What kind of accuracy can be expected from these rifles? I would expect 1 1/2" groups to be the norm for out of the box etc. but I haven't spent much time with one of these new rifles. My son has one but we just haven't shot it that much.

Also would the barrels on these rifles be considered a #2 contour?

Thanks,
Terry

I have one in 7x57, and it has been very finicky. It will put 2 bullet holes touching, then the 3rd will be 1 1/2 to 2 inches out.

I have been tring to get a good load put together for hunting big game in my girlfriends featherweight and have found this rifle to be like GFS 1200 is saying........"very finicky"! Her rifle is in 7mm-08 and has shot some very nice groups, but with varmint bullets. However about the very best I have gotten with hunting bullets is about an inch. I have had some groups go as large as 5 inches but as for an average I would have to say probably 1.5 - 2 inches. Still have room for improvement so will keep tring new loads. JOhn.

My featherweight is a pre 64 in 30-06. It puts 3 shots in 1 1/2" at 200 yds with good bullets.

My 300 WSM FWT will put 5 shots into 3/4 inch at 100 yards. If you did an average for the rifle it would be more like 1.25 inches. But with its favorite load of 180 grain SST and Reloader 22 its very very good. I made the following modifications: Pillar bed, float the barrel and adjust the rigger. But it shot darn good before I monkeyed with it too!

I've played with mine, and my ex-wife's alot. Her's, a .243, would shoot 1 - 1.25 MOA @ 100 yds. with a factory Remington or NP handloads with H4831 powder.
Mine, a .308, after free floating, did less well. Like 2.5 MOA. But handloads with Failsafe 150 gr. bullets and Re-15, or the 168 gr Barnes XLC did much better. The Barnes load, with AA2520, would shoot .8 MOA and the FS load about 1.3 MOA.
The barrel contour is a unique Winchester design.
The thin forend of the stock does flex too readily. Be sure to check your point of impact if you use a shooting sling. E

My Model 70 FWT 300 WSM gets good enough accuracy that I'm not even planning on reloading for it. I just put factory 180 grain failsafes through it.

mine shoots about 2 moa. Ive only tried one powder so far, H 4831 (300 win mag), im gonna try some RL22 and 180 partitions to see if i can get it down some. Then hopefully the Mcmillian will go on which shouldnt hurt any. The front of the stock is way to flimsy for my tastes.

I have a M98 mauser that I had a Douglas barrel turned down to the exact same contour as a M70 featherweight. It's in .257 Roberts, it isn't the least bit fussy about loads or bullet weights, every thing from 75 to 117's goes into .5 to .7" groups. It must be that crappy Douglas barrel, most of you guys hate!

On these pre 64 M70 Featherweights at 100 yds a .308 will do 1-1.25", the 30/06 1-1.5" and a .358 about 1.25".

I had a 1980's push feed Featherweight in 30/06 and that shot well also at 1.25"

A friend has a like new pre 64 in .243 and that is good for .75" and I have seen other .243 Featherweights shoot as well or even better.

The only Featherweight M 70 that I have shot a lot is the .308 and it's usually around an inch and sometimes better. This rifle stays sighted in and is quite reliable. I have carried it for winter pest shooting and it has an old Leu 3X9 on it.

Terry - Assuming you're talking about the later M70 Fwts with the "schnabel" forend (not pre'64's or the later "Lightweights"), 1 - 1.5" groups should be considered about the norm. I have a few of them (270, 7x57 and 284), and, have worked with a few others. They're definitely NOT one-holers, but, that's not what I expected. For a light, easy handling hunting rifle, they work just fine.

One of the problems with them, I think, is the light barrel (might be a #1 contour, it's awful wispy) combined with the skinny forend. Every one I've ever owned or worked with has benefitted by, at the very least, having a pressure point established about 1" back from the forend tip. One of them, the 284, was full length bedded, and, it still wouldn't shoot. Had to put one of those Que Industries "Boss" type adjustable muzzle stabilizers on there, and now, with its preferred load, it will go under 1" often enough to keep me interested.

R-WEST

[ 01-07-2003, 22:30: Message edited by: R-WEST ]

I have a classic featherweight in 6.5 x 55, at first it shot 1 1/2 - 2" 5 shot 100yard groups but with bedding & finding a bullet it liked it settled down to 3/4 ave.with just under 1/2 at best.-Jeff

Yep,
I'm talking about the new production model 70 Winchester Classic Featherweight. I haven't spent much time with those. Neither have I shot the post 64 featherweights.

Jeff,
That sounds encouraging.....I've ordered some rings and a scope for the 6.5X55 in the new featherweight....

I've owned a couple of older pre-64 featherweights in 30-06 and 270 and both of these rifles would shoot "about" an inch with my handloads.
Terry

[ 01-08-2003, 05:12: Message edited by: Terry P ]

I've had them in 22-250, 243, 270, 308 and (recently) 30-06. All stainless rifles. The 22-250 didn't shoot worth a hoot. The 24w was a sub moa gun with tailored loads. The 308 was a genuine moa rifle. The 270 was one of the most accurate factory rifles I ever owned producing sub 1/2 minute groups with tailored loads. I haven't done anything with the 30-06 yet.

