Winchester's Traditional Model 70 Sporter in 270 Winchester Part I

Alexa, AKA “Echo” has learned my musical preferences by peering deep into my psyche and taking copious notes of the requests blurted out throughout the day. Now I can walk into the shop, plop into my chair in front of the computer screen and command, “Echo, play” and be entertained without further interaction. Usually a mixture of folk, blues and easy listening rock from the 60s and 70s, this morning Echo opened with Sugar, Sugar by the Archies, strafing my brain cells and assaulting my auditory system. Of course, I don’t work alone and who knows how staff has its way with Echo when I am out of the office… although now I can guess. There is a point beneath this word count generation; people like different things and manufacturers work to figure out what people want and to what degree.

We live in a period of disposable product and ever shortening cycles of new becoming old. However, there is a resistance group that is not so quick to abandon tradition. The group has no association patches, jackets or badges, but they recognize one another at the auto parts store, at the home improvement center, at the range, or out hunting, fishing, or off-roading. If handed a firearm, they could judge its quality at a glance by materials selected and manufactured fit and finish. I think maybe it is this demographic Winchester has in mind with continued production of the Model 70. As the model has persisted since 1937, there must be something to Winchester’s logic.

The stock is listed as only Grade 1 black walnut, but the grain flow and color is very nice and the wood is free of checks and even small knots. The satin finish is enough to fill pores for a smooth surface, very similar to a good built up oil finish. Machine checkering is well done and well placed to do a proper job in the field. Metal parts fit well and finished in a very attractive, deep, blue black with no surface trace of a polishing wheel. There are nice rifle touches like a jeweled bolt and knurled bolt knob, things in days gone by an old school gunsmith would put on a finished rifle as part of his signature.

Above, a little better detail of the touches mentioned previously. Three position safeties are handy; back for safe and bolt locked, mid position for safe and bolt free and forward for fire. The mid position allowing the bolt to open while in safe position for emptying the rifle or topping off the magazine.

A rifle built for a scope, the drop at the comb is only half an inch and the line projects straight back to the heel. The rifle can mount a 50mm objective lens scope with only medium rings, but I high mounted it to facilitate shooting from a bench. The cheek piece is actually supportive without slamming the shooter’s face under recoil.

The flip side of the Model 70 is slick. A little finish texture difference between trigger guard and floorplate frame and floorplate but definitely not a big deal. The follower is a slick poly piece that feeds smoothly and has enough mass and spring rate to be very reliable.

The Winchester Model 70 uses the Winchester MOA trigger system; zero take up, no creep and crisp let off. Preset at 3.5 Lbs pull, the M.O.A. trigger is adjustable for overtravel and pull weight. The Model 70 has a flat bottom receiver with integral recoil lug that locates to a reinforced location in the stock. In days long gone, the stock would have been closely inletted to fit the action and the barrel channel would be fit to hug the barrel and the first time the stock was exposed to wet weather, point of impact would wander depending in how much and where expanding wood would apply pressure.

In place of attempting to control material to the 0.001″ that grows and shrinks on its own to the 0.030″, Winchester spot glass bed the stock at the recoil lug inset and the action tang. This provides solid footing that won’t change over time or with temperature and humidity, reinforcement of those stressed areas and it lets the action and barrel vibrate away and return to a steady state and consistently do so over and over… and over again.

The Winchester Model 70 Sporter utilizes a Pre ’64 controlled round system with a one piece bolt that picks up and controls the cartridge from magazine to ejection. The full length claw extractor is non rotating, the ejector is a blade type which allows the shooter control over force of ejection.

The 270 Winchester

The SAAMI standard muzzle velocities for the 270 Winchester 150 grain load is 3,000 fps, the 270 Weatherby is 3,230 fps and the 270 WSM is 3,150 fps with a uniform test barrel length of 24″. Respective maximum average pressures are 62.5kpsi, 65.0 kpsi and 65.0 kpsi. Case capacities are 67 grains, 82 grains and 80 grains. In more meaningful terms, with a 6″ critical target and a calculated best zero, point blank range is 294 yards, 324 yards and 308 yards.

There are three 0.277″ cartridges I shoot routinely and one, the 6.8 SPC (not pictured) I’ve used in passing. The Weatherby puts a solid 200+ fps on the 270 Winchester with common barrel lengths. My use is with a non-Weatherby custom chassis rifle I put together with a 26″ barrel. My objective in assembling the rifle was testing accuracy modifications and handloads.

The 270 WSM is one of my favorite cartridges. It works for me as a handload, it works for accuracy and down range power but, again, my objectives were not related to pulling a rifle out of a vehicle and heading off into the woods.One day I will buy and/or build a very nice traditional rifle and it will be in this caliber. The Model 70 Sporter is also available in 270 WSM.

The subject rifle with 270 Winchester cartridge is great choice for the handloader and hunter up through any thin skinned north American big game like elk or moose. It will perform with less fuss, certainly less noise and lesser cost than either of the 270 magnums previously noted. The 270 Winchester is easier on a firearm and a shooter, ammo of many types is available virtually anywhere ammunition is sold and it is sold at a reasonable price.

 At this point we will take a break and come back with some developed handloads and other live fire results for the 270 Winchester in Part II