Winchester Featherweight?

[tcrocker]

I was at the local Bass Pro today and they had a Winchester Featherweight in stock just under 670. I asked them to put it on hold for me till friday. I've looked it up on the web and youtube as far as I can tell it's a great gun. Does eny one shoot this gun ? Your input would be great. I'm getting it in 30-06.

[Piedmont]

I shoot one in .30-06 and like it very much. To my mind it is about as pretty as hunting rifles get (mine is blue/walnut). I've often wondered if this is determined by one's era. I had just become an adult, with years of reading O'Connor, Skelton, Keith and Cooper, when this model came out and it had the styling, weight, and look of something Jack O'Connor would love. I sure loved the way it looked.

A friend has one in 6.5 Swede and it would be hard to find a more perfect jacketed bullet deer rifle than that.

[tcrocker]

The one I'm looking at is blue and walnut as well. I never liked bolt guns very much but there is something I like about this gun. I've been shooting a Marlin 1895 GS for years now open sights.

[EOD3]

I have a wood/blue Featherweight in 280 (AKA 7MM Express) that I'm happy with. I haven't priced on in a LONG time but $670 sounds a little low to me. I presume we're talking about the Mauser action NOT the push-feed? :coffee:

[jameslovesjammie]

Even if it is a push feed action I would still consider it if the rifle is in good shape. My father and uncle both have the M70 Featherweights in .223 that are push feed. We've hit coyotes out to 375 yards and gophers at the same distance. The triggers are easy to work on, too.

[oldhickory]

I have a .308 M70 FWT made around 1990 and as far as I'm concerned, it's about as nice a lookin factory rifle as ever made. I did do a few modifications to mine though, dug the factory "bedding" out and glassed it with a pressure point under the bbl, installed NECG sights on it in addition to a Burris Mini scope.

My M70 FWT is the rifle I reach for when deer hunting is on the agenda.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I had a pre-64 Featherweight in .243. I hope the A** Hol* that "borrowed" it enjoys it as much as I did! I have a new model Featherweight in .270, nice but no comparison to the pre-64 model.Robert

[birddog 6]

Winchester Featherweights are in production again being made in Utah. The new ones have a black pad; the previous ones have a red one; the pre64 aluminum. Your price sounds pretty fair from what I have seen on the net. I have a 243 & a 7 mauser. Great guns. I love the 7 mauser; 150gr Nosler BT with 49gr IMR4350 shoots 3/8" very consistently. Enjoy your new toy.

GC

[NickSS]

I had one in 270 in a composite stock back in the early 90s. It handled and shot extremely well. It gave me 3/4 three shot groups at 100 yards with factory Remington core lock 130 gr loads. I sold it when I bought a new sako rifle in 7-08 that I liked better.

[Lloyd Smale]

i had one of the push feeds in 257 roberts. it was a love hate reloationship. I never had a gun that felt so good in the hand or went to the shoulder so well for me but that dammed thing would shoot anything under 2 inchs at a 100 and most around the 3 inch mark. Id love to have a blued wood one in 280 like EOD3

[218bee]

I got a 257Robts 70XTR featherweight and it does ok...I'm thinking of selling it though..my particular one shoots 1" at 100yds fairly regular but 3 shot groups. The whippy barrel heats up fast and shots start to spread. I think mine is from the 80's. But 2 antelope, 2 Muleys and 4 Whitetails all downed with one shot each using Sierra 100grs.

[elk hunter]

The wife has one in 7 x 57 that shoots good enough. She bought the very lightly used Winchester with Simmons Whitetail scope from a Pawn shop about four years ago for $350.00. She bought it only as a backup to her Brno sporter in the same caliber and as yet has not taken any game with it. Quite a few friends have them in different calibers and everyone likes them.

