Model 70 FWT Compact: 7mm-08 or 6.5 Creedmoor?

[RC5487]

My wife has the Win 70 compact in 7mm/08 and it is her favorite rifle. Or I should say was her favorite rifle when we lived in Tennessee. I also purchased her a Tikka 6.5 CM and put it in a correct LOP McMillan stock and had the barrel cut down to 20 inches for rainy day hunting.
She still preferred the W70.
Great choice.

Out of curiosity what ammo / weight shot best in her model 70?

 

[Snowwolfe]

It wouldn’t make any sense for me to mention what the load was. We hunted whitetails on our property and sighted in for 50 yards. I didn’t do a lot of experimenting with it. Just picked a load out of a Hornady manual and went with it.

 

[RC5487]

UPDATE:

Got the Featherweight Compact in 6.5 CM. I paired it with a Burris Signature HD 2-10x40 with Talley Rings.

Put my first 20 rounds through it yesterday, seems to like the Nosler 120 BT & Nosler 129 ABLR.

Picture below is the rifle and also shots 13,14,15 (120gr BT)

Thank you everyone for your input and comments.

 

[elsb0048]

Ca

I would strongly recommend the 6.5 Creed, 7mm-08 is rapidly losing popularity and ammo is going to get scarce. A couple guys at Hornady necked a 6.5 Creed up to .284 and that was pretty cool but that's a ton of wildcat work haha. You cant go wrong with the 6.5.

One more thing is that you can get modernized aftermarket stocks for Model 70's now which is huge, MLOK & Arca options, QD swivel stud attachments. All the good stuff! Good luck hunting!

Can you point me at some stock options? Love model 70 but always struggling to find modern stocks inletted for it

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Ca

Can you point me at some stock options? Love model 70 but always struggling to find modern stocks inletted for it

Stockys has the VG hunter, and there is the Rokstok. I have the Stockys and am happy with it.

 

[elsb0048]

Stockys has the VG hunter, and there is the Rokstok. I have the Stockys and am happy with it.

Ahh I had heard of both of those, I had my fingers crossed for another.
Got any photos of your Stocky's? Any chance you can get a measurement of the trigger reach?

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Ahh I had heard of both of those, I had my fingers crossed for another.
Got any photos of your Stocky's? Any chance you can get a measurement of the trigger reach?

Yes I could do both and post it up tomorrow or PM you.

 

[burborg]

I'm going to really swim upstream on this one. If I was getting a wood stocked M70, I would get it in 7-08 because it is less popular and because it is fading out. It just seems a little more classic to me. I do reload though.

 

[TaperPin]

The featherweight must be the best looking classic rifle ever made.

 

[RC5487]

I'm going to really swim upstream on this one. If I was getting a wood stocked M70, I would get it in 7-08 because it is less popular and because it is fading out. It just seems a little more classic to me. I do reload though.

I went with the 6.5. It was the right choice for me. Shoots lights out with factory 120gr Nosler BTs.

With those, it’s proving itself to be a 3/4inch gun with boringly predictable consistency. With the 20in barrel they’re zipping right under 2750fps.

Perfect for deer inside 200yd where I am in Appalachians.

 

[RC5487]

The featherweight must be the best looking classic rifle ever made.

Agree 100%

 

[EastTX Jess]

I don’t understand the comments I see on several forums about the lack of available 7mm-08 ammo. Every LGS in my area has several choices. Midway has over 40 options, 28 in stock last time I looked. More for me I guess.

 

[burborg]

I went with the 6.5. It was the right choice for me. Shoots lights out with factory 120gr Nosler BTs.

With those, it’s proving itself to be a 3/4inch gun with boringly predictable consistency. With the 20in barrel they’re zipping right under 2750fps.

Perfect for deer inside 200yd where I am in Appalachians.

Absolutely gorgeous rifle. I should have read all the comments before replying. Happy hunting!

 

[ericthered]

I like the 6.5 because I simply shoot it better. It also delivers great energy performance at 400+ years over the 7mm-08 and .308. If you'r shooting deer at 50 yards and aren't bothered by a little more recoil, the 7mm-08 is equal to the 6.5CM for practical purposes. There is ammo considerations, but most folks don't shoot enough ammo for availability or cost to really matter.

 

[RC5487]

I like the 6.5 because I simply shoot it better. It also delivers great energy performance at 400+ years over the 7mm-08 and .308. If you'r shooting deer at 50 yards and aren't bothered by a little more recoil, the 7mm-08 is equal to the 6.5CM for practical purposes. There is ammo considerations, but most folks don't shoot enough ammo for availability or cost to really matter.

I went with the FWT compact in 6.5cm. A few posts back on this thread, I put up a photo and a shooting picture. After a couple hundred rounds and testing different ammo/weights, my initial suspicions from day one with it mid July were correct - it loves the 120gr NBT (consistently ~3/4 moa with that ammo)

I’ve had maybe 4 other 6.5creeds and a Swede over the years as well as a 7mm-08.
I have no questions about their ability to kill deer from 0-200yd

The question was more specifically if anyone had experience with a Model 70 in either cartridge and was it accurate and likely what grain / weights to put me in the ballpark. I’ve never owned a model 70 till now. I love it more than any Bergara, tikka, Ruger, Remington or bolt gun I’ve had. This one is perfect for me.

For me 6.5 was the easy button and 7mm-08s haven’t been available anyway in that model (fwt compact)

Happy with my choice.

 

[UnckleBob]

I don’t understand the comments I see on several forums about the lack of available 7mm-08 ammo. Every LGS in my area has several choices. Midway has over 40 options, 28 in stock last time I looked. More for me I guess.

In North Texas, good luck finding more than 2 (sometimes less) 7-08 loads on the shelves of Cabelas or Scheels.

The 6.5cm probably never has less than 10 options available.