winchester model 70 palma?

[matthias]

here is the story. i went to the gun show friday and traded a winchester 70 in 22-250 for an inteesting model 70 in 308 win.
Pj wright was stamped with 1|16 letters 2” in front of the recoil lug in barrel channel
Bedded with steel bed?
Serial number g960XXX
Redfield Olympic model adjustable iris rear sight
Redfield international match front clear insert
26” barrel twist looks like a 1-12 or 1-14? I have gotten different measurements when I checked

anyone know anything about this gun? or style of gun ( other than its a palma rifle , or copy of one), what is it worth ? the year of manufacture etc?
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[matthias]

more pics

 

[matthias]

more

 

[matthias]

any ideas for load data? where to start ? 155 gr bullets with vaget?

 

[watercam]

Looks like a Marksman to me. Probably a 13" twist. With a 26" bbl. it might not stay supersonic all the way to 1000 but try 46-47 grains Varget w/ Sierra 155 Palma (#2156) or Berger Fullbores (155.5 gr.)/ Wolf LR Primers.
Let us know how it works out...

 

[FroggyOne2]

unless it said "Palma" on the bbl, it is worth about 1K bucks, looks like somebody's old course gun to me. The bbl has a 12 twist bbl more than likely. Winchester made some like this back in the 70's in celebration of I believe the '72 palma matches. Without the sights, the rifle would be woth about 800 max, if it has the original bbl. If it were the one that stated Palma on it, and all original, it would be worth about 3K.

 

[JMCartwrightIII]

The Wrights- Father and son, I think, were well known and capable match rifle shooters. They were out of the plains of eastern New Mexico and obviously had enviable wind shooting skills. The father shot through some vicious conditions that made target pulling hazardous duty. Only a few had the confidence in their skills to shoot one match-- a few siilyvilians and the Marine teams. Every one else bushed up. He also pioneered the 7 Mag. when mag shooters were favoring the .30's. Depending on care and use since passing out of the first owner, the gun should be a shooter.

 

[GWY]

Here's some additional information on PJ Wright.

As previously mentioned, both father and son were top XC and LR competitors of their day and were originally from New Mexico.

Paul Junior (PJ) later relocated to Los Angeles and later to Boulder City, Nevada and was a shooting companion with Mid Tompkins. PJ made the US palma team twice in the late 60s or early-mid 70s The second time he made it, the team included his then teenaged daughter Linda.

When the M1As ruled service rifle and a model 70 was the match rifle, it was hard to beat a PJ built M1A or M70.

I believe your rifle has PJ's modified marksman pattern stock. You have a "classic" match rifle. Enjoy it.

 

[matthias]

very cool information thanks a bunch!

 

[M14AMU]

Cut/Pasted from another source:

"Paul Wright, also known as PJ Wright, worked for Roy Weatherby and designed their famous stocks their rifles had back in the 1950's. His target stocks were used on many rifles winning matches and setting records; I've got 4 or 5 of them and they are great. He often commented that he never made much monney off of competition stocks for high power competitors, but earned a living makin sporter stocks. PJ was also one of the USA's best long range competitors and's been on a Palma team or two.

In the late 1960's he showed me one of the single-shot solid-bottom (no magazine cut out) 9-lug actions Weatherby's shop made for him. It had a 6.5-300 Wby. chamber. PJ said its barrel made it to just short of 600 rounds when it died for accuracy. And that 9-lug receiver had problems like the round Remingtons holding epoxy bedding. Plus lapping all the lugs to full contact was a pain in the kazoo. He shot a lot better with hiw Win. 70's shooting .30-.338's and the like."

Also included was interesting info reference trying to use 9 lug Weatherby actions for target rifles and cartridges with nanosecond speeds taking the toll on barrel life!!