I have a Win .375 H&H that I’m getting ready for an early Sept. hunt in Zim and its kind of falling apart on me. I found a load this weekend that’s shooting real nice with 270 TSX’s which at the time I thought was my only issue.

I bought this gun used with scope and mounts already installed. So last night I got out the torque wrench to make sure all the screws were tight and found out that one of the back base screws was not tight and the hole in the receiver seems to be stripped out. It will take a screw but the first 4 or 5 threads are just not there so there’s not enough to bite after going through the Talley base. So my opinion is that it may need to be opened up to 8-40 screws. Maybe a longer screw will work too, but I might feel better with the larger screws.

Next I did some feed testing with the 270 TSX loaded cartridge. I had issues with a 300 grain round nose not feeding well, but some spitzer Sierra’s had worked fine. Well the TSX’s are showing the same problem that the round nose did. When working the rifle from my shoulder the 2nd to last cartridge (cartridge on left of mag) will sometimes come out at a steep angle and jam on the front of the chamber.

So the main issue is the feeding and I want someone that really knows what they are doing to look at it and adjust the feeding. The screw issue is a fairly simple job I’m sure.

So priority one is that I send it to someone that knows something about making big bores feed. A close second priority is that the turnaround is fast, like less than 4 weeks, so that I can have the rifle back in my hands for practice.

Any recommendations on a ‘smith that might be able to get this going for me in time?

Thanks!

wyattd

Try Brian at SSK Industries. 740-264-0176. I have made him an expert (heh) on M70s. He is very good with the retaining and feeding issues on the M70s. Give him a call.

Michael

I would get longer base screws from Talley (they will send you some free of charge if you send them an email and request them).

For some reason, sometimes the screws provided with the Talley bases are not long enough to get a good "bite" - I have had the same problem you describe with a couple of my Model 70s, but I have never actually stripped the threads. As long as you have a few turns left, a longer screw will fix the problem.

Then I would get a stronger magazine spring from Brownells. The one they make for the 98 Mauser will fit your Model 70 (it may require some minor fitting). That has worked for me on one of my Model 70s.

Good luck.

Dennis Olsen has about a 1 week turn around.

Hop over to www.24hourcampfire.com and go to the gunsmithing forum. Drop "Redneck" a line. He's their resident Model 70 expert gunsmith. If you're having a gunsmith work on the feeding issues, you might as well have him open the mounting holes to 8x40 while he has the gun. That's a rather simple job.

Dennis Olson just got my Model 70, .458 working nicely!

Call Mark Penrod.

Penrod Precision
312 E College Ave
North Manchester IN 46962

574-982-8385

Dennis Olson is good--but a week turnaround--must be friend of a friend???

quote:

Dennis Olson is good--but a week turnaround--must be friend of a friend???

I won't tell you how long it took him to finish my rifle (an outstanding job, by the way) but a week is optimistic in the extreme!

Have your bases and screws altered to take 8-40 screws. It's a simple procedure and quick to do, gives it more shear strength and the receiver only needs to be re-tapped.

quote:

Originally posted by fireball168:
Call Mark Penrod.

Penrod Precision
312 E College Ave
North Manchester IN 46962

574-982-8385

And Mark will be straight with you if he can or can't meet your timeframe.

quote:

Originally posted by DavidReed:

quote:

Originally posted by fireball168:
Call Mark Penrod.

Penrod Precision
312 E College Ave
North Manchester IN 46962

574-982-8385

And Mark will be straight with you if he can or can't meet your timeframe.

Mark built my 338WM, and 416REM Model 70s, They feed like butter. He slicked up my stock 375HH Model 70 before my first safari- I'd highly recommend him.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by fireball168:
Call Mark Penrod.

Penrod Precision
312 E College Ave
North Manchester IN 46962

574-982-8385

+1 Mark's the best M70 smith around.

wyattd, if you are set on sending your rifle to a gunsmith, I agree that Mark Penrod is truly great when it comes to Model 70s. And not only Model 70s, either.

Mark has done work on three of my rifles, and it is top notch work, done on time and for the quoted price.

I have not used him, but Roger Ferrell is in Georgia and has been recommended by some AR members. You might do a search here and ask some of the references about him.

Whoever you decide, if I were you I'd try to get a commitment for quick turnaround and get the rifle out to the 'smith soon.

Good luck.

Here's an update on my rifle. I spoke to a couple smiths recommended here. Mark Penrod, who has done work for me in the past, gave me the most confidence that he could fix the problem. In fact, after getting off the phone with Mark I want really want a full build from him. But that doesn't help me now. Mark couldn't commit to work on the rifle in the time I needed it. I appreciated his honesty.

So in the mean time I requested some longer screws from Talley and the Mauser 98 spring from Brownells suggested above.

The longer screw gets about 4 turns of bite in the suspect base hole and I was able to get it torqued to a smidge over 40" lbs with some Locktite. I'm calling that fixed.

The spring took just a minor bit of fitting with a file and slipped right in. I don't want to claim total victory just yet but I just ran about 15 mags full of both the TSX and the Rem 300 gr. round nose ammo through the gun and they fed perfectly.

Thanks for all the help.

Hope it all works out. I am sure you did this when you cycled it, but run some of those function checks from the shoulder at high speed. Safely, of course -- don't want the television harmed.

Good to hear it's working out.

A word of warning on your statement that you torqued your new screw to 40 in. lb., the correct settings for 6-48 screws is 15 in lb, 8-40 are 25 in lb and 1/4-28 are 55 in lb. I would recommend that after your hunt that you have the screws opened up to 8-40's and the baases bedded to your action with some J-B or steelbed. Good luck on your hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by GUNNR:
A word of warning on your statement that you torqued your new screw to 40 in. lb., the correct settings for 6-48 screws is 15 in lb, 8-40 are 25 in lb and 1/4-28 are 55 in lb. I would recommend that after your hunt that you have the screws opened up to 8-40's and the baases bedded to your action with some J-B or steelbed. Good luck on your hunt.

I'm using a Wheeler Fat Wrench and have been doing a lot of stock installing and removing and scope mounting. I got the values mixed up. And actually just went and looked and the Fat wrench recommended torque for base screws is 30" lbs. Maybe I'll back 'em off to that value.

I torque 6-48 base screws at 25-30 in.-lbs.

I generally torque ring screws at 15-20 in.-lbs.

I have not needed more than that, even on big bores.

I have also not seen that 8-40 screws are needed.

I have them on some of my rifles, but none of the 6-48 screws on any of my rifles has failed yet.

I think that a key factor is adequate screw length.