Winchester Model 70 .308 Win

If you only have one bolt action in your gun collection, it should be the Winchester Model 70. Why? Well, this rifle is well known throughout the world as being the ‘Rifleman’s Rifle,’ and that’s a title that the Model 70 had to earn rather than just have it handed to it on a silver platter. In continuous production since the mid 1930s, the Model 70 has gone through several iterations, with the pre-64 variants being the most famous.

The Model 70 has served as a sniper rifle in the United States military, where it was used by famed sniper Carlos Hathcock, and also as a long distance shooting and hunting rifle by civilians across the globe as well. It utilizes an action that is based very heavily off of the famed Mauser action, which is buttery smooth to operate and also very robust and durable.

Why the .308 Winchester round? It’s not that there’s anything particularly special about it over other calibers, but the reason we have it listed here is because it’s the most common centerfire rifle round both in the United States and across the world. It’s widely available, plentiful, and very affordable over other calibers. That’s also not to mention that the .308 is capable of bringing down everything from deer to bear to elk, and has a reputation for being a very accurate and flat shooting round.