Willard has a 1948 made Winchester Model 70. He also has a ??? made Winchester Model 670A.
The 670 is the cheapened down version of the post-64 Model 70, which was itself so cheapened down that the whining has never stopped from bolt-gun aficionados for the past 52 years.
Both are in .30-06 and both wear a Bushnell Sportview 3-9x32 scopes.
The big difference is the feed system, with the old gun having the Mauser style "controlled" feed and the new gun having a simple push feed.
There's lots of small differences as well, but the feed is the one panties are most bunched over.
And we have to be honest with ourselves. In 1962 Winchester faced real competition and lost market-share to Remington's Model 700. They couldn't just keep on keeping on with the old gun and expect to stay in business. Maybe if Remington hadn't already eaten them alive with the Model 12 supplanting 870, they might have weathered it. But losing the market to Remington on two guns, too much.
Apparently the post-64 Mod 70 wasn't cheap enough for some buyers, thus we get the 670 shortly after.
Which brings us to today...
With a Model 670 or 670A running about $400, often including a decent scope and a pre-64 Model 70 running at least four times that, is the extra money really worth it?
So we went shooting today to find out.
No. The extra money is not worth it.
These guns shot nearly identically.
That's the bottom line, they shoot the same. The only reason to spend more is for things that aren't about accuracy and you'd have to make that call for yourself.
The 670 is the cheapened down version of the post-64 Model 70, which was itself so cheapened down that the whining has never stopped from bolt-gun aficionados for the past 52 years.
Both are in .30-06 and both wear a Bushnell Sportview 3-9x32 scopes.
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| The Winchester is on top... OK, the 70 is on top 670A on bottom. |
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| 70 on the left. |
And we have to be honest with ourselves. In 1962 Winchester faced real competition and lost market-share to Remington's Model 700. They couldn't just keep on keeping on with the old gun and expect to stay in business. Maybe if Remington hadn't already eaten them alive with the Model 12 supplanting 870, they might have weathered it. But losing the market to Remington on two guns, too much.
Apparently the post-64 Mod 70 wasn't cheap enough for some buyers, thus we get the 670 shortly after.
Which brings us to today...
With a Model 670 or 670A running about $400, often including a decent scope and a pre-64 Model 70 running at least four times that, is the extra money really worth it?
So we went shooting today to find out.
No. The extra money is not worth it.
These guns shot nearly identically.
That's the bottom line, they shoot the same. The only reason to spend more is for things that aren't about accuracy and you'd have to make that call for yourself.