Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors What's your most accurate model 70?

I'll start it off:

For me, the most consistent shooting model 70 I own is probably going to be one of my newer rifles. One I bought at the beginning of this year. A fairly rare rifle that I need to shoot a little more. It is chambered in 308 winchester and drives tacks. This rifle was made for only a couple years. A heavy barrel varmint with its factory HS Precision stock, that I had to glass bed. I always love it when my Winchester model 70's shoot as well as my Tikka's. It's even better when they shoot better than a Tikka, but that rarely happens.

Post your most accurate model 70 and maybe some target pics. You guys have seen mine, but here it is again:


This was the first 5 shot group out of the rifle:


400 yards, but the load was a bit stiff..

Then after fine tuning the load I ended up with this. The 47gr charge was a bit stiff, so I had to reduce that and find the next node down:


Testing that load at 400 yards and it was hovering around an inch:


3/4" 3 shot group on my favorite yote target:


I also gave the 168's a try:


In the tests at 400 yards, the 175 worked a bit better, so I think I'm going to stick with that bullet and leave the 168's for my Tikka 308.

Post up your best shooting model 70. I love me some good shooting model 70 rifles.

Wait, we are supposed to shoot our model 70's? I have some I have had for 10+ years that I have never pulled the trigger on. Actually, I have quite a few that I have never even put glass on. I enjoy the rifles but I am just not much of a shooter even though I have a range and enclosed shooting shack here on the work farm.

A Jack O'Connor tribute rifle. Loves both 130s and 150s flat based interlocks. I put 5 130s in a quarter with it one day. I seriously think they tried everything up on these guns and possibly used a little better barrels.

I've owned a few m70s over the years. My most accurate is a m70 super grade made at the fn south Carolina location. 270win that shoots both 130gr and 150gr equally well.

My Winchester Model 70 Classic Stainless .30-06 is my most accurate. A Douglas barrel has much to do with that I am certain.

I bought this rifle when I was 18. We’ve been hunting together for over 20 years now. It’s my favorite.

The three shot group on the man-sized silhouette measures just under 1”, and was shot off a bench rest at 300 yards. My load is 56 grains of IMR-4350 and Nosler 165 grain Accubonds.

Easy answer based on reloading notes but no target pictures. It would be a Model 70 Featherweight in 270 Winchester born in 1955. It’s one of those rifles that doesn’t seem to care what you load it with, it shoots everything very well. Anything from 130-140 grain is the sweet spot with multiple powders. It is a honest working rifle and will never will be labeled as a collector since I sold the original stock. It now sets in a McMillan Edge stock at the front of the safe where it is easy to grab. Front of the safe basically tells you how I feel and that sentiment is based on reality.

270 FN FWT. Not much competition in my safe as my only other M70 is my 375 H&H. Both are sub MOA but the FN is very accurate. It is as it came from the factory including the bubble gum bedding.

Mine's a .264 I bought here on the fire. Makes a marksman out of me, and that is quite a trick

LH 270 WSM sporter but the 6.5x55 is right there with it. Both shoot sub 3/4 in

It was sort of amazing, but one of the most accurate M70s I've owned (and have had plenty of pre- and post-64s) was a pre-64 standard weight .30-06. Tried it first with some 150-grain Winchester Silvertip factory loads that were on hand, and the forend screw tightened firmly. It would consistently put three shots touching, or nearly so.

Also had a pre-'64 Featherweight .308 Winchester, first-year production in .308, that after I free-floated the barrel with a couple of plastic shims behind the recoil lug, would do almost as well with handloads featuring the 130-grain Barnes TTSX.

But overall the post-64s have grouped better.

Don’t reckon a Pre-64 with a 26” 6.5-284 Kreiger would be a fair comparison.

DF

1951 Standard Md 70 3o/06 in factory furniture. 165 Sierra GK over H4350, W760/H414 are consistently sub MOA with room to spare.

For the last ten years or so, my M70 SS All Terrain FW has been. In fairness, it had an unfired .30-06 barrel installed on it by a USMC retired armorer. It was originally a .270 but I bought the peces as I wanted one in .30-06. It has the tighhtest chamber of any of my .30-06 rifles and three of them are Model 70's. It shoots 3 shot groups at 100 yards between 1/2 and 3/4 inch with 180 NPTs and 56 gr H-4350.

