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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 35,900 |
Bob, you ain't owned a Husqvarna 1640.
No...but if it's the rifle I think it is, I coulda  I have passed and bought a M70 instead.Lots of rifles chased the M70 around, trying to compete.None ever really caught up.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Joined: Aug 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
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Hard to compete with "the rifleman's rifle"....Nuff said... 
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2004
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New Pre-64 Model 70 Fwts weighed 7 1/2 lbs so it was not like comparing with today's lightweights..
"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
Thomas Jefferson
GeoW, The "Unwoke" ...Let's go Brandon!
"A Well Regulated Militia" Life Member
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Guess the "It's from Europe so it's gotta be better" mentality never meant much to me.
M70 had it covered.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I think the real American competition would have been the Savage 99.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
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Actually the earlier (pre 64) featherweights were not all that featherweight. Compared to many of the std rifles of the day which commonly sported heavier monte carlo style stocks and 24" barrels they were lighter but today they seem chubby to be a true featherweight. In actuality some of the plainer 722's and and later adl 700's were about as light as well as some of the early savage 110's came in carbine and or lighter weight versions. Back then a lot of the weight reduction was accomplished by losing the bottom metal and going to blind magazines and cutting the barrel back to 22". I believe that BSA also made a lightweight rifle but those were few and far compared to a winchester.
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Joined: May 2010
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Remington's answer (introduced in the late 1950's) to the Model 70 FWT was the Model 725 with 22 in. barrel chambered in 30.06, .280 Remington, .270 Winchester, .243 Winchester and .222 Remington. Of course it was push feed, but IMHO the 725's are quality rifles.
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Browning Safaris didn't become available until 1959. I have an earlier than that (four digit serial#) FN banner .30-06 with a custom stock that is of English style with a 24" gracefully tapered barrel, Neidner butt plate and a silver grip cap. The wood appears to have grown around the barreled action. I also had a .270 with the same appearing barreled action and what appeared to be FN wood. A friend talked me out of that one.
IMO, the nicest featherweight to come out of the 50s was the Savage 99F in .308. jack
"Do not blame Caesar, blame the people...who have...rejoiced in their loss of freedom....Blame the people who hail him when he speaks of the 'new, wonderful, good, society'...to mean ,..living fatly at the expense of the industrious." Cicero
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Oct 2004
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I can't speak for the 50's, but in the 60's, centerfire bolt guns were laughed at in this part of the country. Of course, what little big game hunting that existed was with dogs.
The only thing worse than a liberal is a liberal that thinks they're a conservative.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Have a friend with a 725 in 280 and it is indeed a fine rifle and super accurate.
`Bring Enough Gun`
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Campfire Regular
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New Pre-64 Model 70 Fwts weighed 7 1/2 lbs so it was not like comparing with today's lightweights.. The Husqvarna lightweight models (introduced in the mid 50's) weighed about 6.5 lbs. Husqvarna was the number 1 imported rifle (by sales) in the late 50's - early 60's.
Steve
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have one of those husqvarnas. Its lighter than my Dads pre 64 FW and has the same old world craftsmanship. Love it
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2004
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You're right. I ran across a Husqvarna Mod B (S&W) in the box, 308 that is more slim and trim than a Rem Mod 7... probably at least a pound lighter than a Model 70 Featherweight. The Featherweight was only a Featherweight when compared to a Standard Model 70 g
"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
Thomas Jefferson
GeoW, The "Unwoke" ...Let's go Brandon!
"A Well Regulated Militia" Life Member
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
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The M70 70 FW was never the lightest rifle in the world....and it never really mattered.
If a guy can't get one up a mountain,it's maybe time to get trolled around malls by the Old Lady and call it a day.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2004
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Right. Back in the day, the Winchesters had no American made equal at any weight Nearest mountain for me to climb is a days drive away. I do however resemble the mall trolling remark
"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
Thomas Jefferson
GeoW, The "Unwoke" ...Let's go Brandon!
"A Well Regulated Militia" Life Member
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2007
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Wasn't directed at you GEO....but I am laffin' at your comeback anyway 
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,149 Likes: 11 |
The pre-64 Model 70 Winchester is a good rifle, but its biggest virtue is that enough were made that any enthusiast can still find a shooter-grade. It wasn't any better than a lot of other rifles made in the same era.
I have both a .308 and .358 Savage 99 Featherweight from the 1950's and they are very fine rifles. The 721/722 Remingtons were very good rifles, if very plain, and were almost as light as the M70 Featherweight and much lighter than the standard M70 in the same chamberings.
The Remington Model 30's were also very good rifles, though they didn't survive the post-war era. I actually prefer the safety on the Model 30 (which was a "sporterized" 1917 Enfield) to the Model 70's, as did Col. Jeff Cooper.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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New Pre-64 Model 70 Fwts weighed 7 1/2 lbs so it was not like comparing with today's lightweights..
Geo, you and Bangeye hit the nail on the head AFAIC. Back when I was running the gun shows, I handled a lot of Pre 64 70 "ftwts". They did in fact seem 'chubby' and NOT light. OTOH, regular or std rifles were 'heavier'. I sure am GLAD we have the rifles we have today, in more respects than weight.
jwall- *** 3100 guy***
A Flat Trajectory is Never a Handicap
Speed is Trajectory's Friend !!
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Hot flash. Find a ftw pre64 270Win, fit it with a Micky and you have a rifle that most of the custom makes can't complete with.
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Joined: Aug 2010
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,104 Likes: 8 |
The pre-64 Model 70 Winchester is a good rifle, but its biggest virtue is that enough were made that any enthusiast can still find a shooter-grade. It wasn't any better than a lot of other rifles made in the same era.
I have both a .308 and .358 Savage 99 Featherweight from the 1950's and they are very fine rifles. The 721/722 Remingtons were very good rifles, if very plain, and were almost as light as the M70 Featherweight and much lighter than the standard M70 in the same chamberings.
The Remington Model 30's were also very good rifles, though they didn't survive the post-war era. I actually prefer the safety on the Model 30 (which was a "sporterized" 1917 Enfield) to the Model 70's, as did Col. Jeff Cooper.
Yeah, but those were some heaby sumbitches..........I grew up using a heavy barreled one and it was a beast!!!!Accurate as hell but man.........11+pounds is no fwt.....just sayin...
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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