Hunting & Fishing Winchester mod 70 update

[ptrlcop]

I have a Winchester mod 70 classic featherweight in 270 that my dad bought me when I was 11. For the last few years it has gotten left at home in favor of whatever rifle I was shooting for work. It is hard for me to justify taking a rifle that only holds 1.5 moa over my sub moa guns that I shoot more often.

I am looking to have some upgrades done to my rifle to make me want to shoot it more. I want to keep the overall spirit of the rifle the same. I'm thinking a picatinny base to give more freedom with optics mounting and some trigger work. I am also thinking of having the 26inch barrel cut to 22 or 24 and recrowned. Any other upgrades I should look into? I would like to keep it under 1k so I can spend the rest on glass.

Any good mod 70 Smiths I should talk to?

 

[Wyfox]

I would hold out for the LongRifles Inc Winchester group buy and have a new tube screwed on and some fresh cerakote.

 

[kraigWY]

The best thing you could do it take the barrel off, square the receiver with the internal threads, Put the barrel back on and tweak the headspace. I think you'll find you're Model 70 will shoot much better.

Brownell's sells the receiver facing mandrel and they work.

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...ng-tools/receiver-facing-mandrel-prod415.aspx

Having said that, Model 70 Featherweights are hunting rifles, not target rifles. 1.5 MOA will keep you in the vital area of the average deer to 600 yards. Older Featherweights tend to walk when you shoot more then 5-7 rounds, the newer FN Model 70s don't, (they are pre-bedded).

But if you need more then 5 rounds while hunting you have problems a sub MOA gun wont fix. I've been hunting with Model 70s for ever (or at least since '74, and I never had a barrel get warm on me while hunting.

 

[wfjames22]

I would hold out for the LongRifles Inc Winchester group buy and have a new tube screwed on and some fresh cerakote.

this would be my suggestion as well

 

[roggom]

Not sure if you reload or not. There has to be a combo to get that shooing sub moa. My M70 is very finicky, about the same as yours with factory ammo, but I have found a few loads that will cloverleaf every time. Its pretty strange with my M70, its all or nothing. Good thing is I have a few loads but took some time to find it.

Hell, there is nothing wrong with taking it to a smith, just would be better to use that money on the glass if possible.