Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester M70 XTR

Growing up, it was clear that most gun writers were not impressed with the Post 64 Model 70 Winchester. Now whether or not they actually hated the rifle or were just lamenting the passing of the original Model 70 is the question.

Do any of you gents own a Model 70 XTR? If so, and with the knowledge that they were not crf actions, what do you think about the rifle? For example, compared to a Remington Model 700 of that era, how did the XTR stack up?

Is there any good reason not to pick up one on the used market (assuming it is in good shape, of course)?

We picked up an XTR for my dad in 30-06 when they were first offered in the early 80s IIRC. At the same time I purchased a used Remington mod. 700 BDL left hand. Very similar for the times as far as blueing and stock finish black forend tips etc. The fit and finish was excellent and like all mod. 70s the bolt dissesembly was a piece of cake. If I was right handed I would have picked it over the 700.

My very first center fire bolt action was a Model 70 in 22-250 that I bought in 1984 or 85. I used it for a couple of years with very good results. I decided I needed something bigger and traded it for a M77 in 270 around 1987. I became a Remington Man around 1990 and that is pretty much all I shot/owned until about 5 years ago when I came across a XTR in 6.5X55. I now own more M70's than M700's. The M700's are all either pre prefix, or A,B or C. I don't own one of the newer ones at this time. Nothing against them, just don't interest me any longer.

My experience with the XTR's has been a very smooth action that would achieve MOA or better with minimal effort.

They are sleepers. The gun writers of yore were pissing and moaning about '64, blah,blah,blah......


Which actually works in your favor to buy one.

"Is that a pre-64"

"Nope"

"Oh...they just ain't the same after '64"

"I reckon I could take $500"

"What caliber?"

"270"

"Make it $300"

"Shoo weeee, now I can put a deposit on one of them there 6.5 Kreedmires"

I have owned a handful of 1970-80 era model 70s. All of them have provided me with very good accuracy and function. CP.

Have owned a few, and have one now.
I'll always go Model 70 over the Model 700. Especially the FWT configuration.

I think they are great. I have one in a m70 FWT 7X57mm Mauser. It shoots lights out, it’s easy to disassemble, carries like a dream.

IMO, the XTRs, particularly the FWTs, are some of the best M70s made. I'd take one every time over any M700.

We have several of them around here! As Winchester changed hands a few times, their quality control seemed to waiver a bit....but the design makes it a great rifle. Probably the biggest “black eye” was in the post ‘60’s era, with the “pressed” checkering. Didn't hurt the functionality, just cheap looking! memtb

Better than any 700 made. The push feed model 70 with the plastic stocks are good solid rifles, I've got two a 30 06 and a 270 WSM that is a Turkey Fed Dinner rifle. Both are good shooters, the WSM shoot almost everthing into 3/4" all day every day. I liked it so much I put it in a McMillian Hunters Edge I had and it has become one of my favorites. Think I paid less than $300 on GB. ( Correction I looked it up in my records and I paid $229.00 for it.) '06 is MOA with 165 BT. Love the 3 position safety. Nothing the matter with the push feeds. Never owned one of the XTR FWT's but if the right one comes along I'll snatch it up!

I too, would take a push feed 70 every time over any Rem bolt action.

In fact, I'd take a push feed 70 every time over any bolt action, except a CRF 70. (New Haven only)

