairly quickly. I had to give up on using Barnes bullets in this rifle and went to Noslers to reduce the copper fouling. Other than that issue it seems to be made fairly well.
 
Titleist, it sounds like you drew a bad barrei. The one in my FN -06 is very well finished. After shooting, I wet a fiber brush with copper sovent, brush 8 or 10 strokes, patch it out and I'm done.
 
Digger said:
Sagebrush, glad to hear you're happy with your rifle. Pronghorn would be the ulimate goal of this rifle, also. I've been considering a 270, but think I've settled on a .243. I don't shoot at much if anything beyond 300 yards, and the 270 is to close to a host a .30 cals in my safe. So, i don't think i'd be sacrificing much in terms of an antelope rifle. The 270 is such a classic though, its very appealing to me.
Click to expand...

Digger

The 243 is a very fine pronghorn cartridge. My two longest pronghorn shots (both 400 yds) were with the 243 and both were one-shot down right now kills. The 270 is a better choice if you're also going to hunt larger game such as elk, but for deer and smaller the 243 is all you need. It is also reasonable for prairie dogs and rock chucks and for my money about the largest cartridge that is. Since you've already got 30 cals might as well go with the 243.
 
RJ556 said:
Titleist, it sounds like you drew a bad barrei. The one in my FN -06 is very well finished. After shooting, I wet a fiber brush with copper sovent, brush 8 or 10 strokes, patch it out and I'm done.
Click to expand...

Luck of the draw I guess. Most guys (including me) would probably be better off not using a bore scope - sometimes what you don't know won't hurt you. It still shoots well, as do the others that I have scoped, in spite of the roughness. I am happy with the rifle. For the price it is a well made hunting rifle.
 
Sagebrush, that's pretty much what I was thinking. I've needed a smaller caliber for awhile, so the .243 seems perfect.

Titleist, glad to know that you're rifle is still performing, in spite of the tool marks.
 
My father just took delivery of a limited edition 257 Roberts in a featherweight. He hasn't even scoped it yet. Handling it, the fit and finish is very nice. Dark stock with some figure in it. Blueing is very nice. I do believe these "new" featherweights feel a little "thicker" in the stock (pistol grip) area than the pre 2008 models. It has a claw extractor. Working the bolt with the safety in the middle position feels like glass. I do not think you will go wrong with a M70.
 
Firecaptain,

Now you're killing me...I've had one of the special edition Featherweights in .257 Roberts on order since January. Yours is the first I've heard of that actually made it out of the factory. Hopefully that means I see mine soon.

SR
 
Firecaptain,

I have to ask...was your dad's M70 Roberts one of the standard grade featherweights, or one of the Cabela's ones (fancier, about 2x the price)? The one I have on order is the standard grade.

Thanks,

SR
 
south_ridge
It is one of the standard ones, not the Cabelas model. I believe they are special "shot show" models/specials. Dealers/distributors had to have placed the order at the shot show. How ever many orders were placed at shot is how many guns were made. I called Winchester earlier this year and they told me the number of M70 FTWTs that were being made and I cannot remember without looking at my notes. When I get home I will try to find the notes and let you know. I ordered a 1886 Short Rifle with a 20" bbl and was originally told they would ship in August. I spoke with Winchester yesterday and am now told they will not ship til the end of Nov and Dec.
 
Firecaptain,

Thanks for the information. I am glad to hear they are shipping. Hopefully I am not too far down on the list. I've had a scope sitting here waiting on it for a while, but I refuse to buy bases and rings until I have the gun in my hand. The scope can always be used for something else.

The featherweights are very nice. I like my extreme weather in .338 WM. However of the 15-20 FN model 70s I've handled, I think mine had the stiffest trigger. It was easy to adjust once I removed the excessive amounts of epoxy from the front of the trigger. Hopefully my trigger luck is better with the Roberts, assuming it ever shows up.

SR
 
SR

Looking at my notes yesterday, Winchester told me they were going to make 650 of the M70s in 257 Robt. for the Shot Show special.
 
firecaptain said:
SR

Looking at my notes yesterday, Winchester told me they were going to make 650 of the M70s in 257 Robt. for the Shot Show special.
Click to expand...

Bud's had some listed yesterday, so I grabbed one. Can't wait for it to get here. I've been wanting a M70 Featherweight in 257 Robt for a long time, but the used ones I ran into were always priced too high for me. I am hoping these new ones will be good shooters.
 
