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Old July 13, 2018, 08:20 AM   #1
kraigwy
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Back to my Winchesters

Last couple years I've been playing and hunting with a couple of 6.5 CMs. Excellant round for long range hunting but I do love my Model 70s.

So its back to my old standbys, M70 Featherweights, 257 Roberts for deer/antelope and 270 Win for elk.

Developed a good load for the 257 110 gr Hornady ELD-X and now for the zero.

My 257 Rbts is a pencil thin barrel post 64/pre FN Model 70, meaning it likes to walk after 7-10 rounds, not good for banging steel at distance but for a hunting rifle, the first shot is the one that counts.

Conditions may or may not be perfect, so for zeroing I like a 10 round group, over a 10 day period. One shot after taking the rifle from the gun safe. Different times of the day, differnent temps and humidity. On the same target, with no corrections until after the 10 days. It may be hot and dry, clouldy, cool and raining. Doesnt matter. I change nothing on the rifle.

I shoot from normal field positions as I would hunting.

If I need to adjust, I'll do it after the 10 days, then start over.

I dont get the best groups, but If I can keep the groups to 2 inches, I'll be happy. That should keep me in the vital zone of deer and antelope past 600 yards, further then I really need for hunting.



My 270 Featherweight is the new FN Model 70, it came bedded and doesnt walk when it gets hot like the 257, still I'll comfirm my zero the same way, 10 shots over 10 days.

This is how I zeroed my Counter/Sniper Rifle when I was in LE. More so then hunting the first shot was more critical.

I have two antelope, a deer and elk tags for final check of my zeros come fall.
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Old July 13, 2018, 10:42 AM   #2
2damnold4this
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Nice setup and your idea of zeroing over a period of time is interesting. Good luck on your hunt!
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Old July 13, 2018, 01:23 PM   #3
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kraigwy
Conditions may or may not be perfect, so for zeroing I like a 10 round group, over a 10 day period. One shot after taking the rifle from the gun safe. Different times of the day, differnent temps and humidity. On the same target, with no corrections until after the 10 days. It may be hot and dry, clouldy, cool and raining. Doesnt matter. I change nothing on the rifle.
You, sir, have too much time on your hands.
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Old July 14, 2018, 02:43 PM   #4
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Peetzakiller....Kraig may just step off his back porch and make those daily shots. Some guys are lucky. I gotta drive 45 minutes each way to shoot.
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Old July 14, 2018, 03:40 PM   #5
kraigwy
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Quote:
Peetzakiller....Kraig may just step off his back porch and make those daily shots.
Well, yeah
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Old July 14, 2018, 03:45 PM   #6
muzzleblast...
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Nice rifles. Classic, in fact. I have always been a fan of the Model 70 Featherweight rifles.
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Old July 14, 2018, 06:36 PM   #7
jmr40
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Like you I bought a cheap 6.5 CM just to see what the fuss was all about. A Ruger Predator. Lets just say I'm impressed. It lives up to the hype and I'd use it for anything I'd use a 308, 7-08, or 270 for.

But I have several nicer rifles, mostly Winchester, but one Kimber that I'm not selling. And at this point I'm not willing to invest the time and money into a really nice rifle in 6.5 CM and abandon rifles that I have lots of time and money invested in.

My 6.5 is a range toy that will probably never be hunted with. But if advising a younger hunter, especially someone more interested in shooting with a little hunting thrown in I'd steer them toward the 6.5 CM.
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Old July 14, 2018, 08:47 PM   #8
jackstrawIII
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I've had a nice maple stocked Model 70 in 257 Rob sitting in my safe, brand new and unfired, for quite some time. Finally decided to pull it out this year and hope to take a deer with it.

Love all my model 70s... but my 358 Win is my favorite. Big holes.
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Old July 14, 2018, 09:21 PM   #9
1MoreFord
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I had a post 64 Win 70 .257 Ackley Improved once - for a day. Looked OK in the LGS but when I got home I found the stock was cracked through the pistol grip. Had to return it for a refund the next day. It was the only one I ever found in my area.
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Old July 14, 2018, 09:28 PM   #10
1MoreFord
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Ooops, double tap.

Last edited by 1MoreFord; July 14, 2018 at 09:46 PM.
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Old July 15, 2018, 06:50 PM   #11
Wyosmith
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Peetzakiller....Kraig may just step off his back porch and make those daily shots.

Well, yeah

Dang....I feel sorry for Kraig.
He has to step off his porch?

How inconvenient!
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Old July 17, 2018, 08:46 PM   #12
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Yeah....poor Kraig. I s'pose you shoot off the porch.
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Old July 18, 2018, 01:36 AM   #13
Pathfinder45
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I had to zoom in to find the rifle hiding under all that massive collection of scope rings and I don't even know what it was all attached to....
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Old July 18, 2018, 03:58 AM   #14
eastbank
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I own and shoot two rem 722,s in .257 Roberts and shoot 90 gr serra bullets at 3200 fps.
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Old July 18, 2018, 10:53 AM   #15
Pathfinder45
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Just kidding around in my previous post.... I like the rifle and especially applaud the Walnut stock. But what is all that stuff attached to the rifle? If it had a synthetic stock, it would look a lot like one of my buddies rifles. Nothing I would expect to see on a Featherweight, though. It completely takes me by surprise.
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Old July 18, 2018, 12:20 PM   #16
kraigwy
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Pathfinder, I dont understand the "stuff attached to the rifle" Nothing but a bipod, sling, and Redfield 6X18 scope.

On the scope is a spirit level. One of the biggest problems with reaching our there with a rifle is canting which often cant be detected with out a spirit level.
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Old July 18, 2018, 09:47 PM   #17
Pathfinder45
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Kraig, I do not see the sling. Tell me you use a military-pattern sling. Is that a picatinny rail you are using for a scope-base? Maybe it's just an optical illusion... It looks to my behind-the-times-eyes that you have a double set of rings on the scope; but I am probably wrong. Yeah, that bi-pod thingy,.....my buddy has those on every one of his bolt-guns. Sez he can't hit anything without it, and a bench to shoot off of, too. But I'll guess you're not like that. You probably find it useful for those truly long shots, right?
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Old July 22, 2018, 11:36 AM   #18
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Looks like the Luepold rifleman rings. Just looks like 2 of the upper ring halves look a different color in the picture.
Nice rifle though!

Question.
Why not the Roberts for elk? It's certainly been done before, and since.
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Old July 22, 2018, 11:52 AM   #19
kraigwy
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Quote:
Why not the Roberts for elk? It's certainly been done before, and since.
A little lite in my opinion. Since I got old, I dont hump the woods any more. I set and glass. There is one spot where every year I see elk in the evening coming down the hill for water. Where I set, I have to shoot across a creek bottom and alder bushes. The closest shot is 325 yards the furthers, in this spot if 550.

Yeah the 257 had killed elk, but I like a little more umph when I'm shooting 300-600 yards.

I know my 270 Win (150 gr) and my 6.5 CM (143 gr) will do it, Except my 6.5 isnt a Winchester).

But for deer and antelope the 257 has worked great for me.
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