I'm looking for a McMillan for my M70 New Haven 300 WSM and can't decide which one to order. I'm drawn to the new Express stock but I'm worried that it will be too blocky at the fore end for a factory contour barrel. Anybody got any insight?

I like the looks of the McMillan featherweight stock.

I used Featherweight when I broke my factory featherweight stock like a doofus. I like it a lot. Be advised it has a thin butt pad and on a hard kicker a thick butt pad reduces felt recoil.

Mine is a .270 WSM and you notice when shooting 150's versus 130's

Mike

Easy thing would be to call the folks at McMillan. They are good folks to work with and know their stocks. Would bet that if you call them and tell them what you are looking for that they would be able to steer you toward something that would work you. FWIW, I've got three McMillan stocks on Winchesters. Width Measurement at middle of checkering on fore end:

> Winchester WinLite (McM Featherweight) 1.51" Can be inlet up to #3 Contour.
> McMillan Pre-64 Monte Carlo 1.65" Can be inlet up to #4 contour.
> Echols Legend (made by McMillan) 1.69" Can easily be inlet for #5 contour.

Given that McMillan says their Express stock can be inlet for #5, I would guess that it would be similar to the Legend in width. For perspective, factory Winchester wood stocks:

> Long Action Classic Sporter 1.74"
> Long Action Express Stock 1.89"

All three of my McMillans are somewhat to significantly thinner thru the fore end than the factory Winchester sporter stock.

List your priorities in order,,,,

Weight, Bench, Field, ergo's,cheek piece, palm swell, yada yada...

I have the FW on a M70 .300wsm, not sure I would do it again....

I chose the compact and really like this one. Its a bit shorter and narrow in the forend compared to the factory stock. this is standard fill and the gun weighs 8lbs. I would consider the edge fill if buying another.


factory vs mcmillan


in the field. this is a 300wsm with 24" barrel

I like mine. Really good.

To answer your question, "which stock for a model 70"? Personally, I'd skip the mcmillan and go with a bansner (high tech specialties)..

Go with with the McMillan Winchester Compact pattern; I had one of my New Haven M70 300 WSM and it was a great stock.

O45, aren't those refered to as the "hunter's compact"? I had one on my EW and preferred the bansner..

Hunter's Compact is with EDGE fill.

Happy birthday buddy..

YOU GUYS ROCK!!! Exactly what I needed THANK YOU!!

The "Compact" pattern is the "Hunter's Edge" in standard fill. Somewhat confusing, but still a great stock

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Hunter's Compact is with EDGE fill. [/quote]
But they will make it with the standard fill. I just ordered one that way. I have an Edge on a Mod 70 FWT and I think it throws the balance off too far. Makes it seem way too barrel heavy for me. I'd rather carry a few more ounces and have it balance better.

Not quite, it's the Hunter's Edge that has the edge fill. If you get the same stock in a normal fill it's just the compact. It's confusing as heck and I wish McMillan wouldn't have named them that way.

McMillan's M70 patterns are really outdated for the most part, about the only one I really like is the Hunter's Edge. The supergrade is tolerable. The Echols legend sure looks nice but I think I'd only be likely to put it on a big bore, it's dimensions are a little too big for my taste in a deer rifle.

In my opinion the Featherweight stock does not look right with a standard contour barrel. Compact Edge is what I'd use on this rifle. The FWT stock looks great with a FWT barrel.

A Compact Classic Edge on a 308. Add 2" of barrel and it would look the same on a 300 WSM.



A FWT stock on a FWT rifle

The stock it came with, if Walnut, properly sealed and bedded would be my pick by a mile. Model 70 Classic and Featherweight stocks are both about perfect, once treated to some better bedding and sealing.

Safariman, it came with tupperware. I agree on the walnut.

Since you want Walunt.

CDNN Winchester Grade II/III Walnut Stock RHSA

Other than that I have the same two stocks as JMR40 only the FWT Edge is on my EW and the Hunters Compact is on my FWT rifle. I might argue that the sporter contour looks just fine in a FWT stock.

Great post, I think I agree with you

I totally agree, that is, if it came with a nice piece of walnut...

If you can get a Hill Country Rifles stock pattern in mickey edge construction, then you'd have the perfect stock for a Winny sporter.

Other than that, Mickey needs a radical update of their Winny stocks. If you don't like the Compact (which I don't love it), then you're out of luck. The Legend is a bit fat for a lightweight rifle.

I could not agree more - and that is what I did with my 308 Classic/PacNor that is super close to a sporter contour:





23" barrel and 2.5-8x36 aboard.

The grip is quite open and trim, but it really handles nicely and comes up like a well fitted bird gun to me.
Let me know if you would like any more specs.

It is kinda like a "mini-Legend" in a lot of ways.

The other option would be to pay the $25 fitting fee and have them do a Sako Classic SA for a M70...

Here is one I had them do that on (only in LA):


It also had an awesome feel to it and classic, trim lines as well.

If McMillan is watching this, I'd like to suggest duplicating the current FN/South Carolina Safari Express pattern. It's generously proportioned in all the right places and seems to soak up heavy recoil very well.

The Compact Edge, Compact, Featherweight, and Super Grade seem to fill out the rest pretty well. If the Super Grade is a different shape than the current Winchester offering, they might update the pattern.

Also don't forget that the Sako Hunter pattern is new in the Win 70 lineup.

Good call, Sako Hunter would be great too for the MC lovers.

Anybody know if the drop and thickness at the wrist of the compact is the same or similar to the featherweight? I like my featherweight micky just fine but would like the same dimensions without the schnabel forend if possible.

Thats what I have on order for mine...fits me so well, love the design

I just got my mcmillan a month ago. I ordered a mcswirly in the winchester hunter pattern for my stainless classic 7mag. I was going to go with a supergrade and my gunsmith convinced me to try the hunter pattern. It was kind of a big $600 leap of faith but I trust him. Now I couldn't be happier it is perfect love the cheek piece and palm swell.

The hunter pattern will be my next McMillan for a Winchester, no doubt. For me the supergrade was nothing special, and I like a cheekpiece. One of the reasons I have been playing with more 700s lately is that there are more stocks that fit me quite well. Unless I am trying hard to keep weight way down I actually prefer the model 70 action(s).

I've said it before and I'll say it again,

The Hunter stock has enough good qualities/features that it puts the Hunter into a class of it's own, My favorite stock so far.