Winchester Model 70 Jack O'Connor Tribute rifle....WOW!

[Mystro]

I saw that raffle gun.....it makes me cry. I am buying tickets this week.


About the rifle:

• Built by Roger Biesen
• Engraved by Paula Biesen-Malicki
• Stocked in deluxe French walnut with ebony for-end
tip, checkered in Fleur-de-lis-pattern, 24 lines
per inch
• Biesen pistol grip cap engraved with cape buffalo
• Leupold bases and rings with Leupold 1.5x5 VX111 scope donated by Leupold
• Pre-64 model barreled action, Biesen floor plate and
trigger guard modified for 5 round capacity and

[shurshot]

Savage99; Pertaining to your comments about JOC... A little "Sour Grapes", perhaps? Pretty harsh words you are slinging at one of the most respected gun writers and big game hunters to ever walk on this earth. If you knew and know, more about guns and hunting than JOC (as you wrote), I'm curious how many books and articles have you written? Not posts online, but actual PUBLISHED articles???
If you don't like the new Winchester rifle, fine, but perhaps a little more respect for the dead is in order.

[Mystro]

O.K guys first range report. I received my Leupold reverse front base for my scope today so I wasted no time heading out to the range. The conditions were less than ideal a pretty good cross wind at 73 degrees. My ammo choices for the day were Winchester 130 and 150 Power Points. Hornady 130 SST and 130 SP Interbond. I had the gun sighted in and was cleaning the barrel every shot to properly break in the barrel. I shot a total of 45 rounds. The tack driving round of the day was the Hornady 130 SP. These bullets stacked on top of them self at 100 yards. I dont think I could reload a more accurate round.





The Winchester wasnt bad at about 1" group but the wind was bad for about 2 of the three hours I shot. Its hard to tell if it was the wind or just a average grouping. Either way they were good enough for hunting big game. The Hornady SST were about the same as the Winchester. I would get two round almost touching and then the third would fly a inch off. Its hard to tell if it was the wind or me. 45 rounds were a lot of big game rounds to shoot at one sitting. Between cleaning and letting the barrel cool, it was all I wanted to shoot. Recoil was nothing the first 15-20 rounds. I was use to a 300 Win Mag and I would put the recoil of the 270 about like a 30-06, perhaps a bit less. The M70 JOC gun was smooooth as butter. It picked up rounds out of the magazine better than any of my other M70 guns. The trigger was a clean 3lbs with no creep and seemed effortless to break a clean shot off. The gun seemed to be getting even smoother after each round. For a feather weight 22" barrel, its a tack driver.
Needless to say I am thrilled. It shoots as good as it looks.



This rifle speaks to me. I can just see myself on the mountain with this rifle sitting over a rub line.

[shurshot]

Damn Mystro!!!! That is wicked shooting on your part and one FINE looking rifle!!!

[steveNChunter]

I agree. Good shooting. Also kudos to the rifle and the Hornady ammo. Not much to be gained with handloads there

[reynolds357]

The one hole group is slightly elongated. Keep practicing.
Thats a heck of a group for a factory sporter weight rifle.

[Mystro]

I may try Hornady's 130 gr bonded soft point. I have shot deer before with a 150 gr sp out of a 30-06 and it blows a hole in them and makes a mess. I hear the 130 sp out of the 270 does the exact same thing. Usually I used a 180 grain sp in my 300Win mag and it cut down ALOT of the explosive damage.

[skoro]

WOW! is an understatement. That's one beautiful hunk of wood and steel.

[jmr40]

Love the rifle, and it shoots. Never owned a 270. I got started 40 years ago with a 30-06 mainly because I had an almost unlimited supply of military surplus practice ammo. As I've grown older I would have to admit the 270 is probably the better round, but I'm to old to start over, and there ain't enough difference for me to justify both 270 and 30-06. With todays better bullets and loads there is darn little one will do that the other won't.

I'd have to lose the mounts though. That rifle deserves something better than a 1/2" of base hanging out over the loading/ejection port.

[Mystro]

That's the best mounts Leupold had to move the scope back to me. Its called a reverse front base. Leupold has off set rings but I think they look funny. Funny thing is all my M70 have had the same over hang regardless of caliber. Even my 300 Win Mag had the same over hang. It doesn't effect the funtion and a lot of scoped guns in the magazines have the same set up so it must be pretty common. The scope is a Docter and is about the best quality glass I have ever owned. Its a German company and was a off branch of Zeiss. They split off from Zeiss to make surgical optics but still make some sporting scopes.

[WildBill45]

The .270 is a real caliber for a rifleman. I had a Steyr pro in .270 and took a few bear in Canada, a few antelope in Colorado and Wyoming, and few deer in Colorado as well... Loved the rifle, loved the caliber...

I may put this JO rifle on my list of what is next...

[Mystro]

2nd range report: Shooting went well but still a bit windy. Hornady 130 SST surprised me today. Outstanding accuracy: Here is a 3 shot group at 100 yards.


I was very pleased at my 300 yard groups. This is a stretch with a 3x9 scope. You cant get too precise with 9 power at 300 yards. The longest kill I took was with this scope on a black bear at 270 yards. I would take that same shot with the Jack O'Connor 270.



