I have a Winchester Model 70 Classic Compact in 308 Winchester.
I like the new (1992) classic Model 70's for sporting rifles becasuse I like thier controled round feed action (best feature), their basic trigger and their safty. You also often get an O.K. basic walnut stock. With these features, I figure I have a factory rifle that is worth putting the money into to make it a good, though initially cheap, rifle. But I wouldn't rate the rifle out of the factory box very good at all.
My rifle is a disappointing shooter out of the box. I never broke 4" with it off a bench rest at 100 yds. with any factory ammo or with Sierra Match Kings loaded to Sierra's recommended accuracy load. My stockmaker says that Winchester uses some type of hot glue to bed these rifles (Not glass bedding) and this is the first thing to suspect. I hope so, because if it is in the barrel or basic blue printing of the rifle, it will be a lot more expensive to fix. I would like for the basic barreled action to be good, but cannot be sure of it at this point.
There are problems with the feed on this rifle. Now you would think that Winchester could get its famous Winchester Model 70 contoled round action to feed its equally famous 308 Winchester cartidge, no trouble at all. But if you thought this way, you would be wrong. The rifle jambs regualarly on its fourth and last round. A controled round gun that fails to feed reliabley is a sorry thing in my opinion, as flawless feed is the only reason to go to the expense of the claw extactor. I am told this problem is known in other Model 70 Classic Compacts and that there are gun smiths who know how to fix it. I am told that the problem is in the magazine spring (strength). I myself also suspect the polycarbonate magazine follower. I hope this is true and that the problem is not in the basic layout of the reciever, which would be a much more serious problem.
I had a trigger job done on the factory trigger before even shooting the gun. I didn't even want to know how the factory trigger worked out of the box. Why hassle with it? The design may be sound, but I would always figure this needs work.
When I opened the bolt on my new rifle, I was shocked to see what appeared to my eyes as a ring of pits like you see on old pre-WWII rifles that were fired with corrosive primers. On close inspection, this turned out to be just a harmless big old round sloppy machine mark around the firing pin hole. I cannot say that the machine work is really good, only O.K. You have to realize that there is practially no hand work on these rifles, so they cannot really be the best.
The walnut stock I got is actually rather pretty for a plain grade. It is neither plain nor quarter sawn, but somewhere in the middle and not very dense, but it is O.K. for the caliber. I also like their satin finish, whatever it is. I wish they would just forget about the pressed on checkering, because I could have had a really nice job done one this stock if they didin't get in the way first with this cheasy stuff.
The rifle came with a dinky rubber pad that I had replaced immediately with a much better Pachmeyr Delerator pad. I think it's a good idea to have one of these on such a light rifle. It also lets you adjust the length of pull more to your liking.
The rifle stock, of course, is made for scope sights. I don't like putting a scope on a little rifle like this, especially since I live in Missouri, where most deer are taken under 75 yds. I put a Lymann 57 reciever sight and a banded front sight on it, so of course when I bring this rifle up to my cheek, the sights are too low. I will have to have a new stock made for this rifle if I want to get it right. You could probably get it to work well if a scope is what you want.
Its a real good thing that I don't expect anything good from $500 factory rifles or I would have been disappointed by this arm. Luckly, I expecdted very little and bought it for the basic action, which is not a bad deal all by itself for the $500. Its a cute little action and very nice from a conceptual point of view. Years from now and maybe $2,000 later, I will have a really nice 308 Win. light rifle made just for me. I consider it a keeper.
