Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger Hawkeye SS Vs. Winchester M70 EW.....your thoughts please!

I'm leaning toward the Hawkeye and thinking of getting either a 4x, 1.75-6 , or 2.5-8 Leupold. Would any of these scopes fit fine on the factory rings, or would I need to buy a new set? What scope do you run on it?

My pick for that rifle (and many others) would be the VX-3 2.5x8 32. Ruger rings will work just fine. May want to lap them though.

I think you meant 2.5-8x36. However, If I were going with a VX3, it would be the 3.5-10x40..

I completely agree, go 3.5-10x40!

Forget anything smaller.

Yep, x36mm sorry. The 3.5-10x40 is also a great choice. To me the choice between either the 2.5-8 or the 3.5-10 is dependent largely on where you typically hunt. Most of my rifles wear the 2.5-8 because I am rarely presented with a shot over 300 yards with the vast majority under 200 with a fair of amount of 50 yard or less shots. And I appreciate the lightness and compactness of that scope over the other. You would be well served by either. Also If you buy any new VX-3 Leupold is running a rebate now where you get a pretty sweet Leupold/Carhartt jacket.

I like my 1.75-6 but it is not the E model so I had to buy an extended front ring in order for it to fit.


2.5-8 or the 1.75-6 E model would be great

I've handled both of these rifles and shot the Ruger. Im buying the Ruger.
First off I don't like B&C stocks,not that the Ruger has a better quality stock but it feels better than the B&C to me.
Second the fit on some of the Winchesters absolutely sucks!
I'm gonna scope mine with a Leupold FXII 4X,i don't need any more scope than that for where I hunt and I prefer fixed over variable.

Good post. I also saw the rebate and almost bought a new VX3, just to get a Carhartt jacket

What do you mean by fit?

This, and I own several M70's (one EW in .338 WM) and a couple M77's� The FN made M70 EW is hands down my favorite� smooth, trouble free, reliable, and accurate.

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Delineate the ways in which it doesn't stack up if you don't mind.

Where the metal meets the plastic. Barrels to one side of the channel,tang not recessed in the stock far enough,magazine door not fitted right.

ON the M70 EW, I prefer the wing safety, the SS finish is matte where the Rugers are like a signal mirror, the action was VERY smooth from day 1 in the M70 EW, the Ruger's not so much, I like the M70 recoil lug (albeit smallish) vs. the Hawkeye (neither are as large as a Remmy 700), I prefer the knurling on the bolt knob of the M70 vs the smooth M77, my EW shoots tighter groups than my M77's, and I actually prefer the B&C stock profile, and it seems to soak up a lot of recoil that the wood stocks on my Rugers seem to amplify� I don't like the 26" bbl length on the EW (in 338WM), wish it were 22" instead, 24" at most� the B&C stock is heavy, in fact the whole gun in general is heavy, but so is the Hawkeye. MOA trigger sucks, sort of mushy� but I have a Timney in my future� the M7& triggers suck (to much overtravel, mushy and heavy break)�

Don't get me wrong, I love my Rugers, and I'm a big fan of the company� I just love my M70 EW more for the reasons I've stated above� I've got a couple of old early 80's Ruger M77 "rangers" that I will NEVER sell..

The new Ruger finish is matte if we're talking about the All Weather