Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting 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.

They are fine. I have 2 Portugal guns that are featherweights in .308 and .270. With the right loads they will shoot moa, although the .270 was picky but once I found a load it liked its good to go. IMO, I think the stock work on the Portugal guns is better than the SC models. The checkering is clean/well done and fit and finish is very good. The bluing is nicely done as well. That being said, I just picked up a USA SC made 70fwt in 7mm 08. Its giving me fits as to what it likes but I'm almost there with load development. I would not hesitate to purchase another Portugal made 70 if I needed/wanted one.

Buy it.

yes

Another vote for buy it.

I know this will rub some the wrong way but I consider the new M70s to be as good or better than any ever produced.

And the apparently much coveted New Haven Models gave us nothing but trouble at the LGS when I worked there.

That's why FN moved the production to Portugal. The SC FN plant built military firearms and they ended up with too many dings on stocks. Portugal had been assembling Browning shotguns for some time and their production was set up to handle wood stocked firearms. At least that is what I heard...

Results from my Extreme Weather built in Portugal:

Buy it and don't believe the BS about the triggers. I have 5 Portugal m 70s with the MOA trigger and they each break very crisp at around 3-3.5 pounds

I have 3, a 270, 7mm Rem Mag, and 30-06. All took very little load development and all shoot very well. Fit and finish is real nice.

Is the factory bedding good on the new Portugal rifles?

The bedding used to be a weak spot on Winchesters years ago.

Is it worth the effort to glass bed the new rifles?

For me, I think bedding is necessary. I don't know how good the factory bedding is, it's just something I plan to do on all my rifles. I pillar and glass bed, and free float the barrels to the recoil lug when I do. I think it's worth the effort, even on aluminum block stocks. I simply don't think the machining, as good as it may be, can equal the tight fit to the action as a good glass bedding job. I have two Bell and Carlson stocks and bedded over the aluminum. Both rifles, Remingotn 700s, shoot very very well. Not to say a given rifle may not shoot well with the factory bedding, maybe it will...,maybe it won't, I just don't feel like wasting time to see, and figure good or improved bedding can't hurt, but only improve a rifle's performance. Just my two cents worth on bedding.

I totally agree. It is a must, as far as I'm concerned.

They are hit and miss. But better than the classics. We all know how those were:

Even factory "pillar bedded " rifles, at least for me, seem to benefit from being skim bedded. Naturally, I have has some high end pillar bedded factory rifles that shot extremely well as is. I remember the "hot glue" Winchester used too! ha

I bedded mine, but compared to the classics, these are miles ahead. My last classic looked like it was bedded with elmers glue.

Shoot it first before messing around with the bedding.

This guy on GB has a bunch. Mixed "parentage", but some pretty nice ones. I only came to my senses just in time.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/868370031

everybody has their opinion on things, and that's fine. To me, that's like saying don't balance your tires, drive them first to see if they need it lol

How do you know you're making it worse,better or no change at all with the "new" bedding without shooting it first?

One of the scariest things I've seen out of "new" rifle.