Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Mule Deer with Winchester M70 Featherweight!

I was discouraged.

In three days of hard do-it-yourself mule deer hunting, I�d not seen a single buck. That was unusual for the area, an area I�d hunted often. Sure, a fair number of does and fawns were in evidence. Each day I�d glass up small bands of does and their offspring as they feed through the sagebrush and bedded in the rimrock. But the bucks were eluding me. I�d even begun to wonder if this wide-open sagebrush country held any bucks at all this year.

Hunting open-country mule deer is always challenging. Deer numbers are typically low and the animals are widely scattered. The trick, I�ve found, is often just to locate a good vantage point and sit, watch and glass for hours on end. Here�s a photo from a recent open-country mule deer hunt where I�m doing just that. It will give you a fair idea of just how open this sort of treeless deer country can be.



Since I�m not blessed with a tremendous amount of patience, and because I love to hike, I must honestly admit that I�m typically good for maybe one or two hours at any one vantage point. Then the irresistible urge to see what�s over the next ridge beckons, and I�m off on yet another long ramble, checking the canyons, peeking over the ridgetops and slipping along the open rims. Sitting and glassing are the smart ways to hunt this terrain. But hiking the country is more fun. I try to blend the two techniques to create satisfying sagebrush days.

Being an incurable hunting-equipment nut, I also try to use such unhurried, solo hunts to wring out new gear. Some months back, in the Free Classifieds� section of the 24 Hour Campfire forums, I noticed a used Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .280 Remington. That posting struck a cord with me. I�d had that exact rifle once, it had been stolen out of my truck and I�d always wanted another.

After a good deal of back and forth communication with the owner, and some negotiating, I purchased the rifle.

The good news was that the rifle had good wood, was controlled round feed and had been well taken care of over the years. It had been made sometime in the early 1990s. The bad news was that I quickly discovered that it would not feed reliably from the left side of the magazine box. When the bolt was operated smartly, the back end of the cartridges on the left side of the box often failed to pop up high enough to fully engage the CRF bolt head. As the bolt was moved forward, the front end of the cartridges tipped upward and to the right, jamming them in the raceway. If I operated the bolt slowly, things went as advertised. But when I tried to quickly chamber a new round from the left side of the magazine, things went haywire.

When such hunting-rifle foibles occur, a guy has two choices. He can bitch and complain to his friends or he can fix the darn thing. I did a little of both, eventually dropping the rifle off at a favorite gunsmith for work on the feeding issue. I also requested that the gunsmith lighten and polish the trigger pull.

That work was completed in about one month (why does everything done by a gunsmith take about one month?) and at minimal cost. My gunsmith ended up twisting - he said straightening - the magazine box a tiny bit and adding a stiffer follower spring. Every cartridge did now feed fine. I suspect that the stiffer spring was the main reason. The original spring had been relatively weak.

The trigger was also much better, breaking cleanly at about 3 pounds. I set the rifle up with Talley lightweight mounts and a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8 scope.



Open sagebrush country is no place for a maybe rifle. A good rifle for the open sage is reasonably flat-shooting and accurate out to at least 300 yards and maybe a bit more. It also helps if it�s reasonable portable, as open-country mule deer treks often take you far from your camp or truck. Typically, I leave my vehicle or camp at dawn and don�t return until after dark. In between, I cover lots of miles and a too-heavy rifle can become a real pain.

My Winchester M70 Featherweight, with Talley Lightweight One-Piece Mounts (2 oz.) and Leupold 2.5-8 scope (11 oz.), weighed exactly 8 pounds. That�s not too bad for a good looking wood-stocked hunting rifle. Because I hunt with a Kifaru backpack and use the pack�s GunBearer System to carry my rifle, I didn�t bother to fit the Featherweight with a carry sling.

I�ve always wondered who designed the stock for the post-64 Winchester Model 70 Featherweights. Many have called it one of the classiest hunting-rifle stocks ever offered.



It features elegant swirl-pattern checkering on the grip, as well as on the fore-end.



There�s also a Schnabel-style fore-end to reduce weight and add flair.



And a simple, straight butt that�s pure American classic.



The combination of all of those things is both striking and classy.

