Yes....this one is real...it's a .270 featherweight and I've been waiting for it a long time. It just arrived from the Carolinas.

I'll post some photos in a few minutes...maybe hours.....but this thing makes me real happy

I mounted a 3 X 9 Leupold in Burris signature rings and loaded some 130 interlocks with 59 grains of RL-22 just to get her sighted in.....

The laser bore sighter got the first bullet within 2" of the 1" bull at 100 yards.....and after a couple shots I adjusted the scope and fired twice more.....and then let it rest 1/2 hour and fired a three-shot group that was covered with a quarter.....well almost....and I mean center to center not the entire bullet hole.....I wasn't ready to do any serious measuring right today as this was just to get started so I'll try additional powders and bullets and post the results.

Trigger pull:.....absolutely excellent...no creep and (I didn't measure it) weight of pull beautiful!

Feeding:.....I put five rounds in the magazine and fed them hard.....no trouble at all! I fired them and extraction and ejection was flawless.....it functioned perfectly for me.

Stock:.....a tad thick in the wrist area but beautifully finished dark walnut with semi fancy grain in the butt area and the computer checkering was as expected....computer perfect!

Metal: .....nicely blued except I wanted the extractor blued and it's "white" or bare....

I'm not a fan of the new crown as it so damn "Browning like" and I much preferred the old 11 Deg Winchester crown. However it does work!

Bottom line:......I I like it!

Sounds like I'm going to have to come up with some more money for a new rifle.

It doesn't get much better than a 270 Winchester in a featherweight.

ddj

certainly do understand your joy! a pic or two would be great! me thinks another .30-06 is in store..mmmmmmh

Congrats Vapo....cant wait to see her.

Sounds like a keeper! Looking forward to your postings about the accuracy. I looked at one the other day..(our local shop had 2 featherweights in) and it was hard to walk off from it.........

what is on the floorplate?

nice rifle btw

quote:

Originally posted by Duckear:
what is on the floorplate?

nice rifle btw

It's a poor photo.....but it says:
2008
Model 70
Limited edition

Wow, very pretty...I am green with envy.

Nice rifle! Love 'them' Winchesters.

Vapodog congrats on the new beauty. I got one , 2 weeks ago in 3006, same floorplate and really nice walnut. I have only shot it a few rounds to sight in the scope , but accuracy seems good so far. I hav'ent gotten groups like yours yet, but I think it is possible with a little variety

after the long awaited..........appears pretty sweet! appears it don't need no bolt jeweling

A 270 in a Model 70. The perfect star alignment in gundom!!

"May the time be short, 'afore she's blooded!"

A hearty congrats. Yup! It don't get any better than that. There's nothing to dislike.
Bear in Fairbanks

That's better accuracy than the magazines were reporting, and close to what my M70 in 6.5x55mm can do off the bench after much development. Congrats on a fine rifle! I will need to pick up a Super Grade in .30-06 as an heirloom if they shoot better than preliminary reports seemed to indicate, then an Extreme Weather in .300 to beat the piss out of!

quote:

if they shoot better than preliminary reports seemed to indicate,

A bit of caution.....I haven't really done a lot of load development yet and IMO accuracy usually improves after about 100-200 rounds.....

I've had M-70 featherweights shoot little cloverleaf patters so this isn't marvelous.....

That said I'm happy with it so far.....I don't have other bullets in .277 right now so I'm limited in development.

Saw an almost identical one today in a shop in Tucson. Wood was maybe a little better in the buttstock but was REALLY plain in the forearm. Fit and finish was excellant and bolt was very smooth. The trigger FEEL was better than any model 70 I've ever tried but don't like the appearance. The trigger blade seems to be wider which is fine and the curve is ok but trigger does not come down into guard as far and just plain appears short also it was a little farther forward than I like. These are minor distractions though. Price at under $900 was I thought a reasonable value. If I had a use or even a remote need for a new Model 70 I would have taken this one in an instant.

I am really taken with the stock. Beautiful gun.

vapodog,

Thats a very nice rifle. Congratulations.

Its a good thing that the M70 is back.

vapodog,

Congrats on getting your hands on a very hotly sought after rifle; it's a beaut! How's the build quality? From the photos, it looks excellent, but I'll take your hands-on assessment.

quote:

How's the build quality?

This is a nicely done rifle.....the build quality is very good.

Niiiiiiice...

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
This is a nicely done rifle.....the build quality is very good.

Second that, and the comment of zimbabwe above. As of last Friday a local shop had two in '06. Both had string-straight quarter-sawn wood, however; nothing like V'dog's at all.

But in fit and finish, both were excellent: slick bolt, excellent cam timing and better safety action that most M70's I've handled - pre-64's included. I was particularly impressed with the metal finish of barrel and receiver.

We put one of these rifles down on the counter between two Kimbers. One of the Kimbers was $1200 the other $2200 and the M70 was $800. Anyone opting for one of the Kimbers would have had to pucker real hard. (Well... the Kimbers do have better bottom metal...)

I'd say if you see one of these new FN Model 70s, grab it while you can. Who knows what the product longevity of anything will be, given the present financial and political climate.

Nice rifle! I'm thinking of a rifle exactly like that from Win, but in 30-06. I love the featherweights but could not get one before they closed down. Looks like I'm back in action.

The other rifle I'm looking to is something for the kids, who are just about ready to start. Can't decide on 243, 257 Roberts, something like that.

Vapo,

BEAUTIFUL rifle....
Kudos on the snag.

Don

If you all look at Flick 6, the small White Dot is an active Termite Hole. Do you reckon the Brown Spot in Flick 6 just ahead of the Receiver is the Ambiance of Factory Installed Rust???

You can see where one Termite Hole has been Drilled out and Plugged with the wrong color Termite Food in Flicks 5 & 7, or maybe it is a Plastic Plug, maybe a Valve Stem Cap glued in place.

If it shoots inside 5"-6", it is without a doubt better than most old(Pre-08) (rag) M70s.

Incidentally the one I saw had a new (to me at least) follower design that should make the last round feed slick as a whistle. Overall very nicely done.

vapodog,

What does it say on the side of the receiver? I can't see your picture that well.

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:
vapodog,

What does it say on the side of the receiver? I can't see your picture that well.

Yes....I need more practice with this camera...it says:
WINCHESTER
---made in USA---

I saw my first new Win the other day at the local gun shop. The same gun as yours. It looked pretty good. My only complaint was the inletting gap down the barrel channel looked like it was cut for a much larger contour. The price was in the $700's. I'm glad to see them back,

quote:

My only complaint was the inletting gap down the barrel channel looked like it was cut for a much larger contour

Mine is 100% free floating barrel.....the gap however is very slim.....if there is any stock warp at all I'll have to scrape it a bit but for now....it's great.

I have a Super Grade in .300 Mag coming hope it looks as nice as your Featherweight. Your accuracy results lay some of my worry to rest. Other Internet sources have been talking about horrid results. I trust a Accurate poster w/ a rifle in hand much more. Keep the results coming VapoDog.

Vapo, After reading this thread and seeing the pictures of your rifle,and being a Winchester nut, I am ordering one tomorrow. Thanks for the info.

Vapo, I assume this is the new production M-70, is that right? You said you've been waiting a good while, have you had it on order for a while, or is it because you just ordered it from 'the Carolina's'??

Also, do the new Win's have good gas handling qualities? I have an old friend who pierced a primer and nearly lost an eye due to the poor gas handling of the much beloved 'Pre-64' gas handling, I've always been scared of Win's since he told me that. What's the scoop on that, I've been told that they fixed that issue sometime in the late 70's or early 80's--but often wonder just what the scoop is--What say you?

quote:

Originally posted by Fish30114:
Vapo, I assume this is the new production M-70, is that right? You said you've been waiting a good while, have you had it on order for a while, or is it because you just ordered it from 'the Carolina's'??
I recorded my email address on Davidson's website such that I'd automatically get a reply when the had one in stock. I got the email and ordered one...simple!

Also, do the new Win's have good gas handling qualities? I have an old friend who pierced a primer and nearly lost an eye due to the poor gas handling of the much beloved 'Pre-64' gas handling, I've always been scared of Win's since he told me that. What's the scoop on that, I've been told that they fixed that issue sometime in the late 70's or early 80's--but often wonder just what the scoop is--What say you?

I'
ve posted this before and will repeat it now

If one is concerned about ultimate safety in a firearm then he should get a push feed rifle and not a CRF rifle.....and as a matter of fact, that this is a CRF rifle had nothing to do with my decision to purchase it.

IMO however this rifle seems to have all the gas deflection apparatus one can ask for....including gas blockers in the raceway attached to the bolt and an additional deflector added to the shroud that is not found on my other featherweights.

IMO this is the safest CRF ever to wear the Winchester name......now let me find some wood to knock on!

Thanks Vapo, I don't have a Winchester in my battery right now, and that just seems wrong, I often feel like I ought to at least by a lever action of some version from them.....but I've always like the idea of a Featherweight, in --surpirse surprise--a 270.....

Thanks again---Don

I'll be buying one of the new Wnchesters when they hit the north country, hopefully in 7-08.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by DMB:
I'll be buying one of the new Wnchesters when they hit the north country, hopefully in 7-08.

Don

Are they chambering them in 7-08 yet?

quote:

Originally posted by DMB:
I'll be buying one of the new Wnchesters when they hit the north country, hopefully in 7-08.

Don

I would much rather have a Kimber 84M in that range of short action cartridges and I do. The Kimber has the same safety, CRF yet is much lighter and has a better made syn. stock.

I have a battery of pre 64 M70's including Featherweights in 308, 30-06 etc.