Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Classic Compact

Do any of you have experience with the Winchester Classic Compact in 7mm-08? I have been saving for a featherweight 7mm-08, but since this is intended as a lady's/youth rifle, I picked up a used compact featherweight stock when I had a chance as well.

My plan was to get a regular featherweight with 22" barrel and put it in the compact featherweight stock. I could then switch back to the full size stock if I wanted to later. However, those little classic compacts were really neat little rifles and I see them pop up for sale now and then.

My understanding is that the classic compact had one round less capacity and was a little trimmer around the middle, which is good, but they had 20" barrels. How is 7mm-08 recoil in these little guns with 140-150 grain bullets? Do I lose much velocity with the 20" barrel, and maybe more importantly, how is muzzle blast in 20" vs 22"?

Any thought/advice are appreciated

I doubt that you would notice the difference in muzzle blast between the two lengths. I don't know about velocity loss, but my wife just simply kills stuff out past 400 yards with her 18.5" Model Seven.

FWIW, I find the Classic Featherweight stocks better handling than the current stocks.

What weight of bullets does your wife usually shoot?

I would suggest 243. The Classic Compact is the perfect platform for that cartridge.
There happens to be a near new one on Guns International right now.
http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...in-new-haven-ct-usa.cfm?gun_id=100926173

Win70, I hear what you are saying. I also have a stainless featherweight in 243 that I was fortunate to find a youth stock for - I believe it is off a mini-carbine model. I am just getting started handloading for it, but if it shoots half as good as it looks and feels, it is going to be sweeeeeet. Stainless action fit in that 20+ year old walnut stock very nicely. It probably wont be quite as trim as a classic compact, but she is a pretty, lithe little creature. 😍

I agree that 243 is going to be easier in a light ladies/youth type rifle, but I also think that a 22" barrel would be/is more important to a 243 because the bore is so much smaller than 7mm-08.

So I do have the starter end for compact rifles taken care of, but was looking to add a 7mm-08 as a bit of a step up.

If you have any thought or experience that would steer away from a 7-08, especially in Classic Compact, it is appreciated, though.

But that sure is nice.....

Slope, she shoots 120gr TTSX's over 44.5gr Rl-15 at everything. Chrono's at 2930fps.

Interesting thing about that gun is that I think it was listed on campfire a few weeks ago @ $500 and looked like it had gotten parted out. Seller disclosed that there had been some "garage gunsmithing" done on the rails. Wonder if that got fixed.... you can see marks on right side just above grip on both listings. They sure look like they are the same. Or maybe someone just replaced their stock....

Edit: Well, duh, obviously if the stock came off a 7mm-08 and is now on a 243, it was a restock. 🤡