Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors MOD 70 Carbine Short Action info

I bought two of these new not long after they came out; a .223 and a .250 Savage. Neither carbine shot well. Wood was very plain. One of the stocks cracked, I believe in the rear receiver area, but I fixed that myself. Neither gun was missed after selling at a gunshow. Maybe I just got a couple of mediocre carbines.

I have a 308 Short Action, push feed marked "Ranger" on the bolt side of the barrel. It is wearing a Boyd'd laminated stock but I would suspect this is an early 80's vintage rifle.

If it’s true SA it’s 83/84 at the earliest.

Photobucket is being an ass but S# 20918xx and marked 308 SA.

1993

Hell, I had got a fair amount of ass by then.

😂

The short barreled Ranger, is probably damn near the same rifle as the Model 70 carbine in the OP. Maybe a different stock (birch vs. walnut), and what's stamped on the barrel, but that's about it. Same/same..

I went back and looked at the rifle again today. It is stamped MODEL 70 CARBINE SHORT ACTION

Late in 2020 I passed on one of these in 308 for $500 that was marked, "Winchester Model 70 Carbine Short Action 308 Win". Very nice wood on it. But it was known by the owner to be a 1.5-1.75" rifle with fliers making it more like 3". I had it here and took it apart and it was the tightest factory stock I've ever ran across....almost couldn't get it apart. So I suspect that was much of the issue and with some stock relieving and bedding it could've been made to shoot but I had too much going on at the time and passed on it. Maybe shouldn't have, but it isn't the first rifle I wouldn't of minded having that I didn't get.

Son of mine has a lightweight 243 marked SA

I’ve got a lightweight also in 243 with the oem laminate stock. Picked up a “Ranger Youth” with sights in 243 for the kid recently for $400. Only difference I can tell is the length of pull.

They tend to be good shooters, with the proper work done to them. One thing I did not like about the Ranger I bought for my wife, was it kicked like a freaking mule!!! That could be part of the reason that guy was not shooting good groups with that carbine as well.

I generally don't pay too much attention to what guys say a rifle shoots like, especially if I have a chance to examine the bore and look it over real well. If the rifling is good and sharp, with little wear, I can generally make most rifles shoot sub moa for 5 shots. Just depends on how much work and time you wan to put into them..