Win 70 Rebarrel

[msinc]

Ok, we get it, you don't like the M70.....

No, I don't think you do. I love the Model 70 and do have 7 different Model 70 Winchesters in my current possession. Including a 270 that is unfired from 1954. While some are custom, they are all hunting rifles and I use them to hunt with {except the one that is unfired}. There is no "sniper koolaid" here. I just don't think it is a good idea to spend an a$$load of money on a push feed gun when you could have a much more desirable pre-64 configuration for just a few dollars more. It cost the same for the barrel and it cost the same to do the work, so why spend it on the less desirable configuration???
Someone says, "hey, I got a nice worked over push feed Model 70 for sale, spared no expense" and everyone thinks, "who's the moron???" Someone says, "I got a pre-64 Model 70 for sale with a Jewel trigger, Bartlein barrel and McMillan stock." and everyone wants to know "how much???"
To say it another way...you can spend $1500.00 of free money on a nice custom rifle. It's up to you, your choice whether you have a push feed or a pre-64 at the end of the day. Seriously, all B.S. aside which one are you going to walk away with???? If you say push feed....liar, liar pants on fire!!!!

 

[johnfred1965]

No, I don't think you do. I love the Model 70 and do have 7 different Model 70 Winchesters in my current possession. Including a 270 that is unfired from 1954. While some are custom, they are all hunting rifles and I use them to hunt with {except the one that is unfired}. There is no "sniper koolaid" here. I just don't think it is a good idea to spend an a$$load of money on a push feed gun when you could have a much more desirable pre-64 configuration for just a few dollars more. It cost the same for the barrel and it cost the same to do the work, so why spend it on the less desirable configuration???
Someone says, "hey, I got a nice worked over push feed Model 70 for sale, spared no expense" and everyone thinks, "who's the moron???" Someone says, "I got a pre-64 Model 70 for sale with a Jewel trigger, Bartlein barrel and McMillan stock." and everyone wants to know "how much???"

OK let me try again, you don't like the post 64 M70. Why spend money on a less desirable configuration? Because that is what he has. I have the CRF Featherweight and my brother has the push feed. To a collector or investor mine is probably worth more, to me and my brother, there isn't a bit of difference between the two, even though neither of us would part with them. If you are building it to keep and to shoot, to appreciate and pass on, build it, spend an a$$load of money, enjoy shooting paper, rocks, deer, steel, and it will be worth every penny, and you won't be the moron with a rifle he has never shot.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

$1500????

 

[swd]

No, I don't think you do. I love the Model 70 and do have 7 different Model 70 Winchesters in my current possession. Including a 270 that is unfired from 1954. While some are custom, they are all hunting rifles and I use them to hunt with {except the one that is unfired}. There is no "sniper koolaid" here. I just don't think it is a good idea to spend an a$$load of money on a push feed gun when you could have a much more desirable pre-64 configuration for just a few dollars more. It cost the same for the barrel and it cost the same to do the work, so why spend it on the less desirable configuration???
Someone says, "hey, I got a nice worked over push feed Model 70 for sale, spared no expense" and everyone thinks, "who's the moron???" Someone says, "I got a pre-64 Model 70 for sale with a Jewel trigger, Bartlein barrel and McMillan stock." and everyone wants to know "how much???"
To say it another way...you can spend $1500.00 of free money on a nice custom rifle. It's up to you, your choice whether you have a push feed or a pre-64 at the end of the day. Seriously, all B.S. aside which one are you going to walk away with???? If you say push feed....liar, liar pants on fire!!!!

The OP says it's already in a McMillan and has sentimental value. It's only a barrel away from being what he wants. If your going to keep it until you die, who cares, just do it.

 

[jim_k]

I agree with rebarrel for the OP. I love Jewell triggers, but the original Winchester trigger is just fine. It can be easily adjusted for several parameters, which you will not be able to do with a Jewell. And you can buy a lighter trigger spring from erniethegunsmith.com, and lighten the trigger pull some more. Not down to 8 oz., but just fine for OP's purposes.

 

[Dubbo]

The history of this rifle is my parents gave it to me as a present when I was 16, I used it to take 7 PA whitetails, hunted ground hogs with it, it was my only centerfire rifle I had for roughly 15 yrs. I than had a 7mm SAUM (may rebarrel to a 6.5 SAUM) built on a Stiller action, this gun has a jewell, bartlein and is very accurate, I like it.

I dusted off the M70 and started shooting it again this year, accuracy was always ~1MOA with handloads but this year it seemed to have some flyers. I had it borescoped and the overbore 243 barrel is not in the best of shape. My 10 yr old son shot this gun this year, it was his first time shooting a centerfire, he tagged along with me twice this year while hunting. Maybe he will hunt maybe he wont, maybe he will target shoot, maybe not. Thought it may make sense to rebarrel it, most likely it will not be as accurate as my custom build. Was looking for thought/opinions on the action, doesn't seem like many build on that action. Maybe most logical thing is to just rebarrel it, minimal truing, leave the trigger alone since it was lightened years ago.

