To answer your subject question, they were and still are!
Remember that the great stock makers used the 1903 SF and 1898 Mauser because they were available and relatively inexpensive. The M70 was not introduced until the mid 30's and would have been too expensive to restock and customize unless you had a customer who was a "1%'ter" of the day.
Back in the 1980's during the heyday of the more recent boon of custom gun makers, many makers told me that the M70 had become the rifle action of choice. In second place was the Mausers and in a far back third place the 1903's.
