The Winchester reject rifle

[The Old Man]

Nearly 30 years ago the little lady bought me a Pre 64 Type Model 70 Stainless in .243. The rifle shot 3/8" @ 100 yds on a good day, 5/8" on a bad day. Them summer got here and the heat softened the stock so much that it would change POI with any change in hold while down on the bi-pod.

It was supposed to come with an aluminum bedding block, but didn't. Winchester said it would be coverred under warranty, and a few weeks later it came back with a beautiful brown laminate stock, but when I got to the range it wouldn't group any better than 2 MOA! I called Winchester to ask what happened!

I was told my barrel had a scratch in the bore so they rebarreled it. WHAT?!?!
I said I was returning it and they were to put my tack-driver back on, but they claimed the barrel was already scrapped. "I want my accuracy where it was before you screwed my rifle up",
but the response was "it meets our accuracy standard as it is"

Never buying another Winchester anything, but it was a gift, so I still have it. But.....

Now and then I tried different handloads, Sierra's accuracy load etc., then I tried a 100Gr Sierra Pro Hunter Spitzer over 41.0 Grs of IMR 4831 with a CCI 200. It now shoots 5/8" on a good day, and 3/4" on a bad one!

This is a load someone having a tough time developing an accurate deer load for his .243 might want to try.

[ironglows]

  Come now, Old Man..  Is it really the rifle?    Now that I am in the December of my life, my groiups have opened up some also !   

[Lloyd Smale]

in my experience if a gun wont shoot pro hunters or ballistic tips it usually wont shoot period. Even different torque on action screws can make a drastic diffence i how a rifle shoots. My guess is they do the same as ruger. If a gun dont shoot or theres something wrong with it they scrap it and give you an entirely new gun. I just had a 300 bo american that wouldnt feed good out of the mag and sent it in. they sent me back an ar15 mag style gun to replace it. Probably easier for them to just toss it then pay someone to fart around with it.

Nearly 30 years ago the little lady bought me a Pre 64 Type Model 70 Stainless in .243. The rifle shot 3/8" @ 100 yds on a good day, 5/8" on a bad day. Them summer got here and the heat softened the stock so much that it would change POI with any change in hold while down on the bi-pod.

It was supposed to come with an aluminum bedding block, but didn't. Winchester said it would be coverred under warranty, and a few weeks later it came back with a beautiful brown laminate stock, but when I got to the range it wouldn't group any better than 2 MOA! I called Winchester to ask what happened!

I was told my barrel had a scratch in the bore so they rebarreled it. WHAT?!?!
I said I was returning it and they were to put my tack-driver back on, but they claimed the barrel was already scrapped. "I want my accuracy where it was before you screwed my rifle up",
but the response was "it meets our accuracy standard as it is"

Never buying another Winchester anything, but it was a gift, so I still have it. But.....

Now and then I tried different handloads, Sierra's accuracy load etc., then I tried a 100Gr Sierra Pro Hunter Spitzer over 41.0 Grs of IMR 4831 with a CCI 200. It now shoots 5/8" on a good day, and 3/4" on a bad one!

This is a load someone having a tough time developing an accurate deer load for his .243 might want to try.

[The Old Man]

  Come now, Old Man..  Is it really the rifle?    Now that I am in the December of my life, my groiups have opened up some also !   

Ironglows you have a point, and recently that crossed my mind with a few guns which are "finicky", but when all this went on with the stock and barrel replacement with the Winchester I was only in my 40's, and still offhand shooting groundhogs at 100 yds......so that does still leave the question of "IS IT THE SHOOTER OR IS IT THE SHOOTER?"

[The Old Man]

in my experience if a gun wont shoot pro hunters or ballistic tips it usually wont shoot period. Even different torque on action screws can make a drastic diffence i how a rifle shoots. My guess is they do the same as ruger. If a gun dont shoot or theres something wrong with it they scrap it and give you an entirely new gun. I just had a 300 bo american that wouldnt feed good out of the mag and sent it in. they sent me back an ar15 mag style gun to replace it. Probably easier for them to just toss it then pay someone to fart around with it.

I agree it's easier to let some old fart mess with it, but it's been suggested that my original barrel went on someone elses rifle, and his so-so barrel was swapped over to mine. Why else would a barrel be replaced when it was only there for a warranty stock replacement? The serial number says I got back the same gun.

You're right about the Sierras' Pro Hunter Spitzer being a very accurate bullet in nearly all rifles, so long as the powder is also to the rifles liking. I tried three other bullets with the IMR 4831, none of which impressed me very much, but the Pro Hunter......that's the one.