The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles What to do with a pre 64 Winchester Model 70?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I have a pre 64 Winchester Model 70 featherweight that I seldom use and was trying to come up with an idea for a new use for it. Rebarrel, change the caliber, add a quality stock, ??? Anyone have an good ideas or suggestions? I am at a loss. Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times. | ||
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What caliber is it now? Perhaps having the stock re-oiled a bit darker and glossier, and adding an ebony forend tip, grip cap, and a red recoil pad would give it a classic Griffin & Howe look for not much $$$. | |||
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The chief advantage of a pre-64 Winchester is that they were built with a smooth hand worked action. This of course is very desirable in any rifle. Next question that needs to be addressed is what caliber or function you expect to do with this rifle. Most model 70s are found in .30-06 and this means you can reduce the amount of work to be done if you stay with that rim size. If you want to do wildcat might consider .30-06, .243, .308, etc. once you have determined the function, take a look at the available bullets. For example, 7 mm bullets come in the wide availability from varmint to medium hunting versions. One of my favorites right now is the 7 – 08 caliber. If you want something heavy you can go to a .35-06. Having decided upon the caliber, the next thing is the stock. This can range from refinishing the factory stock or purchasing a custom stock, or even an aftermarket stock designed for a specific purpose. Then there is a whole question of a custom barrel. In fact you can spend as much or as little as you want for a custom rifle. -------------------- EGO sum bastard ut does frendo | |||
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Well, you could just, you know, give it to me! I mean, why would you want such an old POS in the first place?  | |||
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sell it and buy what you want | |||
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tough one... The last two I had altered were both actions. Jim Kobe turned a real bubba'ed one into a458 RUM. Bartlein Barrels just finished the barrel work on the other one ('06) by rebarreling it in 6.5-284. Check www.walnutgrovegunstocks.com for wood. They have some incredible blanks, and about thirty different patterns for OM M70's. | |||
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shoot it. you'll figure out why they are popular the way they come from the woolworths. | |||
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Id drop it in a Brown Precision or McMillan stock and hunt it. It will last a lifetime and you'd be hard pressed to buy a better hunting rifle at any price. | |||
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Let me catch up with all of the suggestions. I appreciate each and every one. Biebs the rifle is a 30-06 now. It has the low comb factory stock which I do not care for. I do like your ideas and especially the low $$$ amount but if the rifle is altered it will need a new stock for sure. DMCI you are right about it having a super smooth action. I have thought about changing the caliber as a number one thing to do. You suggested for one of your options the 35-06 and doing it as a Whelen was one of my first thoughts. B L O'Connor that is a nice try and it never hurts to ask but I have to admit that giving the rifle away has never crossed my mind. richj I have thought seriously about selling or trading it but not sure what I want to replace it. Idaho Sharpshooter your ideas are good as well but while Jim Kobe does fantastic work based on the pictures I have seen and the reports I have read, his work is more than I want to spend. I am going to check out your link for walnut grove gunstocks. That might be a solution along with possible rebarreling into a 35 Whelen or keeping it as a 30-06. I was thinking of using a Kreiger barrel if I go that route. Lamar I have shot it and used it for quite a while. I just seldom take it out of the safe any longer. Eastcoaster buying and bedding a stock like you mention to the action is probably a first choice followed by a new barrel and maybe a caliber change. Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times. | |||
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boliep Pre-64 actions won't get you much $$$ on a trade in these days. Another option not mentioned is a re-bore to a larger '06 based caliber, cost is less than a re-barrel. If I'm not mistaken, the caliber stamp could be filled and re-stamped or engraved to the new caliber. Essentially you get a brand new bore and retain the original integrity of the barreled action. Might take less time (and money) to get it back over a new replacement barrel. Might get more info on here with a search for rebore or JES. Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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If you don't like the stock just restock it. Keep the stock or sell it. I kept mine so if and when I ever part with it (not even cold dead hands) I could sell it with the custom stock and the original. If you want to change caliber, since the 30-06 is parent to so many others, you could swap out the barrel and keep the original and probably not have to alter the action. Again it doesn't cost much to get another barrel screwed on and headspaced. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Actually have the exact same dilemma, was thinking a 280AI. "In the worship of security we fling ourselves beneath the wheels of routine, and before we know it our lives are gone"--Sterling Hayden-- David Tenney US Operations Manager Trophy Game Safaris Southern Africa Tino and Amanda Erasmus www.tgsafari.co.za | |||
