I am a winchester fan boy. I believe that I have five model 70s from 270s to 375 HH and I like them a lot. I am willing to swallow my pride and say that the Portugal FN BACO is tops.
However, I was willing to spend retail for a Model 70 JOC tribute. The JOC needed no trigger work and had a level of finish that made it worth it. Every little aspect down to the screws were done with great care. The Model 70 JOC tribute is what BACO could do but doesn't. I hunted with it and decided that I am probably rougher on my rifles than JOC. Its not bad and if I decide to go on a mule deer hunt in Wyoming or South Dakota, it probably would go along. However, many of the goat hunts and late season hunts up here trash nice rifles no matter how much barricade, cloth camo tape and electrical tape you apply.
The Winchester EW is a very nice rifle. It has a BC stock that is a little clubby but it points well and is stable. You buy that rifle and its a dog that can hunt. However, you will have to monkey with the MOA trigger and its always a work to make everything function at the top of the top level.
The LAW Professional pays attention to the same details as the JOC but I am buying it at a great price-right close to the Model 70 EW. The High Tech Specialities Stock is shaped right, the cerrakote job is so good that it is hard to find the muzzle break line with the barrel. The Trigger is a Timney and the action is smooth without any level of galling. The 24 inch fluted barrel with a removable muzzle break are set so its really well balanced. It has an exceptional balance and could compare with semi custom guns by many of the other makers.
Some people might say, hey just go buy a Kimber Montana and be done with it. The Montana costs less. However, you have to cherry pick Kimbers and adjust their bedding plus deal with tool marks. You do not have to deal with that with the LAW.
I might be wrong on all accounts and maybe they are just a flash in the pan that will quickly fade away.
However, I would rather have Mark Bansner who has a long record of making very good rifles over see fit and finish work than some weekend hobbyist.
Last fall, I bought two Bear Anarchy Compound Bows- One is a single cam and one is a double cam. They are incredibly accurate bows. They were discontinued with little fanfare and they are much better bows than the present Bear Arena models.
Sometimes you just know what is a limited opportunity and know that you have to go for it. This is much more something that Butch can back up because he has many rifles that are crafted just for him.
