Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Model 70 FWT Stainless vs Montana Rifle Co XWR-SS

Well, I have to make a decision on the rifle I will hunt with this year: Model 70 FWT Stainless vs Montana Rifle Co XWR-SS. The Model 70 will be about $350 less expensive.

Which way should I go? Please help me decide. I swear I am worse than a woman.

If it's a Model 70 Classic, that would be the winner in my book.

Winchester

What cartridge?

New guy here - longtime lurker. I have gone down the same path - and I wanted a claw extractor. I also looked at the Kimber. In the end, I chose a South Carolina Winchester M70 Ultimate Shadow in 30-06, and replaced the stock with a B&C Extreme Weather:


Quality is on par with the high buck rifles and exceeds pre-'64 in my opinion - the bore and chamber are top notch. Trigger is amazing - zero - I mean zero - creep - snaps like breaking an icicle.

And what are you hunting?

Winchester, regardless of the cartridge or the prey.

+1. Preferably a 5 or 6 digit classic.

Long time lurker, what's behind door number 2? I like the lead sled, rail and B&C stock . They match your theory on pre 64's as well...

I have been around 3-4 of the Montana rifle guns and they have been some of the most accurate factory rifles I have ever played with, but a little heavy. If weight is not a concern, I would absolutely go Montana, though have and like Featherweights also. The Montana has a one-piece bolt, the old style trigger people seem to rave about, and a few other things I view as improvements over the M70.

I would answer that it depends on where, when, and how you are going to hunt. The M70 is a nice rifle and if kept dry and clean, you should have no problems. However, the new MOA trigger is an enclosed box that CAN create problems in wet and cold weather or in very dirty conditions. The old-style M70 trigger, which the Montana rifle has, is pretty much trouble free after you get it adjusted. The Montana rifle is a little heavier than a featherweight Winchester. I have had both and can't really bad-mouth either one. Like I said, it depends................

I have yet to hear about a trigger failure in the Winchester I have 3 and hunt in torrential rain here in Oregon in late October and have never had a problem. I know a lot of people complain about the trigger saying it could happen yet to actually see or until now hear any body it has happened to. There is a lot of ifs in hunting but I don't worry about my triggers. I know there is a lot bias about the old triggers vs the new.

I like the simplicity of the old trigger, but I have had no problems with the new one. It has seen plenty of cold and wet weather too. It may be more of a theoretical than a real problem.

I just bought a montana action, and I like it. My gunsmith thought it was nice too. It seems a little heavier than the Model 70 action.

I would probably save $350 and go with the Model 70.

Mauser breach, too, I think.

FN-Herstal is NOT a Winchester,

You want Winchester, you get a New Haven made piece.

You want featherweight, you go McM Edge and a custom
light contour barrel. Not really enough difference between
a standard Classic or a featherweight classic.

If FN-H wanted to keep their product "Winchester" they would
have kept the 1"x 16tpi barrel thread. No reason not to, but...
Clearly the post New Haven guns are different. The stainless Classic models are the finest of the crf breed.

Well hell....as long as we are comparing this and that, I guess it really makes no difference one way or the other. Both are copies of the "original" anyway.

And if a good smith goes over each of them you likely have a good, serviceable,and solid rifle.

Based on having had (past tense) 4-5 of the BACO rifles they all functioned perfectly, shot very accurately just as they came. IMO the QC was better than about any post 64 I ever saw come out of New Haven.

Yes there is the trigger "thing"....and to a M70 guy that is important for sure. But we can't really evaluate that enclosed BACO trigger for another 50-60 years,a few million rounds, and several decades of hunting all over the world.If it bugs us, we can get a Montana or a Dakota 76. They have the original M70 triggers.What's not to like?

My own solution is simple....skip the imitations, get a pre 64 M70 ,drop it in a McMillan or Brown Precision, shut up, and go hunting.

I agree with Bob: "Shut up and go hunting" . Be sure to grab the model 70 when you go....

All mechanical things can and will fail. Given the rugged simplicity of the old trigger I think it will take more for it to fail than the new BACO trigger. That does not mean the new trigger will not do well. Mine has seen some rough conditions, including 9 nasty days straight in camp in Northwestern Ontario without any attention. At the end it continued to function. At some point, I am sure it would fail. Eventually, the Model 70 trigger would too. It really is too bad they didn't keep the old trigger, but I still like the new rifles.

It depends on how anal retentive you are.

I'm a fan of the old trigger and believe the odds favor them, but there are millions of enclosed triggers in successful circulation today and have been for years.A guy should get what he believes in.

I own a Extreme weather model 70 in 300 wsm, and built a MRC custom using the MRC action and a Shilen barrel. The Model 70 action is smoother, but the MRC seems to be breaking in the more I cycle it. Triggers are different, both work fine for me. I think either rifle will provide years of accurate, trouble free service. I am not sure about service as I have not needed any. I think both offer a lot of bang for the buck. I am no expert, but I would not hesitate to buy either one. It seems like MRC is staying at the 1000.00 price point for now. Buy and enjoy. Not sure what I have said that has not already been said, but i do have both and like both. Goodshot