I have a couple post-64's and generally speaking, I like them fine. The barrels are at least as good as Remingtons and may be more consistent. The trigger is not fully adjustable (no sear engagement adjustment) but is still a good trigger with some work. One of mine is a 1965 model and was an example of everything "experts hated about the new Model 70. Huge gap in the free-floated fore arm, cheap looking follower, negative aspect pressed checkering, generally a cheap looking rifle. This was torn apart and re-made into a prone rifle. MacMillan stock, Hart barrel, bushed bolt face and reduced firing pin diameter. It shoots very well and I doubt that I could have gotten any more out of a 700. The trigger pull is 1 1/4 pounds
The second was a short-actioned lightweight in 243. It went throught a few iterations and is presently another prone rifle with a laminated stock and Kreiger barrel. This one is not quite as good on the target but it's still pretty good and I like the rifle. I don't like the interrupted thread in the receiver and bothof these have been opened to 1 1/16x16; same as a Remington.
I like the Model 70's and like using them but, the truth is, if I want to build an accurate target rifle, I would likely choose a Remington 700 action or a clone. If I want something a little bit different though, I'm happy to use a Model 70.
The 1968 model features the anti-bind bolt and the checkering, while still pressed in, is at least positive aspect. The stock shape is also a bit nicer and the unsightly gap is gone. Sometime in the mid to late seventies, more changes were made and the stock now had machine-cut chekering, a black forend tip and was as good as any stock Winchester had made. The bottom of the receiver was fully machined. The next change was the introduction of the Featherweight with the new stock. This was, and is, a nice rifle.
The truth is, all of the rifles made in the seventies, while not works of art, were pretty decent rifles. Whether made by Winchester, Remington, Ruger, Marlin, or even Savage, they were good, functional rifles. Some were better than that. GD

This is not JUST for Mike but ALL per the XTR M 70s. Mike you are correct about the yrs.



The XTRs and NEW FTWT were Introduced in 1981.

That pic drove me to ORDER an 70 XTR, FTWT in 270 Win. Sweet Rifle.

Jerry

memt - The XTRs ( Title of Thread ) didn't come out till 1981. See pic above.


Jerry

The post 64's made through the 1970's were not that good as a rule. I think those were the rifles the gun writers despised. Winchester was actually bought out by investors and the name was changed to 'United States Repeating Arms Company" in 1979 or 1980 IIRC. They made an effort to improve things and went with the XTR line in the early 80's. Someone said 1981, that is probably about right. I've had a few of the 1980's era rifles and liked them all. In the early 1990's they bought back the CRF design and called them "Classics". The pushfeed rifles continued in production alongside the CRF rifles right up until they closed the doors in 2006. But after the Classics were introduced the PF versions were relegated to the budget line of rifles and I don't think they were as good as the 1980's XTR's.

I'd much rather have an XTR than any Remington 700 ever made. But given the option really prefer the Classics or current production rifles. I eventually sold all of my XTR's. Not that there was anything wrong with them, but I just liked the CRF rifles better.

I've got two ,a 30-06 XTR and a 7x57 fwt. Not a hiccup from either one over the past 30 years. Good solid rifles!

XTRs are very fine rifles... Wish I had a few more of 'em..

Mines a '69, so it must be a tweener.














Leupold 3x9's from the 80's suck too. Why I ever bothered with any other rifles is beyond me......

My pride and joy, 1988 vintage XTR "Safari Grade" ,300 Holland & Holland Magnum ...

This exactly. A pushfeed XTR is the best pusher ever made.

Guys I'm not pushing anything at all. This is just more info per XTRs.



The XTRs and NEW FTWT were Introduced in 1981.

That's the Cover of the 1981 Win catalog and on P 6 we find this:



I agree with those who've said something to this effect. The XTRs are VERY GOOD rifles.
I have one now in 6.5X55 and had a 270 W. Neither of them gave me any trouble at all.

Jerry

My first rifle was a model 70 XTR in .30-06. I was 16, I think. My dad bought it with the money I gave him, $206.50 on sale at Bi-Mart.

I still have it.





P

What does XTR stand for?

jwall, Yes! Was “only” explaining when, why, where, Winchester acquired it’s poor reputatation on the post-64 models. It obviously did not “carry-over” into the ‘80’s and the XTR models! memtb

My short action featherweight carbine in 22/250 carries very nicely and shoots groups like it's a target rifle. A safety that actually blocks the striker and the best trigger ever put on a sporting rifle

16 -

Why it's XTRA, what else ?


Seriously, I don't know and have never heard.


Jerry

Very Nice Rifle.

I had one of those and in a fit of utter gun trading stupidity several years ago traded it off. I have rued that day many times.

