It was the “Rifleman’s Rifle,” revered by generations of American hunters, and its loss was deeply felt by many. Now it’s back, but whether it will be successful is anyone’s guess.

The gun was waiting at Key Hole Outdoors outfitters near Brady with a Cabela’s Premium Alaska Guide 4-12X scope mounted and bore-sighted. On first examination, everything about the rifle was as advertised, particularly the trigger pull, which was as crisp, light, and crawl-free as all the literature claimed, with zero overtravel. Fit and finish were impeccable, and the bolt-action’s controlled-feed mechanism was a smooth as silk.

The hunt ammunition was Winchester’s new .30-06 Supreme 180-grain lead-free E-Tip load, featuring Nosler’s patented solid gilding-metal rapid-expansion bullet, rated at 95 percent weight retention. Sighting in, I verified the factory’s preliminary bore-sighting was close to point of aim at 50 yards, then fired three rounds for a group at 100 yards. It measured 0.83 inches--under the one m.o.a. promise.

I made a field adjustment to the Cabela’s scope to print one inch high at 100 yards, which would give me about a 150-yard zero, which was what the outfitter recommended for the Texas mesquite-brush terrain we were hunting. I fired another two 100-yard rounds that printed just an inch high, less than a half-inch apart, telling me that the scope’s adjustments were true and that the new Model 70 rifle was definitely a minute-of-angle gun.

A 10-point buck made the mistake of standing chest-on facing me at 88 yards for a curious moment the next evening, and he also learned about the performance of the new Model 70 and the Winchester E-Tip ammunition, to his chagrin. He went down on the spot, and we recovered the fully upset and nearly intact bullet from his rear ham after 30 inches of full-length penetration.

There are three things required for an accurate rifle: barrel, bedding and trigger. The new, still-American-made Winchester Model 70 has them all, plus all the styling and mystique that made the original Model 70 of 1935 the “Rifleman’s Rifle” in the first place. It’s about time.