Sure I would like to spend $2700 on a new custom build but if I spend $600 on the M70 and it shoots slightly better than before with a new bartlein sounds good to me...

 

[wapiti25]

Keep the M70 and rebarrel. I have both pre and post 64 M70's, nothing wrong with the "push feed". I have two with Jewels and love the trigger, in the past never thought about changing triggers until I bought one "try it and you will love it". If you want a trigger less than 2 lbs they really shine.

 

[dwcon]

anyone have a model 70 factory 300win mag barrel with a little life left .DW

 

[gary0529]

The history of this rifle is my parents gave it to me as a present when I was 16, I used it to take 7 PA whitetails, hunted ground hogs with it, it was my only centerfire rifle I had for roughly 15 yrs. I than had a 7mm SAUM (may rebarrel to a 6.5 SAUM) built on a Stiller action, this gun has a jewell, bartlein and is very accurate, I like it.

I dusted off the M70 and started shooting it again this year, accuracy was always ~1MOA with handloads but this year it seemed to have some flyers. I had it borescoped and the overbore 243 barrel is not in the best of shape. My 10 yr old son shot this gun this year, it was his first time shooting a centerfire, he tagged along with me twice this year while hunting. Maybe he will hunt maybe he wont, maybe he will target shoot, maybe not. Thought it may make sense to rebarrel it, most likely it will not be as accurate as my custom build. Was looking for thought/opinions on the action, doesn't seem like many build on that action. Maybe most logical thing is to just rebarrel it, minimal truing, leave the trigger alone since it was lightened years ago.

Sure I would like to spend $2700 on a new custom build but if I spend $600 on the M70 and it shoots slightly better than before with a new bartlein sounds good to me...

Dubbo,
Quite the coincidence that I read your post seeing as I did almost the exact same thing. My Model 70 was the first gun I ever bought - 1965 with money from my first real paying job. Could have bough a pre-64 model but hell, in 1965 who knew, esp. a 17 year old kid, that I was one year off from a collector.
Had it and hunted it for 50 years and when it no longer grouped as it should, a look down the barrel with the Lyman scope showed me something that looked worse than the rutted dirt road in front of the house.
Had my favorite gunsmith re-barrel it, got a really nicely figured walnut stock to replace the old one, had him tune the trigger, re-blue the action and now my memories are preserved in a beautiful new rifle. Did I spend some bucks-you bet, however I am at a point in my life where I am fortunate to have more than I can reasonably spend in my remaining life, my kids don't need the money and my wife said "Just do it".
It is your rifle, your money and your life. If it will make you happy, I say, DO IT.

Currently waiting for a new Leupy 3xi to put on it to replace the old, really old Bushnell.

This rifle, just like all my rifles will not be sold but rather distributed to grandsons when I hang it up. Value in the marketplace means nothing to me so I did it to make me happy.

Gary

 

[joed49]

I see nothing wrong with a push feed action or consider it less desirable.

Some thoughts on them:

1. None of the major bolt action sniper rifles used by the US military in the last few decades have employed a controlled feed action.

2. In the Precision Rifle Series competition the dominant action type among the top PRS competitors are the Remington-style push feed.

I own rifles that are push feed and controlled feed, I give none preference over the other. When I wear out a barrel I get a new one on my rifles regardless of how the rifle is fed.

 

[flatlander]

The history of this rifle is my parents gave it to me as a present when I was 16, I used it to take 7 PA whitetails, hunted ground hogs with it, it was my only centerfire rifle I had for roughly 15 yrs.

That's all the reason you need to re-barrel your M70. My 1st CF rifle was a push-feed M70 243 that I bought while still in high school in '68. Made the mistake of selling it to buy a Ruger M77V in 25-'06 years later, then sold that Ruger to buy another M70 243. I've still got that M70, which I had Randy Gregory re-barrel for 6 Dasher in 2004, the year before I bought my lathe and started doing my own barreling work. Randy had also done a 6 Dasher bbl for my Nesika K Palma rifle - both these rifles shot excellent at 600 & beyond. Randy bushed the boltface on the M70, which I would certainly do again if I were building another BR, Dasher, or probably 6.5x47 or 6.5 CM - cheap insurance against cratering, and done by someone who knows what they're going, there's no downside to having it done. I bought a used Jewell for the Dasher M70 from someone here just after getting it back from Randy. Had to mill some clearance in the triggerguard & stock for the body of the Jewell, but it was well worth it, even though the factory trigger on this action was adjustable down to 2lbs safely. The newer triggers on M70 Stealth actions could not be adjusted anywhere near that light, because the factory had changed the geometry of the engagement surfaces. I bought a JARD trigger for the Stealth I have in 223, and it's nearly as nice as the Jewell.

