I'm looking at a m70 Winchester. It is pre 64 and marked .300 magnum. It is a factory original barrel. Is this a .300 H&H or a .300 winchester? Also it is in about 90% metal and a bit less on the wood. What is the rough value on it?

Thanks!

".300 magnum" was one of the earlier markings for the .300 H&H magnum.

A good honest pre-64 in 300 H&H will fetch a grand. FWIW, I've seen them go between $850 and $1450 depending on condition.

If it hasn't been rechambered it's probably a 300HH. If you plug the serial number into THIS WEB SITE, you can get the date it was built.

I believe the 300 Win Mag was introduced in 1963.

-Steve

Thanks guys, looks like it's a .300H&H mag made in 1950. The shop is talking $900 but I probably can get it for $850. It has an old weaver 4x in weaver mounts.

Buy it irregardless, the 300 H&H is a keeper and if it's a 300 WM then I think it's a collector because.... I don't think Winchester made too many Pre's in 300 WM. I have a friend that's been looking for one for an awful long time.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I could be wrong but it should say 300 H&H. Both the one I use to own and the one I have now are marked that way. If it just says 300 Mag. I'd want some proof that that's the orginal barrel for $850.

I have a "parts gun" pre64 win. rebarreled to 25/06 and it's just fine as a shooter, but I only paid $350 for it also.

quote:

Originally posted by fireman:
I'm looking at a m70 Winchester. It is pre 64 and marked .300 magnum. It is a factory original barrel. Is this a .300 H&H or a .300 winchester? Also it is in about 90% metal and a bit less on the wood. What is the rough value on it?

Thanks!

CAREFULL,

My dad had a picked up a pre 64 that was marked .300 W mag on the barrel. He assumed it was a .300 "W"inchester mag and not really being a gun guy didn't have it checked.

In anycase after firing the first round he was surprised to see the case neck severly split.

Guess what sports fans? It turned out it was one of the many .300 H&H's that had been punched out to .300 "W"eatherby mag.

Get it checked before firing it.

I went thru the same thing when i bought mine-yes its a 300h-h thats the way they marked the barrel until the early 50s-should say 300 magnum on it.

surestrike is providing sound advice. You should always check to see if the rifle will accept a 300 Weatherby round. There are quite a few out there that have been punched out/improved.

By the way, a Pre-64 M70 "Magnum" action (originally chambered for 300 or 375 H&H) will bring a price of approx. $750 for the action alone.

Tim

Thanks surestrike,shumba etc. I will listen to your advice and have it checked. At worst I will pick up a .375 H&H barrel and get it rebarreled

I have both, a pre-war "300 Magnum" that is onviously an H&H as there were no other "magnums" until Weatherby in the late 40s and Winchester's in 63. It was only made one year and constitutes about 1% of total pre-64 production. Accordingly, they command higher prices than the H&Hs. winchester never made any pre-64s in a Weatherby, they are all bored out H&Hs. jorge

I have three pre64 300 H&H that have been rechambered to 300 WBY. From what I have read it was the thing to do back then. Two are still in the box. So like the others are saying check it out first.

Dean

I would definitely check the chamber as I have seen all kinds of rechamberins on the early 300 Magnums. I even saw one where the guy set the barrel back on an H&H and rechambered it to 300 Win Mag. He said he did it as he had trouble finding H&H brass!

Also there should be a date on the bottom of the barrel. It should be the same as the receiver date or a little earlier. Finally the proof marks should line up on the barrel and receiver.

Any pre-64 action that has not had the side of the receiver drilled for a side mounted scope is a find. If you don't want it, just let anyone of us know, and we will make appropriate arrangements to provide it a good home. Kudude

Ditto on the funky rechambers. i just picked one up yoday that started life as a 1955 300 h&h that somebody set the barrel back and rechambered for the 308 norma why I have no idea but they did, and while i would have much prefered the h&h it was too good of a deal to pass up. Only problem id trying to decide what to do with it 'cause obviously any collector use value would have been totaly destroyed by the rechamber.

Well, we checked it at the shop. It won't chamber the .300 Weatherby mag. It is a straight up .300H&H mag. Pretty happy about that one. I'll be taking it home on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Just went and double checked and my '57 Model 70 is marked .300 H&H Magnum.

You're gonna love that rifle!.....

When i bought mine i knew that it being a pre-war the worst it could be was bored out to weatherby-the guy wanted 600-i offered him 400 and walked out with it all original for 450.

quote:

Originally posted by 300 H-H:
When i bought mine i knew that it being a pre-war the worst it could be was bored out to weatherby-the guy wanted 600-i offered him 400 and walked out with it all original for 450.

$450!?!? That is a great deal!

I say grab it! Here's my Pre '64 Featherweight in 30-06 that I just picked up for 350. I didn't even argue with them on the price.