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Old January 15, 2018, 12:09 PM   #1
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Why Wasn't the Winchester Stealth Popular?

I've had this rifle since 2005, chambered in .308 with a Weaver 36T. Has a 26" barrel and B&C stock. I bought it with the only use being shooting at the range. It is the most accurate rifle I own. The first shot rarely various by more then 1/2" from the rest. So far the round count is 80 and it is almost boring to shoot. Unfortunately it's difficult to find a range in my area longer then 300 yards.

But it has always bugged me that you just don't see any of these in use. Why weren't they popular.

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Old January 15, 2018, 01:17 PM   #2
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It looks to me like it is simply another variant of the model 70 Winchester. They actually are fairly popular rifles, generally, though I can't say about your particular variant. They would be more popular except that its direct competitor in the marketplace is the Remington 700 which is cheaper to make and sell. But in my view, the Winchester model 70's were always a better rifle. What's not clear in your photo, is whether it is a push-feed version or CRF version. Regardless, enjoy your Winchester. The only thing, "boring", about it is what; that it doesn't have a walnut stock?
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:21 PM   #3
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Winchester is still making a similar rifle just renamed the Coyote Light. I also believe another factor was when FN purchased the company around 2000 and started making their Patrol Bolt Rifle and Special Police Rifle based off of M70 actions and probably decided to keep the Winchester line more of a hunting line of firearms. There are many factors that we probably don't know about, but ultimately I'm guessing the rifle wasn't really profitable and that's why you don't see it.

Now get out there an put some more rounds through that rifle. You're only averaging 6 rounds a year through that rifle and it needs more range time.
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:29 PM   #4
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Quote:
Why weren't they popular.
Somebody has asked this about every gun that has ever been discontinued. (especially the people who's job was to design, build, and sell them! )

There are many factors involved, and they go beyond just the gun's actual performance.

Timing is one of the big ones. So is appearance. So is price.
And also, what is the competition??

What does the buying public want most, or just want, today? What will they want tomorrow??

Can you sell enough to not only justify the cost of making them, but also turn a profit??? If the maker doesn't guess right about all these (and several other) things, the gun goes out of production.

You've got a rifle built for a niche market. And out side of that niche, its just not very appealing to many people.

As a SWAT/military sniper rifle, it looks to be a good fit. People who want that look (and features) would be interested. The rest of the buying public, not so much...

Its optimized to be really good at one thing, and so isn't the best at other things. And when the bulk of the market wants those other things, you don't sell many 0f the guns without them.

The firepower guys don't want bolt actions. Hunters are about performance, not just of the round, but of the total package.

And that includes the size, weight, length, and appearance of the gun, along with the caliber it's chambered in.

If it's "too long" or "too heavy" its not going to sell well. Nor will it sell well if its "too ugly".
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:33 PM   #5
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They shouldn't have put all that stealth on them.

If you lay it on the ground or up against a tree to dress out a deer it's almost impossible to find again. There are a lot of Winchester Stealth rifles leaning against trees rusting!
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:41 PM   #6
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The only reason I would buy it is that it's a model 70. However, I insist on a Walnut stock and the caliber must be 270 or 30-'06, unless it's a Featherweight, in which case, 6.5x55 would be entirely acceptable. Since that rifle doesn't have these features, I personally wouldn't buy it. But the guts of it is all model 70 and hey, that's a very good rifle. If you really are bored with it, you can probably find umpty-nine people right here that would make you a fair offer on it.
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:42 PM   #7
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Just my opinion but it's short and ugly and was overpriced.
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:43 PM   #8
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Winchester has changed hands multiple times over the last few years with quality all over the place. Buyers never know what they are going to get. I'm not sure whether or not the Stealth was a New Haven rifle or not.

They bought back CRF with the Classics in the early 90's with a push for quality and those rifles, up until some point after 2000, were some of the best Winchesters ever made. But sometime between 2000 and 2006 quality tanked again and hurt Winchesters reputation.

They went out of business in 2006, the New Haven factory was closed and no Winchesters were made for over 2 years. By 2008 Browning and FN owned the company and they moved production to South Carolina. But production was small, very few rifles produced. Even people who wanted one had trouble finding one. Those BTW are very nice rifles.

Within the last few years production has been moved to Portugal. By all accounts those are nice rifles too, but many are put off that they are Winchesters in name only. They are owned by FN and produced overseas.

I've had good luck with the New Haven made Classics and the one South Carolina made Winchester. But lots of people simply don't want to risk getting a bad one. There were too many of those produced over the years.
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Old January 15, 2018, 01:57 PM   #9
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joed, that rifle of your's is a very good range gun. Not to mention, a very good field gun. Like one of the previous posters said; get some more rounds thru it and enjoy it.
It's a very good gun. Because they may be a bit hard to find, you should be keeping that.
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Old January 15, 2018, 02:21 PM   #10
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"...don't see any of these in use..." That doesn't mean they didn't sell. Usually just the opposite. A guy buys a rifle and likes it so much he won't part with it.
That and the manufacturers are run by MBA marketing types now. There's no telling what they'll do. If a particular product doesn't meet their sales productions, they think nothing of discontinuing it with no regard for existing customers. Not really a big with an M70 though.
Mind you, the 10 pound weight probably has a lot to do with it. Too heavy for deer hunting.
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Old January 15, 2018, 03:26 PM   #11
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Thanks. This rifle is the push feed and I bought it when it was announced Winchester was closing the New Haven plant. I was worried about the quality because I heard it was spotty at the time. Not so with the one I got. The only thing I ever had done was have the trigger set to 3 lb.