Wife's first rifle was a XTR in 243 Winchester. Bought it new in '76 if I remember right. High gloss finish, white line spacers, and black for tip and grip cap. It's the only rifle I have never been able to shoot better than 3" at 100 yards for a group. New scope, mounts, reloaded everything from light to heavy bullets different powders etc etc. Even put it in a new stock and bedded it. No luck. Still have it and thinking about a new barrel. Funny thing is it's a long action but a 243.. She has shot several whitetails with it so it stays around. To me not accurate, but still minute of deer..

Back in the early 80's I bought a 30-06, a 270, and a 223 in Feather Weight XTR. Loved the 30-06 as it was almost 2 pounds lighter than my 1917 30-06. The 270 was for my wife and she did not like it and stayed with her savage 308. Well I had Randell Redman re-bore it to a 35 Whelen. These XTR's are my favorite bolt guns going.

Xtreme
Tacticool
Rifle


Got it....

Okay

Mustabeen new terminology in 1981.

Jerry

Yep, those early ones with the ugly, pressed checkering were pretty bad looking, although they shot well.

Seems quality improved later on and was pretty good with the XTR's and cut type checkering.

The extractor in the bolt lug was a weak point and could be blown out with an overcharge.

Barrels were pretty good, IMO about as good as the Pre-64's.

Years ago, I bought an early version in 7RM from a bud for $90, put it in a Royal stock, glassed and checkered it. My son still has it and used it to kill deer. It wears a 3-9 Tasco Titan, the older 30 mm Jap version with FFP. A good scope. It's a MOA shooter, lots of performance for the investment.

DF

I have a 30/06 made IN 64 and a 225 Win made in 65. I know they are ugly, and I can't explain wh,y but I really like both, just the way they are. Both being tack drivers helps, of course. But to me they balance wall and line up well when at my shoulder. no accounting for taste, I guess...


Edited to add: And they ARE, after all, a unique piece of Winchester history...

There is a late 60s M70 in 308 WIN for sale in my area and its a pretty nice rifle, it has a large older Weaver scope on it. If it was a 222 I would snatch it up.

Funny you said that.. I was digging in one of my safes for a certain rifle and came across a M70 PF compact.. When I took it out to get at another one further back I noted it was a .222 Rem.. I do NOT remember owning that one at ALL...

It's hell to get old..

Well, you don't own it.

I left it with you to do a trigger job........ don't ya know ?




Jerry

That's a beaut Clark.

Nice try.

I'll give ya an "E" for effort, but an "F" for results..

Wrong.. on the whole USRACo story.. you left out Olin corporation, labor union strike in 78-79, Olin corporation was not making money on rifles anymore. it's all on the internet, so no need to shoot from the hip.

Now, that was sneaky...

DF

I had three from that time frame, a Ranger in .223, a Heavy Varmint in .22/250, a FWT in 7x57. The .223 shot rather commonly, to be honest, the HV was a miracle of accuracy, simply magic, the 7 Mauser shot well, but the FWT stock doesn't fit me, and that made it a "no-go", I just couldn't adapt to it.

I DID like that Ranger .223, the hardwood stock fit me, and the magazine held seven down!, which meant I didn't have to carry extra ammo for groundhog hunting, it just didn't shoot all that well. Dammit.

The "XTR" ("title of the thread", as you so eloquently told another poster) actually came out in 1978. Just so you know. The earliest XTR fwt's were made in 1980 and made their debut in 1981...

According to winchester: It means, "Extra care in fitting, extra deep gleaming finish on the genuine american walnut stock, and extra polishing on exterior metal, for a rich perfectly uniform blue".....

So fighting the post '64 blues. Interesting. I guess that's that whole idea behind the "classic action" CRF.

In a way, you are correct. The early post 64's left a bad taste in the mouths of gunwriters of the time (JOC for example), due to the cheapening of the model 70. Of course, we all know that, but the XTR helped dig them out of a hole they dug for themselves.

