Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in 308 Win

[okie john]

I had a pre-64 model 70 in .308, and hunted with it a number of years, using it to harvest multiple deer. Once, I took two deer with it, as in “bam, run the bolt, bam,” so I would say it feeds and runs just fine. Ultimately, I made it into another caliber, since it was on an .06 length action. If a reasonable price, no reason not to grab it and shoot the bejesus out of it!

Now that I think about it, I did some very good work running the bolt from the shoulder with that 308. I never doubled on game, but it was easy to run that rifle well in a hurry.


Okie John

[okie john]

@okie john, the fact that 23 of 24 of your Model 70s have been in standard length cartridges is another thought to give me pause... I like the 30-06/270, and (irrationally, for what I do) 35 Whelen. I would probably be happier with a 30-06. However, the fact that you had an exceptional 308 is a confidence-inspiring factor.

That rifle was exceptional because of the work that had been done to it, not because of the chambering. At the time I bought it, I lived in Seattle about four miles from Jim Cloward's shop. You could buy his rifles used in gun shops all over town. The guy who owned that rifle before me bought it when he was in his late 30's. He hunted with it for about 20 years, and every few years he took it back to Jim for a bit more refinement. By the time he got too old to hunt and sold his rifle, Jim had set the barrel back a turn, recut the crown and chamber, tuned the trigger, smoothed up the raceways and feed lips, built up and checkered the bolt stop, and probably several other things. Most important, he had bedded it into a Pacific Research stock, which he had designed specifically for the pre-64 Model 70.

I was looking for a 30-06 at the time, so I picked that one up, saw that it was a 308, and put it back on the rack.

About a week later I got my head out of my ass, ran back down to the shop, and bought it.


Okie John

[Toonces]

Well, my wallet breathed a sigh of relief this afternoon. Upon a second inspection, the metalwork and woodwork performed to add a now-removed side mounted scope base are just too damn ugly on an item I’m buying for pleasure. For slightly more money I can buy a rifle off GunsInternational or Gunbroker that doesn’t have those flaws. I will say that the 308 length bolt throw is really nice at reducing the likelihood of poking myself in the eye when running the bolt while the rifle is shouldered.

[GJM]

https://fieldethos.com/intertwined-t...ster-model-70/