GUN TESTS GRADE: A (OUR PICK)

$951

We require two things from our firearms: they have to go Bang! when they are supposed to, and they have to hit what they are pointed at. After that, everything else is gravy. In our opinion, the elegant lines on the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight we tested provided an entire breakfast, not just the gravy. The stock is a darker Grade 1 walnut with a Schnabel forend and a satin finish. Checkering is sharp, but not too sharp, and includes a graceful design on both the forend and the wrist. Wood-to-metal fit is outstanding, and the stock shows a great deal of figure. The buttstock ends with a perfectly fitted Pachmayr Decelerator pad. The stock also provides the almost obligatory pair of sling-swivel studs. The forend is free-floated for the barrel, at least the width of a business card, all the way to the receiver. The hinged metal floorplate was also matte finished. The release is accessible but required an intentional action to activate. Balance was very good, with the weight centering on the middle of the floorplate.

The barreled action starts with a 22-inch satin-stainless-steel tube and has a somewhat slow 1:12-inch twist rate. The barrel is finished with a target crown and tapers to approximately 0.55 inch at the muzzle. Many rifles have some type of recoil lug that is added in some way during assembly. The Winchester Model 70’s recoil lugs are machined as part of the receiver to better make sure that everything is aligned properly in the stock. When we removed the action from the stock, we noticed that the recoil lug and the rear action screw had both been glass-bedded — another nice touch to help accuracy.

Even though this is a current production firearm, the action is a pre-64 style (that’s good) with a three-position safety and controlled-round feed. Forward position is Fire, the middle is Safe with the bolt unlocked, and fully to the rear is Safe with a locked bolt. The bolt release is a vertical tab on the left rear of the receiver that is depressed to allow the bolt to be removed. This can be done with the safety in the forward or middle positions. The nicely jeweled, two-lug bolt has a non-rotating claw extractor. There is a spring-loaded blade ejector pinned inside the bolt raceway that levers up through a slot in the bolt body when the bolt is drawn to the rear. Controlled round feed means that all rounds headed for the chamber should first be loaded into the magazine. Do not single feed by laying a round on top of the follower and then closing the bolt. The magazine was very smooth to load and fed anything we put in it. The bolt handle is knurled and created a very positive grip. The M.O.A. trigger provided a consistent break at just over 3 pounds with virtually no creep or overtravel. Bolt lift and throw was very smooth, whether the rifle was on the bench or shouldered standing.

Our Team Said: Because our rifles did not weigh 16 pounds and cost $12,000, we did not expect them to shoot 0.3-inch groups every time we tried. We did not expect perfection, so we were very pleased with very good accuracy. Sub-1-inch groups used to be the exception. Now they are expected, and we were not disappointed. We really prefer the concept of an 8-pound-total rifle/scope package when we are about to step into the field. This Winchester chambered and fired everything we tried. It was second overall in accuracy testing, only losing that contest by an average of 0.05-inch per group and was one of the smoothest rifles we tested. Add to that the beauty of the wood and the traditional styling. Hence, it is Our Pick.

Written and photographed by Joe Woolley, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.

VALUE GUIDE: BOLT-ACTION RIFLE SCORES