Those with WSM Featherweight's... those aren't actually "Featherweight's" as they have the magnum bbl. contour, despite being in a fwt stock.

BA

I have pre 64 FWT in 243,30/06,308,270,358. With handloads group size is as follows. .5 to .75, 1.0, .75 to 1.0. 1.o to 1.25. 1.25 to 1.5. I guess you can't beat the old Riflemans Rifle.

I have two Featherweights. A .280 that shoots so-so, and a 270 that shoots moa or better with Remington 150 grain round nose. Green box wall mart stuff. It is stainless steel with a wood stock. My favorite, and it was second hand to me from a pawn shop.

Terry,
My current deer rifle started life as a Featherweight Classic in .280 Rem.
I got it in 1992 when they started making the CRF guns again. It averaged about 2" groups. Even with handloads it was never consistent in its grouping. With the same load it seemed to shoot good one day, and then went to pot the next. I even put a McMillian bedded stock on it and that didn't really help. I had a finicky barrel.
I got frustrated with it and had it rebarreled.
Zman

The last one I owned (.308) did about 2.5-3" That was ok but the nice thing was the 1st cold barrel shot POI was always right were I aimed. I never missed with that rifle and group size wasn't an issue. Hey, Did you get my FFL yet All this talk about Featherweights got me thinking Terry Clarkson

I have a Classic Fwt in .270 and after 4 years of tinkering with it and loads, I finally get consistent .6 MOA 3-shot groups @ 100 yds. I lightened the trigger pull,relieved the barrel channel a bit(not the forward pressure point)and tried several loads. Seems that my .270 likes 150 gr Hornady SPs loaded over a less than max load of H4831. Not a prairie scorcher, but it is accurate in my rifle. Don't overheat the barrel, hence my 3-shot groups.

Hello TC1!!
Didn't come today.....maybe in tomorrows mail. I'll give you an e-mail as soon as it does.
Terry

THANKS

Got one in 243,out of the box it was flat out shooting under 2 inches.
I bedded it,floated the barrel,lapped locking lugs.
It now averages 3/4's at 100 3 shot groups.
The trigger was easy to adjust and is excellent to use.
I am dissapointed with the standard of finish of the bolt but you can not argue with the way it performs.

Good luck ,
Charlie

My featherweight is a one of the stainless and wood models in 7mag. This is by far the most accurate rifle I own. It shoots quite a few loads under an 1", both factory and handloads. My only complaint is that the bolt handle has come loose from the bolt not once but twice! Its getting repaired at the gunsmiths right now. Hopefully it will stay this time.

Jarrett

My old .243 was just plain weird, it performed unbelievably well with bullets from opposite ends of the spectrum, 55gr V-Max and 100gr Interlocks. It would cut a tiny 1/2" - 3/4" groups at 100 yards until the barrel got a little hot and a little dirty. At about shot 12 - 15 the gun placed the next series of rounds would open up to about 2" pretty much on cue. Thing is the rounds often feel into a group that was a four coner box, no kidding. No big deal, just clean it and the magic returned. For a deer / coyote rifle it wasn't a problem and over a prarie dog town, that skinny barrel heated up so quickly that I only went about ten rounds before running a few patches through it and brushing it out any way. The action was beeded out to the first 1 1/2" of the barrel and the rest was free floated so the problem probably stemmed from a stress in the barrel.

My two are pre 64s. One is a .270 the other a .243. Both will group moa.

In my experience I have not had a single light weight rifle that shot well without some pressure near the forend tip. I use electrical tape, as I have found that better than glass bedding. I start with one thickness and work up to as many as 4 thicknesses. I do like to glass bed the forend tip, but not tightly, as I like to add the tape for the pressure required. The glass is just insures even pressure.

I realize others may have different experience, but that is mine.
Jerry

I had to re-barrel mine in 6.5x55 because the quality of the installation at the factory was so bad. The chamber had a burr in it that scratched the brass. The chamber was short enough (or barrel set back so far) that when you closed the bolt, the extractor would bend in. It is now a 280 since the boltface is also cut at 30-06 specs and not european 6.5x55 size. Shoots fine now.

Waynewhitacre: Does your 6.5x55 featherweight have a long action? I've been eyeing these, but the Winchester site lists them as short actions. I know of some guys that have them in long actions, so are current manufacture using longs? Thanks.

I had one of the early ones in .308 Win. caliber. It would shoot 1" groups with certain handloads, for the first three shots. Never tried to shoot 5 or 10-shot groups with this gun.

JStordahl- Mine is a long action.Dont know what Winchester is currently manufacturing.You would think that they were only shipping long actions because a short would limit the ammo used since the 6.5 bullets are so long .-Jeff