Present day Winchester M70 Featherweight

[BOLTGUN]

Does anyone have or have you recently shot a new production M70? I'm looking at a Featherweight and it's a 308. NIB and would serve as my go to deer rifle.

Any range reports? Accuracy at 50 (my woods are tight) and 100?

I may reload but will likely use factory ammo. If you use factory, any that I should try first?

Thank you...Dave

 

[two70]

I had a Featherweight in .270 a few years ago and it was a nice shooter. It wouldn't win any benchrest competitions but more than accurate enough to handle hunting situations. It had a nice trigger right out of the box and the smooth as glass action that M70's are known for. I sold it because I just didn't like the feel of the Featherweight, it was just too light and felt whippy in my hands. It felt like it balanced back around my trigger hand and I prefer rifles to balance closer to my support hand.

If it handles well to you and the price is right, I say go for it.

 

[Sgt7330]

I have a new (within past 3 years) model 70 featherweight in .308. I haven’t stretched it beyond 100 yds and only fired minimally.

It seems fine and good group with 150 gr soft point. I need to shoot it more….. it’s just a darn pretty gun. So, it sits in the safe and I deer hunt with my single shot or lever gun.

 

[Nazgul]

May not be directly related to this thread, I have a Feather weight in 270 that is from just before Winchester sold out. Hands down the nicest hunting rifle I have. Plenty accurate and easy to carry.

Don

 

[roscott]

I have a featherweight model 70 in 30-06 from around the early 2000’s. Fit and finish is excellent.

Unfortunately, it is a 2moa rifle at best. I have tried many different loads and it just isn’t much of a shooter. I can’t bring myself to sell it, but it also never goes west with me.

 

[snapping turtle]

If it is made in Japan I would have zero issues with purchasing the piece.
Miroku japan makes some quality firearms. Truthfully I don’t know where the so called winchestercompany now makes firearms. So the rest of this post may just be hog wash depending on where it was made.

the featherweight will have the pencil thin barrel but they take several shots before they heat up enough to change point of aim from the barrel. Should not be an issue with a deer gun.

back when browning moved most of the Belgium guns to Japan. (1978 ish depending on model) lots of the old timers at the gun shows would not place a high value on the ABolts and BL22 or 22 automatics made in Japan. “I will not have cars TV’s radio’s or guns made by those slants who attacked pearl harbor” but placed very high values on the Belgium made ones. (Still true to this day) and as a young gun purchaser who personally knew zero WW2 vets I bought as many of them as I could when the price was correct, all pretty little shiny guns with walnut stocks and high gloss blues. Sorry I like ‘em to shine.

The Miroku made brownings and Winchester guns were equal to or better than the Belgium made ones in fit finish and quality of machine parts used to make them I believe Japan takes great pride in naking things and the mach8nes were newer than the Belgium ones and more state of the art. then again I never had issues with the Belgium ones either.

 

[two70]

Model 70 production moved to Portugal in 2013 and I think that is where they are still made. Miroku does make some very nice rifles but I don't think they ever made any Model 70s.