Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Model 70 Extreme Weather -- First Impressions

Please explain how?

My experience is that the inletting on McMillans are more precise, the stock has far less flex in the forearm, and it typically has a higher strength-to-weight ratio (subjective, I know). You can get it in virtually every possible configuration (and every color combination). The B&C is a $150-200 stock, and the McMillan is a $450-500 stock.

McMillan will also take your rifle and bed your stock to the gun. At this they do a jam-up job. B&C and HS, in my experience, will tell you that bedding is unnecessary and even voids the warranty (in the case of HS).

Again though, I have to stress...the B&C on this EW is a darn good factory stock. I have Weatherbys and a Sako that came with absolute crap for stocks; at least Winchester is trying.

The FN is superior to anything that came out of the new haven plant.

Well, I'm not a stock slut but I don't find the B&C stock on my EW uncomfortable. The wrist on it fits me better than the the wrist on my H-S Precision stock I have on my Pre-64, .270 Win. Guess all this is subjective tho. And my .270 WSM, EW gives me 1" groups easily and MOA out to 300 yds which is as far as our range goes.
Enjoy
Bear in Fairbanks

I had the exact same rifle and chambering Richard has.I could complain just a leetle bit about the stock being a bit slimmer here and there....but one thing it does well is make for a comfortable shooting rifle.

The comb is high and thick;this coupled with the cheekpiece helps control recoil very well.The wrist is a bit thick but not enough so that it was not easy to control.

The overall weight of the rifle is about prfect for a 300 WSM and frankly I for one would not want it any lighter.

Function was flawless,something I could not say about some NH WSM rifles I've owned.

This rifle was among the most accurate factory rifles I have ever owned and it was no trick to keep it sub MA at 300 yards, which I did with it several times.If I were on the market for a 300 WSM today,the EW would be the first rifle I'd grab.

I played with 1 in 308Win last week. VERY NICE rifle & it felt GREAT. But just a tad too heavy for me now & what I prefer

Comparing flex in the forearm would require some measurable means to apply the pressure and a dial indicator to measure the movement. Seat of the pants testing is not reliable beyond...it flexes a lot vs it does not flex a lot.

Precise inletting may be true, I have not looked at MCM's closely but in my opinion. I want precise inletting on my blued and walnut guns, I want a gap on my synthetic stocked rifles. The barrel was not centered in the channel on my 300WSM but it was after I bedded it, so no issues.

I would not send my rifle anywhere to have it bedded, number one, it adds to the cost and number two, I can bed my rifles just fine and everyone with any interest in accurate rifles should learn to do it (not that you don't).

Strength to weight ratio *may* be true but again, show me the tests. There is a limit to how strong a stock needs to be, I don't think anyone is going to use a MCM as a substitute for a shovel, pry bar or sledge hammer.

Face it, the attraction of the MCM is simply the weight followed by the option for the crazy ass colors.

There is a break point when cost exceeds true value and everything beyone is simply fluff.

Put it another way, would the MCM fans pay a 1000.00 for a 12 ounce stock?

How about 1500.00 for an 8 ounces stock?

I own several of each of these stocks, and I've personally bedded them all. The McMillans are definitely superior, and I've actually never heard anyone even try to make an argument to the contrary. If that quality isn't worth paying for to you, I can understand that. I don't put Mickeys on all my guns either.

Regarding strength, I can manually manipulate the forearms on my rifles with floated barrels and easily see which stocks have more flex in the forearm. No measurement required. The B&C is the loser every time. That's okay...it's the cheapest of all of them. I should expect some compromise, shouldn't I? This EW stock is the first B&C that I've owned that isn't like that (when floated). FN must have laid down the law with 'em.

Please explain how that makes it weatherproof ?

Easiest way to explain the difference is..

B&C= Pretty much one design fits all

McMillan= just the opposite

This is very true, and also true that it will cost twice as much for what is in my opinion not twice the stock .......Hb

The EW stock reminds me of a Ti take off. A bit thicker here and there than I prefer but it's very user friendly to run.

If I wanted a 300 WSM today, I'd be all over a EW. Then I'd sell the handle for 150 bones or so and order an Edge and do PT&G bottom metal.

Dober

Dober that menu sounds right to me...

I just looked at mine, the bottom metal isn't PTG but it is good. I didn't change mine out but did on my other M70's.

My local gunshop has a few EW's...3 in stainless and one with a black finish that I haven't seen before. I can't find any info about it on Winchesters site or anywhere else? It has the same stock as the ss version and the barrel is fluted but the finish is a flat black. Anyone know the details of this model?

I liked the one I handled. Stock felt good in my ham-fists.

The safety was hands-down the loudest I've ever heard. It wasn't just me. The guys standing around the gun counter thought so too.

I'd own one in a hot second though!

I like these rifles, I'd say they are dandy's but I hate the thick beefy B&C stock.. If I bought one I'd have to spend another good chunk of money just to get a stock I could live with, then I'd have $1400.00 in a $950.00 rifle.....I don't like being upside down in a rifle so until they change the stock these rifles won't be a consideration for me.............Hb

There is night and day difference between the LA and SA stocks. The SA stock, at least on the WSM rifles, is slimmer and feels better than the stocks that I shouldered on rifles chambered for 300 win mag and 338 win mag. It is really noticeable at the grip.

Interesting; the one I handled was a WSM. Maybe that's why it didn't feel thick to me. Maybe I'm not ham-fisted after all.

"The old guys have said don't buy because it's not a Winchester any more!"

Thankfully.

I've got a good pre-FN Model 70, accurate and reliable. But - some of them are over-rated, poorly crafted piles of dung. I've bought and sold three I was unhappy with, hoping for that Winchester magic. Then I pretty much gave up. Did manage to get one good one though, and it's still here.

One of the newer FN/Winchesters is high on my want list. All of 'em I've messed with have been good rifles.

OP: Enjoy that new Model 70 - I think they're built right these days.

Regards, Guy