Would you sell a excellent condition Winchester Model 70 Featherweight 280 rem?

[rmarshall]

Ok all, am I crazy to even think of selling this rifle? It's a beautiful gun, shoots well, new timney trigger. I really like the looks the feel everything except I want a tighter twist in the barrel, more weather proof and if possible a longer barrel. It's almost to pretty to hunt with. My go to hunting rifle is a tikka t3x 270 win in a stainless lite, it shoots awesome and as is the Featherweight 280 doesn't offer a lot more than it does. I figure a tighter twist and longer barrel on the 280 would give me more or what I'm looking for. I know some of you might say go to the AI, but I'm not sure I want to get the dies, fire form etc. What's your thoughts?

 

[JeffRaines]

I’m not a gun collector so take my opinion for what it’s worth(and what you’re paying for it)...

I don’t buy rifles to collect them, they’re tools and they’re used as such. If a rifle is gonna collect dust in my safe, I see no reason to keep it. I’d never purchase a gun that was too pretty to use because, well, what’s the point in that case?

I don’t have any sentimental pieces, but I could see where someone might want to keep their parents/grandparents gun.

 

[Rob5589]

If there isn't some sentimental value, move it and get what you want. It's just a rifle.

 

[Cahunter805]

Like stated above. I don’t get attached to rifles mic either. I have my first rifle I ever bought and first rifle my brother built that I’ll never sell. All others are always for sale for the right price.

 

[fightthenoise]

I’m not a gun collector so take my opinion for what it’s worth(and what you’re paying for it)...

I don’t buy rifles to collect them, they’re tools and they’re used as such. If a rifle is gonna collect dust in my safe, I see no reason to keep it. I’d never purchase a gun that was too pretty to use because, well, what’s the point in that case?

I don’t have any sentimental pieces, but I could see where someone might want to keep their parents/grandparents gun.

I just sold a Model 70 Featherweight in 280 in the classifieds. Probably didn't ask enough, but didn't realize it till after I listed it. I've gotten enough screaming deals off the classifieds that it was probably time I gave back.

My rationale for selling it was that I wasn't going to use it. It was just a pretty face I got to look at every time I opened the safe. It wasn't a 1/2 MOA or even reliably (only sometimes) 1 MOA gun. It shot like featherweights are known to. Not bad by any deer hunter's requirements, but it's hard to look past >1MOA in the current times of Tikka's and FN Model 70's. The only thing it had going for it was that it was COOL, it was a gun from a great time in Winchester history, chambered in a dying cartridge (at least in Model 70's), and it was absolutely gorgeous. I still plan to buy a Super Grade for that beauty and history factor you get with Model 70's, but it will be one that shoots and I will hunt with it.

In the meantime, the funds from the 280 will go toward a 280 AI custom build. It paid for my deposit on my action and my carbon barrel. I took a lot of sweet pictures of it at sunsets in deer stands I can look back on, but I agree with the other guys. Guns have to shoot, and they have to have a use, a niche, a job. If they don't, they go down the road.

 

[JG358]

If there isn't some sentimental value, move it and get what you want. It's just a rifle.

What Rob said

 

[elkguide]

A person can never have too many rifles so if the .280 isn't cutting it, put it back in the safe and buy what you "need."

 

[SDHNTR]

Keep it and put a new suit on it! There’s not much point in having both a .270 and a .280. It’s a fine action, among the best, and had to come by in the bare form. Sell the stock and the factory barrel. Then drop it in a new aftermarket stock and have it rebarreled. A .338-06 or .35 whelan would be a great complement to your .270.

 

[howl]

I'd sell it, but then I wouldn't have bought it to begin with.

New rule: nobody rebarrels a rifle until after they've worn out the old one by actually shooting.

 

[Mike 338]

That your even talking about it means you don't "need" it. Now that we've established that, does sellers regret even constitute actual "regret" or is it just a conversation piece when everybody else in the room is yarning on about such things? Keep it... sell it... neither matters.

 

[tdhanses]

Is this a special rifle or just a nice wood stocked rifle? I’d sell it, like others I don’t collect for beauty and only keep rifles tha shoot and that I like to shoot a lot.

 

[rmarshall]

Is this a special rifle or just a nice wood stocked rifle? I’d sell it, like others I don’t collect for beauty and only keep rifles tha shoot and that I like to shoot a lot.

 

[rmarshall]

Thanks all for your thoughts

 

[Ndbowhunter]

What’s the twist rate and mag box length on the gun?

Not sure how fast you can sling at 150gr eld-x but they have a .575bc and do pretty well jumped or jammed. 162gr eld-m stabilize fine in 9 1/2 twist at 2600 and if it’s 9 twist you should be fine with 180’s.

lapua 30-06 brass necked down.

 

[N2TRKYS]

There's only two reasons to sell guns, they aren't accurate or to keep your family from starving.

Otherwise, I don't sell rifles.

 

[rmarshall]

What’s the twist rate and mag box length on the gun?

Not sure how fast you can sling at 150gr eld-x but they have a .575bc and do pretty well jumped or jammed. 162gr eld-m stabilize fine in 9 1/2 twist at 2600 and if it’s 9 twist you should be fine with 180’s.

lapua 30-06 brass necked down.

It’s a 1/10 twist, haven’t tried the 150 eldx, but I’ve tried a bunch of different loads with the 162eldx, it would start to look good and then they would blow all over the place. I was hoping to shoot a sleek 160 type bullet, but I gave up in the eldx 162. Frustrating! Maybe the 150 would be the ticket

 

[Ndbowhunter]

The 162gr eld-x is longer then the eld-m

try the eld-m if ur real keen on another try at 162’s.. that or the regular 162gr hpbt from Hornady. If memory serves its even shorter then the162 eld-m

But the 150gr eld-x should be good to go.

All that said I’m so partial to 7mm bullets at moderate speeds i’d not look over the 120gr Nosler ballistic tip..

Or a 160 Speer spbt if ur keen for a bit of weight.

 

[rmarshall]

The 162gr eld-x is longer then the eld-m

try the eld-m if ur real keen on another try at 162’s.. that or the regular 162gr hpbt from Hornady. If memory serves its even shorter then the162 eld-m
But the 150gr eld-x should be good to go.

All that said I’m so partial to 7mm bullets at moderate speeds i’d not look over the 120gr Nosler ballistic tip..

Or a 160 Speer spbt if ur keen for a bit of weight.

I have 162 sst, 150 BT and AB, I was thinking these weights for elk. Would you shoot the match or hollow points at elk? I have a bunch of the 120 BT. They are awesome! I guess I’ll see how my sell goes, if it doesn’t I have some options, I noticed Sierra has a new 150 tipped game king this year as well

 

[Ndbowhunter]

At some point datasets need to be extrapolated.

With that in mind haven’t seen any Tahr or stags walk away from a match 162gr in vitals.

are those species elk? Nope..

know guys and have hunted with them that have dropped animals in the hundreds with them and are hesitant to use anything else. That includes large paddock stags that are culled and anchoring shots on mountain goats far away.

So for me and how I hunt and the species I go for 162gr eld-m at 7mm-08 launch speeds is the baseline. Any move from there has to have strong merits.

Not a fan of Sst’s or now eld-x.. they have worse bc then the amax or eld-m, cost more and cant be relied on to reliably perform in a larger performance envelope then the match bullets.

don’t have a strong opinion on accubond-ballistic tip bullets performance or tipped game kings or tipped match kings but see above about the 162gr eld-m.. not sure want to pay more for less BC and sectional density. That’s just me.

But back to your original question on the rifle itself.

its not stainless
Won’t shoot the highest in class Bc bullet
Kinda heavy
Limited factory fodder
No lapua head stamp brass.


if you can get fair market value it’s probably an ez sell.