My father-in-law just gave me a 1957 vintage Winchester Model 70 .300H&H. I've been lusting after it for years and earlier this week he surprised me with it and a Belgium Browning semi-auto take-down .22 long rifle. The Browning is a sweet little rifle that loads through the butt-stock and is done up with gold inlay.

The Model 70 has had exactly 4 rounds through it. My F-I-L received it as a high school graduation present and shot it one time trying to sight it in and decided the kick was too much, so he put it away until now.

I had hinted several times over the years that I'd like to have the Winchester, but figured my brother-in-law would eventually get it; afterall, he is their flesh and blood. Problem is, he doesn't hunt or shoot whatsoever, so I don't think he'd even appreciate it. The only condition my F-I-L layed down was that I'd actually use it, which I'll gladly oblige.

The Winchester wears an El Paso Texas manufactured Weaver KV scope in a top mount. From what I can tell, this scope is a 3x-5x variable. Any of you know the quality of this scope and if it will stand up to the recoil of the .300H&H? I'm thinking about changing the scope, but keep flip-flopping because I think it'd be cool to keep things just as it would've been in '57.

I need to get some dies and start accumulating some brass, so that I can load this thing up to it's potential. I'd appreciate it greatly if any of you guys that shoot the .300H&H would share some pet loads.

I don't know if you can tell or not, but I'm more excited than a kid on Christmas!

Any decent scope should hold up just fine. Your rifle will seem like a brutal recoil monster because it doesn't have a recoil pad ! In reality the recoil will be somewhere between a .30-06 and a .300WinMag. I might consider a slip on pad just for bench work. I also like your idea about leaving the scope alone.



Sounds like a very nice rifle!



Terry

Oh Yea, Pet loads. The one I've settled on is a 180gr Hornady RN with 62.5gr of H4350.

Terry

Sounds like you got a Weaver from back when Weaver was THE scope to buy. One of the old ads showed Chill Wills (a movie actor) using a Weaver scope to drive a nail into a board.

I own several of the older weavers. That my dad brought back then. They now sit on the shelves because the newer scopes are so much brighter. The weavers were a good scope in their time but the newer burris and leupolds are even better. If your going to use this as a hunting rifle do your self a favor and put a great scope on it.

Yep, that is better than winning the lottery. The first year I guided I was 19. Long time ago. My first hunter showed up in camp with an old pre-64 model 70 in a .300 H&H. That guy was one of the biggest BS slingers, and a damn poor shot to boot. I asked if he would like to sell that "old" rifle, and he just laughed at me.