Well, after all the good reviews here, I went and done it. I didn't end up with a .243, but did take home a 270. I intended to take home the smaller caliber, but the shop had a sale on the 270 with the matte stainless barrel (very appealing to me, even though I suspect it will scratch easily) that I could not pass up. After the sale price ($599) and the liberal application of a few gift cards, I walked out with the rifle for $490 in cash.

Very excited about the new rifle. Thanks all.
 
Digger said:
Well, after all the good reviews here, I went and done it. I didn't end up with a .243, but did take home a 270. I intended to take home the smaller caliber, but the shop had a sale on the 270 with the matte stainless barrel (very appealing to me, even though I suspect it will scratch easily) that I could not pass up. After the sale price ($599) and the liberal application of a few gift cards, I walked out with the rifle for $490 in cash.

Very excited about the new rifle. Thanks all.
Click to expand...

That's a great deal. I would have taken that home for that price too! I've only seen one of the stainless versions, but liked it very much. I'd like to find a stainless one in .308.
 
I hate to resurrect an old thread, but I'm going to anyway.

I finally received my model 70 in .257 Roberts that I've had on order since January. I took it out this weekend and shot it. It looks like it's a 1" gun with the only factory load I tried - the Hornady custom 117 grain BTSP load. I have a couple of of other loads I may shoot when I have more time. But it seems like a Roberts that load well should be able to kill just about whatever I need it to kill.

Nice gun, nice trigger, nice stock. The only complain I have is that their "adjustable" trigger is only adjustable after you remove a bunch of epoxy from the front of the adjustment screw. I have two of these rifles now, and it is highly annoying. But once you get that stuff out of the way it is easy to adjust and works just fine.

SR
 
In Australia the Win mod 70 is $1,800.00 double the price of a Ruger Hawkeye. Great rifle but not double the gun the Ruger is. Sorry to rain on your parade boys but this is a ruger Forum.
 
sorry akefarm but i own 6 ruger 77s right now and 5 #1s ive owned many others through the years too. Ive owned some real duds in that bunch too. Yes I like ruger rifles but am the first one to admitt that they are about at the bottom of the list when it comes to buying a under a 1000 dollar rifle that id bet my life would be a moa shooter. Yes the winchester is more expensive. Not twice as much around here but a few hundred more. But if i was out to buy the only rifle I was going to own and wanted to insure i was going to get an accurate rifle right out of the box personaly id take a winchester hands down over a ruger 77 and would be willing to pay the extra couple hundred. Luckily ive been able to buy MANY bolt guns through the years and its never been that big of a deal to me to just dump a dud and buy another. I may raise some hackles here but ive had more bad shooting 77s then all the remington, winchester and savage rifles ive had combined. Ive personaly had better luck with #1s then ive had with 77s. Yes this is a ruger fourm but it doesnt mean everyone here is wearing blinders. Ill tell it like it is and hope ruger reads it and enough others complain and maybe we will finally get the ruger we all want. They allready have the looks thing down pat with the hawkeye. Now give us the accuracy we want. Now im sure a bunch will come back and say there hawkeye shoots moa. I too have a couple that will do it. but ive also had 4 that wouldnt and to be honest the two that do took alot more load developement then id usually put into a rifle before giving up. bottom line all a hawkeye is is a prettier Mark II. Pretty sad when the cheap ruger americans are outshooting the hawkeyes that cost twice as much!
 
I personally like M77s, Model 70s and Browning A-bolts.

If I had to bet a large chunk of money on any of them in an accuracy contest, it would be an A-bolt. But if I was hunting something that could hunt me back, I would choose the M77 or Model 70. I've killed plenty of game with all three.

I paid $775 for the latest Model 70. I could have picked up a Hawkeye for about $600 or so. In the grand scheme of things that's not that much money. Plus how often do you see a Model 70 Featherweight in .257 Roberts? It was a plunge I had to take.
 
I bought a Winchester FW last year in 22-250 and what a nice rifle. Just as accurate as any heavy barrel 22-250 or 223 I have ever owned. Out of the box 5 shot 5/8th inch group at 100 yards.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
Ruger/Marlin Models 1894-44magnum and 1895 45/70
Replies
1
Views
272
sharpblade7777
sharpblade7777
hittman
Marlin Guide Gun 45/70
Replies
10
Views
554
instructor
I
gnappi
Ruger #1 45-70 Lyman
Replies
7
Views
275
GRAMPS 51
G
M
358 Winchester
Replies
9
Views
639
NikA
N
I
Ruger/Marlin Model 1894 44magnum caliber
Replies
6
Views
544
instructor
I

Latest posts

Back
Top