Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles New Model 70

Does anyone have any experience with any of the new Portugal made Winchester Model 70s. How accurate are the new ones? Any problems or issues that anyone has noticed? I am interested in one, but am not sure where the quality stands currently.

Try the Winchester collectors thread?

I have Portugal model 70 Alaskan. It has been one of the better shooting Winchesters i have own. I have no complaints about it.

Only thing you might run into is the MOA trigger is not as adjustable as some others. You can always buy a set of new springs from Ernie the Gunsmith to lighten it up if needed.

Gatekeeper, I just picked up my first Portuguese Model 70. I grabbed a 6.,5 Creedmoor just to see what the hype was about. I have (6) total Model 70’s , Pre 64, New Haven , as well as SC Made .
I am impressed, no downfalls that I can can see yet. I jus returned from the range. 1/2 inch center to center 3 shot groups from a featherweight are fine with me. Feed and function are excellent .
I am a buy American kind of guy but no flies on this Winchester.

Good to hear. I am right there with you, and would rather buy American. I have always been a Remington 700 guy, still am, but have wanted a Model 70 for a long time. Good to hear they are performing well. I think, if I understand correctly, the parts are American made, and then final assembly is done in Portugal. So, still kinda is American made. Thanks for the replies.

My .280 ftw will print tiny groups at 200 yds. Could easily cover it with a nickle. Shooting 150gr Federal Blue box ammo.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Fire...;Condition=3&Sort=13&PageSize=48

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Fire...;Condition=3&Sort=13&PageSize=48

Lots of real Model 70's to be had out there.

I have a FWT in 7x57. Several factory and handloads rarely go over an inch. But they rarely go under and inch. Using factory loads ranging from 139g-175g they all shoot clos enough to each other so I could switch between them without worrying about re sighting in for most of my type of hunting with it so far. Inside 300 yards and most under 200 yards.

gatekeeper,

I picked up a .300 WSM not long ago, partly to test one of the "Portugal made" rifles. Among other things I found out, some directly from USRAC, was that the parts are made in the U.S.A., and put together over there--except perhaps for the stocks. One of the reasons assembly was moved to Portugal is the plant in South Carolina was primarily making military rifles, and the workers weren't very well versed in finishing walnut stocks.The Portuguese workers were.

The .300 WSM shot well from the beginning, partly because unlike the last of the New Haven Model 70s the stock was correctly bedded in epoxy, not heat-glue. I tried handloads with eight different bullets from 125 to 200 grains, using various powders, and half averaged under an inch for 3-shot groups. The other half averaged a little over an inch.

I eventually sent the .300 WSM to Hill Country rifles for one of their accurizing jobs, which involved stuff from lapping the lugs to recrowning the barrel to rebedding the stock. When it came back, the same four loads that grouped over an inch all went under an inch, some quite a bit under. (Unforutnately, Hill Country does not offer the exact same accurizing job anymore, instead only offering it with rebarrel jobs, probably because too many factory barrels weren't good enough to show much difference. The one on my .300 WSM did.)

Did it show a preference skewed to lighter or heavier bullets prior to Hill Country, or was it random?

The heat glue deal was a travesty. My 10-ish year old 264WM Super Grade (the Cadillac model! yeah, right) had a 1/4" ridge of glue above the leading edge of the front lug recess "supported" the entire chamber. I'd get two shots touching and one 2" off. Showed it to a retired riflesmith buddy, and he looks at me like I've got a third eye and says "You need to bed this thing. Like right now."

I did, and it is, with the right loads, a legitimate 1/2" MOA gun.

PS I heard a rumor that the only reason they put anything in there was to prevent the stock from cracking (plus it probably appeared to make it look like they bedded it).

I have heard of the two good one off by 1+.
Never heard that the thermal properties of the glue...or use of glue for that matter..the culprit....
Certainly worth looking into...

I have two of the Portugal 70's in stainless. As for the action & trigger I'm very satisfied.. As accuracy goes they give excellent accuracy with C&C bullets. With the mono's like Barnes I do not get anywhere near the accuracy as with my older New Haven, Conn. rifles. But with the more expensive Hammer brand bullets accuracy has been excellent. The CRF action is top's with me. Mine are primarily 6.5's.