Winchester XPR Sporter Part I

The Winchester XPR is manufactured in Portugal, alongside the Winchester Model 70, and imported into the United States by Browning Arms Company. Both companies fall under the ownership of Fabrique Nationale Herstal, Belgium. The use of the Winchester name is licensed by FN from the Olin Corporation.

All old news, of course, but interesting in that all Browning bolt action rifles are manufactured by Miroku, Japan, along with all Winchester lever action rifles.

There are twenty two versions of the Winchester XPR, seven of which are geographic or distributor exclusives. Across all models, the XPR is available in sixteen different chambers from 223 Remington to 338 Winchester Magnum. Barrel length varying with version and chamber. If the subject version does not suit your specific applications, other versions may.

A little table feature elaboration

The Winchester shares some operation with the Browning X-Bolt; the little tab aft of the bolt shroud that sticks its red tongue out when the action is cocked, the button forward of the safety that allows the bolt to be opened with the safety in the “On” position. The Warne scope mount bases were installed in the shop, they do not ship with the rifle.

Like the Browning X-Bolt, the XPR has a full diameter bolt body… the diameter of the bolt is the same as the diameter containing the bolt’s three locking lugs. The ejector is a spring loaded plunger type, which controls the timing and force of ejection. The extractor is under spring load and moves laterally into a cartridge’s extraction groove. The action is a push feed type.

The bolt is Nickel Teflon coated and guided in longitudinal and radial travel by the bolt stop. The bolt body is machined from a one piece billet. The bolt handle retains the firing pin… and the firing pin retains the bolt handle. Yes, like mechanical codependency, but without a need for therapy.

I do not know a functional benefit to a full diameter bolt body, other than lower machining and process costs in manufacturing. Bolt thrust is absorbed by lug and lug seat contact. The bolt body itself does not see stress, as there is nothing in its path to offer longitudinal force resistance. Additionally, the greatest strength of a column is at its smallest diameter which, in this case, is just after of the bolt lugs. While the groove in the bolt body guides its travel, the diameter is receiver filling, which contributes to the rifle’s smooth bolt throw.

Scope mounting; the good, the bad and the D’Lemma… That’s French you know

Winchester XPR receivers are drilled and tapped for 8-40 fasteners. Larger than the more common 6-48 fasteners. I like the larger fasteners, especially on rifles that will probably see relatively large optical sights. No, I have never personally, nor have I seen, mount hardware shear. However, some of the newer long range scopes approach the size and weight of a refractor telescope, so larger fasteners are good no cost insurance.

You may notice some inconsistencies amongst the pictures regarding scope mounting approaches taken. I use Warne bases and rings within projects. No, zero freebies, but they are steel, good quality and I only have to change fasteners every 7,000 miles.

I usually select two piece bases because they are lowest in profile, which allows me to select ring height to get the eyeball to optical centerline desired. No matter how I rotated the bases to accommodate a ring spacing that would fit any scope I wanted to use. None had a long enough tube. Odd.

I ended up purchasing a made in U.S.A. EGW 20 MOA rail, long action from Amazon. $35, it is relatively low profile, allows a broad range of ring positions, and I was able to mount a scope with a 50mm objective lens with low rings. The rail projects forward beyond the receiver, but the center of the rail is relieved so as not to interfere with scope’s bell.

How did the XPR get to that low price point?

People buy firearms for many reasons: security, collecting, organized competition. heirlooms, egos, hunting, etc.. Each has its own set of criteria. The Winchester XPR, in the Sporter configuration, is a hunting rifle, so its essence is accuracy, reliability and durability. All essential elements for the application.

A Model 70 Featherweight, a walnut stock version, has an MSRP of $1,299. The Winchester XPR Sporter has an MSRP of $699.99. What are the tradeoffs? For a pragmatic hunter, perhaps none, because I think the Sporter gives up nothing in accuracy, reliability or durability, even if it is not ego fodder.

The Sporter’s stock is a basic, low cost Turkish walnut. The Featherweight is Grade 1 black walnut. They both wear laser checkering, but the Featherweight features greater coverage. The Featherweight’s metal; receiver, barrel, trigger guard and hinged floorplate are satin finished, blued steel. The Sporter metal; receiver and barrel are alloy steel with Perma-Cote spray on finish. The Sporter bottom pieces of the Sporter are all polymer.

The Model 70 is controlled feed, the Sporter is push feed. The Featherweight has a jeweled bolt. The Sporter has a nickle Teflon coated bolt. The Featherweight has a top loading system with a hinged floorplate to assist in unloading. The Sporter has a detachable, polymer, single stack magazine.

Yes, aesthetically major differences, but to the criteria of accuracy, reliability or durability, nothing was sacrificed. The use of newer technology may, in fact, be superior to the Model 70 and less costly to maintain and/or repair.

The Two-70 Winchester. Could have been… if I had my way

The 270 Winchester was designed by Winchester engineers and placed into production in 1925. It is the child to its 30-06 Springfield parent. There will always be debates, consternation and general discord regarding the 270 Winchester’s limits and application. Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game, stressing marksmanship and bullet selection to be key regardless caliber, placed the 270 Winchester on it recommended list for brown bear.

The 270 Winchester is the bane of those who love all things new. Primarily, because it does such a good job of filling the long range, hard hitting, easy to manage class of cartridge, it leaves little room to justify selecting what .277″ rounds have followed.

I have to laugh at Cartridges Of The World 270 Winchester entry, a publications that credits the Chinese with Winchester’s selection of a 0.277″ bullet for this cartridge. 7.9 billion people in this world; no chance anyone could have had an original thought?

Pictured, Left L-R: 270 Weatherby, 270 Winchester, 270 WSM. I personally own two 270 type rifles; one is a 270 WSM and the other is a 270 Weatherby. Both are excellent cartridge, rewarding to handload, but I would be living in denial if I said, as a practical matter, either could not be replaced with a 270 Winchester.

No compromise budget hunting rifle… No compromise budget ammo

There is $19/20 box 270 Winchester ammunition and there is $80/20 box 270 Winchester ammunition. The higher the price, the fancier the packaging. The three biggest price gouging offenders? Federal, Nosler and Swift. Any good jacketed bullet will get the job done, as they have for the past half century. Subsequently, the Winchester was shot, in Part I with inexpensive $19/20 Prvi ammunition. From the Real Guns®Ballistic Calculator: