Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Post '64 Winchester 70 Build Quality History

Let me start by saying, I've been a Remington 700 guy for many years but have grown to not like the safety for over-the-shoulder carry. I really like tang safety's above all but also like the 3 position safetys on the Win 70's and Kimbers. I never considered a Win 70 for a build or use 'as is' because when I tried working the action on a few 20 years ago they were really rough plus the accuracy reports weren't all that great.

So with all that out of the way, the 70's have been made at various locations and I'd like to know if there is a specific era or location that produced the smoothest and most accurate 70's? Also is there a lemon era or location to stay away from? Or is there a design change made along the way that helped or hurt (post '64)?

Thanks!

You can always end up with a lemon but as a rule, the Model 70 has gotten better with time. Some people object to manufacturing changes like the push-feed action or the MOA trigger, but the fact remains that today's guns generally shoot better with less fiddling than the older ones. Also, a lot of the reports of poor accuracy from 20 years ago were due to ammo and components, both of which have improved significantly since then.


Okie John

Based on examples spanning quite a range of time I've fiddled with, I think the peak of things for the Model 70 are the five or six digit guns from the 1990s. The 1980s push feeds are some real sleepers as well. Anything after the trigger re-design is dead to me. That simple, rugged trigger is integral to the design of the Model 70. To me, anything with the travesty trigger is a Model 35, since it's about half the gun a real Model 70 is.

The new productions from Portugal are excellent fit and finish. The MOA trigger is better than you'll ever really need for hunting. I've got two and have zero complaints about either. Walnut quality is also nicer than what I've seen on comparably priced Remingtons and Rugers.

The newer model 70's are the finest made of the post 64 guns IMO. The NH classics were decent for the first few years and that's it.
My main rifle is a six digit classic. From the factory it had tool Mark's galore, cheaply cast bottom metal, cheap hot glue bedding, a [bleep] trigger, [bleep] cast extractor, etc. In other words it was a project in a box. I also have a SC gun and my brother has a year old M70 and they are both head and shoulders over both the 5 and 6 digit classics.
Actually the XTR's were better than the majority of the classics as well.
As for the open trigger. I replace them with jewels. The open triggers on the classics were MIM, and rough. Plus they never feel great, even when tuned by a model 70 smith.

I’ve owned 3 P-64’s, 3 push feed XTR’s, 5 NH classics, 4 SC rifles and 1 Portugal rifle.

Going off memory:

Pre-64 standard weight 30-06- sub MOA
Pre-64 Fwt 30-06- 1.5 MOA
Pre-64 Fwt 30-06- sub MOA

Push Feed XTR FWT 257 Roberts- 1.25 MOA
Push Feed XTR FWT Winlite 280- 1.25 MOA
Push Feed XTR FWT Winlite 30-06- 1.25 MOA

NH Classic FWT 30-06- 1.75 MOA
NH Stainless Classic 30-06- 1.25 MOA
NH Stainless Classic 375 H&H- 1 MOA with 300 Gr RN, everything else sucked. Tooling marks all over, extraction a mess, bought right as NH closed its doors.
NH Stainless Classic Custom .375 H&H- limited load development but 1.25 MOA
NH Classic Sporter 270 barrel chopped and in Winlite take-off- 1.25 MOA

SC Select Grade FWT 270- 1.25 MOA
SC Extreme Wx 30-06- sub MOA
SC Fwt 270 in Micky FWT- sub MOA
SC SG Fwt 7x57- MOA

Portugal Ext Wx 7mm-08- 1.5 MOA limited load development

So I guess I haven’t had issues getting any of them to shoot acceptable hunting accuracy. The 375 bought as NH closed its doors was the only one that gave me fits. The Pre-64’s all needed nothing, weren’t fussy, etc. As someone else mentioned the XTR’s were the sleepers. SC guns are solid.

Well-said.... And ditto.

This is from a Portugal-made Extreme Weather in .264WM. It is my only M70.

My only experience is with two SC Featherweights in 257 and 7-08. Both quality builds with excellent fit and finish. The triggers break very clean with zero creep or over travel. My only complaint is that I can't get it below 3 1/4 lbs. Both shoot right at 1".

