Which rifle?
08-11-2011, 06:16 AM
#22
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Long Island
Posts: 14
Well I finally made a decision and bought the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .308.
As much as I liked the look and price of the Rugar Haweye, I didn't like the feel of the trigger at all.....it seemed to take a lot of effort to get it to fire. My friend has the older Ruger (the last model) and it’s trigger is a dream, so I was very disappointed.
As for the Savage, I didn't like the way it felt in my hands, but I really liked feel of the Accutrigger. A nice gun overall, but there was something about it I didn’t like.
So, that left me to compared the x-bolt and the Model 70. Both had nice finished wood with nice carved checkering. Both have very smooth bolt actions. The X-both had a nice 2 position safety, that you could release the bolt (by pressing a button on it) without taking it off safety. The M70 had a 3 position safety that did the same, so about even. Both seemed to have nice triggers
X-bolt Positives
The X-bolt is tad lighter (4 Oz) than the M70, not much but, I guess a slight plus for X-Bolt.
The X-bold seemed to have better scope mounts with each using 4 screws
The X-Bolt looked sleeker and was a tad shorter overall.
M70 Positives
The M70, has a mauser style controlled feed action, which I think is a plus for the M70.
The M70 has a larger loading/ejection port. It looked easier for my short fat fingers.
The M70 uses a hinged floor plate magazine.
My major concern was that the X-bold uses a Plastic 4 round magazine. It clicked in nice...but it's plastic??? How long will it last? Will I be able to get a new one in 20 years and what will it cost? Right now they said a new magazine cost $40. I could see myself loosing it in the woods or even stepping on it and breaking it.
It was a tough process to decide and fun too! Lastly I put a Leupold VX-3 2.5–8x36mm on the rifle. So far, I’ve only put 5 rounds through it and it shoots real nice. I’m planning to take it to the range this week end!
Thanks for all your comments!
As much as I liked the look and price of the Rugar Haweye, I didn't like the feel of the trigger at all.....it seemed to take a lot of effort to get it to fire. My friend has the older Ruger (the last model) and it’s trigger is a dream, so I was very disappointed.
As for the Savage, I didn't like the way it felt in my hands, but I really liked feel of the Accutrigger. A nice gun overall, but there was something about it I didn’t like.
So, that left me to compared the x-bolt and the Model 70. Both had nice finished wood with nice carved checkering. Both have very smooth bolt actions. The X-both had a nice 2 position safety, that you could release the bolt (by pressing a button on it) without taking it off safety. The M70 had a 3 position safety that did the same, so about even. Both seemed to have nice triggers
X-bolt Positives
The X-bolt is tad lighter (4 Oz) than the M70, not much but, I guess a slight plus for X-Bolt.
The X-bold seemed to have better scope mounts with each using 4 screws
The X-Bolt looked sleeker and was a tad shorter overall.
M70 Positives
The M70, has a mauser style controlled feed action, which I think is a plus for the M70.
The M70 has a larger loading/ejection port. It looked easier for my short fat fingers.
The M70 uses a hinged floor plate magazine.
My major concern was that the X-bold uses a Plastic 4 round magazine. It clicked in nice...but it's plastic??? How long will it last? Will I be able to get a new one in 20 years and what will it cost? Right now they said a new magazine cost $40. I could see myself loosing it in the woods or even stepping on it and breaking it.
It was a tough process to decide and fun too! Lastly I put a Leupold VX-3 2.5–8x36mm on the rifle. So far, I’ve only put 5 rounds through it and it shoots real nice. I’m planning to take it to the range this week end!
Thanks for all your comments!
11-29-2011, 09:03 AM
#24
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Long Island
Posts: 14
Now that I’ve taken my new rife hunting I thought an update was in order.
After my first 10 min of hunting I discovered a flaw with my new Winchester M-70 rifle that I thought you folks might like to know about
When the safety is set in the Intermediate position (the trigger is locked but you can still work the bolt) I discovered that the bolt is very loose. I never noticed this at the range. It is so loose in fact that it fell open and expelled a few rounds when I put the rifle over my shoulder. The bold was so loose with the intermediate safety set, that I found it impossible to use. Even sitting still, the bolt would gradually creep up forcing me to use the full safety setting. So rather than a quick flip of the thumb, I had to rotate the safety all the way around. This is a pain in the neck, noisy and time consuming to accomplish. Just to be clear, I was only using the intermediate safety setting when I was in a “ready to shoot” mode, I always use the full safety when walking or stalking.
Not being happy I took the gun back to store where I purchased it. They agreed that I have an issue and sent it back to Winchester. That was 2 weeks ago and I've not heard a word.
Has any else experienced this with a Model 70?