Yep, the XTR series came out in '78 and was applied to many guns in the Winchester line. The 1300 pump and 1500 auto shotguns, the '94 lever guns, including the brand new big bore 94 and the model 70's all got the XTR treatment.

Also from what could gather on the good ol intranet, the debut of the model 70 xtr featherweight was held up due to the strike at the new haven plant. I read they wanted to introduce them in 79 but labor strife, chitty economy, super inflation Olin corporation decided there was no money to made in selling firearms, just in ammunition. They were going to shut the plant down in 81 anyhow. So the employees formed USRACo and bought the facility and the use of Winchester name from Olin. Then in 1988 they went bankrupt and that's when FN stepped in.

Pretty sure mine is a 1969 M70 "Deluxe" with the ebony forend tip on the stock. I'm assuming that anyway, based on an old Shooters Bible. It's far from deluxe now though. Always been quite a shooter. I figured it was built by a grumpy old dude at Winchester that had 5 years until retirement and was too stubborn to built a bad rifle. 😀

This thread prompted me to get out my M70 Featherweight XTR and a flood of memories came to my mind. The year was 1989 and I was going on my first elk hunt out west. To commemorate the exciting event, I had to get a new rifle chambered in .30'06 and in January I got a barreled action. Composit stocks were becoming the rage so, I put it into a Bell & Carlson. I worked up some loads that late spring utilizing Hercules Rx-21 and Nosler's 180 grain Solid Base at 2730 fps. Saturday, October 14, 1989 at 08:00 hours, I killed the biggest elk I've ever taken and Thursday, November 11, I killed the largest W/T buck using the above mentioned load. Numerous other animals has fallen to this rifle but, alas my supply of RX-21 is no more although I still have a box of bullets left. This rifle has been really good to me and I'm thinking it will get used in the coming season. Think I like XTRs?

Guys, I have GOOGLED Win 70 XTR and I haven't found ONE word FROM Win about the XTRs before 1981.

COULD y'all give a link or copy & paste something WINCHESTER printed about the XTRs before 1981 ?

Jerry

First off, Everything has to be developed and made BEFORE it can be sold/introduced.

I'm looking for evidence of XTRs from Win. before 1981..

Jerry

Man, look on page 319 of Rules book. Most winchester guys have that book.

BSA -

I like and use Win 70s but I'm NOT a Win FREAK. I don't have the book.
I didn't find any reference to it on Google.


Post a pic,,,,,, please.


Jerry

Your Google fu is weak Danielson. Standard model 70 xtr were as BSA said introduced in 1978. The xtr featherweights hit the scene in 1980. Ask me how I know, BSA sold me his xtr featherweight sn 148xxxx built in 1980.

My 82 model 70 XTR Featherweight 308 is a beauty & is the crown jewel of my commercial rifles.

It's weak for sure. Like you said, he shoots from the hip a lot. To be nice, I took a picture (actually a couple) and added it to my imgur, just for jerry. Just so he can rest easy at night now:

Page 319 (as I said earlier), from Roger Rule's "The Rifleman's Rifle" book. The most referenced book made for the true model 70 collector. If you love model 70's and collect them, you need this book. Especially if you are a pre 64 lover:


An advertisement from 1978 on the Winchester model 70 XTR's:


And lastly, the same 1981 winchester catalog that Jwall has, that I promised 79s. I'll ship it to you one of these days. Sorry buddy!!

This one is in collector condition though...

Thnka BSA

This is the FIRST I've seen of any XTR before 1981. I Googled Win. Arms/ Win 70 XTR etc. et.al. and NONE of this came up.

It should be NO surprise that I'm NOT a Pre 64 70 addict. Back in the 80-90s I was hitting a LOT of gun shows. I had been reading Pre 64, Pre 64, Pre 64.. I looked at a BUNCH and NONE of them impressed me-- Especially the 'so called' featherweights.

I have a collection of those Rifle 'Catalogs' from Win, Rem, Browning, Ruger.... but I don't have any Win catalog before 1981.

Thank you for the PIX. I've never seen that '78 Ad.