Over all I found this gun not too picky with any brand of ammo. All were acceptable groups for hunting. I have now found two brands of ammo that produce one hole groups. I am going to try Federal Fusion for my next trip to the range. The action continues to get even smoother and trigger lbs is perfect. I cant imagine how much smoother this gun can get after another 100 rounds....

[shurshot]

Looks like someone is a bit envious to me.

[dahermit]

Yea, you could say I am also a Elmer Keith fan and have been handgun hunting more than a few times.

--Mystro.

Hey there Mystro, just curious, do you consider that shot luck, or purely skill?

In regard to your 300 yard group, wowsa!

[Mystro]

On my 300 yard groups, you can tell I took 2 shots, let the barrel cool for a few minutes then took 2 more shots. You can see each group of shots landed together. Its so hard to get really precise at 300 yards with a 9 power scope.


If you are asking about my pistol shot, I will give a little background and try to explain. I practice ALOT. I was a competitive IPSC shooter in the 1990's. I have always been a hardcore bowhunter and handgun hunter. I practice almost every day and between working and perfecting my reloads, and practice out to 200 yards with my 44mag.
I have taken ALOT of game with my handgun and bow. I feel pretty confident out to 150yards in most conditions. I can stretch that range in the right conditions and that's the case with taking that doe. Lying down resting back against a tree using my right knee to stabilize the pistol. Wind was calm and the deer was relaxed. It was instant , the doe fell over like I hit her with a 300 Win mag. She didn't even kick. I loaded the 240xtp to a mid power load. The bullet was recovered on the opposite side of the hide with great expansion. I have used many calibers handgun hunting and still feel the 44mag loaded at a manageable recoil is the most accurate and effective. The full story is at Hornady.com. To answer you question, I feel confident it was skill first with a bit of luck like most hunting shots. I do not recommend long range shots if you don't practice at those distances.
(Disclaimer: Taking pop shots at live game is irresponsible if you don't know what your doing and practice ALOT at those distances.)
That said, a 44mag has plenty of killing power left beyond 200 yards.

Hey there Mystro, just curious, do you consider that shot luck, or purely skill?

[MattShlock]

JOC also had a company -- sold brass cartridge bodies with steel screw on rims I know of because I sold straight body 270 and .30-06 versions I owned. Not really sure wh the point of 'em was, but, collectors wanted 'em so I sold them...

BIG fan of the Keith SWC bullet!

[Mystro]

Another range report.
Keeps putting them in there. Even a $20.00 box of Fusion ammo puts up some impressive groups.
I just purchased a new Leupold VX6 3x18 for my JOC rifle. I find the current Docter 3x9 acquitted but my 223 needs a better scope so it gave me the reason for some new killer glass for my JOC and put my Docter on my 223. Leupold's custom turret and 18 power ought to make 500 yard shots very interesting with this rifle.....

This group was done with my Docter 3x9. I struggle at 9x power at 300yards to get real precise.

[MattShlock]

Why are the holes hexagonal?

[Mystro]

Why are the holes hexagonal?

I thought it was obvious,
I run and do a ninja triple twist back flip before pulling the tigger. It give the bullet a extra twist rate.

[ripnbst]

Really? I thought it was because you are punching these holes with Allen keys

[Mystro]

I can kinda see that but you can see the powder or burn marks on the inside of the holes especially on the white center. My LGS has put out these red targets in a tablet form. I have used them for 20 years. They have become my favorite targets for 100 yards, even 200 yards are not bad but at 300yards I struggle with my 9x power scope to shoot precisely. The big orange diamond targets pictured above are much easier to shoot at at longer ranges. I never shoot at 300 yards hunting. My longest rifle kill was at 275 yards on a black bear. Most of my rifle shots are well under 100 yards because the big deer I hunt are in 15 year old thick clear cuts

[MattShlock]

Mystro -- it's an old shooting joke. I can't believe I am explaining this. Back in the day...

We had had pencils and pens. Pencils were yellow painted hexagonal wood writing instruments with graphite centers you sharpend by hand -- they came with a red rubber "delete" device on the back to correct misteaks. Ubiquitous Bic ballpoint pens were clear hexagonal plastic too of course with a blue cap that, if you teethed on really hard and long, you could chew. Once you graduated to these you no longer made mistakes.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

very nice shooting, & certainly wouldn't mind buying myself one of those rifles for Christmas... I have too many bolt rifles right now, but still have a hole on the wall for a .270, & I don't own a model 70...

[Mystro]

If your gonna get a 270, it doesn't get any finer than a Jack O'Connor. The reputation and history all wrapped up in one specific caliber is very rewarding. If you can find one, snag it, you will never loose any money on it.
Read a few of Jacks's books "The Hunting Rifle" is a great one and you will NEED to own a 270.. All kidding aside the books ballistics and the game that was killed with instant one shot kills are very educational, impressive, and this is with older bullet technology. Sorry for being a enabler......

[Bushmaster1313]

I made my own Jack O'Conner tribute rifle by putting together a 1958 .270 Model 70 FWT, a Leupold 4X Mountaineer and SK mounts and rings: