New Win 70 Alaskan .338 is here

[sestoppelman]

Ordered a few weeks ago, seller warned it would be at least a week after payment to ship and so it was, but here now. My FFL guy is attending a gun show all weekend so had to go there to pick it up, closer but had to pay $10 for a pretty much joke show. Oh well..
So anyway, first impressions are good. Wood is slightly less boring than most of those I have seen pics of, nice warm color. Bluing is fine. Trigger is decidedly different from what most M70 owners are used to seeing, didnt measure the pull but probably 5 lbs or so, will check later. Its clean though.

Nice to see they used what appears to be real bedding compound fore and aft instead of that worthless and brittle hot glue ("thermal bedding") that they used to bed with, that stuff was garbage. Barrel channel is really hollowed out, not sure why, maybe just easier to ensure a fully floated bbl as they claim. Suppose that area could be used to add weight if desired.

Put 3 down in magazine and they fed nicely up with no hitchy glichy stuff, good ejection. Interestingly the mag box is blocked at rear to keep it at standard 3.4". This seems unnecessary to me as the whole box is just 3.65". If it were up to me I would have left it full length.

Here is a few pics.

 

[Edge]

Congratulations!

When is range day?!?

 

[sestoppelman]

Hopefully Monday. I may even give it a baby break in, shoot and clean.

 

[Joker12]

Nice rifle!

 

[baxterb]

Cool rifle.

the hollowed out forend is probably to help with a little weight distribution and overall weight. Unless you are planning on loading long, leave the magazine block. All current LA M70 actions are the same size meaning it could accommodate a 375 if so configured. Keeping that 3.4” block keeps the rounds from smashing into the front of the mag box under recoil. No running start, so to speak.

let us know how it shoots. If you want a load - the 225 TTSX under max book IMR 4350 at standard OAL shoots teeny little patterns out of my Friday-afternoon-payday 6-digit model 70. An absolute tack driver.

 

[crs]

Ses,
Congratulations on your new rifle! It will take down almost anything.
BTW - picture of my .338. Old Ruger 77

Great Cartridge - Texas Heart shot on departing bull at 110 yards - bullet entered left ham and was found in bloody lungs. Had to cut him up to get down off Colorado mountain.

 

[sestoppelman]

Had many .338s over the years, this is just the latest, LOL.

 

[BRVDude]

Nice rig! Winchester probably didn’t want to use too nice a wood since it knows you’re more than likely gonna drag it through the alders and scratch it up anyway! Congrats on the purchase. A new acquisition is always fun.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Nice looking rifle in my favorite cartridge. Your a lucky guy!

 

[sestoppelman]

Cool rifle.

the hollowed out forend is probably to help with a little weight distribution and overall weight. Unless you are planning on loading long, leave the magazine block. All current LA M70 actions are the same size meaning it could accommodate a 375 if so configured. Keeping that 3.4” block keeps the rounds from smashing into the front of the mag box under recoil. No running start, so to speak.

let us know how it shoots. If you want a load - the 225 TTSX under max book IMR 4350 at standard OAL shoots teeny little patterns out of my Friday-afternoon-payday 6-digit model 70. An absolute tack driver.

Didnt figure to mess with the mag box, probably spot welded, tear it all up trying to get it apart, nah. Doesnt appear to have a long throat anyway.
That load you quote is sort of a classic now I think, a just right combo.

 

[sestoppelman]

I found the trigger is very easily adjusted today. As set at the factory its supposed to be about 3.5#, but mine tripped on my scale at 5#.
The manual explained that one set screw is all thats needed to reduce pull so I got it down to 3.5# and very crisp and see how it does on the bench.
Not sure why but this rifle has the loudest crack when the trigger trips of any rifle I have ever owned. It really sings!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

On my M70 cassette trigger they had put some form of glue or epoxy over the adjustment screws, yet in the manual there were instructions on how to adjust the trigger. Mine needed no adjusting, but I found it strange.

 

[sestoppelman]

Mine had the blob too, I just peeled it off, backed out the set screw and then put a dab of nail polish on as a telltale.

 

[sestoppelman]

Ses,
Congratulations on your new rifle! It will take down almost anything.
BTW - picture of my .338. Old Ruger 77
View attachment 423858
Great Cartridge - Texas Heart shot on departing bull at 110 yards - bullet entered left ham and was found in bloody lungs. Had to cut him up to get down off Colorado mountain.

I took the same rifle to RSA in 2009, worked great.

 

[sestoppelman]

Made it to the range today, mostly to give it a modified break in, shoot a few, clean, shoot a few more and clean. Between that and helping my boy shoot some of my older guns, it took longer than usual but rifle shows good promise with the load I took.
Load was 215 Sierra Game Kings over Norma URP. Best load was 4 in an inch, others were all 3 close and one out, I think that will go away with some shooting.
Rifle handled really well, smooth in operation, no issues at all. That fat Pachy pad sure makes it easy on the shoulder.