Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors New M70 257 Roberts info

Did winchester make a compact version of the 257 Roberts Fwt in the SC/Portugal years?

AFAIK,Winchester did not make a compact Fwt in .257 Roberts.

They made the Featherweight M70 Shot Show Special in 2012. Pretty sure that's it.

So they were SC manufactured guns before the move to Portugal?

Thanks,

Think so. But don't recall the exact date they began assembling in Portugal. My 257 is a sweet rifle. And a tack driver.

Winchester made some for the 50th anniversary of Cabelas in the Featherweight .257 Roberts IIRC.

The SHOT Show guns are SC. The Cabela's guns should also be SC.

Thanks guys, had an xtr years ago that I should never got rid of, on the hunt for one of the newer ones now. I had one of the SC limited edition fwts when they first came out in 270. It was a well built rifle, really nice factory bedding job, williams extractor.

The 257 are still on a LA with spacer in the mag?

Most likely yes,a LA with a spacer in the mag.

Aren't those M-70 box mags 3"?

The 100 gr. TTSX over 47 gr. H100V at 3,240 fps is a killer.

Link to .257R project. My final load was 2.9+ COAL, wouldn't work in a 2.8" mag. My gun is a LA M-700.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10163944/6

DF

Could be DF,it's just my swag.

Of course, the LA is 3.4" w/o the spacer. If there was a problem one can convert a SA M-70 to LA with a few parts and some minor work.

DF

DF,my Shot Show Special Featherweight 7x57 has that 3.4" LA magazine. But the throat is for the COAL of 2.780". So,that leaves some room in the magazine,but it feeds like a dream.

Deer don't seem to mind the difference.

The link I posted earlier shows my Roberts.

It's a 3.4" LA M-700 and one of the slickest feeding bolt guns I own.

No matter where the rounds are placed in the LA box mag, they feed slicker'n butter.

But, that gun was set up by Ron Lampert, master smith and metal craftsman in MN.

DF

Do have a CZ that is throated long,like 3.330" long. Came from the factory that way. So,I have two separate seating dies just for each rifle.

My Roberts has a 2.95" COAL throat for the TTSX 100 gr. Could be 3" or better for the more extreme ogive bullets like VLD's, etc. Would have to check my records.

Nothing "intermediate" about 3.33", that's LA territory. Those 160's are barely in the neck.

That gives more powder room, more options for faster loads in a strong action like the CZ.

Maybe not as crazy as these Dennis Hall loads, but still more powder room.

https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/hl66partial.pdf

DF

Worked up to 2800 fps with decent accuracy. Now load it with 175 gr NP's at 2600 fps.

Not much that cannot be done with the 175 gr bullet in NA.

My Shot Show Special 257 is on a long action with a magazine block. But it is not blocked as short as my pre64 257 or my XTR 257. I can seat bullets to about 2.95"

Sounds like 3" box mag.

What's the throat like, COAL's?

Those shorter M-70's can be fixed, I turned a .243 Pre-64 donor into a LA 6.5-284. I removed the mag block, got a new '06 follower, LA ejector and bolt stop. Can't remember about the mag spring, probably got a LA spring. Worked out OK.

DF

DF: the throat and the magazine length match up very well...at least with the 120gr Deep Curls that I'm using. I know the box can be fixed and the throat could be lengthened. But I'm getting 2950fps with great accuracy. I have a 3" 257AI that won't do much better. Think I'll just enjoy it as it is.

Yeah, I wouldn't mess with it...

DF

Elk, here's a nice PF M-70 in 7x57. The Redfield isn't a bad scope, but I'd change out the high rings.

The PF is a sleeper, IMO.

Collectors aren't the cheapest, but they will trade. I've dealt with them in the past.

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/winchester-70-xtr-7mm-w7903/

DF

I believe I have the exact same Redfield scope on a Win 375 Super Express. No complaints.

Nice rifle.

I've found that series of M-70's to be accurate, well made rifles.

M-70 buyers want CRF, PF is the family step child, priced accordingly.

Often they are in the $600 range. This one has a scope, probably worth a hundred or less. So, it may be slightly overpriced, but Collectors will take trades. You'll probably get wholesale value, but sometimes a good way to move a gun you're not using, taking up space in the safe.

To me, this beats hanging around a gun show where you're likely to get hosed, anyway...

DF