.

I recently picked up a nice pre-64 M70 featherweight in 30-06. 1961 vintage.
I would say it's about 95-97% and has a nice
piece of walnut on it with some figure on
each side of the buttstock. I paid $1200
for it.

I bought it to hunt with. My first impulse
when I get a new-to-me bolt gun is to pillar
bed the action and float the barrel.

Will such work affect the value of this rifle
and if so, how much ? I don't plan on selling
it, but I always feel that way about new
acquisitions. I would just like to know where
I stand with this rifle.

thanks, Chris

.

doctorxring,

I have a pre 64 M70 collection. Some of them are active hunters and others are collectors. I have modified none of them and I would not do so.

The thing to do is to shoot the rifle as you now have it. If it shoots a reasonable group and stays sighted in then I would be all set and very happy.

Don't modify it as they never needed it.

You paid a collector price for it. There are two schools of thought here. If it is indeed 'original', modifying it will reduce it's value. And remember that someday it will indeed be sold.

You can buy already modified 30-06's for ~$700. Once modified any further (proper!) modifications can't hurt it's value.

It's your rifle. If it's original, the first cut is the deepest. Just makes somebody else's un-modified rifle worth more.

Yes it will affect the value but a more important question is why are you going to pillar bed it? Does it not shoot good? Have you shot it yet? I find that most pre-64 M70's are quite accurate already and do not need any modification.

.

Thanks for these comments. I'll think it over
before I "touch" this one.

reelman1 - Pillar bedding has become SOP
for me for all bolt guns. It just stabilizes
the rifle against wood shifting and takes action
torqueing out of the picture. i.e. the rifle is
more likely to maintain point of impact. The
only reason I hesitated on this one is because
of what it is.

dxr

.

.

If you like the gun and have had good luck with pillar bedding, do it. You are just as likely to fall with the gun or have some airlines handler screw it up. I have put recoil pads on Model 70s because they were more comfortable with them. If the collectible value is that important, I would sell it and buy a Kimber which is similar and already has been bedded etc.

You hit the nail on the head there LJS.

I bought this particular M70 because it appealed
to me and also because of what it is... a great hunting rifle. I bought it for a hunting rifle.

Thanks for reminding me that what's important
is to enjoy these guns to the fullest, however
that may be.

dxr

.

.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
If you like the gun and have had good luck with pillar bedding, do it. You are just as likely to fall with the gun or have some airlines handler screw it up. I have put recoil pads on Model 70s because they were more comfortable with them. If the collectible value is that important, I would sell it and buy a Kimber which is similar and already has been bedded etc.

While I agree with using a nice gun for what it was intended I certainly don't see any point in greatlly depreciating the value of a gun for no reason.

IMHO all pillar bedding a 47 year old rifle will do is ruin it's value. I have hunted with many different older M70's and never had one that walked around due to the stock warping or had the action torque. My go to 300H&H is factory stock from 1949 and I shoot it quite a bit but I haven't touched the scope since I first sighted it in about 6 years ago and I shoot it from 95 degrees all the way to 0 degrees, summer to winter it doesn't matter.

Remember that when your gun was made they used wood that was actually aged correctly and for a long time unlike a lot of wood stocks today. Add to that 47 additional years of drying and I don't think that stock is going to do anything unless you drop it in a lake and leave it there for a week. Plus pillar bedding might actually open up the groups. I laugh at the guys who bed and free float there rifles before they even shoot them as they have no idea if they are making the gun better or worse.

It's your gun to do with what you want and every M70 that gets hacked up just makes all of mine more valuable but I would think long and hard, plus shoot it quite a bit before I would go messing up it's value just to say you pillar bedded it.

.

Good point about the 47 year old seasoned wood.



The bedding on the stock does look very good.

Going to shoot it and see how it does.

thanks, dxr

.

Shoot it first!you probably will be pleasantly surprised.i have a S/G 06, been to Africa&UK shoots 1/2"groups with 168 Bergers.i only adjusted the trigger&replaced the 50s B&L 4X with a 60s vintage Leupy 3-9.hasnt changed POI in 20 yrs.

Pardon my heresy but if you are going to hunt with it and are worried about collector value, then restock it and put the original stock (which has too much drop for me personnaly) in the back of your gun cabinet. That way if you ever decide to sell, you can put the original back on.

Blaktailer, GREAT IDEA!

.

This is the rifle I asked about.

I installed a Rifle Basix trigger, which
is an easy reversal. Otherwise still original.
I will try to shoot it in the next couple of
days.

dxr

My Featherwieght .30'06 was made in 1955, and I hunted with that gun exclusively for 10 years. I've shot Bull Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Der, and Pronghorn with it. I mounted a 2x7 Leupold on it, and it is still on of my favorite rifles. I use 180 grain bullets, and a charge of 60 grains of IMR 4831. I get 2840 FPS our of my Featherwieght with it. I use Sierra Pro hunters for deer size game, and Nosler Partitions for Elk. I'm sure you will be very pleased with your Winchester.

Whew!!! That is a beauty! I would also recommend getting a beater stock for it. My go to gun is a 1955 Fwt 30-06 with a 2-7 Vari-X II Leupold on QD leupold bases and rings. Mine has Williams firesights on it as well. I have a nicer stock tucked away for it (too bad it also has a pad) and a like new barrel with original sights. The beater stock was bedded for a douglas barrel so I had to rebed it for the FWT. It shot one hole 3 shot groups with 180 gn Nosler Partitions before and after bedding. That is a beautiful gun! Most Featherweights were hunted hard; there are lots of safe queen Standards.

There is nothing wrong with the original trigger. If you dont like the trigger pull, get someone to adjust it. Its not hard to do. Put the original trigger back in it!

All opinions posted are good ones...but it essentially boils down to what you think. Meaning several things...is the value that great
(collector value) that it matters? The point about the wood being stable...yes...but I have also seen shrinage & some warping....
Recently, I glass bedded (not pillar) a Vintage Model 70...this gave me more strength & stability, etc. It doesn't show.
Finally, its what you decide...its very subjective...imho...the collector value wouldn't bother me at all. Its not one of my considerations...I would rather have a more accurate rifle...so what's your consideration? How do the scales balalnce for you?
Best Regards,

Tom