Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles winchester extreme weather serial number?

Yeah, my buddies shot like chit. 3" groups on average. The trigger wasn't as smooth as my 2008 limited or my EW. The EW stocks are big heavy clubs. More 2x4esque than anything else. Get an edge and Ernie the gunsmith trigger spring and be done with it:

Torn or scorn? I'd be all over the Insert name of rifle here . Hard to go wrong with either choice. However, since Winchester pisses me off and puts such a pos stock on the EW my vote may be swayed to the Tikka

Hey now, that's kind of a cheap kick to the balls. Not everyone likes their rifles dialed in to the bulls eye. Some here love the 6" off to the left and way high sight in . VA's wasn't too bad, a little to the left and 1" high. Better than some I've seen here. Speaking of loads and 300 wsm's. My EW tubed rifle liked this load:



BW, we can't always put them in the orange.... . Your 65 grain load is pretty stiff I bet...

Lately, I've been running a book max load of IMR 4350 because I have a bunch more of that laying around than anything else. This load gets me to 2950 and shoots pretty good:

I didn't think the b&c stock was uncomfortable at all. I'm going to give it one last inspection tomorrow and if all looks OK, 99% chance its coming home with me.

Anything in particular I should look out for? Read a few reviews about rough bolts races and rough chambers but I'm hoping they were isolated incidents.

Mike, generally the new FN Winchesters are extremely smooth. They are more reminiscent of the pre 64 than even the classic CRF's. At $800.00 that is actually a steal for the EW. If you like the B&C, that is a plus. I couldn't stand the thing and had the edge stock sent to me before the rifle arrived. The combo shown in the above picture is just about perfect as far as Winchester model 70's go. However, like I have said before I prefer the pre 64's and that one went down the road. At the price point, you won't be losing money if you buy the EW. You can always sell it and probably make a little money doing so. That's a no brainer right there...

FN Winchester serial numbers and dates follow this pattern.

35 plus a letter is the Model 70 code My EW 264 is 35CZX My 257 R Supper Grade is 35CZY and My JOC Custom Tribute is 35CZY.

The next two letters are manufacture date:

Z-1
Y-2
X-3
W-4
V-5
T-6
R-7
P-8
N-9
M-0

So my EW was made in 2013
Super Grade was made in 2012
JOC was made in 2012

So the "35AMN" serial # would indicate a 2009 DOM. I'd say it's probably a good one. In 2008 FN wanted to win us over with their new model 70 and they put out a great product. Quality started to go in the chitter later on and that's why they are now manufactured in Portugal.

Thanks dusty. Youre numbers match those that Winchester told me. This ones a 2009, which some have said are better than the more recent ones.

Lol look at you man you are a hoot lol.... I like the EW stock myself I can't and never will justify myself buying a McMillan stock... Happy thanksgiving bud!

Wrong buddy just the stocks made in Portugal all other parts made in South Carolina and assembled in Portugal...

Thanks for posting the code, mine is a 2009 rifle as well.

"Mikestaten", if you don't grab that FN Winchester, you should change your forum name to "Mistaken".

I hope you get it. I bet you will be very pleased.

Dusty,

Thanks for the code; it confirms my rifle was made in 2012.

Having Campfire members sharing so much information is what makes these forums so rewarding.

And a damn good looking one at that. JMR, have you told the op what a difference that stock made in handling and weight as well as weight distribution. Besides it is more grippy and feels better in the hands, especially on wet days..

Stocks made in Portugal and assembled in Portugal results in a finer fit and finish. These yayhoos here were having problems with fit and finish and QC. I've seen it in later model FN's. One 375 H&H was so terrible that it was marked down to $850.00 and the shop had it for over a year. No one wanted it because it was blatantly obvious that Winchester was having problems. I don't know why or how they let a rifle like that out of the factory.

I pulled the trigger on this one. Going to mount a 3-9x40 Zeiss Conquest in Talley lightweights. Hopefully get out to shoot it soon and work up some loads.

Sounds like you got a good deal and hopefully you will be as happy with it as I am mine. As I stated in an earlier post, I like the B&C stock and don't have any problems with it. Having said that, if I shot the same rifle with a McMillan on it I may have a different opinion.

I have a Conquest mounted in DNZ Game Reapers and really like the setup on my EW. However, I'm probably going to switch over to a VX3 on mine after the season is over. No doubt the Conquest is a great scope but I like the VX3's better on a hunting rifle...personal preference.

Good luck with your new rifle.

Although I'm neither a .30 cal. man nor do I care for Tikas, I'd grab it if it's in the condition you mention. Not knocking Tikas, quality, just don't care for their platform. I have an EW .270 WSM that easily puts 3 into an inch with 130 Partitions with boring regularity. Seems like I could almost close my eyes & they go into that 1 inch group.
Good luck & enjoy.
Bear in Fairbanks

Who's wrong here? They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Why does it say "made in Portugal" on the box now??????



I'd be all over that 2009 EW for $800.00. Hard to beat that deal on a great rifle. The OP was right in buying it. Good luck to any of you bastids buying the new and improved Portugal pos win model 70..

I think it's kinda like a vehicle; constructed from parts and pieces from all over- USA, Japan, Europe, but officially, it's MADE wherever the final assembly point of all those parts happen. I would definitely buy a current (Portugal) Mod.70 and probably will soon in 7mm08. I think there was the same apprehension about the S.C. guns after all the years of New Haven production. The S.C. Fwt. I have now is just about perfect (to me, anyway) and I see no reason to hate on the new ones without my having seen one. I'm willing to give it a chance and if for some reason it's not up to par down the road it'll go.
John