After its trip to the gunsmith, my Featherweight feed cartridges perfectly and shot with pleasing accuracy up close and way out there. In fact, it became one of my pet rifle projects throughout last summer. At the range, I discovered that it favored 150-grain Nosler Partitions in standard off-the-shelf Federal ammunition. It shot that load well (averaging 1.5 inches at 100 yards), and I dialed the rifle in to hit approximately 2 inches high at 100 yards. That put it right on at 200 yards, just 2 inches low at 250 yards and around 6 to 7 inches low at 300 yards. Given the fact that the chest of a good desert mule deer buck is typically 16 to 18 inches from top to bottom, I believed I�d be able to hold pretty much right on out to 250 yards and then on his backline at 300 yards.

This is just one of my better 100-yard practice targets, made by shooting prone and off of my Kifaru pack. Good rifle.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/TimberlineX/WinchesterM70Featherweight280035.jpg[/img]

My forth day in the open sagebrush dawned clear and cool. A flannel shirt and fleece jacket felt good in the predawn, but I knew that by midmorning I�d be down to my T-shirt as the sun rose and the temperature climbed into the low 70s.

By 8 a.m., I�d shed the jacket and was walking a rocky rim above a deep cut canyon miles from my truck. Something, maybe a slight glint all the way across the canyon and to my right, caught my eye. I slowly raised my binoculars and what I saw took my breath away. Finally, a buck!

He was feeding in the rocks and sage about 800 yards away. But even at that distance, he looked big.

The best approach I could see was to drop back off the rim and out of sight, circle far to my right in the sagebrush and then slip down a rocky draw on my side of the canyon to a rounded point directly opposite his position. I needed to move quickly in order to get there while he was still out and feeding.

When I reached that point, 20 minutes later, he was gone. Damn!

I sat, got comfortable and started taking the canyon apart with my Leica Geovid BRF 10x42 binoculars. Ten nervous minutes later, I found him again as he fed up out of a steep, rocky cut. He was in heavy sage, but feeding unaware. The shot was makeable.

The binoculars, with their built in laser rangefinder, reported the line-of-sight distance to the buck to be exactly 326 yards. But the angle was downward, and I knew I�d have to compensate for that. It seemed to me that if I held for just a bit less than 300 yards, things would work out fine. (Sidenote: I had three different rifles set up for hunting in Wyoming and Colorado this past fall. Here�s the laminated cheat sheet on those rifles that I had prepared beforehand, had tucked in my shirt pocket and referred to just before the shot.)

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/TimberlineX/Wyoming2008186.jpg[/img]

Initially, the buck was feeding and mostly facing toward me. I wanted him broadside. I settled into a comfortable prone position and steadied the rifle over my Kifaru SpikeCamp pack. �Come on buck, just turn,� I silently pleaded.

When he finally did turn, it was to walk back down into the cut from which he�d appeared. For one fleeting instant, he was broadside. The crosshairs found the spot I wanted straight up from his front shoulder and just below his spine. I squeezed the trigger.

As I rocked with the recoil, I though I saw him stumble. But I couldn�t be sure. Then he was gone and into the rocky cut. From that deep cut, he could go anywhere and I might not see him again. I lay there, watching the canyon intently and trying to convince myself that I�d made the shot. Ten long minutes pasted.

Finally, I stood, shouldered my pack and began working my way down into the canyon. It took some time to reach the bottom and climb up the other side. At the spot where the buck had stood, there were splayed tracks in the loose sand and kicked over rocks. I followed the tracks into the cut. Twenty yards into the cut, a small stone was dotted with red. A bit further, blood had splashed a boulder. Ten steps more and there he lay, crumbed in the very bottom of the cut and cleanly shot through the center of both shoulders.

That steep-sided cut was deep enough that the morning sun had not yet reached its bottom. I propped him up with rocks and quickly took a few photos before that happened.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/TimberlineX/Wyoming2008190.jpg[/img]

This buck was fat and healthy, and one of the biggest bodied open-country mule deer I�ve ever taken. Years ago, Bear Archery offered a cloth measuring tape that wrapped around an attached little card with a chart on it. The idea was to measure a deer all the way around the chest just behind his front legs and then read the deer�s live weight and dressed weight on the chart. The concept worked surprisingly well.

I unraveled one of those little tapes and, with considerable effort, managed to slip it under the buck, and then measured the circumference of his chest � 51 inches. What did the chart say? Well, guess what? The chart stopped at 46 inches, which it said delivered a live weight of 213 pounds and a dressed weight of 168 pounds. This deer was bigger. Extrapolating from the chart, 51 inches translates into a live weight of approximately 253 pounds and a dressed weight of 203 pounds. Big desert mule deer.

With the sun now a bit higher and reaching into the cut, I took more photos.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/TimberlineX/Wyoming2008225.jpg[/img]

Eventually, I set to work in the sandy bottom of that rocky cut, boning the buck out completely. When I was finished, a small mountain of red meat stared back at me, as did the 25-inch-wide antlers. The sheer bulk of the meat pile was impressive.

Two easy-going round trips and five hours later, I finally had everything to my truck and in coolers. The rack rode nicely on my Kifaru pack on the last trip out.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/TimberlineX/Wyoming2008239.jpg[/img]

Do-it-yourself western hunting is fun. Elk are majestic, antelope are exciting and big open-country mule deer are always cool.

And so is a classy Winchester Model 70 Featherweight purchased from the Free Classifieds� section of 24 Hour Campfire!

____________


OK, enough of my hunting tale, here�s a theoretical QUESTION for you.

If it were you, what rifle, cartridge, scope and bullet would you want to make that shot?

It is 326 yards to that feeding buck, from one side of the canyon to another, and at a downward angle. There was NO chance of getting closer. You are miles from your vehicle. You have plenty of time to set up prone, but have to shoot quickly when the fleeting broadside opportunity finally comes. There will be just ONE shot.

I used a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .280 Remington. The rifle was wearing a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8 scope and I was shooting 150-grain Nolser Partitions.

What rifle setup would you prefer to have resting over your pack in that open-country mule deer situation?

Your input is requested. Obviously, a lot of different hunting-rifle setups would work.

Great hunt,story,and pics. To answer your last question I would love to take a shot with my 25-06, VX3 3.5-10 W/ M1 turrets,and 100 gr. TSX. I think I could use your gun and be real happy too. Good post.

I love my M70 and would have used it in that situation as well. While mine is currently a 7mm Remington Magnum, I don't think the specific cartidge is as important as people emphasize. While my rifle is the classic sporter, I do wish it was a feather weight design (alas, the suffering Lefty can only drool).

That is an great story and thank you for sharing. Love the rifle and that is a great buck.

Of my rifles in active use I'd go with my 308, a Rem. 700 LVSF in a McMillan Classic stock equipped with a 4.5-14x40 Leupold with a B&C reticle. With the scope set on 10x I'd hold the first hashmark right where I'd want the 165 grain bullet to land and throw the switch.

Bill as always your posts/pictures are a pleasure to read/view!

I believe I would use my 1976 M77 7mm RM with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8, shooting 160 Accubonds or Partitions.

I liked the "cheat" card you use, I think I will do something similar in the future for my gun as well.

Jason

Excellent pix an story.. I hear ya re: open country hunting..

That IS a large deer you got there.. Huge..

This is a 4X4 that my son got north of Malta, MT., on a ranch where the only trees I saw were around the house and buildings.. This was taken about a mile north of the ranchhouse in totally open country..



M70 PF in .264WM - about 320 yards and downhill.. One shot, one kill.. Adam dropped the deer dropped in his tracks.. Only weighed about 200#; a bit less, IIRC...

That buck you have there should feed you for a while..

I'm sorry I didn't see the very bottom of the post before...

That's an excellent shot you made at over 300 yds using the FWT. Kudos..

I brought 3 rifles along on this hunt - but Adam had the only tag. I wanted him to get a nice deer.. The number one go-to rifle is that M70 in .264WM.. Of all the rifles I have I have utter confidence in that particular one.. 140 gr Sierra spitzers loaded to 3000 fps have been deer-droppers for over 30 years.. Only once have I had to track a deer shot with that rifle and how that deer got 250+ yards into the woods with the lower half of the heart shot off, I have NO idea; blood spray was 2-3 feet in width the entire time... Stevie Wonder could have tracked it...

Anyway, sorry to ramble, but in short I'd take the .264WM for open country deer..

Really nice account and pictures. Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

Bill, Always enjoy reading your stories. Thanks for sharing.

I doubt you remember me but we met in Indy at the ATA show when you were still working for Hoyt. You seemed like a very personable and likeable guy and I have read your stories always saying to myself "I know that guy!"

As for the M70 Featherweight you are correct that it has probably the best looking and classiest looking stocks out there. I also like your choice of the Leupold 2.5-8x. This is a scope that seems to get forgotten but is my favorite all around hunting scope.

