Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors What have you done to improve balance?

Looking for some guidance to improve the balance of my new, to me, model 70 Winchester rifle. It seems a little butt end heavy.
Specs:
Model 70 G stainless action. 7mm Remington Magnum 24" factory classic
legend edge stock
PTG aluminum bottom metal
factory trigger
Bedded
6x36 leupold scope

Sadly not much can be done. These are not what I would consider the best balanced rifles.. Look at Kimber, Tikka or Sako 85 stainless. Find one you like best and trade this for one or sell this and buy gun that feels good in your hands.

Sakohunter I agree with Slavek.


You should sell me that rifle and find something you like better

Sorry I cannot help since I have had about exactly the same rifle and actually like the factory barrel contoured slightly lighter and for me it's perfect. But that would not help you much...

Rifle won't be for sale, I'm looking at some different options with trying a different bolt handle, and possibly fluting the barrel.

Kidding aside....if you flute the barrel, won't that make it lighter,and make the "butt heavy" issue worse?

The bolt handle sits between your hands... again,I doubt it will make any difference in shifting weight to the front.

Have you tried shooting the rifle,loading the magazine and adding a sling to see how it feels that way?

I think the ring, base set up on your rifle is making it heavier toward the butt. The front base is extended back toward the rear
(extended base) and the back base has the ring placed to the rear.

I'd try some Talley steel bases (not extended) and rings.

Or try some Talley lightweights with the rear ring toward the action.

Or just flip the rear ring base and put a standard front base at the front instead of the extended base...

Then,,, the scope will not be in the correct position for you....you have to buy a new scope...Har!!

I recently pulled a 3x9 Burris from a mod. 70 and replaced the front Talley steel base with the extended base to the rear and mounted a 2.5X Leu. It changed the balance quite a bit to the rear.

I'm in agreement with Bob. He needs to sell the rifle as I don't think much can be done to improve the situation. He wants more weight in the front and the only way you can do that is put a heavier barrel on it. DO NOT flute it, that would be pretty unproductive in terms of what the OP is describing, "butt end heavy". Lighten up the barrel and that would make it worse IMHO.... I also agree with sendero, in that he might be better off with a lighter weight scope and ring set-up, but truly how much can you reduce the weight of what he already has?????? My 3-9x36 Swaro with talley lightweighs is pretty good as a light weight option. The OP's scope is lighter than mine by 2 oz's, but the talley lightweight's make the difference. I can see him losing 3 oz's max by switching to the talley lightweights. Again, Not a big enough difference to notice. Really a strange thread as far as I'm concerned, because by all rights, it should be barrel heavy in the configuration shown and described. Anyone else puzzled as fu ck?? Does your legend really have the edge fill??? How much is the "all up weight" of the rifle right now as it sits???? I'd be thinking you got a standard fill legend if the rifle is butt end heavy...How much does the stock weigh by itself??

Also, I forgot to ask what is the LOP on your stock and what kind of pad? Looks like the LOP could be a little long for you by looking at the way the scope is mounted.

I have a Legend stock also with a #2 contour barrel. Mine has a 2.5x8 Leu with Talley steel bases and rings (just barely fits in there) and I noticed that the turrets on my scope are about 3/4" further forward than yours. My rifle balances right at the front action screw...maybe slightly behind but not much.

The guy that did my stock put some pitch on the butt so it's not a neutral pitch. I'm 5'11" and it came with a 13 3/4" LOP and I had it shortened to 13 1/2".

Yep, I would have thought it would be heavier at the muzzle.

It damn sure should be with a light azzed Legend edge on it. This rifle in it's factory synthetic balances out just right. Again, it has the factory Tupperware on it:



Sorry, I'm still puzzled..


Seriously, if the OP's rifle doesn't balance out or feel right to him, he really needs to get rid of it and buy a Tikka..

The rifle is definitely the Edge fill. Purchased from TDN.
As it sits, the rifle weighs right at 8.0LBS on an accurate scale. 13.5 LOP
I've ordered a set of talley LW rings, and will reevaluate the balance and report back.
I've gotten used to Melvin Forbes rifles that weigh considerably less than the Winchester. Totally different feel. I do own quite a few more model 70s, I'll pull those out and see how they balance. I love the rifle, it will make its way to Canada in October for Moose.

That weight is about what mine have come out at with factory contour barrel.

Nice rifle.

I had a very similar setup (mcmillan supergrade edge and vxlll 3x5x10 in talleys) and thought it balanced decently, for me. I tend not to like them balancing ahead of the front action screw.

Just about like my 338 as well. Different stock configuration, but it balances out perfectly for me. You'd think the Echols legend edge would be more of the same..

I'd be interested in the Legend edge stock, if it doesn't work out for you.

You bastid..... I was getting around to that...

BobinNH, do you think the OP would be happier with a Brown pounder???????? I can't see it (his rifle as it is now) having a heavy butt end problem, but let's just say he replaced the stock with a Brown pounder. Would it make a difference? Out of curiousity Bob, how does this 7mm rifle with the edge fill Echols legend balance out for you. How does the other rifle balance for Matt (bro) :

Would be interesting to see the actual balance point marked with a piece of tape on the stock. Should tell the tale.

I would take a picture of it in a creek with a fish by it, then sell it to Boxer for $12,000.00 as a specialty long range masterpiece, then take the money and go by a nice Sako that balances and shoots better, to boot...

I'd love to see how it balances out too. A simple picture like this would suffice:



This rifle's balance point is just right for how I carry them..

Good example and looks about right for neutral or a little muzzle forward. Where one grips the forend-when mounted- can also slightly change ones preceptions.

From pics of the OP rifle, unless something odd is going on I can' t imagine the balance point being much different than what you show.

Ring position will not be enough to make any major difference and fluting would definitely be moving in the wrong direction.