winchesterpoor, pal and rembo - you guys are making me feel really good because I went in there before I saw the last three posts and bought the gun! The shop owner and 2 employees were there, as well as two other customers who seemed to be pretty knowledgeable about old Model 70s. They all said it was a really decent shooter for the price, crown and bore looked good, etc. I don't know what I'm looking at but the scope seemed clear, I pointed it out the window across the street. They also had a really nice, almost perfect original Model 70, .270 (around 1950, I think) priced at $1,800 so it was interesting to compare the rifles. So I'm hoping that ugly wood that's maybe not so nice helped me get a really decent gun at a reasonable price.
I also think the stock can be improved a little (cosmetic) by stripping it - the checkering almost looks like someone took brown paint and painted the diamonds. But first will be a trip to the range (10+ days) to see how it shoots. I've got the Roger Rule book so I can begin searching for proper iron sights, hood, etc. Any tips for installing the iron sights in the dovetails? I'll try to put up some good closeup shots when I get the gun.
Thanks again for all the advise!
