Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Help me decide...Winchester M70 vs. Ruger Hawkeye

Which to choose? The Winchester 70 FW (new out of SC) or the Ruger Hawkeye?

.30-06

For those that have experience with both, which one is the better gun?

Both are good guns, but I prefer the M70, it just has the right overall feel and look to me. The Ruger action is just big, and oversized. Personally I'd buy the one that fits my budget the best.

i have both (mk2s and supergrade), and like both, but if forced to select just one, i'd go with the ruger. as mentioned, handle both and get the one that fits you. either will give you a lifetime of service.

No "better" rifle here, handle both and get the one you like best..Going by My experience with these two the Ruger is built like a tank as rugged as they come and another plus is factory rings are furnished with Ruger rifle's (a big savings) and it will be cheaper to buy than the Model 70 but the Winchester will almost certainly be more accurate out of the box and overall fit and finish will be a little better with the Winchester...Both are fine rifle's in their own right no bad choice here...........Good luck...........Hb

I like both a bunch but prefer the M70. That being said I would make my decision based on budget for the rifle and optics. I'd rather have the Hawkeye with a VX-3 or Conquest on top then a new M70 FW with a sub $200 scope.

IMO you can't go wrong with either one.

Awesome. Thanks guys.

Really leaning hard on the Hawkeye. It just fits my eye. I love the look and feel of the them and I can find one 150 less than the 70...I've got a 1.75-6x32 VX III that will be a perfect fit.

I've owned and shot both and like certain things about each rifle. I like the Ruger for ruggedness and the trigger. Yes the trigger! They usually suck out of the box, but with about 30 minutes work you can have a very good dependable trigger that is of open design and won't give you fits in harsh conditions. Ruger needs a stock re-design; the comb is still where it was when the rifles had open sights. IMO, they need to be a bit higher for scope use.

I like the slightly lighter weight of the M70, especially the EW. The safety is a little easier to operate and fit and finish is slightly better.

As far as accuracy goes, I've had good and bad luck with both. I'd say get what suits your fancy.

LMAO at your sig line, Petro! What are you now, a phuggin' park ranger?

Featherweights are skookum.

Definitely love my Hawkeye 30-06. I bought a Wby Mark V Deluxe 30-06 to replace it, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. It just plain works and is more accurate than I am.

quote:and is more accurate than I am.

Boy, that's where the rubber meets the road.

I have no experience with Model 70's but have two Ruger's. The stocks don'f fit me well so I have two McM Ruger Hunter's (speckle tone and a McWoody) on the way. I am one of those guys JB says has necks as long as a kudu.

I don't like the weight but they are rugged.

I absolutely love the rings and integral bases. I was hunting in MT a month a go and did a flat lander slide in the snow and shale down the side of a small MT hill. Plugged up the bore on the fall but was able to unplug it with the cleaning rod in my pack. The next day, I was lined up on a nice elk in timber at 75 yrds or so and shot about a foot to the right behind it. Went back to camp and wasn't even hitting back board. I always take two identical scopes in rings and tools. I had the back up swapped out in 10 minutes and sighted in under 5 shots. Nailed a nice pronghorn the next morning and got revenge on an elk the day after that. It would have been more difficult to get back in the game with some of the other rings and mounts out there.

Scott

I'd suggest that you put tape over the bore before you hunt. Either electrician's tape or blue tape.
While the Ruger ring/mount setup is very rugged, I have had the front ring come loose when the rifle hit the ground, scope first, during a fall.
I've had no problems with shifting zero from falls when using the Leupold 4X and 6X fixed magnification scopes.
To the question asked of the post, I'd take an M70 Pre-64 or the even better M70 Classic with the old style trigger over the current Rugers. But not by much. My only complaint about the Rugers are the harder to get at safeties. If I had one, I'd have the safety smoothed up, or replaced with an M70 style safety. I don't know what I could do about getting an old style trigger for the current M70's.
The other factor would be the fit and balance of the rifle. In fact, that is alot more important than safeties and triggers assuming I could get a 3 lb. or less "glass rod break" with either. E

Bruin, epic movie.

Thanks all. Really struggling here. Everyone needs a 70 right...?

electrician's tape and condoms are similar, in that they don't work if you don't use them. I had a nice supply of tape around the barrel but hadn't taped the muzzle yet. We were "scouting" the day before the hunt actually began but ended up trying to catch up to a small group we spotted. The scope was a Leupold 2.5x8 that had been knocked around a few times and had never had problems holding zero. I was also suprised it didn't hold up this time. All in all, this wasn't my best effort at falling.

Sorry, hijack over.

Jones

Ruger. Both are nice though.

See Ruger SS everywhere up here as skiff guns and they hold up very well around the salt.

I like the Ruger a lot but would probably buy the M70.If forced to hunt the Ruger Hawkeye, my feelings would not be hurt....good rifles.

Fixed...

Absolutely no real comparison..............get the M-70.

MM