My mid-1990's FN XPR/PBR 308 shoots in the threes. It's pillar bedded in a McMillan. My straight stock 7mm Mag shot less than an inch. I can't vouch for the brand new ones, but all of the ones that I have had since the 1980's have been great out of the box shooters with hand loads.
Model 70
- Thread starter p47dman
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Tex_Hunter
Well-Known Member
I have a new make (Baco) M70, purchased fall of 2018 that started life as a Super Grade in 280Rem. It was… "meh", for a nearly $1400 rifle the stock didn't really have any interesting detail and the forend was not straight/ barrel channel was uneven. For whatever reason Winchester feels a need to put a 1:10 twist in the 280 which is less than ideal, but factory barrel shot ok with some 160gr Sierra Game King handloads I worked up. By that I mean I could stack 2-3 rds in ~.5" with usually first two shots almost same hole but it would consistently throw the 3rd one just outside of the group and then would quickly go over 1" group with subsequent shots. To be truthful though I worked that load up 100% based on velocity nodes and not group size. I got single digit SD with low teens ES, and was more than good enough to kill a pair of deer with at around 200-250yds. Tried to work up a load with 160gr accubond but with 3 different powders I couldnt get it below 1MOA. Never really found a factory round that it really liked either, mostly shot Norma 156gr through it for the brass to reload. Mechanically it was great, love how smooth the actions on these are and the MOA trigger was acceptable once adjusted.
It has since been rebarreled (still 280Rem) with a bartlein 3B 1:8.7 twist that I had fluted and then bedded in a B&C Extreme Weather takeoff that I bought used. My gunsmith only trues the front ring of the receiver and laps the lugs when he puts a new barrel on so it's not fully blueprinted. Haven't gotten a chance to work something up for it since getting it back so TBD there I guess.
Sure looks pretty though!
It has since been rebarreled (still 280Rem) with a bartlein 3B 1:8.7 twist that I had fluted and then bedded in a B&C Extreme Weather takeoff that I bought used. My gunsmith only trues the front ring of the receiver and laps the lugs when he puts a new barrel on so it's not fully blueprinted. Haven't gotten a chance to work something up for it since getting it back so TBD there I guess.
Sure looks pretty though!
