I originally tried to post this here on the gunsmithing forum, but was not able. I have gotten some good responses from posting on the medium bore rifles forum, but would like to here a few more thoughts...

Winchester pre64 Model 70 Featherweight vs. early Ruger Model 77 Tang Safety

What are people's thoughts on this comparison? I would like to get a light weight rifle (read lighter than M70 pre64 Std.) and have been thinking about one of the two models listed. I have a pre64 M70 Standard in .30-06 and would like to get a lighter companion for it. I would be interested in how the two stack up in terms of: Weight, handling, balance, etc.

I'm aware of some of the design differences between the two but have not had the opportunity to handle both of them side by side.

Thanks in advance,
Bob

Of course the M 70 Featherweight has the lighter barrel or so it seems to. I prefer game rifles with light barrels when they are to be carried much. They come up better are less tiring to carry and faster on the game in particular when it's moving.

I shoot from standing by pressing the trigger as the sights move towards the center of the target. Thus I can shoot a light barrelled rifle very fast.

Like everything else there is good and bad to it but of all the M 70 game rifles I prefer the Featherweight over all. Of course if the rifle is chambered for 375 HH or a Swift then the barrel dimensions should be different.

The 24" stout barrel that the M 70 Standard grade has is what I call the "Whelan Pattern" or the Springfield Pattern. That was the style in the 30's thru the 50's as the writers of that day extolled the virtue of the heavy rifle for steady holding.

People are not the same either. Some are very big and can carry a heavy rifle. The same goes for physical condition etc. I have a friend who is as strong as Arnold. In fact he is most likely healthier also. He can hold and aim a rifle with one hand on the pistol grip! So get and use what you need and not what someone else says to get.

The M 70 safety is superior in terms of safety to the Ruger 77 MK 1. You use the safety many times a day and most of the time never fire the rifle.

The Ruger is a good rifle and a good design in general except for the safety. I prefer the M 70 for my style thank you.

The primary differences are the M70 actually blocks the forward movement of the firing pin while the M77 tang safety is merely a trigger safety.
While some will deride trigger safeties you will find them on countless varieties of rifles and shotguns and they are generally perfectly acceptable. Mechanically the M70 safety is superior...no doubt.
Ultimately a safety is a mechancial device and like all mechanical devices it can fail. I've never had any safeties fail or cause any dangerous situations...Mauser type, trigger type or otherwise.

[ 10-09-2003, 19:20: Message edited by: Kentucky Nimrod ]

I like them both, but why limit yourself. First, the model 70 in the form you indicate, is a CRF action with true Mauser heritage, and it does have a very good safety. Second, the old model Ruger 77's are NOT CRF (which is of no consiquence to me), it has a plunger ejector similar to Remington, Browning etc. It is a fine rifle and I like them very much. Third, The new model Ruger 77 MKII is CRF, if that matters to you. It is a fine rifle and with the addition of a good trigger, like a Timney, it is a first class rifle. Now, for the good part, they already make the rifle you are looking for in standard production Ultra Light configuration. I have a 77RL MKII in .308, which I love. It is perfect to carry all day, and shoots very well. It is made in such calibers as 30-06, 308, 243, 7mm-08 that I know of. If you want a light rifle this is the rifle to compare to the Featherweight Winchester, not the standard Ruger 77. Besides, the Featherweight is not all that light anyway, a wood stocked Ruger UL weighs 12 oz less.
To be honest, I like the MKII actions a little better than the old models. The old models had a better factory trigger, that was adjustable, and I liked the old model safety better, but the new model with a Timney trigger is my favorite bolt rifle right now. The safety on the MKII is more like the model 70, in that it too blocks the firing pin. It is very safe.
Good Luck

[ 10-11-2003, 14:22: Message edited by: Bobby ]

I have various pre-64M70s and in non magnum calibres I rather prefer the Featherweight to the Standard weight for a general purpose hunting rifle, even though I like the 24" standard barrel more than the 22" FW. The FW has a slender forend and seems a little handier. This is particularly so if like most of us these days you use a scope sight - the standard rifle gets pretty heavy, my prewar Super Grade '06 weighs 9 3/8 lbs with a Lyman Alaskan (not a big scope). I have a Ruger Mk II in .280, it is an OK rifle but the pre64 M70 is a grand classic, the Ruger never will be, you might as well have the satisfaction of using the greatest of the bolt actions.