Jerry

Jerry: even the page you posted refers to theXTR M70's 5 distinct versions including the NEW Featherweight.... sounds pretty clear that there were XTRs before there were XTR Featherweights. No?

NO.

If you scroll the page up it says,....."and Winchester has made the Mod 70 XTR the rifle of "today" with exclusive refinements, performance......"

It also says, ...." the model 70 (not 70 XTR) is available in 15 calibers...."

Further down it says,..."Performance and Handling: The model 70 XTR has truly been designed for Trophy performance."


There is NO indication in this catalog that the XTR series had begun earlier.

Jerry

Ok, whatever. But the fact remains that there were XTR M70s before the FWT. (I'm old enough to remember them) And why else would they have put an emphasis on the NEW Featherweight?

They put a lot of emphasis on the "new" xtr fwts, because they were damn nice. Surprisingly it took winchester 17 years to come to their senses and bring the fwt back. To me, the fwt is what a hunting rifle should be. Not too light, not too heavy. Barrel length just right and they are easy on the eyes.

You have good tastes BSA😀

Hey S T !

Don't give BSA all the credit for good taste ! ! !

L is M 70 XTR 6.5X55 ....... R is Rem Model Six in 6mm Rem



I have a few more too. BTW - none of those pumps rattle.




Jerry

Jerry. Very nice!! Except that last Remington seems to be missing an action and barrel! 😧

This brings up an interesting question. I have an M70 XTR .270, full 24" barrel with what appears to be a McMillan stock. It's in the Featherweight configuration with schnabel forearm tip. Buttplate is standard Winchester. he reson I ask is I also have an M70 in .300 Win. Mag., 26" barrel, blind magazine that matches a McMillan stock in their online catalog. So the question is, did Winchester ever sell any rifles with McMillan stocks as a standard item? I also have another stock for the M70 in the McMillan FWT pattern with Winchester buttplate I picked up at a gun show. All I can add is both rifles are extremely accurate with the .270 in the .50" range and the .300 running .375" with loads they like.
Paul B.

I believe that's a Winlite...pretty bad ass too. Had one of those stocks on my M70 and sold it.....like an idiot!

Fo' sho' !!

Hate it when that happens.

Even tried to find the guy I sold it to and buy it back. I might have the Campfire record on that one.

Similar story: I bought the first XTR FWT I saw in 1980, a 30/06. At the time I had the bug for a FWT in 257R, so when I saw Winny was making them I sent the 06 back to the factory and they installed a 257R barrel on it. So I had, in effect, a long action 3", 257 without having to mess with the magazine. Then, in my looney schizophrenia, I lusted after a 257 FWT with CRF, and sold the PF, like an idiot. I later returned, somewhat, to my senses, kicked myself, and bought a new 257 XTR FWT. (I'm older and much more mature now )

Yes, Winchester sold Model 70s with McMillan's stocks on them. Mostly called "Winlite" but they also sold them on the Sporter Magnums. Some were blind, some had bottom metal; some were schnabel, some were classic. Nearly all were painted black with no checkering, but I do have one that was factory-painted medium gray.

Sporter barrel in a Winlite stock. Damn...didn't know how much I liked it unti it was gone.

I had a 7 mag for a time. It worked fine but did not exhibit the greatest accuracy. Having said at, it was fine for most hunting and I think the actions are just fine...perhaps it was the barrel

My first serious bolt rifle was a Model 70 FWT in .30-06. Lots of memories. After many years it started going downhill in accuracy or I got better in recognizing it and it is presently at McGowan being rebarreled to .257 Roberts AI. Can't wait to get it back for this Fall.

I have an M70 Featherweight in 7x57 Mauser from the 1980s. I lovingly load it with 139gr Hornady Spire Point Interlocks. Mild and quiet recoil and deadly on whitetails. Have no issues with this rifle whatsoever - very accurate and handy. I've always been a Remington 700 guy, but this rifle will always be in my stable.

1978 XTR..... 1981 Ken Water's test's the new 70 Featherweight XTR Roberts

sqweeler

That is a NICE collection of "catalogs". I've always thot the name catalog was generous because they were small in content.

