I'm interested in experiences that folks have had with M70 XTR/pushfeed featherweights in 7x57. I may have a chance to look at one locally over the weekend and want to have thought this through before buying yet another mid caliber rifle. This one is from the 80s and is advertised as being in good shape, schnable stock, and with iron sights.

I've read a smattering of references about the PF Winchester 7x57 in the 24 HC archives that have made me wonder about their accuracy a little, also about how well higher weight bullets are stabilized with the rate of twist of the Winchester barrel.

I have no niche to fill as I'm sure that it's no better than the 2 260s, the 7/08, the 30/06s that share room in my safe, but I've been drawn to the caliber for a while and it's being offered for what I believe to be a fair price.

Thanks for your time and thoughts

David

I've owned a couple Winchester/USRA 70 FWTs in 7x57, both with and without open sights. I think that they are nice rifles and the schnabled fore-end on the 70 FWTs is a thing of beauty that just screams to be chambered in 7x57!

Those that I had were throated for the old 175 grain factory loads, so shorter/lighter bullets had quite a bit of freebore jump to the rifling. I find the 154 grain Hornady SpirePoint to be a nice all-around medium game bullet in my bolt action 7x57s. I once had a rebarreled Remington 760 in 7x57 that would shoot "better than it should have" groups with the 154 grain round nose.

The thing is, if you buy this rifle, you'll probably be moved to buy a Tyrolian/Bavarian Jager hat and a hat brush pin to complete the European theme.

Jeff

PS: IIRC, the comb on the 70 FWT stock is not open sight friendly, so the open sights are probably more cosmetic then practical/useful, if that is an important consideration for you.

I had one about twenty years ago. It looked better then it shot. It was ok with factory 140s. Like 260Remguy says it would have probably done better with a heavier bullet. I'd buy another one if the price was reasonable.

That's the Featherweight model.. Excellent...

Define, 'fair price'.. Anything under $700 (if rifle's at 98% condition) is good. $600 for 90-95% would be good..

I've got one for sale in GB at nearly 100% (nothing's perfect) and it's already at $765.. I think it will end up around $825-850.. (and NO, it's not the one I just bought at the Gunstop) I'm keeping that one.. LOL...

I bought one in the mid 1990s and I still have it. That particular 7x57 is my favorite hunting rifle. I use 140 grain Nosler Partitions and it will put 3 into a bit less than 1 inch at 100 yards.I love the lines of the Featherweight.

I have one that Redneck did a bit of work to, bedding, re-cut crown and cleaned up the trigger. I had a heck of a time finding a load that the gun really liked but found that 120 NBT over RL15 makes one ragged hole.

I hope to find a 160 gr load that the gun likes but I have just not have have the time to mess with it.

Mine wears a FX-III 6x42 in Burris signature rings and is a nice, light, accurate rig that pretty much anyone can shoot well due to light recoil.

Get one, you will love it!

I would personally prefer a CRF rifle, so I'm more into the M70 Featherweight Classic in 6.5x55 SE.

Don't really blame you, but the Roberts wasn't available in a CRF rifle..

Those 6.5X55 Classics are bringing MUCHO-BUXOS - even the blue/walnuts in that cartridge are going in the $900+ range.. I've got a NIB Classic SS/Walnut 6.5X55 - I think I'll hang onto it for a few years yet... Those are bringing in excess of ten Franklins, even in this economy...

Better than money in the stock market...

Much better than the stock market!! Plus, M70's make us feel good when we look at them........grin

My M70 FWT classic in 6.5X55 is a keeper!
One of my all time favorite rifles, I put a McMillan FWT stock on mine.
Perfect!!

I had one exactly like you're describing, mine shot quite well with 139 Hornadys and a stiff charge of 760. It liked the 145 Speer boattail, too, with IMR-4350. It seemed that the stiffer the charge, the better it shot. Killed deer and coyotes without heartache or headache, too. Nice rifles, I wish the stocks fit me better than they do, though, I'd still have it.

I have mostly been shooting 140gr Interlocks and Partitions out of mine using RL22-accuracy is quite good but the velocity is just so-so(around 2650.)

I want to try some lighter bullets(120-125) one of these days and see how they do.

Or, just buy a Classic, rebarrel to 7X57 and you have it! That's what I did.

I had one, I bought it in 1980 or so, Once I had it bedded it shot fine, I had a 6 x 42 leupold on it with heavy duplex. 140 gr Nosler Partitions, I would fire a shot, then field dress a White Tail. I collected a lot of game with it. Seems like they are around, for a price.

