Thoughts on the Winchester Mod 70's

[pburton]

I am new to this forum and have a question for you. I've been hunting and shooting for over 30 years. Recently I decided that I want a 7mm Rem Mag. I have not purchased a rifle in years. After looking around, I have found that most of the new rifles feel very cheap to me. The workmanship is just not there. Unless you want to spend a lot of money. A friend of mine has a Winchester Mod 70 that he wants to sell. He says that his dad bought it in the late 70's or early 80's . It is in near perfect condition with a low round count through it.. My question is What are peoples thoughts on this rifle? I have always been a remington guy and have no experience with Winchester. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe King]

I have Mod 70 chambered in 270 from that general time frame, though from your description, mine has seen a lot more use. All I've done with it is bed the action and clean, and grease the trigger assembly. It's the rifle I grab when I get serious about putting meat in the freezer. The rifle fits me well points naturally, 2 1/2lb trigger pull, and it always seems to say "I'm a hunting rifle no frills just killing animals is what I do" which it does well. gun)

 

[boomer55]

I have a 1967 Mod 70 7 MAG 26 " barrel its a real tackdriver, Have 1970 Mod 70 308 HS Precision stock ,Both are great guns that are shot at least once or twice a month haven't had any trouble with either,I have a considerable number of bolt action rifles Browning, Remington, Weatherby and out of all I grab the the 308 most of the time for whitetails. I would think if its reasonable ,bed the action, float the barrel, and have the trigger adjusted to your taste and your'e good to go! Just my 2cents, -Barry

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Shoot it first, as most rifles really don't require a lot of work to shoot well. If the stock's whacking the barrel when it shoots, bed and float it. If the trigger stinks, work on it; if it doesn't, turn it to where you like it(wins can be lightened somewhat) and forget it.
Most of my rifles will put three in a half inch at 100 yds, and they aren't played with much. If the win has anything other than the flimsy plastic stock, it will probably shoot at least decently.

 

[winmag]

I'm an admitted Winchester freak. I currently only have 6 or 7 of em from pre 64 thru plant closure. (no new FN's yet).
My very first huntin rifle was a Model-70 xtr in 30-06. It was accurate. Now its at Teds Custom shop being turnned into a long action 300WSM!! Model-70's have Tons of aftermarket support, & very buildable.
Worth a try imo. The difference is integral recoil rugg on the model 70 vs the Rem. Three position safety vs two. Some other less noteable differences are slightly different bolt throw, & trigger etc.

Only one I ever had to work hard to get sub MOA with was my Win Model-70 xtr 300wby. After floating the barrel, bedding the action, & tuning the factory trigger it shot a 4-1/16 inch 5 shot group at 541 yds.
From my experiences with them, they want to shoot good, & haven't required too much effort to group well with handloads.
There's always the risk of getting a bad one in Any make or model of Any production firearm, but I personally have had great luck with Winchesters of all generations except the newest ones from FN which I haven't tried yet, but its on my list to do.gun)

 

[Greyfox]

Like Winmag, I have always been a big fan of the Model 70 and own several from every era of design. I have had a few from the time frame you ate considering. They were all very good shooters, and depending on the grade, had a pretty nice finish for a factory rifle. Certainly on par and often better than the Remington 700 of that time frame. The rifle you are considering has a push feed action which means it is similar to the Remington 700, using a spring loaded ejector and fixed extractor style bolt. The other style, from the Pre-64 era, and revived in the mid 90's is the controlled feed bolt. This deign has replaced the push feed since that time, and is what is avialable to this day. This design uses a Mauser/03Springfield style bolt with a moving claw and fixed ejector mounted in the receiver. There are pros and cons of each, but both designs will deliver excellent accuracy and smooth feeding. I personally prefer the Model 70 three position safety over the Remington two position design. The Model 70's to avoid are the riflles produced from 1965 to around 1968 or so. They lacked a guide slot in the receiver and bolt that resulted in a sloppy, and binding action. The most you may have to do with your rifle is have the trigger lightened, bed the stock, and free float the barrel. These things are typically checked and addressed with most
factory rifles.

 

[pburton]

I really appreciate all the feedback. My friend is asking $500 for the rifle with an older Leupold scope. Which I think is a pretty good deal. I have decided to pick it up from him this week. I will let you know how it shoots after I hit the range this next weekend.
Thanks agian
Paul

 

[7stw]

I have became a Winchester fan of late myself. I own quite a few Remingtons, and don't really have any good reasons for not having as many winchesters. I bought a used 7 mag M70 synthetic stock last summer, and that thing is a drill. I recently acquired a Winchester Custom Sharpshooter in 7mm STW. Now I am totally in love in Winchesters. I love the actions, and especially when you want to clean and lube the bolt, and firing pin assembly. Triggers are easily adjustable, and very smooth. In fact I am considering a m70 in 270 WSM. Found one locally, used, mint condition. IMHO, you can't go wrong with a winny.

 

[pburton]

I picked up the model 70 from my friend. Took it to the range this morning. Shoots pretty good. But, hate the trigger. Too much creep and very heavy. So its at my gunsmiths getting the trigger worked over and a break put on. And the break isn't because of the recoil.. I just couldn't stay on target with the muzzle jump. I really like the action on this rifle. I have to say that this rifle fits me better than most of the old remingtons that I have. Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and advise. Over-all I am happy..

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I picked up the model 70 from my friend. Took it to the range this morning. Shoots pretty good. But, hate the trigger. Too much creep and very heavy. So its at my gunsmiths getting the trigger worked over and a break put on. And the break isn't because of the recoil.. I just couldn't stay on target with the muzzle jump. I really like the action on this rifle. I have to say that this rifle fits me better than most of the old remingtons that I have. Thank you to everyone for their thoughts and advise. Over-all I am happy..

Cool beans man. Now, are you gonna load for it, or use factory rounds????

 

[pburton]

I have never gotten into loading. But it is on my list of things to do. For now it will have to be factory ammo.

 

[beretzs]

My first big rifle was an M70 XTR 7mm Rem Mag. It always shot everything really well. It has the crappy plastic stock on it, but I actually have a new B&C Medalist for it, just waiting to be installed when I get home. Can't wait to get reacquainted with it. Haven't done anything with it in a long time.

I am a huge M70 guy, with my only M700 being my 35 Whelen. Sounds like you got a good one. I have two of the Push Feed M70's, one being the 7mm Rem and the other being a M70 FWT 7X57. Both shoot pretty well with very little work, other than adjusting the trigger.

 

[winmag]

I've got a bunch of em from most era's, and I'll continue to buy more. They fit right, feel right, look nice, & shoot well.

My very first huntin rifle was a Model-70 Winchester xtr 30-06. It's now at Teds Custom shop in Ok. being turnned into a long action 300 WSM. Figured it was fitting being full of sentimental value, for it to be my first custom too. It definitely won't be my last Winchester build.

I'm a Winchester freak.gun)

 

[pburton]

I am glad to hear so many positive responses for the Winchester. My gunsmith just called me and my break is done. He adjusted the trigger and says there is no more creep and has it set at 3#. I order my new Bell and Carlson stock today. But, now that I ordered the stock I am starting to second guess the stock. Not sure that the gloss blued action and barrel is going to look right with the tan and black spiderwed stock. I guess I'll find out.