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Custombolt, Pre-64 actions are back up around $600 these days. If you do not think so, just post a standard length/30-06 bolt for sale here for $600 and see how long it lasts. I would be second in line, because Jim Kobe would have seen it first and bought it. Still the best non-current production action available for less than a thousand dollars to base a custom rifle on. Rich | |||
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I;ll swap you a super accurate std. wt. in 30-06 for it..Mine is a pre war transitional with the backasswards safety on it..nice gun. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Let's see a photo! If your stock has the original aluminum buttstock on it and not a recoil pad, the stock itself is worth quite a bit. Probably best to buy another stock and just hang on to the original. I put an original featherweight stock (very nice condition) on eBay a year or so ago and it went for over $600. My current go to hunting rifle is a Pre-64 M70 Featherweight in 30-06, bedded in a McMillan stock. Super accurate and because of the stock, it feels like it has less recoil than my Pre-64 M70 Featherweight in .270. I used to shoot rifles in 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, etc., but finally realized I can do pretty much everything in North America with a 30-06. Now when I need something more than a 30-06, I step up to my 375 H&H. I keep the original stock in my safe (all original with plastic buttstock), just in case I want to put it back to original again. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Tim | |||
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if the rifle is left as is, it may be appreciated by your heirs, since they will use it as you used it back in the day. | |||
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Hi Rich, Mr. boliep said about selling it OR trading it. I referred to only a trade in. As for Pre-64 M70's in general.....I'm fairly up to date on their person to person values. $600 seems too cheap and seems to be hugging the bottom, value wise. An example is ..........I just sold my great shooting (1MOA) - smooth and really clean Pre-64 .270 with an old sporter stock for $600 after listing it for $795.00 and then $695.00 on here and subsequently on GunBroker as well. Interest was really slim. 5 years ago it would have been gone in 10 minutes at $795.00 even with a non-original stock. Having said that, since I had that .270 I have a new found respect for those old M70's. Like buttah!
Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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Make it a nice .270W or .280R, and put on some fancy Walnut  M | |||
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This. Even if it's only a spare or back-up rifle, a pre-64 FWT is still one of the best hunting rifles ever made, and the 30/06 is one of the most versatile cartridges ever developed. Hard to go wrong with what you've already got... Okie John "The 30-06 works. Period." --Finn Aagaard | |||
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 The above rifle is a classic example of what you’re talking about. The only exception here is that it rarer than the pre-64 30-06 length as it is the shorter .308 length action, which is particularly well-suited for rounds like the .260 or 7mm – 08. At the time I had this rifle built the Smith was drowning in model 70 stocks. So I purchased this rather fine example of the deluxe M 70 stock for about 50 bucks and had him clean the original finish off and replace it with an oil finish. Intention was build a light hunting rifle using the 142 grain Sierra rifle round and 100 grain hollow point for varmint hunting. The barrel is a Lilja three groove and custom two-stage trigger is at a very crisp 2 pounds the way I like it. Even the scope something the local gun shop had for some time and that none of the local Leopold users wanted at twice the price, but had very fine glass. He was amazed that I bought it, but this rifle also acts as my backup varmint rifle and did very well on short range squirrels out to 300 yards plus. This rifle was an attempt to reduce the cost over the "purple" rifle shown below. The reason that the rifle is purple is that one of the Smith's big-time customers had it painted and then didn't like the color so he put it up for sale. The varmints don't care about the color and either it I!  Here by comparison is an all up varmint rifle with custom stock, Lilja barrel, trigger, and heavy US optics scope. This rifle also a .260, known at the time building as a 6.5-08 wildcat. Shown with .17 HMR Cooper rifle. -------------------- EGO sum bastard ut does frendo | |||
