Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles FN Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather???

I am thinking about a new FN Model 70 but my concerns are. Do these Extreme Weathers have a slight palmswell
I seem to remember they did have a semi type palmswell, like that seen on NULA & Tikka rifles.......? But it has been some time since I have shouldered one.
I just prefer rifles with palmswells.

I have heard mostly fine reports on the new FN's. But I have also heard a few gunsmith jobs needed too...... I guess that happens with all rifles brands though ........

Also like to get some feedback on the rifle in general.

If I decide to get one I will have it bedded, floated & LOP extended straight up.
Is there any other 'quick smith mods' needed


Thanks again

I've got an EW in 300wsm. No palm swell I can remember. Mine shoots great with just about every handload run through it. Never shot factory ammo, not bedded, and no trigger work. Mounted up a scope in Talley lighweight rings and bases, ready to hunt. It is a solid MOA shooter out to 500 yards.

I expect bedding and a trigger tune up might help a bit, but has worked well thus far with out. My $.02

Mine is in 308, no palm swell,but they are thick through the grip. Some guys swear the long action stocks have a different feel to them and are not as good as the short actions. I have handled a few long actions, and any difference did not jump out at me. I have not however had a chance to handle them side by side for direct comparison. Take that for what it is worth.

I didn't despise the factory stock, but about a year after I bought mine a used Edge stock that would fit showed up in the classifieds here and I bought it. The Edge is far, far better and is 1/2 lb lighter. I much prefer the thinner grip, but if you want a palmswell may prefer the thicker B&C stock. I liked the gun before but it is so much better now. It shot great with both stocks. It just looks and feels much better now.

The B&C stock that comes on them is already free floated and has an aluminum bedding block. You might want to tweak the trigger, but nothing needs to be done to the stock. If you need to have the LOP increased I'd just go ahead and order a McMillan for it to my specs. By the time you sell the take-off stock it wouldn't be too expensive.

Fella at the range had one in 300WSM and it shot some nice FN tight groups with Federal 165 TSX's.... he weren't FN around with cheap azz glass either.....

I have had two.....a 300 WSM and a 270 Winchester.They needed nothing but a scope and a bunch of ammo.

Both were accurate and grouped well, but the 300WSM was possibly among a handful of the most accurate BG rifles I've owned...or at least I had the good fortune of shooting quite a few very small groups with it at 300-400 yards...I have forgotten the charge but used H4350 and 165 Sierra SPBT.

I used the trigger and bedding as it came in both...they were boring rifles....nothing to really figure out.They just shot well.Function with the WSM was flawless,not easy to do.Wish I had not sold that 300....

I have a Model 70 EW in .300 WSM. It has no palm swell at all. I describe the grip as an open grip, almost shotgun like, and while it is not the grip I would choose on a custom rifle or at least a custom stock, it does not affect the usability. It has a factory bedding of a sort and the barrel is free floated from the factory.

I have only reduced the trigger pull to as light as I could go with user adjustable trigger. (After I got the gunk off the head of the adjustment screw.) Did some polishing on the feed ramp and bolt race. Shot some factory Fusion ammo loads that more or less "patterned" at 100 yards. Since I learned to reload a last year it hurts my feelings to pay $35.00 and up for factory ammo that may or may not shoot. So I bought dies, some RL17, some 150 accubonds and 180 SST's. The RL17 gave me ok groups, but I switched to H4350 and things tightened up very nicely.

My last shooting session at 400 yards gave me a 3.1" group using a bipod up front and sand sock in the rear with the 180 grain SST's. That's probably as good as I can shoot on any given day and sending the rifle to a smith may improve the the capability of the rifle, it wouldn't help me a bit.

Some people like to buy a factory rifle then change out, swap out, work on, and basically rebuild what the factory has done. And that is fine if you want to tinker, and Lord knows I'm the pot calling the kettle black, but most factory rifles with a decent trigger can be made to shoot well enough for 99% of the hunting most people do.

I sight in rifles a good bit for friends (because most of them don't like to shoot as much as I do and don't have access to go to shooting ranges) and am constantly amazed at how accurate untouched factory rifles can shoot with quality ammunition.

So, my advice would be to get the EW if that is what you want and try shooting it with a trigger job before doing too much to it. Or if you want a different stock, and what I should have done, is get the Ultimate Shadow SS, and ditch the stock for one of your choosing. Then you can have the same basic rifle as the EW, but can get a stock with the grip you want minus the barrel fluting.

Bob.

Ok, I'm assuming you are wanting a 30-06. I've got one and love it. I have neglected working up a real good load for it, but it seems to shoot everything I've tried into sub moa groups.....The reason I say I have neglected working up a "good load" is because my Pre 64 std wt 30-06 and classic (crf built in the early 90's) 30-06 will both out shoot it hands down....That is entirely my fault, though, as it seems to show good promise....I didn't like the B&C stock so I bought a micky a few days after I had the rifle in hand (I told myself that would happen)...I could show before and after pics but people tire of such things.....They are great rifles and shoot and function very well.....I'd buy another if the right one came along...

My FN PBR XP 300 WSM shoots better than my FN 30-06 EW but oh well.....FN chit happens.....

Had a 243 EW and it didn't have a palm swell. Also, handled several at Great Norhtern Guns and none of them had a palm swell.

Lou

I had one in .30-06. I tried a number of bullets and powders, but after several hundred rounds gave up. The rifle was capable of decent hunting accuracy, about 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards, but no better. I sold it and bought a late 'forties pre-64 M70 that shoots well, even if it is heavy.

I might add that I did no work to the Extreme Weather M70 other than adjust the trigger. A bedding job may have helped.

Very sorry to hear that....I haven't put any effort into working up a good load for mine but this is how it shoots el-cheapo bullets....:

These were shot during load development:



This is how it shoots el-cheapo hornady interlocks:


This is how it shoots 180gr. Nosler partitions:


It doesn't really like my pre 64 and classics' "pet load" though:

WOW that is some good shooting . . That rifle is certainly a keeper!

I find it hard to go past the 270Win & 30-06's these days.......but I really shouldn't be so boring(as my son tells me). "how many 06's do you need".
Got 2 atm....lol
At this stage. Thinking of another WSM. 270WSM or 7mmWSM.

Good shooting there buddy!!!!

Gus

Hell yeah, another 270Wizzum sounds sweet.

270 wizzum would be sweet. If you get one, let us know how you like it and how it shoots....

I have had several new FN M70s, two of which have been Extreme Weathers. They all shot extremely well and the only one that needed bedding was the one BSA now owns. The others were ready to go out of the box. My current .270 EW will shoot well below MOA out at 300 yards, which is as far as I've shot it on paper, and it is not finicky. I don't even mind the B&C stock, although it is a little bulky in the grip.

I keep thinking about buying another EW in .300 or .30-06, though I don't need one.

Sweet geeeeeeezuz, these rifles look the goods!

I hope you can find a good 30-06 ........I'd sell you this one back but I really like the new (alright it wasn't new but never used by Dan360 ) stock......What were you guys saying about slapping these EW's in a micky???:



DMD, I still appreciate the great deal you gave me on this rifle. I'm taking good care of it...

Great setup & outstanding looking rifle!


I am probably the only one here that prefers the standard stock on the EW. I had a micky.......Great stocks but I prefer the thicker foreend & pistolgrip on the EW. Now a micky in Sako 75 style with monty carlo.........YUM