Some rifles have a story behind them. Others become part of the story over time.
In this episode of Beyond the Target, Rob and Jeromy revisit one of the earliest rifles ever featured on the Bald Guys With Guns channel — the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Carbine chambered in .243 Winchester.
What started as one of our earliest videos turned into one of our most popular. Looking back now, it’s easy to see how much we’ve learned about rifles, ammunition, and long-range shooting since those early days.
This episode dives into the history of this rifle, the lessons we learned using it, and why we still want to bring it back out to the range.
Watch / Listen to the Episode
The Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Carbine
The rifle featured in this episode is a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Carbine chambered in .243 Winchester.
This rifle has been part of Jeromy’s family for years, originally purchased by his dad with two main purposes in mind.
A Training Rifle
First, it was meant to be a low-recoil rifle for teaching younger shooters. The .243 Winchester is well known for being:
- Easy to shoot
- Very accurate
- Capable of taking medium-sized game
Because of that, it became a great rifle for introducing new shooters to hunting and proper shooting fundamentals.
Antelope Hunting
The second reason was hunting.
Jeromy’s dad was getting into pronghorn antelope hunting and wanted a rifle that shot flat and fast. The .243 Winchester was a perfect fit for that role.
Over the years, the rifle successfully took several antelope and became a reliable hunting companion.
A Rifle With History
Unlike rifles used for competitions or frequent range shooting, this rifle didn’t see thousands of rounds.
Jeromy estimates the rifle probably fired only 200–300 rounds during its entire hunting life before Bald Guys With Guns started filming videos with it.
For many hunters, that’s completely normal. A rifle might only fire a few rounds each season for sighting in and then maybe one round during a hunt.
Once we started filming with it though, that round count started climbing quickly.
Early Shooting Lessons
When we look back at the first videos we made with this rifle, it’s clear how much we’ve learned since then.
One of the biggest lessons involved barrel twist rate and bullet stability.
This rifle uses a 1:10 twist barrel, and most of the shooting we originally did was with 100-grain Remington Core-Lokt ammunition.
After learning much more about ballistics and long-range shooting, we realized those bullets may not have been the best choice for this barrel. If a bullet isn’t properly stabilized, it can lead to larger groups and inconsistent performance.
That might explain why some of our groups at 100 yards were around two inches.
Now that we know more, we’d like to test this rifle again with ammunition such as:
- 90–95 grain bullets
- Higher BC tipped hunting bullets
- Match-grade projectiles
Sometimes a rifle just needs the right ammo to really show what it’s capable of.
The 500 Yard Challenge
One of the most memorable moments with this rifle happened during one of our early competition videos.
Rob and Jeromy set up steel targets at:
- 100 yards
- 300 yards
- 500 yards
The idea was simple: see who could connect at each distance.
The first two distances went well enough, but the 500 yard target turned into a major challenge.
Even though the target was a 12-inch steel plate, neither of us could hit it.
Looking back now, several things were working against us:
- No ballistic data
- Guessing holdovers instead of dialing
- Wind conditions
- Poor target placement with no visible impact area
At the time it was frustrating — but it ended up being one of the biggest learning moments we’ve had on the channel.
Redemption One Year Later
About a year later, we came back to the range to try again.
This time things were different. By then we had learned much more about:
- Ballistic calculators
- Dialing scopes
- Reading wind
- Gathering accurate rifle data
With better preparation, we dialed the scope, lined up the shot, and pulled the trigger.
First shot — impact.
That moment perfectly captured why we love shooting so much. All the learning, experimenting, and practicing finally paid off.
Why Ammo Testing Matters
One of the biggest lessons from working with this rifle was how important ammo testing really is.
Not every rifle performs well with every type of ammunition. Even two identical rifles can prefer completely different loads.
If your rifle isn’t shooting the way you want, try testing several different options:
- Different brands
- Different bullet weights
- Match vs hunting ammo
Even testing four or five different boxes of ammo can reveal which load your rifle performs best with.
It may cost a bit upfront, but finding the right ammunition can drastically tighten your groups.
The Joy of Hitting Steel
One of the themes that came up repeatedly in this episode is the simple joy of hitting a target at distance.
Whether it’s:
- Breaking a clay pigeon at 400 yards
- Ringing steel at 500 yards
- Making a long-range shot after dialing the perfect data
That moment when the bullet connects never gets old.
For both Rob and Jeromy, that excitement is one of the biggest reasons Bald Guys With Guns exists.
Even after years of shooting, hearing that steel ring still feels just as rewarding.
From Early Videos to Long Range Shooting
When Bald Guys With Guns first started, the focus was simply trying different firearms and having fun at the range.
Over time, the channel evolved more toward precision shooting and long-range challenges.
That journey has included:
- Custom rifles
- Ballistic apps
- Reloading
- Precision competitions
- The Evens Challenge
But rifles like this Winchester Model 70 remind us where everything started.
What’s Next for This Rifle?
The story of this rifle isn’t finished yet.
Now that we’ve gained more experience, we plan to bring it back out and really test what it can do with modern ammunition and better data.
Future testing may include:
- Ammo comparison testing
- Group testing with different bullet weights
- Another attempt at longer distance targets
We have a feeling this rifle still has plenty of performance left in it.
Listen to the Full Podcast
If you want to hear the full conversation and the stories behind those early videos, check out the full episode of Beyond the Target with Rob and Jeromy.
And if you enjoy long-range shooting, rifle reviews, and shooting challenges, make sure to follow Bald Guys With Guns for more videos, competitions, and podcast episodes.