New Bolt Gun

[z71rad88]

Alright guys...let 'em fly here.

I've been in the market for a new bolt gun and have finally decided on a caliber, .270 Win. But for the other part of the project, which gun....I swear one hour I think I have it figured out, and then it all changes in a matter of minutes. Here's what I have narrowed it down to as far as specifications on the rifle, gotta have at least a 24 inch tube and that's about it for now, ha ha! I'm open to wood or synthetic stocks, I open to blued or stainless barrels, I take care of my equipment for those that are wondering and I'd really like to stick with a control round fed gun, unless someone else has a more valuable $.02 on a push feed system. I'd be using the gun for blacktail deer and pigs. This would be my first bolt gun of my own and it won't be my last. My most recent mind set is either Kimber Montana or Weatherby Fibermark, both made in USA!

 

[benchracer]

The current production Winchester Model 70's are some of the highest quality Model 70's ever made. They are being produced by FN in South Carolina. I have seen some guys with stainless models that had issues with barrel quality, though, so I would recommend staying with the standard blued steel/walnut sporter models.

I have a newer production Model 70 Sporter in .264WM. It is very well made and was accurate right out of the box.

 

[z71rad88]

The current production Winchester Model 70's are some of the highest quality Model 70's ever made. They are being produced by FN in South Carolina. I have seen some guys with stainless models that had issues with barrel quality, though, so I would recommend staying with the standard blued steel/walnut sporter models.

I have a newer production Model 70 Sporter in .264WM. It is very well made and was accurate right out of the box.

Thank you for the reply. I've looked at the Model 70, and what a great pair to match it with the .270 Win but aren't they being made/assembled in Portugal now? Any thoughts on the M70 being made in Portugal?

 

[benchracer]

Thank you for the reply. I've looked at the Model 70, and what a great pair to match it with the .270 Win but aren't they being made/assembled in Portugal now? Any thoughts on the M70 being made in Portugal?

No. They are made in South Carolina.


ETA:

I stand corrected. I did a bit of looking around and found out that final assembly has indeed been moved to Portugal as of 2013, though the parts themselves are still being made in South Carolina. Makes me glad I went to the trouble of getting my hands on one of the South Carolina rifles when I did.

 

[z71rad88]

No. They are made in South Carolina.


ETA:

I stand corrected. I did a bit of looking around and found out that final assembly has indeed been moved to Portugal as of 2013, though the parts themselves are still being made in South Carolina. Makes me glad I went to the trouble of getting my hands on one of the South Carolina rifles when I did.

I am jealous of you for that. I may not fully understand the competitiveness of the firearms market, but really!? The model 70 not being made in US anymore? There are something's that just make you shake your head like a monkey. This is the reason I was really considering the Montana or Weatherby Mark V.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Alright guys...let 'em fly here.

I've been in the market for a new bolt gun and have finally decided on a caliber, .270 Win. But for the other part of the project, which gun....I swear one hour I think I have it figured out, and then it all changes in a matter of minutes. Here's what I have narrowed it down to as far as specifications on the rifle, gotta have at least a 24 inch tube and that's about it for now, ha ha! I'm open to wood or synthetic stocks, I open to blued or stainless barrels, I take care of my equipment for those that are wondering and I'd really like to stick with a control round fed gun, unless someone else has a more valuable $.02 on a push feed system. I'd be using the gun for blacktail deer and pigs. This would be my first bolt gun of my own and it won't be my last. My most recent mind set is either Kimber Montana or Weatherby Fibermark, both made in USA!

Kimber rifles are not that impressive by any standards....Especially for the their pricetags.

And if you get a Weatherby, run a jag and wet patch down the bore first to check for tight spots in the bore. My Accumark has several in it and needs to be sent back to Weatherby.

 

[z71rad88]

Kimber rifles are not that impressive by any standards....Especially for the their pricetags.

And if you get a Weatherby, run a jag and wet patch down the bore first to check for tight spots in the bore. My Accumark has several in it and needs to be sent back to Weatherby.

Hmmm interesting comments, but they are much appreciated. It boggles my mind that a gun with the price tag of the Accumark doesn't get thoroughly checked for stuff like this, and how long has Weatherby been making rifles for? Just curious, is your Accumark the Range Certified version or standard?

