Hi. I am leaning torwards the Winchester Featherweight but could save quite some money on a Ruger. What is the opinion of Ruger rifles ? Is this a case of getting what you pay for ? Thanks for any help.

Some people get a good Ruger some don't, I have a 30/06 with boat paddle stock in stainless, and while it's accuracy does not set the world on fire it is one tough working rifle. That said If I had my time again out of those two I would take the win m70.

Hi, In my experience Rugers can be good to mediocre, The following has been my experience;
243; model 77, two first shots on target the third a flier. (This was the first centre fire rifle I owned and after a bad experience with a Red hind traded it in for a 308)
243 model 77 RSI, accurate.
260 model 77 mk II accutate,
6.5x55 model 77 mark II, a peach, very accurate the most accurate Ruger I have owned. Why ever did I sell it?
7x57 model 77 not very accurate 2 - 2.5 inch groups on a good day, the least accurate.
7x57 No 1 RSI accurate .
My definition of accurate is three shots into an inch and a half at one hundred yards, thats good enough for a deer stalking rifle.
At the time of writing I have the two RSI's in my cuoboard. A friend wants the model 77 RSI in 243 and he will probaly get it. He has been as good a friend one could wish to have, and having injured his spine a little while ago he can no longer take the recoil of his 30-06. The No1 RSI is what I call my "Sunday Going To Shooting Rifle" it's staying here; for now any way. I just love that clunk it makes when the action is opened. Rugers are not expensive and with a bit of tweeking can usualy shoot very well. For the money they are a good buy.

I always viewed my Rugers as very servicable hunting rifles. They always worked. Accuracy was alwas acceptable. I didn't have that much money in them and if they got bunged so what.

I have never owned a Winchester Featherweight.

Like you said, you can get a ruger alittle cheaper. My ruger 270 shoots good 1' groups. Its a good rifle and I like the feel of it. I put a timney trigger in it and that made it cost as much as a winchester

I have way more winchesters , only one is newer the rest are pre '64s.

Its up to you what you decide on . which one "feels" better to you...

Do you like blonds or brunettes. Big or small asses ,big tits or smaller ones. beer belly women or a slim waist? Big long red finger nails or trimed natural finger nails , psyco or calm easy going women,etc

Big ass, small tits, beer belly, blood red nails and psyco gets you a Remington in a rainbow coalition laminate with a thumbhole and finger grooves on the pistol grip.

I had a Ruger Mk II VT in .22-250 that shot .5 MOA out of the box. Problem is it lasted for only 1300 shots. I had it rebarrelled recently with a .308 Lothar Walther bbl. + bedding. It now averages .3 MOA for 5 shots with 168 Sierra MK. I believe the difference lies in bbl. quality (BTW, it's my 3rd. LW bbl. and they never disappointed me).

Don't have any experience with Ruger, but that 16 1/2" barrel is AWFULLY short if you want good accuracy. Ever consider a Remmy Model 7? Only 3/4 of a pound more with a 20" barrel. Mine in 7mm-08 does 1" consistently with factory ammo.

I own a batch of both the Ruger rifles and then several Featherweights along with several Model 70s.

I feel the Winchesters are a little more refined rifles and the Rugers are more utilitarian. While all the Model 70s have been accurate, except one, all of the Rugers have been the same, accurate.
I always buy Rugers in stainless steel, with a synthetic stock and then replace the stock with a Boyd's laminate stock that only costs $65.00. ( yeah you have to finish the surface, but the rest is cut out etc, and already fitted.) Those Boyd stocks also have a magnum barrel channel, so a regular barrel is therefore free floated without having to do anything.

As far as Accuracy, I'd rate a Winchester barrel a cut above a Ruger, but not a big cut above.

The Gentleman from New Zealand, mentioned having a Ruger 77 in a 7 x 57 that did not shoot worth a darn. I had the same experiences, until I discovered it was long throated and started seating my bullets way out there. That tightened up groups a lot. The next thing I did was play with some different powders, and don't ask me why, but this combo worked, in both of my Ruger 77s in 7 x 57. Stumbled across a load of IMR 3031, 40 grains of it. I use that load with ALL loads from 139 grains to 175 grain bullets. ALL groups can be covered with a quarter at 100 yds, regardless of bullet weight or brand. Those two rifles also like 35 to 38 grains of Reloader 7.

Anything else, they throw shots all over the place... they group like a slingshot otherwise.
MY featherweight in 7mm Mauser is long throated also, but it shoots dime to quarter sized groups with NO MATTER WHAT you feed it.

Yet I have a 243 Winchester and its groups are horrible. But for some reason, I have found a few powder/bullet combos that it will shoot one hole groups all day long with. Beyond that, 4 to 5 inch groups are common with it all day long.
That 243 loves an 80 grain SP, with 22.5 grains of Blue Dot, or a 95 grain Ballistic Tip with the same load. Put a 75 grain bullet in there instead or a 90 grain ballistic tip and the groups open up instantly. It also does the same one hole groups with the same 22.5 grains of Blue Dot with 55 grain Balllistic tips, or 60 grain Sierra HPs,, 58 or 65 grain VMaxes.
It also likes a stiff charge of 44 grains of H 414, with a 105 grain Speer with an MV of 3250 fps. Feed it any factory ammo, and it groups like a 12 gauge at best.

I have a featherweight in 6.5 x 55 with a custom aftermarket barrel ( 27 inch pacnor)and it shoots like a dream. However, I had a fast load of some powder this past deer season, with a 100 grain Hornady SP with an MV of 3450 out of that rifle.
Take it to the range and it threw that load all over the place. So I was going to back off the charge some, but had a few left so I tried them in a Ruger 6.5 x 55. They all went into one hole with the Ruger!.

So instead of working with the Model 70, I just hunted with that load and the Ruger. Shot a deer this year, running thru the brush at 100 yds, and all that was sticking above the brush was its head. So without thinking I aimed there, and watched it drop instantly in the scope, which was set on 4 power.

The brush was so thick it took me an hour to find that deer, but when I did, I didn't initally see a bullet hole. I was looking in the body. Then I noticed a dime size hole under its jaw on one side where the bullet had exited. So I was surprised I had hit it at all, then I guessed spending a lot of time shooting does pay off, as it was a snap shot. So I did my part, but that load and that Ruger sure did its part also, and so did that 100 grain Hornady SP.


So accuracy... well each has its quirks. I have not seen better consistency with one brand or the other.

I can tell you this, I think the Winchesters are prettier, so I tend to baby them not wanting to get the stocks scratched up. The Rugers, I just go out in the field and forget about them. Like a timex they get the crap beat out of them at times and don't show any worse for the wear and tear. There is a lot of Beauty in that!

I don't think you can really loose either way....

cheers
seafire

Rugers are a darned good value, but the lack the refinements of a M-70. I have only owned one Ruger, a 35 Whelen, and it shot very well. The Ruger holds four standard cartridges in the magazine where the Winchester holds five. Both hold three belted magnums. Ruger uses an integral scope mount system that is rugged and strong, but it's hard to get really low rings.

So there are a lot of little differences and whether they add up depends more on your hunting style than anything else. If you want a hunting rifle, either will do. If you want a rifle that can become a nice custom in a few years, get a Winchester.

Okie John

Seafire, It was interesting to read your findings with the Ruger 77 in 7x57 my experience with mine was limited.
Me now, well I can't be bothered to sort out a finicky rifle any more. If a rifle won't shoot into my one and a half inch group, which is hardly a high standard, then the rifle goes.
The Ruger 77 Mk II in 6.5x55 was a real gem.
After sighting it in at 50 yards I went forward and placed a 2.5 inch square block of wood on a cardboard box at 100 yards. Taking aim at the bottom of the block I let one go. Boom the block was knocked off the box. Having a look at where it struck showed the block had a nice little hole 1.6 inches up the block. I walked back to the firing point and had another shot. Boom. the second shot was .25 of an inch away from the first. Blimey I thought, that's not bad. After a third shot there was a .375 inch group. Between firng the first and last shot I had walked 400 yards. This is hardly a recommended bench rest technique. The load was Norma factory ammo. That 6.5x55 was as good a rifle as any one could wish for. I had picked up the little gem second hand at a very good price.
Actualy, I do know why I sold the rifle, it was when I decided that I wanted to move to 308 size actions for stalking, it was at a time when I did not know which would all fall out first me teeth or my hair(teeheehe) and had to accept that I was no longer as strong as I used to be.
A few teeth less and a pate of grey with pink undertones has me shooting a Remington Titanium 7mm-08, which is nicely accurate. I have had it a month now and have allready taken a Red hind with it.
Finally Bighornbreath, go down to your local store fondle a few rifles and get a feel for one that sits nicely in your hands and comes up to your eye without feeling out of balance.
It really won't matter if it's a Winny or a Ruger they are both well made rifles which will serve you well.
Down at our hunting camp last week a fellow hunter looked at my Titanium rifle and said the scope is out. If I had only know that, the 2 spent 12 bore cartridge cases I had knocked over the day before at 100 hundred yards would have been seen as a double fluke.
This is my way off saying that no one can tell you how a rifle will sit in your hands and the rifle/scope, once set up to your eye and physique, might seem out to others. There is no way around this, you have to do it for yourself.
Go to your local sports store, get your hands on a few different rifles and take your time choosing which feels good to YOU! You don't have to buy the first visit, ignore any prompting by sales staff and enjoy the day.

I've owned both the M-70 Fwt and the Ruger and will take the M-70 any day over the Ruger.

I too have owned both and I think the Winchester is much nicer.