Hi all,

Just joined. I am a US citizen living in NSW Australia. Long interested in shooting, but just now taking it up.

I have just bought a Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight walnut-blued, in 30.06 from a dealer. Its from a collector. Never fired, in original packaging, totally new and unmarked, scope mounts provided but still packaged.

Its USRAC and probably 90s. I'l find out the serial number.

I await my gun license (7 weeks now!) so cannot take it home yet, but soon.

Its for 3-positional target shooting at medium-long range, silhouette, and later some pig hunting. The target shooting will involve maybe 30 - 40 rounds over a few hours.

I have a few queries:

1. What exactly is 'glass' bedding?

2. Would I need to take apart this rifle and make sure the stock bedding is sealed? Or should it be okay?

3. It comes with a winchester non-magnum recoil pad, quite attractive, but I was wondering if I'd be better off with a bigger one - but only if they were optional from the factory - I want to keep this beautiful rifle totally original and in perfect condition. People here say a 30.06 is too much for target shooting and suggest 223, 7-08, 308, but the 30.06 is as American as Apple Pie and I wanted it.

Thanks guys,
Dermot

Glass bedding is using epoxy to form a stable junction between the stock wood and the underside of the action. It's generally a good thing, but you might try shooting the gun first to see how it does.

Winchester recoil pads are rumored to be made of concrete :rolleyes: and after you shoot that gun a bit you'll know why.

You have a great hunting gun. You have a .... real challenge, to put it mildly, as a target gun. A .30-06 is a fine long range target round IN A MUCH HEAVIER GUN. In a standard weight hunting rifle, you'd be pushing it, and in a featherweight, ouch......

Target shoot a little to see how it goes and then get to the field, post haste. I'd strongly recommend a much better recoil pad, at least.....

Good luck!

Thanks Mike,

Yes, originally I was seeking a heavy barrel rifle, but this cost me less than half the price of say a new Tikka T3 Varmint, and it seems here in Australia a large percentage of 3-positional and silhouette target shooters (100-500 meters) use hunting rifles (much cheaper, dual purpose etc), and I want to have fun more than sink thousands of dollars into a benchrest tack driver. The range club I am looking to join has a Saturday afternoon competition program requiring only around 30 shots (over 4 hours - half of the time at least is spent with the targets while your team mate shoots).

I take your advice re the recoil pad! I could either replace the one it comes with or buy one of those Pachmayr slip-ons and put that over the factory one. At 6' 2" a bit more length of pull is not a problem for me.

I'll look forward to pig-hunting - a relative of my wife's has a large ranch and shoots.

This particular model Winchester is an exceptionally fine-looking rifle. Sounds like a walloped shoulder will be the price I pay, hehe.

BTW, the dealer just told me the serial number: its G153 7xxx. Can anyone tell the year of production from that?

Also, it weighs just on 7 pounds without scope. Included with it are Tasco mounts and I'll probably buy a Burris 3-9, so all up it might hit 8 pounds.

Thanks for your advice,

Dermot

Welcome to the forum!

I edited your serial number to obscure it. This is for security reasons. See the sticky on the subject in the Trading Post forum.

I am assuming your barrel is 24". For target shooting you can do worse than to start with the Sierra 175 grain MatchKing over 46.5 grains of IMR 4895 in a Remington case. This pretty identically copies the internal ballistics of the Lake City M72 .30-06 match loads issued by the Army for target shooting with the M1 Garand, years ago. It is not a maximum load, by any means. You can adjust it for best accuracy.

Since you can withstand extra length of pull, how about getting a Past recoil pad for your shoulder rather than mess with the gun stock? If find the heavy magnum pad works pretty well. I often wear one under my shooting jacket just because the service rifles I usually shoot have the stubby 13" military pull. I tend to crawl a stock anyway, and don't really need a rear sight in my eye.

Thanks Nick, yes, I saw the serial number edit.

The barrel is 22' in the Featherweights (which actually are not overly light compared to other light hunting rifles). Its a 1:10 twist.

I'll take your advice re the ammo.

Re recoil pads, its here ehading into summer and summer in Sydney is warm and very humid - no bulky shooting jackets. The dealer where I bought it has slip-over Pachmayr recoil pads - I guess I could use one when target shooting then pull it off when hunting. For winter, your idea sounds good!

Do you know where I might find the year of manufacture from the serial number? I'm just curious.

Cheers,
Dermot


Welcome to the forum!

I edited your serial number to obscure it. This is for security reasons. See the sticky on the subject in the Trading Post forum.

I am assuming your barrel is 24". For target shooting you can do worse than to start with the Sierra 175 grain MatchKing over 46.5 grains of IMR 4895 in a Remington case. This pretty identically copies the internal ballistics of the Lake City M72 .30-06 match loads issued by the Army for target shooting with the M1 Garand, years ago. It is not a maximum load, by any means. You can adjust it for best accuracy.

Since you can withstand extra length of pull, how about getting a Past recoil pad for your shoulder rather than mess with the gun stock? If find the heavy magnum pad works pretty well. I often wear one under my shooting jacket just because the service rifles I usually shoot have the stubby 13" military pull. I tend to crawl a stock anyway, and don't really need a rear sight in my eye.

A 22" barrel is more likely to want the load moved up to about 48 grains. As the barrel gets shorter you need a little more pressure to get all the powder burned, and the muzzle distorting compression wave reflecting back and forth along the tube has a shorter periodicity. That load change allows for that. This will still be under 80% of maximum pressure.

The recoil pads don't require a jacket over top. They have a thin web strap with Velcro that wraps around your chest to hold them in place on your shoulder. I just mentioned the jacket because competitors in target shooting matches usually wear shooting jackets that truss them up like a Thanksgiving turkey to provide them with better stability in their positions. Wearing the pad under mine is just my method of marrying the two. You wouldn't need to use a jacket with it, though your shoulder will probably perspire under on in the weather conditions you describe.

I believe the Winchester Collector's site (http://www.winchestercollector.org/) has a list of serial numbers and dates of manufacture, but that you have to join the association for a fee to access it? I don't collect guns, except for the purposes of shooting them, so I do not belong to that organization. If someone else on the board does, perhaps they will chime in with an answer? Some of the books that try to provide estimated trade values will provide ranges of dates of manufacture. I am out of town on business at the moment, so I can't look through mine for you. Again, perhaps someone else will chime in?