Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Model 70 Featherweight Compact

Just noticed the Featherweight Compact on Winchester's website.

20" barrel, 13" LOP, 6lbs 8oz, 22-250, 243, 7mm-08 and 308. OAL 39 1/2". Sounds about perfect to me. Can't wait to handle one. May be next on the list.


WINCHESTER

Cept for the compromised LOP. I guess sacrificing functionality for weight is in vogue.

Steelhead,

Doesn't seem to sacrifice functionality for me. I'm about 5'7'' (short sh$$) and 13" LOP and a slim stock with 20" barrel fit me about right. Like I said, can't wait to handle it as I truly believe a rifle that fits you gives confidence and allows you to shoot better. That's just me though...

MGunns

I hear you, just figuring on the 'average' dude. I could run a 13" LOP if I wore 4 jackets.

I have one (called the Classic Compact) in .308 (the old style made in New Haven- Controlled Feed). Just about perfect for most deer hunting where your shots will be under 250 - 300 yards (I use 180 gr Nosler Partitions in mine).

The factory recoil pad (at least on mine) was very thin. It was no problem to change out the recoil pad to add some LOP. If you couln't find a recoil pad that would do the job for you, a spacer or two made out of hard plastic would help get you where you needed to go.

They would make a great mountain rifle as well. Nice and light and compact!!!!

Apparently more and more 'compact' type rifles out there are being made with a LOP of 13" or less...

Guess if you are very short they would work alright, but at 6'2" and having fairly long arms I find anything with a LOP of less than 13 1/2" to be uncomfortable at best.

I'd rather 'suck it up' and go with a more normal sized rifle (with a greater LOP) even if it is somewhat heavier.

But that's just my opinion.

The compact version they made for a few years from the old USRAC company had a shallow magazine that held fewer rounds than the standard Featherweight. The stock just wasn't as "deep" around the receiver. This made it a noticeably slimmer gun to wrap your hand around. Even the trigger had to be changed because the regular trigger extended too far downward and would have hit the trigger guard otherwise. I really liked the slim profile of that older compact. Will be interesting to see if the new one is slimmed down as well. I doubt it will be. I'm guessing they just shortened the barrel and the stock on the standard Featherweight. Another way to reduce the circumference around the rifle at the receiver is to get an Edge stock. The Edge for the Model 70 Featherweight is slimmer than the wood stock.

Looking forward to seeing it, just those dimensions personally fit ME pretty well. As long as the balance is right and handles well, I have no problem with a 243 or 308 with a 20" barrel.

My daughter shoots a New Haven Featherweight compact in 7-08 running 120 g TTSX very nice rifle for someone with a smaller frame. GRF

My daughter shoots a New Haven Featherweight compact in 7-08 running 120 g TTSX very nice rifle for someone with a smaller frame. GRF

................Winchester is finally getting into the compact rifle game. Should be a nice handling rifle. Typical chamberings for the compacts, but I think they forgot about the 260 Remy.

Being a little creative, a 12.5" or 13" LOP is fine for even the big boys. Depending on what I`m wearing and if the need suits, if the 12.5" LOP is too short when using my own compact, I simply add on another 1" by putting on my Limbsaver slip on recoil pad. Or I can leave it off when wearing the thicker stuff.

The classic compacts were great, but I don't remember them being that sot of LOP.

I'd like to handle one in .22-250

Very interesting.
Forgot the 358 Win as well...

Here's a pic of what the old pushfeed compacts ("SA Carbine") looked like in comparison to some Model Sevens. They always worked just fine for me.

Bottom wood-stocked rifle

Cept they are as stupid as the rest of the factories and running a 1-14" twist on it. I'll never understand.

i'm 6'7", with 38-39"sleeve length, and generally have no real trouble using short LOP rifles... however, the ergos on the m70 compact were overall a bit much for me...

all up, i'd way rather have a stock on the short side than one that's too long...

i have seen a couple of the new haven compact m70s sold... was at the shop when a lady chose one in 7-08 for her deer rifle...
i asked the owner of the shop, a few months later, if the rifle worked out for her... turns out she traded for another compact in .243, and had just tsken her first deer with it... that was some years ago...

I have been buying my McMillans at 13.125 and they fit great. I am 5'8" but add some insulation for December in the north country and its just about right.

Forgot the Bob!!

I saw a used one at a gun show yesterday. It was CRF in 7-08 and a nice little rifle. I sholdered it and didn't notice the stock if it was short. It was the only rifle at the show that I would have bought. Ken

What did they want for it? Most folks don't sell them cheap!