For about 40 years my 1937 Model 70 in .30 Govt '06 was. Unfortunately, the barrel has started to wear and 3 shot groups have gradually opened to about 1.5 inches at 100 yards. I have purchased a pre-64 FW unfired takeoff barrel for it and hope to get it installed within the year. It is an extremely comfortable rifle to shoot as it sits in a Pacific Research stock.

I have only 6 model 70’s left. I have only really worked with my 338 Classic stainless and its a MOA rifle. The 338 sits in a Brown Precision stock.
My two most accurate rifles were aWin 670 30/06 I put in a Brown Prec stock. The barrel had some pitting and would group for 15-20 shots then needed cleaning and some JB compound. The other was a post 64 compact .270. That rifle put the shots in about a half in group wether the barrel was hot, cold or sizzling. I had bedded it in a Brown Prec stock also.

80;s XTR .300WM with a Denver Redfield scope and rings. Shot .375 groups regularly with 168 gr Ballistic Silvertips. I put a Ziess Terra on and the groups opened to .75, so I put the Redfield back. My son has it now.

Sounds like you guys have some great shooting model 70's. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Some of you posts reminds me of some rifles I've had that were amazing shooters. Like JB, I had a std wt 30-06 that I sold to a member here. I pillar and glass bedded it and floated the barrel. Threw a dummy screw in the stock where the forend screw was supposed to go. It looked very original, but shot like a million dollars. The guy I sold that rifle to loves the rifle and hung on to it and sold his Tikka's. Saying the old pre 64 would outshoot his best shooting Tikka's. Miss that guy posting here!! He also bought a 270 std wt rifle from Roger Rule, and I guess that rifle is a shooter too. Like you guys, I've had a great shooting 270 fwt, and sold it, but now I have a new 270fwt and a 270 std wt that I need to play with some more. Both rifles shot some great promise, but I have not shot them enough to say they are some of my best shooting model 70's. One group fired recently had me walk down to the target to take a better look!!



What's nice about my new std wt, is it likes hitting the orange dot:



That SOB is like laser guided to that orange dot for some reason. Love its firey stock too:


My new 270 fwt has only shot factory ammo thus far, but that is going to change here shortly!!!

I think the reason I started this thread is because someone posted something about model 70's not shooting well. That has not been my experience with them. Even the fwt's seem to shoot very well. I love the model 70's and even though, I shoot a lot of Tikka rifles, I still enjoy nestling up to a good model 70. Thanks for the posts guys and enjoy those model 70's. Take them out shooting every once in a while!!

I love the XTR's. I have some chambered in 22-250 (a featherweight) and 300WBY. Both excellent shooters. Made very well and nicely finished. I rarely shoot the 22-250, as it's a first year short action and the value increases on that rifle every day. The 300WBY is sitting in a very nice Pacific Research stock. While it does not shoot nearly as well as my pre 64 300WBY in the Brown PoundR, it still shoots sub moa for 3 shot groups. Good enough in my book for a big magnum rifle.

Can you start a thread on your 1937 after you get your fwt barrel put on? I'd love to hear more about it. Great stock choice too!! Love my Pacific Research that is on my XTR 300WBY. Very nice ergo's and they look great. I wish Floyd was still smithing in your area, I'd send you to him for the re-barrel. You may want to talk to Tim in Estacada and see if he will do the work on your rifle. If you don't have anyone lined up to do it.

Sure it would. For damn sure. Don't make me pull my 338wm out DF!!!



Funny thing is I know where a 25-284 pre 64 is. Looks all original, but has been rechambered. I think it was originally a 257 Roberts. The small shop has had the rifle for 6 months now, and the price keeps going down. It's one of those rifles where I will eventually go into the shop and buy for $600.00. Now that I have a 25-06, I may consider it. Since I did not load for any 25 cal rifles. I will have bullets on hand now. The rifle in this shop comes with brass, dies, bullets and some other stuff. At $600-650 it may be a good buy.

I was hoping to see some old target rifles or some cool old varmint rifles in this thread. Maybe someone else will chime in with just such a critter. Thanks for sharing!!