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A short action pre64 M70?? | |||
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DCMI: I'm really curious about the short action p64 M70. Please elaborate. Thx. | |||
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-------------------- EGO sum bastard ut does frendo | |||
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Thanks for the clarification. | |||
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BTW Winchester DID introduce a true short action, beginning in the 80s. | |||
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Yes one needs to clarify that short action mod. 70, it is the only one they produced..I had one in a 22-250 and liked it...Not sure if they still make it??? Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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My two pre'64 Winchester M/70 have been made into a Featherweight .257 Robert, it had been rebarreled by a previous using a Douglass barrel in the original FW profile. My other M/70 started life as a standard weight .30-06, I had it rebored by Randall Redman to a .35 Whelen. I found the various bits and pieces to make it into a Super Grade, it is topped by a Leupold VX-II 2-7x in a Griffin & Howe mount and has a repro solid red Winchester pad. | |||
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I like the way you think. Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times. | |||
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Well we made a trade, my pre war for his old beat up fwt..Good trade for both of us.  in the floor..Its exactly what I was looking for and the description was accurate, its a pretty beat up ole fwt, bores excellent, stock near smooth as described..Bolip forgot to tell me it shot 1/2 inch, 3 shot or 10 shot, makes no difference, I stuck a 4X Leupold on it and it has its own saddle scabbard..I love this gun, it will never leave my casa, nor will I change a thing on it. I like it as is and curmudgeons need feather weight rifles, the standard weights wiggle too much.....Thanks Bolip, your a true gentleman. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Sounds like a pretty good solution. | |||
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If it were my rifle, I'd likely re-barrel it with a 24" #2 chambered in 6.5-06, NP3 it, and drop it in a McMillan stock. I would also contemplate 280 Rem, 35 Whelen, or 9.3x62. **************** NRA Life Benefactor Member | |||
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That is what I did.... I like the .280 REM or AI. | |||
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Gentlemen unless I didn't follow Bolip and Mr Atkinson did a swap and are both happy. This makes the question academic now, but that said I still enjoy reading the suggestions. | |||
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I'm happy with the featherweight, but that does not mean that Boliep isn't thinking about a conversion to my old gun...both rifles show a lot of use..and he may want to build a custom rifle out of my old gun that's smooth as silk, and its a pre war gun which is desirable..His gun fit me perfect in that I don't have to baby it and it shoots fantastic.. Sooo, keep the suggestions coming to him, he needs help!! My thought is since its a std. weitht gun, How about a 9.3x62 or 64, sounds like a winner to me and the weight is right..a rebore or rebarrel is in order, maybe a custom stock, would make a nice riflewith a minimum of expense. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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heck, I owned a carbine OM chambered for 22 Hornet for several years. I never figured out how they could chamber them in everything from the Hornet to the 375 H&H and make them all feed so flawlessly. I'd be very happy to raid the cookie jar for just a clean action for $650 or less. | |||
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I could find a magnum action, it would be headed to a trusted gunsmith to be converted to... Never you all mind, just find me one. Rich | |||
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What would I do with a pre '64 mod 70? Shoot it a lot. Dave | |||
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hmmmm what to do with this Remington mdl 30 action here on the desk.........
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sell it to some seriously, i don't get the draw, but i am the same way on mid 60s, early 70s "super" cars -- i had them, was "meh" THEN too... but, yeah, don't change it, sell it as an original, collect your proceeds, and buy the gun you want -- that way the guy who buys it can have the gun HE wants, too  opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Medium Bore Rifles What to do with a pre 64 Winchester Model 70?
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