I re-barreled that M70 Stealth 223 with a PacNor 1-7.5tw 4-groove bbl chambered with my PTG 223 Match reamer, and that rifle is also a very good shooter. I use it today mostly as a loaner/trainer to introduce new shooters to CF rifle shooting, with an inexpensive Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 scope on it. The PacNor bbl is 27" long in a varmint contour (.880" at the muzzle), which makes it pretty heavy for anything but shooting off a bench or prone with a bipod, but it's a confidence builder to a new shooter to be able to sit down at the bench & put lead on steel out at 600yds with almost no recoil & consistent accuracy.

Too bad Winchester isn't still making these push feed actions - I wouldn't mind being able to purchase them as the basis for custom builds.

 

[joed49]

Dubbo, the first rifle I have had a new barrel installed on was a Remington 700 VS in .25-06 that I bought new in 1978. This rifle has a lot of sentimental value to me as it was my only centerfire rifle for 22 years. It's been used to hunt groundhogs from 1978 to 1999 in Ohio. It went bear hunting in Canada too. When I moved to FL I used it for deer hunting there for 5 years. Now back in OH it goes groundhog hunting again.

When the barrel wore out I had a Krieger put on it. Groups went from 1" to under 1/2". Takes no more then 3 patches to clean it after a days shooting. And that is 2 patches to clean it and the 3rd to coat the barrel with oil.

I promise you'll be happy with a new barrel.

 

[Bbear]

I'm another in the 'go ahead a do it' camp. I stumbled on a PF 70 in 30-06 for a price I couldn't let go. Sent it to Pac-Nor for a re-barrel and had it done up in a 6.5x55 swede. While waiting for the re-barrel, I got all of the stuff I needed for reloading as well as finding some Lapua 6.5x55 loaded ammo for a deal.
Broke it in (read; shot about 25-30 rounds) in one afternoon's shooting session. I then shot a 5-shot group that measured .441" at 100. Tinkered with some reloads and found a load it likes. I have a photo on here somewhere of a 4-shot group @ 100 yards measuring .33". Used it to take an axis doe earlier this year.
So, as I said, go ahead and do it. The rifle has a value to you beyond the dollars and cents. I see no reason NOT to do the rebarrel job.

 

[White Eagle]

for me a m70 would be rebarreled and probably into a 358 win.
I rebarreled my m70 push feed to 280 ackley
don't mess with the trigger one of the best out of the box triggers there is
save the Jewel for the Remington 700's

 

[Dubbo]

Definitely going to rebarrel, cant decide on a caliber. 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 or always wanted a 284 win? I have to consider recoil and I do have a 7SAUM but I like the 7mms...

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Definitely going to rebarrel, cant decide on a caliber. 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 or always wanted a 284 win? I have to consider recoil and I do have a 7SAUM but I like the 7mms...

All good choices...especially if Lapua does indeed begin making Creedmoor brass. That said, a 7x47 or 7mmCreedmoor sounds interesting. I've built one 7x47 hunting rifle. Both the velocity and the accuracy are amazing. Speeds equaling 7mm-08 speeds without pressure. Here's link to a thread on here about it. I built it on a Tikka action. GSPV can probably be more help with the details of it than I, but it ain't bad for a hunting rifle, at all!
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/7x47-lapua.3801988/

Here's a couple of groups he posted before fine tuning.

 

[B Nettesheim]

Top image is from a model 70 284. Thats 5 shots at 200 yards Bergers and a Bartlein.
Bottom image is also a model 70 308 though, 10 shots 100 yards nosler cc and a Bartlein the blue dot is 2" diameter.
The Winchester 70 receivers carry a trait common with the fancy custom actions.....a flat bottom!!!! yeah they are worth rebarreling.

 

[Steve Ladino]

I have a early 1990s push feed Win 70 243 that I have had since it was new. It will soon be in need of a new barrel but otherwise is in very good shape. It is bedded in a Mcmillan stock. I think I would rebarrel to 6.5 creedmoor, opinions is it worth it to rebarrel the push feed M70 or best to put money toward something else custom? Also if I do rebarrel is it worth upgrading to a Jewell trigger?
This is a hunting/plinking rifle that I have not used much lately but with it fixed up I would have more use for it.

Heck yes ....might think about the 6.5 out shooting an 8 twist .243.

 

[Dubbo]

Heck yes ....might think about the 6.5 out shooting an 8 twist .243.

Yeah thought about a faster twist 6mm barrel or trying a straight 284 win so I could use on larger game...choices.

 

[joed49]

Yeah thought about a faster twist 6mm barrel or trying a straight 284 win so I could use on larger game...choices.

So many choices. I remember when I ordered the new barrel for my 700 and was asked what cartridge. I had so much invested in .25-06 that I decided to stay with it. But for about 5 seconds I thought about a 6.5-06. I had so many bullets stockpiled in .257 that I stayed with what I had.