[fatnhappy]

Mine is the last gun I'd ever let go. It was the first new centerfire rifle I ever bought with my own sweat of the brow cash. It's a very consistent rifle but not a bell ringer. the barrel is wonderfully smooth, never fouls and it's a joy to use.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h152/lhsjfk3t/hunting/05_Buck.jpg

[winelover]

Mrs. Winelover has 2 of the "Classic" stainless featherweights (.243 & .308) both are very accurate with J-words. The .243 shoots cloverleafs with the 55 gr. Nostler BT & 40 grains of AA 2520 powder. The .308 is no slouch either. Wouldn't part with them!

Winelover:Fire:

[awaveritt]

I used to have a 270 Win Featherweight that I let get away in lean times that I just loved. Someone else said it, but the Model 70 (especially the Fwt) is just about the prettiest rifle I've ever laid eyes on. I'll probably have another one someday and the new ones are apparently very well built, from what I've read. I think the price is pretty good based on my window shopping around here (Gander Mtn and Cabelas, for example, are somewhat over $700.

You can't go wrong with it. A true classic.

[Mumblypeg]

I have one in .243 that I bought over 20 years ago. It is the only gun I have ever owned that will shoot 3 different bullet weights to the same point of aim. My wife used it as her first rifle till I came home with a Ruger #1 in 25-06. It is a great gun to carry although I prefer a heaver barrel for most hunting. I do not plan on ever getting rid of it. A great gun... however, I have 5 Rem 700's. Does that explain it? They are pretty and you probably can't go wrong.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I have a 1988 Model 70 XTR Featherweight push feed version in 30-06 with the dark laminated stock (Win-Tuff?)- beautiful gun and very accurate!
Mine likes the 180 gr. BTSP Sierra's over 55.6 gr. of Accurate XMR 4350.
It weighs 8 lb. fully outfitted when hunting- an easy carry.
It's soon to get a dose of cast boolits in 311365 when I can get back into my shop to reload, etc.

I've had two other featherweights with walnut stocks (like the one in fatnhappy's picture)- one was older and the throat was eroded (but still very accurate). I should have kept it and had it opened up to a different caliber.
I traded it for the one I have now (which is not going anywhere but hunting with me). They shot very well too- but not as good as this one.

You can't go wrong with one of these babies!

[buckweet]

my uncle has a old ''ranger'' push/feed winchester, not the featherweight, but the dang thing shoots like a housea'fire.
awsome acuracy, its in 30-06 , loves 180's

[tcrocker]

Here's a pic and the total damage was $747.99 tax and all. 10% sales tax.
http://http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/th_P1010069.jpg (http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/?action=view&current=P1010069.jpg)http://http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/th_P1010070.jpg (http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/?action=view&current=P1010070.jpg)

[stubshaft]

I have had a number of featherweights and love the way the stock fits me. Tha last one that I bought was for the then new 300 WSM. it shoots like a house on fire after I scraped out that original garbage rubberized bedding and glass bedded it.

You got yourself a deal there.

[doubs43]

I have had a number of featherweights and love the way the stock fits me. Tha last one that I bought was for the then new 300 WSM. it shoots like a house on fire after I scraped out that original garbage rubberized bedding and glass bedded it.

I had a similar experience with a Model 70 Lightweight that I bought new in December, 1992 for $307 from CDNN. Chambered in 7x57, it patterned like a shotgun. Long story short, I removed the factory "glass bedding" and did a proper bedding job. I also relieved the barrel channel that was pressing with some force against the left side of the barrel. Now it cuts a cloverleaf with 3 shots at 100 yards. It's not as nicely stocked as the Featherweight but it has a nice trigger and is a shooter!

[tcrocker]

I haven't shot it yet but the trigger is one of the best ones I've seen from the factory I don't see eny need to ajust it at all. I got a Weatherby two years back and it was so bad I could not adjust it to make it work good felt like sand paper so I orded a Timney and installed it. It worked great. The free floating on this gunis great I can slide a pease of papper all the way to the receaver.