I,ve got one NH 6 digit 308 SS Featherweight and 2 SC SS Featherweights, 270 and 30-06. The SC guns are head and shoulders above the NH gun. The SC guns are much much smoother functioning, better fitted, better wood, more accurate and the M.O.A. triggers are more crisp, lighter and I've NEVER had one little bit of trouble with them. RJ

Get the springs from Ernie the Gunsmith. Problem solved.

+1

"Based on examples spanning quite a range of time I've fiddled with, I think the peak of things for the Model 70 are the five or six digit guns from the 1990s. The 1980s push feeds are some real sleepers as well. Anything after the trigger re-design is dead to me. That simple, rugged trigger is integral to the design of the Model 70. To me, anything with the travesty trigger is a Model 35, since it's about half the gun a real Model 70 is." You've said it all!!!

I've owned about two dozen Model 70s from the 90s, all had their barrel pulled and rechamberd with Douglas or Shilen barrels, actions trued, triggers tuned, some stocks kept, some McMillans. They were fantastic rifles in my option and I enjoyed them all. Once they changed ownership and went to the new trigger design, I couldn't buy another. Not that they don't shoot well, I'm sure they do, but buying a Win 70 is for durability and simplicity and pride of ownership. Remingtons were more modern and very tunable and excellent shooters but that's not what a Win 70 is all about (they can be all of those things too). I've forever given up on Winchester, my last to purchases were Christensen.

Thanks for the heads up. I just ordered springs for my M70s and Ruger M77 tangs.

Bought a New Haven Mod.70 Classic in 308 synthetic McMillan when they first brought them back in 1992 I believe it was. Shoot about anything you feed it into a quarter, best trigger have ever pulled....breaks like glass. Bought a 243 SC Extreme Weather (Bell & Carson) and it shoots 100g Hornady Interlocks to MOA any time you shoot it. Have no problem with the M.O.A trigger...adjusted mine when I got it several years ago and can't tell the difference in it and the older trigger. I went to the factory in South Carolina before I bought mine, and was very impressed with how they build a gun. I understand the ones made in Portugal are the best made now, but have never handled one so, would like to compare to the ones I have if ever get the chance.

The six digit guns have been all poorly machined IMO.

Great post! I was very interested to read the comments.

I have several from different eras.

1- Model 70 XTR 300 Win Mag Skim bedded and modded by Red Morton. This is definitely a super accurate and reliable rifle.

2- Model 70 NH 338 Win Mag Classic ok and fairly accurate.

3) Model 70 NH 375 HH Classic Stainless with Zytel

4)- Model 70 SC Deluxe 30/06 very nice stock- Trigger was worked over by Doug Albright.

5) Model 70 SC EW Sporter 270 WSM about 7/8 MOA

6) Model 70 JOC Tribute- 270 Win This is the best of all of them for form, function and accuracy. 1/2 inch MOA with factory ammo. These guys were real sleepers and are heads and shoulders above the rest. Winchester could sell these if they decided to introduce one like each each year.

My experience agrees with what Bwalker said about the 6 digit NH guns. I have owned 2, still own one. They were rough as a cob out of the box. No exaggeration, both were worse than any Ruger M77 I've owned. out of the box. I'd jump over 10 NH guns to get a SC M70. Could save my eyesight too, having a better bolt shroud on the SC guns. RJ

I have 3 BACO- USA / So. Carolina Win m70 rifles ( 2 blued sporters -one NIB, 1 Extreme Weather, all 30-06).

The two I have shot are sub-moa, and are WELL made. Love them.


Maybe off topic, but if you are open to another bolt rifle manufacturer, consider a Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard S2 rifle with the HAct 2-stage trigger (2.75, icicle-breaking crisp release). Got one in 270 Win (blued Vanguard). VERY nicely made, smooth action, great trigger, 3-position safety and shoots 0.75 moa. The Howa 1500 action has many nice design features: one-piece bolt, integral lug, flat bottom action, strong extractor, forged action, precise tolerances. I like new "grippy" injection-molded Monte carlo stock (NOT a Hogue stock). Great rifle. Great value.