Rifle Build - Re-build current rifle or start from scratch?

[r.ellison2010]

I have Winchester Model 70 Superlight chambered in 300 Weatherby that was handed down to me. In its current form it isn't the most fun rifle to shoot, it has a pencil barrel that seems to heat up after two rounds and plastic stock and has big recoil. I'm thinking about keeping the action and getting a new carbon barrel and carbon manners stock along with a new trigger. Or am I better off getting a new action and build a new .30 cal around that?

RE

 

[jcmullis2]

You’re better off getting a custom action. Keep the win for a hunting rifle like it was made for. It’s light so you can hump it through the woods and up mountains all day. It kicks like a mule because it’s light. If you don’t want it just sell it. Winchester doesn’t have a good selection of stocks and other things so you’ll be painting yourself into a corner.
If you don’t like recoil you might wanna check out the 260 rem or 6.5 creedmoor. Add a stainless mtu or m24 contour barrel with a muzzle brake and a decent stock or chassis. Just my humble opinion

 

[Newbie2020]

Start over from scratch. Keep the hunting rifle and use it for hunting. Sounds like a good one. Plenty of good choices for a foundation action to build on.

 

[stello1001]

You're better off building on that action. I have 3 Winchester 70 rifles and they are awesome rifles. Yeah, there's probably more stocks or chassis offered for rem700 actions but who cares. You can still find stuff to make a great rifle out of a m70.

 

[Totoro]

What is a Winchester Superlight?

I dont recall a model as such in past or current production? Possibly Featherweight?

In any case, if it's a PF then sell it and use the money for a full build from scratch.

If it's CRF, then keep and build around it.

Just my 2cents.

 

[jcmullis2]

Before I bought anything for a build with a Winchester action I’d make sure every single piece needed to build it the way I wanted was available. A fella the other day couldn’t find any bottom metal he liked for a dbm on his Winny build. There he was with his bare face hanging out, a couple grand tied up, and no bottom metal to finish his custom rig. The chance of him selling the stuff and getting his money back was between slim and none. He had to choose which bottom metal he hated the least and fudge with it every single time he used it. I was sure glad it wasn’t me who screwed up. Who’s knows though you might be able to buy everything you want and save a few bucks by destroying a classic hunting rifle that was passed down to you. I’d rather have a hunting rifle and a custom rig myself but that’s just me. Good luck with your build

 

[buffybuster]

The limiting issue of Win M70 Long Action is the availability of DBM bottom metal. If you got that figured or you don't want that and your cartridge of choice requires a long action, then build on it. If not, leave it as-is.

 

[r.ellison2010]

What is a Winchester Superlight?

I dont recall a model as such in past or current production? Possibly Featherweight?

In any case, if it's a PF then sell it and use the money for a full build from scratch.

If it's CRF, then keep and build around it.

Just my 2cents.

Maybe a featherweight, not sure it was given to me but it has a pencil barrel and a cheap but light weight plastic stock. Excuse my ignorance, but what does "PF" and "CRF" mean?

 

[stello1001]

Maybe a featherweight, not sure it was given to me but it has a pencil barrel and a cheap but light weight plastic stock. Excuse my ignorance, but what does "PF" and "CRF" mean?

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[Southern Custom]

By the time you pay to have that action trued you could have bought a Bighorn action for a bit over $800 that will still be a better action overall. Just the ability to easily disassemble and change bolt heads is worth the price of admission.
There are still a whole bunch of us who are old enough to remember the days when you either paid huge money for a custom gun or you blueprinted a Remington action. There just were not many choices. With modern machining practices, the Remington is falling farther and farther behind as good choice for an action.
You also didn’t mention your intended use for the gun or future caliber. . If it’s going to be a target/comp gun then going the carbon route might not be your best bet. The trend to heavier guns for this purpose happened for a reason. If it’s going to be a hunting rig in a lighter caliber then the carbon route would be a great choice.

 

[r.ellison2010]

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It is CRF. So this feature is enough to build around? It will remain a hunting rifle, trying to determine if it is worth upgrading.

 

[jcmullis2]

By the time you pay to have that action trued you could have bought a Bighorn action for a bit over $800 that will still be a better action overall. Just the ability to easily disassemble and change bolt heads is worth the price of admission.
There are still a whole bunch of us who are old enough to remember the days when you either paid huge money for a custom gun or you blueprinted a Remington action. There just were not many choices. With modern machining practices, the Remington is falling farther and farther behind as good choice for an action.
You also didn’t mention your intended use for the gun or future caliber. . If it’s going to be a target/comp gun then going the carbon route might not be your best bet. The trend to heavier guns for this purpose happened for a reason. If it’s going to be a hunting rig in a lighter caliber then the carbon route would be a great choice.

It seems like just yesterday when I was giving my money to the gunsmiths on a regular basis. The new stuff has really put a hurting on those guys. The days of trigger jobs and mounting scopes are long gone. The barrel nut is taking a lot of barrel jobs from them as well. The custom actions with prefit barrels has all but finished them off. The time, aggravation, and cost to make a factory action right makes the custom action a better choice IMO. I don’t miss going to the gunsmith at all.
The op has a good hunting rifle and wants something that doesn’t kick much and doesn’t heat up after a couple of shots. I understand wanting to fix it but sometimes it’s better to start fresh.

 

[Lilja Riflebarrels]

Before I bought anything for a build with a Winchester action I’d make sure every single piece needed to build it the way I wanted was available. A fella the other day couldn’t find any bottom metal he liked for a dbm on his Winny build. There he was with his bare face hanging out, a couple grand tied up, and no bottom metal to finish his custom rig. The chance of him selling the stuff and getting his money back was between slim and none. He had to choose which bottom metal he hated the least and fudge with it every single time he used it. I was sure glad it wasn’t me who screwed up. Who’s knows though you might be able to buy everything you want and save a few bucks by destroying a classic hunting rifle that was passed down to you. I’d rather have a hunting rifle and a custom rig myself but that’s just me. Good luck with your build

This. This is the best advice you can get.

 

[jcmullis2]

This. This is the best advice you can get.

My best advice was that he buy a custom action for his build and leave his inherited hunting rifle as it came. “This. This” advice was to assist him in the event he listened to someone like yourself.

 

[Lilja Riflebarrels]

My best advice was that he buy a custom action for his build and leave his inherited hunting rifle as it came. “This. This” advice was to assist him in the event he listened to someone like yourself.

Lol, the egos on this forum never cease to amaze me. Literally agreeing with what you stated, only to get it turned around like I'm the one giving the bad advice.

 

[jcmullis2]

Lol, the egos on this forum never cease to amaze me. Literally agreeing with what you stated, only to get it turned around like I'm the one giving the bad advice.

My Bad. I offer you my sincerest apologies. I obviously read it wrong. Sorry about that.

 

[chevy_man]

Buy an aftermarket action and built it easy and cheap.


Pay a gunsmith stupid money to rebarrel a M70.....



Do what you want with the winchester, but I'd leave it alone and build a new rifle. They can go for stupid money to the right collector if it's a desirable model, so I'd 100% make sure what it is before you go and turn a $2k gun into a $200 gun.