FN made Winchester Model 70s?

It's been my experience with the FW that floated or not, heat will make them walk. These three right together but the next two were off and low.



This group from a 1952 M70 270 did the same thing although the barrel is a tad larger in diameter and two inches longer than my FW. They're both still minute of whitetail, however.:)

 
Kraig says
You'd be surprised how much difference that little trick (squaring the receiver face) will make.
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Yes, I really agree as I've got first hand experience with Win. 70's doing that.

Bought my first Win. 70 .308 Win. match rifle (post '64 push feed) in 1975 from the ship's store aboard a ship I was stationed on in Hawaii. It had been ordered a year earlier for someone who didn't have the money to pay for it when it arrived, so it set in the armory for about a year. The Supply Officer said I could buy it for $50 just to get it off his books. Took about 4.6 microseconds to pull fifty bucks out of my billfold.

When transferred a month later to Vallejo, CA, had a local 'smith pull the barrel, face off the receiver front about .010" then put a .010" thick shim washer between it and the barrel to clock it in correctly to the witness mark on its bottom to the one on the receiver. That barrel then shot good lots of M118 match ammo into about 5 inches at the 600-yard range. 30-shot strings fired in 20 minutes never had any shot hole walking from barrel heat.

Bought another one a couple years later from a guy who didn't want his any more and had it 'smithed the same way. A decent tack driver with M118 match ammo.

Win. 70 barrels..... for years noted to be a bit on the large end of groove diameter specs. 30 caliber bullets at least .3086" diameter shot very well. Sierra's and others at about .3081" and smaller diameter never shot all that great. I hope Winchester as done something with their hammer forging mandrells to make them smaller so their barrels shoot most bullets very well.
 
I'd be pulling out some money in 4.6 microseconds if they'd just make the left-hand version again! DAMMIT!

My Tikka T3 may be plain but the bolt is on the right (left) side...

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I'll say one thing about them. I'm not sure how or what they have them bedded with but I can't get the action loose from the stock. I can get maybe 1/16th of the barrel away from the stock and that's it. Must be some type of strong glue holding the action in. I thought I'd try and adjust the trigger a tad but forget that.
 
How come everywhere I look Winchester Model 70s are out of stock? I've heard that Winchester is moving production to Portugal, so I was wondering if they've stopped producing them for now because they're moving, and therefore they're out of stock?
 
How come everywhere I look Winchester Model 70s are out of stock? I've heard that Winchester is moving production to Portugal, so I was wondering if they've stopped producing them for now because they're moving, and therefore they're out of stock?
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Looked into this and spoke to their company recently about it.

I think their demand outstripped their supply for a lot of the models. You can find the Featherweights (which are awesome) and Super Shadows (cheap stocks) around in popular calibers, but their other models are tough to track down.

Try online sources like Buds Gun Shop and if you have to have one special ordered through a local dealer.

Winchester/Browning/FN told me on the phone that they are going to have a major production of them at the end of April. I am waiting for the one I ordered, but it's worth the wait in my opinion.
 
The new SC Model 70 have been praised as being the best of the breed by many knowledgeable sources. I tend to agree. I own many Winchester M70 (all with pre 64 actions). I feel the new guns are a tad smoother with better over all fit and finish. They are certainly all very accurate with the quality bedding and barrels used. The trouble is finding some of the more popular M70 models like the FeatherWeight. The popular calibers like 243,270, 308, 30-06 are always bought up quickly and never sit on the shelfs in any of my LGS. I have two family members waiting on two of the newer M70 FW (both in 308). Wait time has exceeded 6 months. I guess I would rather see Winchester keep the quality up and production down to maintain such a high level of quality. This is what damn near ruined the M70 post 1964 and it seems like the new Winchester has learned from that. FYI....any of the late 1990's M70 Claw Extractor rifles are fine guns and can be purchased at a good price. I have a Synthetic/Stainless model from that time period that has been a outstanding shooter and have killed more big game than I can count. If you see one at a good price, snag it.
 
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I know this is an older thread, but I was reading and figured I'd reply to one of the questions regarding what they're bedded with. I just bought a new M70, and it really is a fine rifle. Back in the 90's Winchester used to market their bedding as "thermoplastic bedding", which was nothing but hot glue in the recoil lug recess in the stock. This new rifle has a black colored bedding under the from lug, with a nice 1" barrel pad for the barrel to rest on. The rear mounting point is also bedded. The bedding looks and feels just like normal bedding material I've used from Brownells. I was pleasantly surprised.
 
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