My Winchester model 70 hunting rifle "project"...FINISHED!!!

[Ridgerunner665]

It took me almost exactly 1 year to do this...and 600 yards is the "long range" it was built for.

It started out like this...new Winchester Ultimate Shadow in 30-06, and a cheap Nikon 3-9x40.

First I upgraded the scope...to a Vortex Viper HS 4-16x44 and put it in TPS super low rings....


Then I got a McMillan stock, the Winchester Supergrade model.

Then I bedded it...fully...it was my first time bedding a stock, never knew it was so much work to get the fit just right (center, cant, level)

Now its finished...and will make its first hunting trip in the morning.

It was a decent shooter before...but now, this rifle will shoot any ammo you feed it into lil tiny groups...and to the same point of aim (@ 100 yds), regardless of bullet weight.

I've shot reloads with 150 SST's, 165 AB's, 168 BT's, and 175 Berger VLD's...every single load hit 2.75" high at 100 yards (sighted in for 250)...I fired a 5 round group that measured barely 1 MOA, using 5 different bullets (one of each from above and 1 Remington factory 180 grain CoreLokt load).

My 168 grain BT load shoots .3"
The 150 SST's shoot .7"
The 165 AB's shoot .5"
The 175 Bergers shoot .3"

Factory ammo...
Winchester cheap stuff...165 grain shoots .7"
Remington cheap stuff...180n grain shoots .5"
Winchester PowerMax Bonded 180 grain shoots .4" (this is really good factory ammo, also shot well in this rifle before bedding)

Like I said...after bedding, it'll shoot anything you feed it...before bedding, it shot pretty bad with most factory ammo, and pretty good with some reloads...now it just plain shoots!

I went to the range I recently joined the other day...and was making 600 yard head shots (steel heads, steel silhouettes shaped like an upper torso) even with that cheap factory ammo.

I was too busy shooting to take any pics...but I am a happy camper!

 

[kcebcj]

I'm a total Model 70 and 06 fan. I have a pre 64 that could be the twin to your rifle almost except I used a adj. HTG stock but they are really close in finish. Now waiting on the new Vortex HS FFP scope.

Looks like you did a great job and it shoots. You need to fool with that new 190gr Accubond "ALR" that will be coming out soon.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Oh yeah....

I'll be all over them 190 ALR's...like white on rice!

 

[Korhil78]

Congrats on your hard work. It looks awesome and shoot awesome. You can't beat that!

 

[Daveinjax]

For your first time bedding an action you did an awsome job ! I have done it eight or ten times now and I have not got the edges that clean. I usually have a few tiny bubbles also. It doesn't affect accuracy so I leave them. Great job!

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Thanks for the compliments everybody...

My rifle made its first kill this morning...its just a spike, but I'm running low on meat and wanted to get a kill with this thing gun)

Not a real long range shot by the standards here...but I thought I'd share the story anyway.



My hunt this morning...
I got in the stand about an hour before daylight and sat there until about 0815 just watching the cows (baby calves are quite amusing) and squirrels...then I saw a deer coming out of the oaks about 450 yards away, put the scope on him and saw it was a spike and first decided to let him walk...but after watching him for about 15-20 minutes the desire to try out my rifle won me over

By this time he was at 350 yards and would NOT turn broadside at all...so when he turned just a little I held the crosshairs appx. 6 inches over his shoulders and 4 inches into the wind (pretty stiff crosswind coming from about 1 o'clock) and let it rip...when i got the scope back where he should have been, he was nowhere to be seen...but he had been standing in sage grass thats about 3 feet tall. I marked the spot, climbed down, hopped on my trusty steed (Polaris 500) and rode over...there he laid.

I made the shot using Primos shooting sticks placed on my knee (used as a monopod, the legs strapped together), if you've never tried that, I highly recommend it for distance shooting from a stand with no gun rest.

The bullet...168 grain Ballistic Tip.
I've been shooting these bullets for years from the 308 and I've NEVER seen one do what this one did...EVER. The bullet hit high the shoulder, right where I wanted it, but it only penetrated about 12"...I was not able to find the bullet, I traced down the wound channel plumb to the end but no bullet...it went through several inches of spine and appears to have came to rest shortly after that on the left side of the spine...I'm sure there was a bullet there, I just didn't find it or lost it during skinning...and that is the poorest penetration I've ever witnessed from a BT in over 20 years of shooting them...now don't take that wrong, I still say they are the best deer bullets out there...but I no longer think they're suitable for anything bigger than maybe a caribou. I know several inches of spine is hard on a bullet but that BT shed way too much weight too fast under those conditions. The 30-06 launches them 250 fps faster than the 308 did...and that surely did make the difference...again, I still love these bullets, but they don't hold together as good when you start them above 2,600 fps....the near side shoulder was literally mangled (inside), bone fragments all through the shoulder, lungs, and liver...front 1/3 of the backstraps were turned to mush...wasn't a good shot angle, but it was all he gave me to work with...I could have hit him lower, but was afraid I'd end up with spilled guts.

The stand...thats my wife up there, took the pic yesterday afternoon.

The view...from right under the stand, also taken yesterday.

Entrance wound...

And the end result...

 

[winmag]

Great job on the rifle! I may look harder at that very stock for my Model-70 build.
I'm envious

 

[T3-OleMan]

Fine job. Good shooting.

 

[Dixie Rebel]

It took me almost exactly 1 year to do this...and 600 yards is the "long range" it was built for.

It started out like this...new Winchester Ultimate Shadow in 30-06, and a cheap Nikon 3-9x40.

First I upgraded the scope...to a Vortex Viper HS 4-16x44 and put it in TPS super low rings....


Then I got a McMillan stock, the Winchester Supergrade model.

Then I bedded it...fully...it was my first time bedding a stock, never knew it was so much work to get the fit just right (center, cant, level)

Now its finished...and will make its first hunting trip in the morning.

It was a decent shooter before...but now, this rifle will shoot any ammo you feed it into lil tiny groups...and to the same point of aim (@ 100 yds), regardless of bullet weight.

I've shot reloads with 150 SST's, 165 AB's, 168 BT's, and 175 Berger VLD's...every single load hit 2.75" high at 100 yards (sighted in for 250)...I fired a 5 round group that measured barely 1 MOA, using 5 different bullets (one of each from above and 1 Remington factory 180 grain CoreLokt load).

My 168 grain BT load shoots .3"
The 150 SST's shoot .7"
The 165 AB's shoot .5"
The 175 Bergers shoot .3"

Factory ammo...
Winchester cheap stuff...165 grain shoots .7"
Remington cheap stuff...180n grain shoots .5"
Winchester PowerMax Bonded 180 grain shoots .4" (this is really good factory ammo, also shot well in this rifle before bedding)

Like I said...after bedding, it'll shoot anything you feed it...before bedding, it shot pretty bad with most factory ammo, and pretty good with some reloads...now it just plain shoots!

I went to the range I recently joined the other day...and was making 600 yard head shots (steel heads, steel silhouettes shaped like an upper torso) even with that cheap factory ammo.

I was too busy shooting to take any pics...but I am a happy camper!

I know this is an old post (2012) however; I'd like to know if you sill have the rifle in the Supergrade stock? I'm looking at getting either a McMillan Supergrade or Hunter for my 30-06.

That rifle looks like it turned out great!

By chance do you have any pictures of the forearm width? Just wondering how the Supergrade compares to the McMillan "Classic".

 

[Nomosendero]

Thanks Ridgerunner for the story. I have a 30-06AI M70 Featherweight set up for the same kind of hunting. I am currently trying the 168 BT for a hunting load. I would not be too hard on the bullet from this one experience, every once in a while the best bullets do something weird if you shoot alot of animals. It was not the velocity as you shot the Deer at 350 or so, you say that the bullet starts 250fps faster, but were all your 308 kills at this yardage and further, I would bet a few came up close to you in the woods, so then the vel. diff would not be there, or did you kill them all at over 300? Anyway due to the shape of the spine bones I have seen unusual stuff even from tough bullets.
Just a thought.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I know this is an old post (2012) however; I'd like to know if you sill have the rifle in the Supergrade stock? I'm looking at getting either a McMillan Supergrade or Hunter for my 30-06.

That rifle looks like it turned out great!

By chance do you have any pictures of the forearm width? Just wondering how the Supergrade compares to the McMillan "Classic".

Sorry for the late reply...
I don't have anything definitive on the forearm width...yes the rifle is still in that stock, if I were home I'd measure it for you, but I'm not home (OTR truck driver)


In other news...I have upgraded my scope to a Zeiss HD5 3-15x42 with the Z600 reticle...I haven't mounted it yet, heck, I haven't even laid hands on the scope yet...just ordered it about 30 minutes ago, lol....went with Talley lightweight medium rings this time.

Sold the Vortex to a friend...very good scope...but the Zeiss is better suited to the task at hand for this rifle.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Thanks Ridgerunner for the story. I have a 30-06AI M70 Featherweight set up for the same kind of hunting. I am currently trying the 168 BT for a hunting load. I would not be too hard on the bullet from this one experience, every once in a while the best bullets do something weird if you shoot alot of animals. It was not the velocity as you shot the Deer at 350 or so, you say that the bullet starts 250fps faster, but were all your 308 kills at this yardage and further, I would bet a few came up close to you in the woods, so then the vel. diff would not be there, or did you kill them all at over 300? Anyway due to the shape of the spine bones I have seen unusual stuff even from tough bullets.
Just a thought.

Oh I wasn't knocking that bullet...I LOVE the 168 grain Ballistic Tip...best darn deer bullet ever made!

 

[milkie62]

Your 100 yd groups look great.But does that mean they will double in size at 200 yds ? Have you shot longer distances to see what kind of groups you shoot ?

 

[Ridgerunner665]

It has no problem at all hitting the "head" of an upper torso shaped steel target at 600 yards...group size hangs around 3-4 inches.