Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Kimber versus Winchester Featherweight: pros and cons

I own a batch of Model 70s. From 1942 built to present. Never owned a bad one. The recent FN Model 79s are truly amazing. Keep looking at Kimbers.Where actually are they made? Kimbers look light, pretty, sketchy on the wooden stocked ones, and I would not take a synthetic rifle stock for any reason. I was an Army Colonel and I would personally not buy a plastic stocked rifle. Kimbers have less than perfect wood grading. All that said the checkering, the look, the weight , but shouldering one and looking down the barrel the pencil thin barrel is a little unnerving. Like to get one with a reputation as a shooter. I am looking a two used ones, in amazingly mint condition. Like everything about them, have failed to work the bolts though to see how smooth they were. Cold shot barrel results are inoortant to me as I don’t intend to shoot at anything to many shots. I realize this is an old thread. Too bad as to me this is one of the best discussions for topic relevance!

Have admired Kimbers, but never owned one.

Bought a new BACO .308 M70 featherweight a few years ago. Excellent bluing, slick action and surprisingly good wood. But the damn thing wouldn't do better than 3" at a hundred yards. Had it bedded and had the trigger adjusted down to 2.5 lbs. Still wouldn't shoot worth a damn.

OK, I said. Time for a change. I had a Douglas XX air gauged barrel chambered in 7-08 installed and had the action squared and trued, etceteras. Still wouldn't do much better than 2-2.5" at a hundred yards. Disgusted, I sent it down the road at a not inconsiderable loss of dollars. No one could figure out what was wrong with it.

Bought a Tikka T3x in 7-08 and had the Swaro Z3 that was on the M70 mounted on it via a Recknagel rail and Recknagel rings. That new Tikka shoots .5 MOA with the same ammunition.

My 7x57 BACO M70 featherweight super grade shoots consistent MOA or better groups.

All I can figure is that this particular M70 .308 was a lemon. Or had a voodoo curse on it.

Holy ancient threads batman.

Both the classic select and the super grade are great riles, I don't have a Kimber but, they are nice. I love my super grade

If you are looking at used Kimbers, it may be a crap shoot. OTOH if you follow the thread by shortactionsmoker on Montana tinkering, you have a pretty good chance of getting them to shoot. In my limited experience, the FN M70 are shooters. Just depends if those few less ounces and svelte looks are important to you.
Interesting that the general consensus of the fire hasn't changed in 9 years.

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Thanks for botting this post up Blacktailer.

This old thread was a nice read. Very little BS and lots of input from folks I respect.

With the SS FW available this year and all the nice comments on them I guess I will get one. Maybe an

I wish they came with iron sights and a synthetic stock but enough money can take care of that.