Model 70 Featherweight

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pyscodog

Active member
Picked up a Winchester Mod 70 Featherweight yesterday in a local pawn shop. Its a 7 Mauser, (7x57). One listed on GB calls it a rare caliber??? Not to sure about rare, maybe hard to find??? Looks to have been made between 82-83 and its a New Haven so I guess its a decent built rifle. Also it is mint condition and looks to be unfired by looking at the bolt face and bore. I got a set of Lee dies and some PPU brass this morning so I can load some rounds for it. Any suggestions on what to try. I have a considerable amount of different 7MM bullets. I was thinking something in the 120-140 grain range. Powers, maybe H4350 or 4831.

Thanks!
 
If the dating is correct, its a Winchester Model 70 push feed rifle which were pretty good rifles back then. Later New Haven rifles built in maybe the last five years there were sketchy at best on occasion. Disgruntled union workers weren't always conscientious workers.....

Some prefer the CRF Model 70 rifles (both pre-64 and later New Haven USRAC rifles as well as today's Model 70 rifles), but that is a ford/chevy thing for shooters who never go after man eating animals. Probably the best feature of the CRF rifles was/is the larger claw extractor when compared to the push feed tab extractor. Even today its still a debatable issue among Model 70 hunters and shooters largely based on their own perceived needs. Personally I like the CRF rifles best, "just because", but when hunting white tail its a total non-issue. And most of the push feed Model 70 rifles shoot very well.

7x57 rifles were not a rarity back then but they were definitely not produced in the numbers you'd see for a 270 or a 30-06 for example. They were fairly common and readily available if you were willing to look, but due to consumer demand, not every small mom and pop gun shop would stock them when they could sell a better known rifle caliber to anyone walking in the door. Utilizing PT Barnum's theory, some Gun Broker, etc. internet sellers use lots of hyperbole to sell what they have.

All in all, the 7x57 is an excellent cartridge, albeit a bit under powered for what Mr. Bell did to elephants with it. But he wasn't a typical week-end hunter either. For NA game up through elk it is a very good choice even today. Either of the two powders mentioned plus 140 grain bullets should work well in OK.
 
When I first asked about it at the store, the guy said it was a 7 mag. I kinda wrinkled my nose at that. Being a Featherweight I figure the 7 Mag would be brutal, killing on both ends. He handed it to me and I saw 7 Mauser and New Haven on the barrel, now this is a whole new ball game! After pulling the bolt and looking at the condition of the rifle, it looked un-fired. Key words-looked un-fired. Wood,blueing and bolt face all were very close to 100%. Although it is push feed it wasn't a deal breaker for me so I did the deal. But that trigger! It breaks at a nice crisp 6 pounds but my gunsmith is fixing that on Monday. Its just a really nice rifle to add my meager collection.
 
It has a very simple trigger design that is easy to improve on.

All it may require is adjustment. Maybe a bit of honing. Some people see a screw with more threads to go and they tighten it down tight so it won't come loose.
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I'm going to let Ernie do it. He works on all my triggers. If I don't mess with it, he doesn't have to fix it. And I don't get chewed out either. LOL!
 
Took the Winchester to Ernie this morning and he did a trigger job on it. Got the trigger to 2 1/4 pounds. Much nicer than the 6 pounds where it was at. I notice a date stamped on the stocks barrel channel, Feb.19,1982. The rifle still had a thick grease looking substance on the mag box and bottom of the action. We still think it was un-fired. Won't be for long. I had a new Leupold VX-II, 3x9 on the shelf so it went on the rifle. Now to work up some loads. Who knows, it may see the deer woods this year!!
 
When I had my own 7x57, IMR-4350 and 150 gr. Hornady Interlock did great work on whitetail. Nothing fancy but it always worked.
 
Thank You!! I have some 140 Berger Hunting and 145 Speers loaded with H4831 to try first. Weather permitting I'll try them tomorrow. I have a lot of different 7MM bullets but some are on the heavy side. I think anything 150 and under is all thats needed for Okla deer.
 
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