If I had one regret with it I should have waited just a little longer as right after I bought it they changed it to CRF, the stock changed to H-S and instead of 1:12 twist the Stealth II had 1:10. But I've been very pleased with what I got.

It does shoot the Berger 185 VLD Target quite well when I didn't know if the twist would stabilize it.
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Old January 15, 2018, 08:00 PM   #12
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The main reason you don't see many of them was the price. Winchester 70's were always more expensive than the Remington 700 & Savage 10/110's.
All three were very accurate,so the price was the main difference.
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Old January 15, 2018, 08:11 PM   #13
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joed, the push feed is fine. CRF is great if you are in a sticky hunting situation[maybe!].
It's really not a big deal in normal shooting.
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Old January 15, 2018, 09:40 PM   #14
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You still get the Winchester trigger and safety which is way better than the infamous ones on the Remington.
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Old January 16, 2018, 12:12 AM   #15
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The Stealth was an attempt to market an economy rifle based on what Winchester was already making and selling. "Controlled push feed" is what they called the action, a basic Model 70 action, matte bluing, plastic stock. Less finishing means less labor required to get the item manufactured, plastic stock means lower cost to get the rifle assembled and finished, and the push-feed action is cheaper to make than the CRF. FN simply did away with all the silliness that Winchester was doing because they do other things in their factories.
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Old January 16, 2018, 10:45 AM   #16
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Winchester made Sharpshooter, push feed,McMillan stock and Schneider barrel and was made in custom shop. When they made Sharpshooter II it did have CRF but changed stock to H&S.
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Old January 16, 2018, 03:01 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by old roper View Post
Winchester made Sharpshooter, push feed,McMillan stock and Schneider barrel and was made in custom shop. When they made Sharpshooter II it did have CRF but changed stock to H&S.
You are the second person that mentioned the barrel being custom. I didn't pay much attention to the first person but I have to admit this gun is scary accurate. Actually it shoots just a little better then a 700 with a heavy Krieger I also own.
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Old January 17, 2018, 12:28 PM   #18
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I have a later CRF stealth model and absolutely love it.

I think them not being more popular is the hard on most people have for the 700 and Savage which I've never personally found very appealing. When talking about the heavy barrel target/sniper models the prices were actually the same between the Winchester and Remington.

I think a lot of folk just didn't know about em. I always get lots of questions about mine from folk at the range. Have even had people try to buy it off me once they realize what it is.
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Old January 17, 2018, 01:30 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Polinese View Post
I have a later CRF stealth model and absolutely love it.

I think them not being more popular is the hard on most people have for the 700 and Savage which I've never personally found very appealing. When talking about the heavy barrel target/sniper models the prices were actually the same between the Winchester and Remington.

I think a lot of folk just didn't know about em. I always get lots of questions about mine from folk at the range. Have even had people try to buy it off me once they realize what it is.
You're the only other person that has acknowledged owning a Stealth. I don't remember it being more expensive then a 700, believe I paid about $500 for it. But I wanted a new model 70 before they faded into the sunset and I wanted something to shoot at the range.

Most people that see mine don't really realize what it is either. They are amazed when I tell them it came from the factory as is.

Now that I'm retired and joined a decent range it will start seeing more time being shot.
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Old January 17, 2018, 02:41 PM   #20
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I got the Sharpshooter just after they came out in 223. I did have Jewell trigger put in, shot it some than sold it. I got it because of who's barrel was on it.

Winchester dropped Sharpshooter and Stealth so that tells interest in those rifles.
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Old January 17, 2018, 03:54 PM   #21
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I bought mine from buds and at the time they'd already been taken off the winchester website. One of the individuals who tried buying it off me actually bought his own from buds immediately after leaving the range. I met another individual when attending a class in montana who also had a stealth, a CRF model like mine. They're fantastic, I love Mauser actions and personally think the Model 70 is the pinnacle of bolt gun design. Mine wears a McMillan A3 now but other than that is the same as the day I purchased it.
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Old January 17, 2018, 06:36 PM   #22
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I'm guessing 2 things did these in. First they were produced in New Haven by US Repeating Arms and they were to specialized. This is not a rifle I would want to carry all day.

But for shooting at long distances it does shine.
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Old January 17, 2018, 08:12 PM   #23
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Why Wasn't the Winchester Stealth Popular?
It was about as popular as anything else Winchester made at the time. You are talking about the days when Winchester changed its product line every time the wind changed directions.
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Old January 18, 2018, 10:36 AM   #24
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Mine, as well as the two others I mentioned were actually made after FN took over. Of course damage was probably done by then. My version is essentially the SPR with a different trigger and no chrome lining.
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Old January 18, 2018, 12:11 PM   #25
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I remember being warned about quality before I ordered mine. And I thought about it some. But, all I've ever owned were 700s and 70's, and I'd never had a bad one of either. I have owned 2 Savage rifles but had problems with both. My Stealth has been a great gun to shoot and has never had any kind of problem, excellent quality.

As much as I hate to say it I do prefer the push feed for 90% of my shooting because I don't have to put a round in the magazine in order for it to feed. I do own a FW with CRF and like it but I don't really have a preference for one over the other.

I did have concerns with the 1:12 twist, but it shoots the Berger 185 gr VLD fine.
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