 

[Dosh]

Rad88, bought a Weatherby mark V in .270 Weatherby Mag for a steal. Ordered a B&C stock and had the trigger done. Shoots outstanding with hand loads. It has a lot more slam than my pal's .270 Win and easy on the recoil. Will use it for deer and backup for elk. Also the Mark V's all have 26" barrels only for their Wby Magnums, but 24" for the standard calibers. Good luck and hope you are happy with your choice.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Hmmm interesting comments, but they are much appreciated. It boggles my mind that a gun with the price tag of the Accumark doesn't get thoroughly checked for stuff like this, and how long has Weatherby been making rifles for? Just curious, is your Accumark the Range Certified version or standard?

I bought it new back in 2008. That was before the RC models came out.

And yes, you would definitely think a rifle of that pricerange would be thoroughly checked over. I've only put about 200 rounds down the tube since it was new, because I used to only shoot it during hunting season, so I never really cleaned it or shot it much for years, other than at deer. And it had slight tight spots before, but I never really thoughf much of it since they were barely noticeable. Then about 2 years ago I really started shooting it and cleaning it, because I had gotten up enough brass to start working up handloads for it. Which is when I noticed the tight slots had gotten tighter. Even my smith can't explain it, but he borescoped it and said it looked horrific, and that he would send it back to Wby.

Which is what i plan on doing soon.

 

[z71rad88]

Rad88, bought a Weatherby mark V in .270 Weatherby Mag for a steal. Ordered a B&C stock and had the trigger done. Shoots outstanding with hand loads. It has a lot more slam than my pal's .270 Win and easy on the recoil. Will use it for deer and backup for elk. Also the Mark V's all have 26" barrels only for their Wby Magnums, but 24" for the standard calibers. Good luck and hope you are happy with your choice.

Now you got me thinking.......

 

[z71rad88]

I bought it new back in 2008. That was before the RC models came out.

And yes, you would definitely think a rifle of that pricerange would be thoroughly checked over. I've only put about 200 rounds down the tube since it was new, because I used to only shoot it during hunting season, so I never really cleaned it or shot it much for years, other than at deer. And it had slight tight spots before, but I never really thoughf much of it since they were barely noticeable. Then about 2 years ago I really started shooting it and cleaning it, because I had gotten up enough brass to start working up handloads for it. Which is when I noticed the tight slots had gotten tighter. Even my smith can't explain it, but he borescoped it and said it looked horrific, and that he would send it back to Wby.

Which is what i plan on doing soon.

That sucks man, hopefully Weatherby takes care of the situation for you. I had a customer tell me once, you don't know how good a company is until there's a problem. Keep me posted on how Weatherby handles this.

 

[benchracer]

I agree with mudrunner's comments about Kimber. Though I have no personal experience with their rifles, over the years I have seen a lot of negative comments about them and very few Kimber owners who rave positively about them. Given their price tag, that kind of gives me pause.

Personally, I am happy to buy American made products if the American manufacturers are making what I want. If not, I will buy the product that offers what I am looking for, regardless of who made it. These days, it seems American manufacturers, as a rule, are offering products made as cheaply as possible. Many people don't seem to understand the difference between getting something cheap and getting actual value for your money. Ironically, it is often foreign manufacturers that offer products made to an American style and standard, while U.S. companies seem to be trying to match Chinese style and standards. I don't care what their zipcode is. They aren't getting my money if I don't like their product. Period.

Having said that, if it is important to you to buy something made in the U.S., you may wish to consider shopping for a used older model of a rifle you want and building it up, or going with a custom of some sort. That way, you can have both high quality and an American made rifle. Patiently cruising the used gun racks can yield some real gems at very good prices, if you know what you are looking for.

One advantage of looking for a rifle as a base gun for a build is that, if you are able to get the rifle at a good price, you can often afford to have a good quality barrel installed and still be at or near the price of an off-the-shelf rifle. It can be surprising how much difference a high quality barrel and a bit of truing can make. Moreover, going that route also gives you the ability to choose a twist rate different from the factory twist, which allows you to use custom bullets that might not otherwise work well in a factory rifle.

Most off-the-shelf rifles will require tweaking of some kind to bring out the best in them. Sometimes, you will get a rifle with a crappy barrel and only rarely will the factory replace it. Most of the time, they will say your minute-of-pie plate rifle is within specs. Even if you get a perfect rifle out of the box, you are still stuck with factory compromises that may or may not be a good fit for what you want out of your rifle.

Done right, going the semi-custom route can give you a level of quality well above that of a new factory rifle at a price well below a full custom.

Food for thought, anyway...