Winchester Varmint .308

User00003

Well-Known Member
Anyone shot/owned this rifle.

Saw it for sale for £400, good condition. looks like a 24" heavy barrell with and free floated.

does anyone have any experience with this, ie. accuracy, weight, trigger quality, action, available parts, etc.

thanks!
 
Used to have a Model 70 Varmint in 243. Pretty accurate, but undoubtedly the worst trigger I've ever used,very heavy. Real lawyers trigger! Bit of a lump to carry round, but then it was a "varmint" rifle.

Andrew
 
A friend brought a Model 70 Stainless varmint in .308 years back. A black plastic stock which surprisingly was quite comfortable and the rifle shot superbly. Of course this was about 16 years ago now. It out shot his Remington 700 VSS in .223 which in itself was an accurate rifle. I do not recall the trigger being bad. Of the two I would have taken the Winchester ;). That's the only experience with them. he had no bother findiing it a new home when he had to give up shooting due to bad health.
 
how do you guys think it would be to stalk reds with?:hind:


It would be the sort of stalking rifle that will have you on this forum in a few years time patiently lecturing newbies on the joys of a 8lb, 22" barrelled stalking rifle with a fixed power scope...:D

If you shoot from a high seat more than you stalk on foot it could work, but make sure you get one of those backpack slings to help you lug it about.
 
It would be the sort of stalking rifle that will have you on this forum in a few years time patiently lecturing newbies on the joys of a 8lb, 22" barrelled stalking rifle with a fixed power scope...:D

If you shoot from a high seat more than you stalk on foot it could work, but make sure you get one of those backpack slings to help you lug it about.

ha ha ha, ok, I'm convinced against it:D will stick to a 'normal' rifle methinks, maybe get a Sauer 202 or Rem 700 .308 instead, they look pretty nice and you can still get them at reasonable prices.
 
ha ha ha, ok, I'm convinced against it:D will stick to a 'normal' rifle methinks, maybe get a Sauer 202 or Rem 700 .308 instead, they look pretty nice and you can still get them at reasonable prices.


Good man! :p:D

The Sauer would be a wee bit more than £400, or the Remy for that matter, but unless you get bitten by that accursed Blaser bug you will be hard pressed to find a better factory rifle.

The accuracy, the trigger, the stock, in my experience they are all spot on.

The only disadvantages are that the scope stays on the action when you swap barrels (Unlike that other German rifle I mentioned, damn it's action screws...) and the ejection port is smaller than a mouse's ear.

Get the Ifalon coated synthetic version, Sauer synthetic stocks aren't too bad at all, for the days on the hinds and get a spare mag as well.

However, if buying a Sauer means that you have to scrimp on the scope, get a keeper scope and a beater rifle first, not the other way round. If money is tight get a good fixed power Meopta or Hungarian Schmidt, or any second hand good "big name" scope from Europe.

Finally get some reloading gear and/or a supply of cheap ammo and get to know your rifle.

Oh and shoot a few deer in the middle of that little lot too!

Regards,

Amir
 
Ahhh education is a wonderful thing ;) . If you have not got a scope yet then check out the classifieds here there are often some excellent scopes on offer. I believe there is a 6x42 in there now. It wouldn't be if I had the funds to spare I can tell you.
 
I wouldn't touch the blaser, I hate the thought of interchangeable barrells, and I don't like their bolt action, nor their design for that matter, including the front swivel and the engravings, blah blah blah.

I would probably stick my current S&B 6x42 on the .308 in 'red season' and leave it on my .243 during 'roe (read Buck) season'. That is, until I can afford a decent 2nd scope for the .308...on that note, anyone tried 'quick release mounts'? any good or pile of sh**te?

hhhmmm sauer/rem,,,sauer/rem,,,,sauer/rem...hhmmmm...let's wait and see what comes up for sale ;)....mind you, I love my Sako 75 Hunter, so if that came up in .308 at up to £750 in good condition, whether wood or synthetic, I'd probably jump at the chance.
 
I have Q/R mounts on several rifles and yes I like them. So far I have:-

Apel EAWswing
Apel Roll Offs
Leupold Q/R lever operated mounts
Hilver Tikka type

Oh and of course the old Weaver type on one and the Parker-Hale roll offs on some others.

The Apel Roll offs do return to zero even though Apel don't claim this the EAWsings are very good. The Leupolds do also return to zero as claimed. I prefer Q/D or Q/R mounts if I can manage it and even use them to take the scope off when cleanign the rifle. Just makes it easier.
 
Interesting to hear that you like the Leupold quick detach. I picked up a set on close-out for an FN Mauser and have yet to mount them as the rifle has a set of spiffy PH bases on it now.~Muir
 
You have to watch you get the correct ones. The ones I got were obviously not for the Spanish actioned P-H's as they didn't fit the contour properly. They required a lot of fitting.
 
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