Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Upgrade Mdl 70 or new rifle??

A Winchester Featherweight is a featherweight in name only. Compared to most modern rifles they are comparable to most other manufacturers standard weight rifles. Even with a 3-9X40 Leupold in Talley Lightweight mounts it isn't going to be much, if any, under 8 lbs. But that isn't a bad place to be. I find 7 to 7 1/2 lbs to be about ideal, but as long as it's close to 8lbs I could live with it.

That's a nice looking rifle, but IMO that is just too much scope for the rifle. Anymore I have a hard time recommending anything. The discontinued Zeiss Conquest made by Meopta would be ideal. But it appears they are no longer made.

Or just seal and bed that SG stock along with a trigger spring.

If you like it as is, a good bedding job and trigger tune will do more for you than a stock swap unless you’re looking to loose weight.

NEVER sell a Winchester M70.

The only grade 3 featherweights I have seen were BACO guns. Are you sure this one is a new haven gun? It will impact the trigger recommendations as the BACO guns have the moa trigger.

Edit - after looking at that picture more closely, I’m almost certain that it’s a BACO. OP, does it say “model 70 featherweight” on the right side with “made in USA BACO INC., Morgan UTAH” in smaller letters underneath?

Thats a BACO made model 70, you can see the writing on the ejection port side of the barrel.

Yeah, that's what I thought, but the op said it's a "new haven"?? He also said it's a "supergrade" stock, which it is not. Oh well dude. At least he didn't say it was a rem 700.. ha ha..

Lol that’s true.. So his statement about an Ernie spring kit for it will definitely help that trigger. I also suspect the hot glue bedding job has ran its course and rifle needs a good bedding job. But if ol boy wants another rifle I get the tikka for sure.

Good post J. I agree...

Keep the m70 and get a new rifle.

Nice rifle. Life is too short not to use that.

The Leica while a nice lowlight scope in Alabama is a yoke around your neck out west. Get another scope and upgrade your rifle.

THAT!

If it's a BACO rifle it will have the MOA trigger, in which case the Ernie's Spring Kit is the no-brainer fix. BTDT.

A couple observation's as a Western hunter -

I'd ditch the Hubble Scope and get a scope in the 13 oz or less weight range with a BDC reticle. KISS. All my hunting here in Montana has been with 6x fixed, 2-7, 2.5-8, 3-9, and 3.5-10 scopes. Furthest I've taken a game animal is 548 yards. It was a bedded antelope, and I used a 3-9 with a BDC reticle. 1 shot and done. You really don't need more than 9x on the top end for Western hunting, and my favorite scope is probably the 2.5-8x36.

Of course, "Western Hunting" takes in a huge variety of geography, but generally speaking there's a lot more walking and climbing involved than back East. Especially when it comes to mountain hunting where weight is genuinely something to consider. For me, I like an all-up rifle weight (scope, sling and cartridges) of no more than 7.75 lb's. You could get your 30-06 to that weight by putting a 1-piece all-aluminum bottom metal unit on it, dropping it in a light stock (under 27 oz's), and putting a light scope on top in X-Low Talley Lightweights. Get a Butler Creek Mountain Sling and you're done.

But very few people take practical advice when there's a more complicated and unnecessary means to an end...

Whoa Lee … You know we’re talking about an MOA now, correct?

Great suggestions..

Oh no, now you did it!!!

A good Model 70 is a gem.

Dammit - thought he was talkin' about the NH model........ Only fix for the MOA is to trade for a NH M70....

The BACO that he has not in the same league with the NH model...I have both and use/shoot/hunt both, but the NH has a feel about it that you have to let it grow on you to understand what we know.....nothing can compare with it. There was only one Babe Ruth and there is only one Rifleman's Rifle.

Damn, thanks for the laugh. I don't have any BACO's in the safe, so you may be on to something there.