winchester mod 70 is it dead for long range work ?

[kidcoltoutlaw]

i have 2 win mod 70's .what would be wrong with having one done up as a .338 ultra mag for long range work.they both are .338 win mag's and shoot great.nobody uses a mod 70 for a custom gun or it seems like that.would it work.i would use the push feed.the controlled is almost new,thanks,keith

 

[Tim Behle]

I use one in 7 RM out to 1,000 yards and love it. My next custom will probably be built on that action.

 

[Steve Shelp]

Keith,
I wouldn't say it's dead. But if your going to build a sporter weight long range rig with a longer barrel on it, consider the Winchester action has a smaller tenon thread diameter than the Remington and I beleive it's shorter also. Plus I've heard some 'smiths say they lean away from Win actions when using 404 case head chamberings due to the smaller diameter steel around the chamber as compared to the larger tenon thread diameter of a Remington or any of the really big custome actions. This is the same as some 'smiths will not built a 338 Lapua or 378 Weatherby on a Remington as they don't think there's enough of a safety factor built into them with that diameter of a case head. But they will built a 404 case head chamber on a Remington in a heart beat.
Then accessories that are available to true up and add on to a Remington make the Winchester action very cost prohibitive and your not going to end up any better than a Remington. Me personally I don't care for the way gas could escape in the event of a total case head failure on a Winchester, but the Winchester safety that truely stops the hammer from going forward when engaged is light years ahead of the Remington's so called "safety" that might stop the trigger from being pulled but it has nothing to stop the hammer from going forward. A little perosnal opinion thrown in there for what you think it's worth.

BUT... with that said, if you build a rifle that the barrel will be barrel blocked then the tenon thread diameter/length issues go out the window. The reigning IBS 1000yd Shooter-of-the-Year uses a M70 action on his blocked HG. So when you do this the action goes from being the foundation of a rifle that everything is connected to, to simply a place to hang your trigger and load the chamber with nothing else touching it. I hate shooting against that rifle! M70 action or not. It shoots!!

Hope this helps,
Steve

 

[Nighthawk]

If people thought that the Remington safety didn't work the Marines wouldn't use if for their sniper rifles. Just an opinion there too.

 

[DANTEC]

Nighthawk

I respect Marine corps sniper but that very far from shooting range ....and hunting field

Win70 have a thread tenon of 1 inch and REM as SAVAGE have a thread tenon of 1.10 thread tenon is metal around the base of the case

Win 70 is very good ( with lightened firing pin and strong spring ) and receiver squaring for cartridge as 300 WEA ( SS ) or 300 WIN MAG is you want repeater action

REM and SAVAGE are better for big case as 300 ULTRA family or 404 wilcat .

rather to spend time with rifles you have just to take off the action why not sale it or them and start to work on a SAVAGE ( even LAZZERONI use SAVAGE action ) and even if the Marine Corps dont' use SAVAGE , SAVAGE work well and are very strong action .

SAVAGE Tactical in 300 WIN MAG with just a barrel screw on can work in 300 ULTRA or 338 ULTRA with safe and accuracy

for the price of gunsmithing on your Win 70 you can pay and fit a new barrel on a SAVAGE 110 action rifle

good shooting

DANTEC

 

[kidcoltoutlaw]

are there any top gunsmith that will even work on a mod 70.with a little luck the ar-30 will shoot as good as the ar-50.that will be a cheap way to go with a .338 lapua ,thanks,keith

 

[Steve Shelp]

Alex,
I never meant to imply or say the Remington safety didn't work. But there's other designs that are far superior to what Remington calls a safety. The Vega was a car and got people to work and back, but I wouldn't call it a engineering marvel of it's time.

I guess that would be my point.

I was in the Marines, but I wasn't a sniper per my MOS. But I have fired that weapon and many Remington before and after as a civilian. Calling a spade a spade the Remington safety is one of the lamest excuses for a safety you can get IMO. And I believe many would agree with me on that if they understand how it functions. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Remington man and I'm sitting here looking at 4 Remington's in the corner. And I rank a Remington and Savage from an accuracy point-of-view much higher than a Winchester. I agree with DanTec on that.

To me the best safety that truely is a safety that blocks the hammer from going forward and functions very smootly and quietly with very little movement from your actual shooting position is the M1917 Enfield rolling safety.

but we're getting off topic here so I'll put the brakes on.


Keith,
I've never heard any of the BR 'smiths say outright that, no, they wouldn't work on them. But then again they probably don't get many request either. The one that I mentioned above being used on that HG was smithed by the shooter himself. So all of the time he invested into blueprinting it was his own time which obviously didn't cost him anything. His LG class rifle has an Interarms MarkX solid bottom magnum length action on it. That gun is scary also. But again he invested his own time in doing the work.

Steve

 

[kidcoltoutlaw]

when you do the work yourself and you know what your doing just good enough won't cut it it has to be right,thanks,keith