The difference becomes even more pronounced with 180 grain bullets, which provide the best combination of trajectory and power for long range shooting. My idea of long range being 300 yards, at a living unwounded creature 

However, these velocities are best realized in a rifle with an all up weight of not less than 8.5 pounds because the recoil is increased significantly. 

P.S. I've only owned two of them but both my 22" '06 Featherweights, a 1956 and a 1960, weighed about 7 pounds empty and unscoped. Both had Pachmayr pads to factory LOP.  Wood density can matter but I think 6.5 pounds is pretty optimistic. No question they weigh less than the standard rifle -- and a hell of a lot less than my 1960 Browning High Power.

 Along with many other scarce and unique model 70s

 Thank you for the education guys

 Doug

As a much younger hunter, if I had wanted to and could have afforded to, hunt elk or bears, I would have chosen a Model 70 Featherweight with a 22" barrel in .358 WCF caliber. The first thing I would have done to it was hand it over to my gunsmith to install a red Pachmayr Whiteline ventilated pad and make it off at a 14" LOP. And adjust the trigger to a 3.25 pound break. And install a Leupold & Stevens 3X scope in low rings. 

I didn't get the Mercedes 300 SL cabriolet either.

Lou and Ted will have the details but the 24" barrel Featherweight was a very early [EDIT] special order feature style that had few takers before it was eliminated. I can say that in 1952, while a barrel less than 24" long was becoming popularized by custom gunmakers and shooting editors, Winchester might have been concerned 22" was still a little avant garde for most American buyers of high power bolt action rifles. 

As usual, the United States Army's selection of an Infantry rifle influenced public opinion. When the 1903 Springfield rifle was adopted, its 24" barrel was designed as a compromise between the traditional 30" length for foot soldiers and 22" for cavalry carbines.  The M1 Garand followed that philosophy. 

I would guess WRA soon learned the buyers' preference from its dealers' Featherweight sales and dropped the unpopular longer barrel special order featurestyle. 

See if this screenshot off my laptop comes out legible.  If it does, read the blurb on "barrel".

This is the forth page of the brochure introducing the Model 70 Featherweight.  The "24" barrel furnished on special order" was a cataloged option from 1952 through 1954, so it only affects the 308 Winchester chambering.  It did not have unique catalog symbols.  G7020C was the low comb and G7060C was the Monte Carlo.  These were the only two catalog symbols for the Featherweight until 1955 when they added other chamberings.

The extra 2 inches of Featherweight barrel doesn't add much weight.  It's still VERY noticeably lighter than a contemporary 30-06 Standard rifle. (The 308 Winchester was NEVER cataloged in Standard rifle, but it was offered in the National Match and Target Model on special order, and a modest number of Bull Guns were made in 308 WIN).

I suppose (???) that Winchester thought the longer barrel would improve ballistic performance a little over the regular 22-inch barrel.  Not sure why, but if I had been going to buy a Featherweight in 1952, I would have wanted the 24-inch one.  Price was the same, you just might have had to wait a little longer to get it...

WADR to Zeb...  The ballistics of the 308 Winchester are pretty much the same as the 30-06 with one-step lighter bullet.  The 150 grain bullet in 308 Winchester was about the same as a 165 grain 30-06, 165 grain about the same as 180 grain, etc.  I can understand that a 30-06 would be preferable if a heavy bullet was needed, for example for elk or bears, but for Hill Country whitetails I think I'd be happy enough with 165 grain bullets in the 308 Winchester (in a much lighter weight rifle).  

Just my take...

Lou

 Just when I think I know what I think I really know, you guys come up with a configuration that I never dreamed of.

 A featherweight with a 24 inch bbl would be so cool.

 Would this be a special order or was it cataloged in some way.

 I am trying to grasp the logic for not purchasing a standard rifle if I felt I needed a 24 bbl in the mid 50s.

 Weight difference would be negligible. Aesthetically an argument could be made for no bbl boss.

 Obviously they do exist, just wondering why

 Doug

Louis Luttrell said
Hi Jim-
At present I have (4) of the 24-inch Featherweights recorded by serial number, one of which I consider "sketchy".  I know the location of another legit one, but I do not (as yet) have a serial number on it.  This is out of about (800) 308 WIN Featherweights recorded.  So I'm inclined to agree with you that they're scarce.
This is my 24-inch Featherweight.  Very early serial number for a Featherweight. Wayne Miller let me get this one from his collection a couple years ago.

Best,
Lou
  

Good stuff there Lou🙂

I think that's a nice rifle, like you say, a lot of the cost cutting had been rectified by '77. Hope you hunt a long time with it!

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Louis Luttrell said

"Hi Zeb-
I'm sure you know that Winchester, having been involved in developing the T-65 cartridge (7.62 NATO) cartridge that they subsequently commercialized as the 308 Winchester, designed their "lightweight" rifle (the Featherweight) around the cartridge.  If I could only have one Featherweight it would be in 308 WIN.  I'm not sure you actually gain much from a 30-06 in a 22-inch barrel anyway... "
  

Even in 22" barrels, the Springfield is the more flexible and powerful cartridge. The current SAAMI maximum average pressure specification for the Springfield is 60k PSI and 62k PSi for the 308 WCF.  The smaller cartridge must be loaded to its pressure limit to reach within 100 foot seconds of the Springfield's muzzle velocity and then only with 150 and 165 grain bullets, according to SAAMI testing. At 180 grains, the velocity gap opens to about 200 fs. 

The smaller cartridge has insufficient powder capacity to produce useful velocities with a bullet heavier than 200 grains.

At present I have (4) of the 24-inch Featherweights recorded by serial number, one of which I consider "sketchy".  I know the location of another legit one, but I do not (as yet) have a serial number on it.  This is out of about (800) 308 WIN Featherweights recorded.  So I'm inclined to agree with you that they're scarce.

This is my 24-inch Featherweight.  Very early serial number for a Featherweight. Wayne Miller let me get this one from his collection a couple years ago.

Best,

Lou

Do you have any M70 Featherweights listed in your “registry” with the 24” barrel?

I’m thinking they are really scarce!

(My 6/52 Featherweight is to get some “exercise” later this week.)