Winchester’s Model 70 Classics

by 'Doc' O'Meara

Since its introduction in 1936, Winchester’s Model 70 has been the standard by which all bolt action sporting rifles have been judged. In that time it’s come to be known as ‘The Rifleman’s Rifle’. Many hunters and target shooters the world over have considered it to be the finest production rifle available to the sportsman. More than 60 years later, in spite of some very fine competition in the marketplace, many continue to do so.

In 1952 a lightweight version dubbed, logically enough, ‘The Featherweight’, was added to the Model 70 series of rifles. Featuring an aluminium trigger guard and floor plate, a shorter than standard barrel measuring 22" in length and turned to a thinner than usual contour, it was widely considered to be the ideal rifle for hunting in rugged, remote locations where size and weight factors are critically considered.

In 1964 a newly designed and very different action was introduced. It featured a push-feed bolt system. For 30 years since, many knowledgeable shooters lamented the loss of control in chambering and positive cartridge extraction that were perceived as lost with the change. In 1994 US Repeating Arms Co (USRAC), who now make the Winchester rifles, heard the pleas of a generation of shooters and began offering their customers a choice. The claw extractor was back. In keeping with this re-introduction of the Pre-’64 Model 70 style of action, rifles of this type had the term ‘Classic’ added to their name to distinguish them from the push-feed types, which are really quite popular in some quarters.

In the same year, Browning, which is owned by the same parent company as USRAC, Giat Corp, of France, introduced the BOSS accuracy system. The term ‘BOSS’ is an acronym for Ballistic Optimising Shooting System. The device attaches to the muzzle end of the barrel and allows the natural harmonics, commonly known as barrel whip, caused during the bullet’s passage down the bore, to be refined and controlled. By adjusting the device for optimum performance in the individual rifle, accuracy is brought to peak level. Now, the Model 70 rifles are available with the BOSS system. Since the two firearm manufacturers are owned by the same parent firm, it makes sense that they share technological advancements that are compatible with each other’s products.

In 1995, the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence selected Winchester’s Model 70 Classic Featherweight as its ‘Rifle of the Year’. At the same time, a consumer survey found it to be ‘The world’s most beautiful rifle’. At the 1996 SHOT Show, it was announced that it, too, would be made available with the BOSS device.

There are prices to be paid for the accuracy improvement obtained with the BOSS - an increased noise level and heavier recoil. An optional compensator-equipped BOSS device reduces the recoil but at the cost of even greater noise levels. These factors may be part of the reason that rifles equipped with the BOSS system have had little sales appeal in Australia, although they will continue to be available in limited numbers for those who particularly want them.

Most shooters, on the other hand, are perfectly satisfied with the level of accuracy the unadorned Model 70 delivers right from the box. I recently had the opportunity to shoot a friend’s new Featherweight M-70, without the BOSS, chambered for the .243. It was able to produce groups measuring just less than an inch. In most instances these Winchester rifles in any calibre can provide groups of one to three inches from 100 yards when fed compatible ammunition. For that reason, only those who have a particular need to have all their rounds touching or going through the same hole in the paper seem interested in the BOSS system.

The Model 70’s three-position safety remains one of its most distinctive features. The engine-turned jewelling on the body of the bolt gives it a custom look, while the knurled knob on the bolt handle helps to make an attractive package all the more practical.

The Featherweight’s stock has a straight comb, while the fore-end has a traditionally European-style Schnabel tip. The stylish and gracefully done cut chequering adds to the impression of custom craftsmanship. A modest recoil pad on the butt provides a measure of cushioning and a non-slip surface for the rifleman’s shoulder. The wood is satin finished to an attractive, yet unobtrusive, sheen.

So, here we now have it all in one package. A beautiful rifle, which at a mere 7lb/3.2kg (minus sling, scope, mount and bases) is light enough to comfortably carry in any terrain and equipped to provide premium accuracy in a choice of seven popular calibres, including the .22-250, .243 and .308 Winchester. Even the most traditional among Winchester buffs will have to admit that this may be the very best of all worlds.

I’ve never been much of a fan of Magnum rifle cartridges. I prefer instead, in most instances, to stalk as close as possible or to scout an area before the season begins and pick out a particular buck, then figure out a means to outsmart him on his own turf at close range. However, there are those circumstances where the terrain or the nature of the game in question makes the long shot necessary. It’s under such conditions that the advantage goes to the Magnum cartridge and a rifle capable of delivering maximum energy with optimum accuracy.

I continue to prefer the blending of wood to metal - it makes the traditionalist in me appreciate the artistry involved. But, dinosaur though I am, the practical advantages of synthetics, combined with late 20th-century technology, must be recognised for their own virtues. For the modernist, to whom the rifle is more a functional tool that should be capable of withstanding the most severe rigours of climate and rugged use, yet remain capable of delivering peak performance when called upon, Winchester’s Model 70 Classic Laredo makes for a quite interesting prospect.

Chambered for the two most popular short Magnum rounds in the marketplace, the 7mm Rem Mag and the .300 Win Mag, it’s capable of handling any medium to large game short of some of the African ‘Big Five’. In a pinch, the expert rifleman with his back against the wall, so to speak, might even make do for those. But the forte of this rifle is long-range precision.

Owing to its pre-’64-style action, the rifle begins with an advantage in functional reliability. A heavy barrel, 26" in length, allows for maximum muzzle velocities that translate into increased down-range energy while minimising barrel whip. It’s fitted to an HS-Precision synthetic stock, grey in colour, which makes it difficult to see, even by the most sharp-eyed of species such as goats, sheep and the American pronghorn antelope. A matte black finish on all its metal parts, including the bolt body, adds to its near invisibility to game by providing a completely non-reflective surface.

The Laredo’s action is wedded to its stock by means of an aircraft aluminium bedding system known as the ‘Pillar Plus Accu-Block’. The result is a rifle impervious to such elements as rain, snow, heat and cold that can wreak havoc with the accuracy of an abused or uncared for wood-stocked rifle through swelling and shrinkage. In addition, the wide beavertail fore-end can be fitted with a Harris bipod or similar device to provide an especially stable aiming platform. If your circumstances require dealing with extremes of climate and weather and/or require long-range precision in order to collect the game, Winchester’s Model 70 Classic Laredo is tailor-made to do the job.

At present, USRAC lists 16 standard variants and four more custom built types of the Model 70 available by special order. Among all the available formats in which these rifles are made there are 19 different chamberings offered. You may wish to tailor gun to game by calibre as specifically as possible, using, for example, a .223 or .22-250 for varmints, a .30-06 for deer, pig or other large feral species and a .375 H&H or .458 Win Mag for the really big stuff. Or you may prefer something more flexible in application, like the .243 or .308 - either of which is well suited to a variety of game. Whichever your inclination may be, it’s pretty much a sure thing you’ll find a Model 70 to suit your fancy.