That pic is as cool as Brad's fencepost pics!

To answer you question, I would happily use the exact same rig as yours. In an ideal world, all Winchester FWTs would be .270s and all .280s would be Remington Mountain Rifles (non-DBM, of course). But I like the fact that you took a rifle that had some warts and straightened them out, and ended up with a darn fine shootin' iron, and a great story to boot.

Who was your gunsmith? I used to live in the Springs, and would like to think I met him.

That is a great story, and well-told! Thanks for sharing!

I would love to hunt that terrain with my Pac-Nor 30-06, spittin' 165-gn Accubonds. I think that would be an ideal load for that shot. As would be many, many other loads and cartridge <g>. But that would be mine.

A beautiful deer and some super pics! And one of the nice things (4 me) is that you didn't come in and tell everyone how wide the darn thing is or what it scores.....

Heck of a cool hunt I say.

Now about the rifle, sounds like you love the stock and if I was feeling festy I'd tell you what I really think about it (which is that we call it the French Whorehouse style... ) but being as I am trying to be nice I won't say that.

As for the shot, 326 yds is a very good and safe distance so for me anything from my 22/250 to my 6/06 or my 270 or my 7 Mashburn Super or my 375 Wby would of done the old boy in just fine.

Once again, super pics and thanks for sharing your hunt with us.

Dober

I agree that the Featherweight is a fine looking rifle. I traded a 270 like yours and have kicked myself for 3 years over it! Great story and great pics!

If I was doing that type of hunting with my current battery I would carry my 700 MTN rifle in 280. It is equipped with the same scope as yours with the B&C reticle. I would use one of my handloads with a 140 Nosler BT.

Thanks for taking the time to share the story and the photos.

Down in my basement is a featherweight M70 in .280 Rem (pushfeed) that my father used for several years. He made a very nice shot on an antelope at around 400 yards, and then decided he could shoot further than he thought. He had a fancy long range gun built (Rem 700, custom stainless barrel in 7 Mag, McSwirly, Jewell, turreted Leupold, etc). He proceeded to do a lot more missing over the next several years than he had with the .280. Probably my youngest son ends up with the .280.

When I am hunting country like that, my ULA .257 Roy with 100 TSX gets the nod. But the .270/.280/ 7mm Rem class is hard to beat.

Those older(NH) CRF Featherweights are hard to beat. All with a Leupold on top, perfect!

Great photos & story. Congratulations on a great mulie. I have a 280 switch barrel rifle built on a Rem. 700. I have shot a lot of game with this rifle which now wears a 3-9X40 Zeiss. In recent years I have gone to a 300 Win. Mag. in a custom Mauser 98 with a Leupold 3.5-10X50 scope. Then there is the 30-06, 260, 257 Wby., 7RUM, 35 Whelen,----. Well you get the idea.

Very good story and a very nice buck,too! Congrats on a great hunt.

I'd be content with a 270FW and 4X Leupold. Or a 7 mag with a 2.5-8X,or...but I used a M76 Dakota to blow a similar shot 2 weeks ago(grin)!

Nice buck and story. Got to say I've always been partial to the fwt stock myself. Now that they are making them again I wish they would hurry up with the 308s and 7-08s, the wife hasn't had a good excuse to throw a fit in quite a while. No doubt mine in .243 could make the shot, and has on paper many times) but the 95 Partition might need a bit of help at that range. I'd probably use my M700BDL/Pac-Nor/Mountain Rifle stock in .270 instead. Bullet? Pick one, it seems to put most everything into <MOA though I've about settled on the 140 AB over RL-22 or H4831SC to simplify things.

It dosen't get any better. Awesome country, awesome buck and an awesome rifle!! Great post!!

Congrats!

I just purchased a Stainless Model 70 FWT in a Walnut stock on GunBrokers. It also had some feeding issues, and I worked with the magazine spring until I totally mangled it. I grabbed one of my Classics from the safe and pulled out the magazine spring and follower and put them in the FWT. Although both the spring and the follower are different than those found in my FWT, the issues I had completely disappeared with the Classic�s rigging in place. So, I have a Classic follower and magazine spring on its way from Winchester to be permanently housed in my FWT.

Now, I have never been in a French Whorehouse, so I don�t know anything about the wood that a guy might encounter on a trip through one of those outfits. But, I do know that I also like the shape and style of Winchester�s Featherweight stocks a great deal. Incidentally, nice buck� CP.