I find myself shooting and hunting the last few years, mostly with pre-64 Model 70 rifles. Now I have no trouble with the featherweights, but the standard weight rifles have that third screw in the forearm that puzzles me. Should I tighten it real tight? Leave it a half turn loose? Take it out and throw it away, like one guy told me? Please advise......... Thanks, Grant.

Tighten enough that you don't lose it. The screw should put tension on the barrel but not enough to bend it.

The one I have in .300 H&H shoots fine with that screw tight. I should put loc tite on it.

Another thread here says to play with it. A friend who has a .270 with that screw took his out long ago. His rifle shoots under one MOA.

My small game rifle is a 1938 M70 in 0.250-3000. It has accounted for more than 50 head of game - 49 of them being one shot kills.

The odd man out?

A couple of years back I drove about 1000 km to invite a couple of Mountain Reedbuck to dinner.

On arrival at the farm we were asked to shoot offhand at a distant anthill selected by the farmer. I thought that I had twitched as the trigger broke and was surprised that a puff of dust climbed up from the anthill.

We went into the field. Some hours later I had the opportunity of a shot at a Reedbuck at around 130m. I missed! The shot was called high. I couldn't believe it - I don't miss at that range. I felt that the shot was a good one and kept the crosshairs on target and fired again (range had increased to about 160m. Mountain Reedbuck are co-operative targets. They move 40 - 60m and then stop and look back at you for about 3 - 5 seconds.) The second shot also missed - called high again.

To my shame I both realised that maybe something was wrong with the rifle and also that I should stop shooting. I did neither - I shot again - holding 200 mm low. Called high again - but closer. Final round dropped the poor animal but more due to the buck finding the bullet than any skill on my part.

On the return to the farmhouse I paced off 200m, put up a target and found that the rifle was shooting about 200mm high @ 2 o clock! I then checked all the screws and found that barrel screw was a good half turn loose.

That screw now has been dabbed with a touch of Pliobond and hasn't given any further trouble.

I'd just leave it as the factory made it, but make sure that nothing changes between sighting it in and the hunt.

cheers edi

edi malinaric---

NICE rifle!!! There were only 625 pre-war 250-3000 M-70s made. May it continue to bring you joy.

OLDMODEL 70,
The barrel screw was a early attempt at tuning the bedding pressure. The pre-64 standard M-70s I've had seem to have an individual preference for different torq pressures. I used to start with the screw tight, and back it out half a turn for each test with factory ammo. Once I found a point that the barrel liked, I'd use the once fired cases to work up a load. It seemed to work pretty good. I'd suggest that if you have a load that shoots well, find out where the the screw was set, and leave it that way. I hope that this is of some help. Good luck.

Start with it out, then tighten it up a screw or two at a time until it shoot an inch for 3 shots, that's close enough for Government work or visa versa is fine also....I usually take them out and toss them and the attachment, and glass the action, unless you have a collector...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JBelk:
[QB]edi malinaric---

Only 635 .250's made pre-war? Any idea how many of them were in the 20" carbine version? I have one that has accounted for a couple deer.

Reelman---

According to "The Winchester Handbook" by Madis there were a total of 2949 twenty inch carbines made in six calibers: 22 Hornet, 250-3000, 257 Roberts, 270, 7mm (7x57), and 30-06.

I know of several very rare carbines in 30-30, 303 British, 35 Remington, 7.62 Russian and two 35 Whelens. I don't know if these rare ones are included in the nearly 3000 standard calibers or not.

I'm sure the bigger reference works by Madis and others, is much more complete and probably have the information you seek. I don't have the books.