After my first 10 min of hunting I discovered a flaw with my new Winchester M-70 rifle that I thought you folks might like to know about
When the safety is set in the Intermediate position (the trigger is locked but you can still work the bolt) I discovered that the bolt is very loose. I never noticed this at the range. It is so loose in fact that it fell open and expelled a few rounds when I put the rifle over my shoulder. The bold was so loose with the intermediate safety set, that I found it impossible to use. Even sitting still, the bolt would gradually creep up forcing me to use the full safety setting. So rather than a quick flip of the thumb, I had to rotate the safety all the way around. This is a pain in the neck, noisy and time consuming to accomplish. Just to be clear, I was only using the intermediate safety setting when I was in a “ready to shoot” mode, I always use the full safety when walking or stalking.
Not being happy I took the gun back to store where I purchased it. They agreed that I have an issue and sent it back to Winchester. That was 2 weeks ago and I've not heard a word.
Has any else experienced this with a Model 70?
11-29-2011, 12:54 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,143
The Winchester Extreme Weather is a real nice rifle.The stock isn't your typical factory synthetic stock {injection molded} It's a Bell & Carlson made of fiberglass with an aluminum bedding block.......it's a nice stock. Plus the rifle has a fluted SS barrel which IMO adds to the asthectics of the gun.
11-29-2011, 02:00 PM
#26
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 311
I have a model 70 from circa 04ish and I have never experienced this issue. But I also keep my gun on the full safety all the time so I have never really had the chance to notice it. The only time I use the middle safety is to unload. Mine regrettably does not have a floor plate so I have to work the bolt to remove the rounds, so that middle safety is nice to have for unloading it.
11-29-2011, 07:52 PM
#28
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 311
Honestly I have not payed much attention to it never had to worry about. I will definitely look this weekend and report here when I get back. Now that I think about it it is looser but I have never really thought of it as a problem. But I will double check when I get back after the weekend. To bad I cant bring it with me to college.
11-29-2011, 08:35 PM
#29
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,679
Now that I’ve taken my new rife hunting I thought an update was in order.
After my first 10 min of hunting I discovered a flaw with my new Winchester M-70 rifle that I thought you folks might like to know about
When the safety is set in the Intermediate position (the trigger is locked but you can still work the bolt) I discovered that the bolt is very loose. I never noticed this at the range. It is so loose in fact that it fell open and expelled a few rounds when I put the rifle over my shoulder. The bold was so loose with the intermediate safety set, that I found it impossible to use. Even sitting still, the bolt would gradually creep up forcing me to use the full safety setting. So rather than a quick flip of the thumb, I had to rotate the safety all the way around. This is a pain in the neck, noisy and time consuming to accomplish. Just to be clear, I was only using the intermediate safety setting when I was in a “ready to shoot” mode, I always use the full safety when walking or stalking.
Not being happy I took the gun back to store where I purchased it. They agreed that I have an issue and sent it back to Winchester. That was 2 weeks ago and I've not heard a word.
Has any else experienced this with a Model 70?
After my first 10 min of hunting I discovered a flaw with my new Winchester M-70 rifle that I thought you folks might like to know about
When the safety is set in the Intermediate position (the trigger is locked but you can still work the bolt) I discovered that the bolt is very loose. I never noticed this at the range. It is so loose in fact that it fell open and expelled a few rounds when I put the rifle over my shoulder. The bold was so loose with the intermediate safety set, that I found it impossible to use. Even sitting still, the bolt would gradually creep up forcing me to use the full safety setting. So rather than a quick flip of the thumb, I had to rotate the safety all the way around. This is a pain in the neck, noisy and time consuming to accomplish. Just to be clear, I was only using the intermediate safety setting when I was in a “ready to shoot” mode, I always use the full safety when walking or stalking.
Not being happy I took the gun back to store where I purchased it. They agreed that I have an issue and sent it back to Winchester. That was 2 weeks ago and I've not heard a word.
Has any else experienced this with a Model 70?
If you always walk with the safety in the third position then how did you dump the rounds when you put it over your shoulder?
I'm not sure how time consuming rotating the safety could possible be but OK.
It's probably taking so long because they are all sitting there asking each other why in the hell you sent the rifle back to them. BTW, two weeks isn't a long time to wait to return a gun to the factory. They never come back in two weeks.
I realize that you may be new to rifles and are to the model 70, and the above wasn't meant to sound rude. Just razzing you a little. But seriously, if that gun store sent that rifle back for what you described then I would find another gun store to patron because they don't know a model 70 from a hole in the ground.
Stupid ass dirty word filter. It's a C O C K ing piece for God's sake. Hey admin, a C O C K ing piece is a part of a firearm and we are on a firearms forum. You also have to C O C K a revolver to shoot it. Lever action rifles also have hammers that must be C O C Ked in order to fire them.