Author Topic: buying an M70 Featherwt. .270 or 30-06? (Read 1404 times)

44 Man · « **on:** July 30, 2012, 10:56:22 AM »

Ok here's my story. I've been playing around with single shots for quite some time and I decided I need one, quality, 'all around' rifle. I saw a nice used 70 fwt in .270 with great wood last fall and put it on layaway. I got it out a month ago and it shoots great! But I was just back into Jay's this week and they have a twin to mine in 30-06. I can't do both so I'm in a quandry. I can't see that the .270 can do much that my 7-08 can't do. And I know it is capable of big game (elk, mule deer, black bear) expecially with partitions. BUT I also know that the '06 will do all of that and more. I'm feeling I jumped too soon and should have waited for the '06. I reload for both. Any opinions for me? Should I just enjoy my .270 and not fret, or should I try to make a deal and change? 44 Man

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:22:02 PM »

44 Man: you said it yourself - the 30-06 will do all of that (which the 270 is capable of) and more. See if you can make a deal. Years ago I purchsed a consecutive numbered set of M70s in both 06 and 270. The 270 is still in the family but I have the 06. I would get the 06 and not look back.

1marty · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:54:36 PM »

Years ago I bought a rem 700 mountain rifle in 30-06 which is similar in weight to the Winchester FW. After half a dozen rounds at the range I thought my shoulder would break. Something to think about when considering calibers.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2012, 03:07:04 PM »

Sense you reload I really don't see any real difference in the two.
You can make either one do what the other one is capable of with little effort.
The 06 can be loaded down to a light 270 and the 270 can be loaded up to a pretty stout 06.
Either will take most anything you would hunt in the US and with the right load and good shot placement it will do fine in Canada and Africa.
I, my self have never cared for the 06 that much only because I don't hunt anything that the 270 can't handle and the extra recoil does nothing for my shoulder either.
Others will disagree I am sure but that is beatting a pretty dead horse.
Unless you are going after the big bears I would keep what you have.
I have two of them (a pre 64 and a 1988 model) and they have both served me very well over the years.
Now had you said a 270 WSM then that would be a different story.
I have three of those and none of them are for sale!!!

LONGTOM

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2012, 05:29:48 PM »

My answer first then a story ya can read or ignore.

Iffen it were me I'd go with the .270 like Jack did.

Now the story.

Back somewhere around the mid to late '50s my cousin Lewis got a new M70 Featherweight .30-06. Yeah with those 180s it kinda did kick but I did like it and asked for a copy of it for my CHRISTmas present that year. Don't recall just which year that was.

What I got was and elcheapo M93 Mauser with the barrel chopped a bit and front sight reinstalled. Stock was half way sporterized and bolt wasn't bent. It was a 7x57 the only one I've ever owned. It was an abomination and I eventually sold it for $10 and figured I was cheating my friend who bought it.

Who knows what guns I might have owned had I gotten that M70 so very long ago. As a result of not getting it tho my first bolt action I bought was a Remington 700 and so have almost all of them since been either M700s or Model Sevens. I'll always wonder if I had started with a Winchester if I'd have stayed with it.

The closest I've ever come to owning a Winchester M70 was a M670 .30-06 a whole lotta years ago. I didn't think much of it but by then I was kinda hooked on Remington's anyway.

LONGTOM · « **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2012, 02:52:20 AM »

GB, that is not to far off the way I got started with Winchesters only my first for Christmas at age 9 was a new Savage model 24, 22lr over 20ga.
The first rifle was my Winchester model 70 Featherweight pre 64 made in 53 and I still own it.
The only Remingtons I ever liked were the old rolling blocks and the 30 S EXPRESS models.

LONGTOM

44 Man · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2012, 01:29:11 PM »

Well, it's a moot point now. I called the owner of Jay's and explained what my quandry was. Jay's has a very liberal return policy so I explained what I hoped to do, and he said he could do that. I swapped the .270 for the 30-06. Since I had already shortened the stock and installed a pad (I like short stocked rifles), I kept my stock and put the .270 action into his stock. Had a little work getting the '06 action down into my bedding but I have that all taken care of now. All for $35 to cover his paperwork. Now I have to get back to the range again!

44 Man

LONGTOM · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2012, 02:20:30 AM »

Done deal!

LONGTOM

Swampman · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2012, 03:19:40 AM »

Owned several .270s and .30-06s. I will say that the most accurate rifles I've ever owned were all .30-06s. I have a Model 70 Featherweight and a Model 700 in .30-06 and a Model 700 in .270. When I'm traveling and spending a lot of money to hunt I take my Remington .30-06 because it always hits exactly were I'm shooting when it's cold and fouled. I have faith in it. I haven't shot the Featherweight enough to know yet but I expect it will be the same way.

Ladobe · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2012, 03:16:02 PM »

Only you can decide what fits your fancy and you sepcific needs.

I've had both calibers, but one no longer lives with me. I never found anything the 270 wouldn't do in spades for me, at any range or on anthing I hunted, to the point the 06's never got shot anymore and were sold. Like others, I grew up reading Jack O'Connor's words, so am surely influenced by that still today.

Only Winnie Featherweight Classic I still have is still new in the box, a 243WSSM. It would have done anything to at least deer and pronghorns in spades, but I bought it for long range predator hunting on ranches I did ADC for where the ranch hands took potshots at them all the time. So they would hold up WAY out there when called, and most of those ranches also often had wind to deal with.