My collection BEGINS in 1981. I was going to Gun Shows and gun dealers and handloading for several yrs. BEFORE I saw the first one.

Thanks for the pic.

ps: I have W W, Rem, Ruger, Browning, S& W and not all of them were in 1981, some later.

Received this January 1980.Had a few Model 21's since, but didn't have the fund's at the time to order one to my spec's.

Very Nice.

Good thread guys. Squeeler, those are some very cool catalogs. Jwall, If I haven't told you yet, that 6.5x55 xtr fwt is a damn beauty man!!!! Just something about those fwt's that is so damn alluring to me... I like them all. Pre 64, XTR, and classics...

BSA

You have complemented it at least once. Thank You

Left >> M 70 XTR FTWT 6.5X'SWEDE' -- (55 )





I've been buying SWIFT brand scopes since the late 80s/early 90s. NO problems >> even variables. That's the only 3-9 I have.
That's a 3.5-10 X 44 on the Mod Six 6mm Rem

This is my second 70 FTWT, I fell in love with the "whoredelis" ( ) stocks when the 81 catalog came out.

Thanks Again

This is my sons 7x57... great little rifle and has always shot real well for us.

Wow, that's some balancing act. Good Show.

As I recall, some of those Winlite stocks also came from Brown Precision (non-schnable variety). Not 100% sure of the reason why they had two manufacturers for them but I had a '06 in one of the Brown stocks that I sold here to TDN a while back. Great stock. When I bought it, I assumed it was a McMillan but after some research and back and forth with the helpful folks at McMillan, they pointed me to Brown as the source. Regardless, the Winlites are great rifles along with the M70 Fetherweight in general. That said, I don't care for the newer Featherweights. Not that anyone cares, but I think the new Featherweight stocks need to go on a diet. They got bigger through the wrist and forend and I just can't seem to get used to that 1" black recoil pad.

Tech -

I agree about the 'Diet'. I don't have small hands but still I prefer smaller dia. fore ends and pistol grips. My 70 FTWT is Pre Classic and I love the stock, fit, feel, and balance.

Also the Rem Model Six has trimmer fore ends and pistol grips than the 7600s.

jwall,
I think the stock got bigger when BACO started producing the rifles. The original classics and push feed featherweights (both pre and XTR versions) all had similar if not identical stock design/shapes. I'm a fan of the Featherweights and I'm not bashing the BACO guns. I had a Extreme Weather in 243 that was great. I just prefer the original Featherweight stock dimensions. Like you, I don't have small hands but prefer the smaller feel of the stock in hand.

Back in the summer of 82, I had a gun dealer buddy get me a M70 XTR Sporter Magnum in 338 Win. When it arrived I was pleased to see that it was a Winchester and not a US Repeating Arms gun ( not that it makes much difference). I really liked it's looks but they had a real small butt with a piss poor recoil pad. Small Monte Carlo cheek piece and high. With 250 and 275 grain bullet handloads full throttle, it was the first rifle I ever owned that would kill at both ends with 1 touch of the trigger. It wears a Limbsaver pad these days but still gets your attention when it goes off. My 1st 25-06 is a pre XTR M70, my M70 300 Win Mag started life as a barreled action sold thru Brownells, the last one I got was a M70 Fwt in 6.5x 55 Swede. Push feed all of them and they shoot and function well. MB

I am a big fan of Model 70's and the XTR is my Favorite and I own both a pre 64 and XTR and I prefer the XTR.
Mine is a Model 70 XTR in .264 Win Mag.

I HAD an XTR in 6.5x55...in a fit of greed I sold it for 4x what I paid. Wish I had it back....
Very good rifles. Dare I say probably their best rifle for the money in that era.

How can anyone not love a Featherweight...

only have three of them....all made in the 1980s...

a 223, 6.5 x 55 ( rebarreled from an 06 originally) and a 7mm Mauser ( as it is labeled)...

I'd take a Model 70 over a 700 anyday, although I have both in my closet.