Ive had a couple of them, and settled on one in 1994, did a couple things to it to dress it up a bit ( at least what I considered dressed up) and it has since been my absolute favorite big game rifle. Shot lotsa push feeds and never had an issue with them. Like some posters, mine doesnt care for light bullets, but LOVES 175s of any kind and Barnes TSXs in a 160 gr. I work with a guy who recently bought one and his does like lighter boolits, Win. 145 factorys to be precse....go figure.
Anyway, it is my favorite. Period. Hope you can say the same one day....
Ingwe

I recently bought a push-feed M70 XTR featherweight in 7x57 in like new condition. It has standard good but not fancy wood. Good fleur-de-lis checkering and a schnable forend .The action has standard Winchester bluing.

What sets it apart is that the barrel has a beautiful bluing job on it. I think it's french grey. I've never seen this bluing this nice on a Winchester before. Also has very nice open sights mounted on it. I don't see where it is marked Custom Shop. But I'm betting it was a special order to Winchester for someone.

Anyone have any guess's?

My best guess is that its a fluke, or somebody messed with it....couldnt be worth more that a couple hundred, tops.
Ill do you a favor and take it off your hands for $175....
Ingwe

I bought 2 6.5 Classic Featherweights in 1997.Hunt with one, the other is in the safe with hangtags on it.Bought my 7x57 new in the mid 80's and it love's 150 Ballistic tips and a hefty charge of IMR 4350

ingwe: Thank's for the offer. I'll get back to you...

Ingwe

I have a xtr fwt in 257 Bob and i am looking for one in 7x57. Both were only made in 1984 and were made in relativly limited numbers. My 257 shoots 3/4 inch groups with 110 acubonds. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of price is he asking for it?

I have one of the Featherweights in 7x57 and it would take an act of God to pry it from my hands. I bought it off a friend sans scope and pounted a 3x9 Leupold on the gun. groups were horrible, literally all over the place. I was cussing my friend out something awful. I took it to my gun smith for a trigger and glas bed job and when I got it back it was just as bad. I'm about ready yo take it back to the guy and give it back as a suppository, I'm that mad, when I got the bright idea to change scopes. I dunno why I thought that might be the problem as the scope on the gun was NIB when I put it on the gun. Well, I changed scopes, went to the range and HOLY COW! The first group was slightly less than one inch. The enxt was just as good and every group after that has been MOA or less with what ever I put in that gun, with one exception. I bought a couple of bags of Winchester 150 gr. Power Points and they are terrible. I weighed 100 of the bullets and the weight ran plus or minus two full grains over the nominal weight. I'd tried them in three different 7x57 rifles and my .280 Rem. before doing the weight check. Simply garbage!
I have a small supply of the long discontinued Sierra 170 gr. Pro-Hunter round nose bullets and over a stiff load of W-760, I get beautiful almost perfectly formed three leaf clovers.
FWIW, I also have an FN Mauser (J.C. Higgins M50 action) rebarreled to 7x57 that is sub-MOA with the Winchester 145 gr. Power-Point ammo. That same ammo is MOA in the M70.
I would have to say that if the price is right, I'd snap up another M70 in 7x57 and never look back.
Paul B.

Thanks for the info fellas, if everything works out I'll meet up with the guy selling the rifle in a couple of days and see what it looks like. The pics look good thus far. Thanks for the advice you dadgum bunch of 'enablers'.

David

I have one.. it thinks it is a varmint rifle with the groups it gives...the action was bedded by the previous owner who didn't use it much, because of "odd ball" chambering..

bought it in 2002 or so, for $300.00... the local shop couldn't move it because most of the folks in the door, would hand it back to the sales person when they heard the chambering and would ask " what the hell kinda caliber is that???"

it shoots anything I feed it like a varmint rifle...

my standard hunting load has been 140 grain ballistic tips with a charge of 44 grains of IMR 4895...for an MV of 2800 fps... seated to magazine length..

the elk hunting load is a 160 grain Speer Mag Tip over a charge of 40 grains of IMR 3031 for an MV of 2700 fps....

toyed with a light load of 28 grains of SR 4759 and a 110 grain TNT HP from Speer last deer season.. it has the same POI as the 140 gr Bullet's load... it took at 210 lb blacktail...heart shot..

Got the number of that shop? I may check in once in a while and see if any other M70s in 'odd' chamberings are gathering dust...

I remember being in a shop in the 90's and seeing a NIB M70 in 7X57 for $250.00! Being a lefty is a true curse!

Don't tease me bro....

Well, met the fellow this afternoon and have aforementioned rifle in possession. Real nice guy that has frequented the Single Shot section of 24HC in the past. Great to have met him and BSd on guns for a bit.

Thanks again for all the help in buying a rifle I don't need at a deal that I couldn't pass up. Hope to get it out and shoot it in the next couple of weeks after I get an idle 4x Leupie mounted on it . It's my first non lever Winchester and seems like a nice one, the Featherweight is a handy model.

Had one and sold it. Not one of my better moves.

Congrat's on a fine purchase, chambered for a cartridge that I am quite fond of.

Google up Cascade Ammunition... same place as Roseburg Gun Shop... Roseburg Oregon..

same town P.O. Ackley had his first gunshop...

TYK...