Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Model 70 300 H&H

Serial number shows this is a 1940 built rifle, #26654. I bought it with this finger groove stock on it. I just received this McMillan stock in. Only one they will do with the pre-war inlet. The little bit I have shot it, it shot well. It has some sort of finish on it that resembles paint. Can scratch it off practically with your fingernail. Pictures were taken in high ceilinged room. May get better pictures tomorrow.

Thinking about having the bolt handle replaced. Uncertain on that. May just have the stock bedded and the action finished in birdsong’s black-t. Just put the S&K mounts and the z3 on it.

As I received it:





In McMillan:

Looks great.

What’s the motivation for replacing the bolt handle?

I like the feel of checkered bolt handle and was thinking about it to help with scope fit. It can be pretty tight depending on the scope. But I was really doubting whether I needed to with it in that stock and with the z3. Feels really nice. I like that stock shape in lighter form.

Looks good in the Mcmillan. Strange that you would want to change the bolt handle out though. Is it an actual H&H receiver? The pictures are very grainy and hard to tell. Looks like it has a Bueler safety on it. Nice rifle, from what I can see.

That’s a great set up. Hope you don’t change a thing.

I will get better pictures tomorrow when I can use some sunlight. As far as I know it is an actual H&H receiver. It handles 300 H&H cartridges very smoothly. Feeds very nice and is very slick.

I am hearing y’all on the bolt handle. I won’t change it. I just really like a bolt handle that’s a bit longer and straight. I also like them set angled out a hair more than typical with checkered bolt knob. Just what I like. They manipulate a bit faster for me like that and it just feels a bit quicker to get to when going for a follow up shot.

I think after you use that rifle a little bit, you won't mind the bolt handle. Besides, if you change it out, it will drastically reduce the value of the rifle. Probably not a huge concern, as it is not original, but it's still pretty nice and mostly original from what I can see. Those H&H's are slick sob's. They feed and operate so smoothly. You'll load one in and ask yourself if it actually went in because it picks up the cartridge and puts it in so easily and effortlessly, that you won't believe it.

It's an "altered" Win so no worries about collectability. The prewar mags deleted the clip slot loading feature but of course that could be accomplished aftermarket too. I'd not go the the expense of replacing the bolt handle. It could be reoriented more inexpensively as simply heating and bending. Just not to disrupt the factory heat treating which shouldn't occur with a heat sink for such application. The stock also doesn't look bad to me... Pending better pix final judgement!

Focus on the positive as a great prewar Win "300 Magnum" chambering!

Below, M 70 prewar "standard" and "mag config" action pix. In '06 and a 300 Mag from latter from 1940 in non-original format as with dreaded "extra hole". Same conclusion of damn nice rifle sustained despite non-collectible (& '06 yet collector).

Good luck with your 'tweaks & twitches!'

Best!
John

My M70 300 H&H also sits in a MCM stock, but an Echols legend and I have the same scope and mounts, it's a lovely setup that has worked flawlessly for the last 15 years.
Sure the bolt clearance is a little tight but I've never had an issue and would suggest leaving it be. Enjoy your great, classy rifle.

Lol ok y’all win. No bolt handle change.

I really thought y’all were gonna come at me harder for the Black-T finish on it….

I think these pictures are a bit better. I really don’t have any specific plans for the rifle. Just thought it should be spruced up a bit and made ready to hunt.

Other than adding a red pad I wouldn’t change a darn thing myself

HW’s 300 in the Legend is sharp but that one of yours like it sits is a dandy as well.

I’ve kept mine in the wood stock so far, but I fight that demon pretty hard….

I wish the red pad had been an option from McMillan but it was not. Mine came with that finger groove stock. If it had been a factory stock and original bluing I probably wouldn’t be going down this road at all.

Much better pics. Now we can see what it is. I really like that rifle. You have some options with it. It just depends on which way you want to roll. The bottom metal looks like featherweight aluminum to me. I'd definitely remove that and have it re-anodized. The coating on the barrel is probably some sort of cheap spray on coating. You could have the rifle professionally re-blued. That does not mean polish everything and re-blue it, like the 458 WM in the other thread. That means keep everything as original looking as possible. The next option is Cerakote or similar finish. I don't know how Black T holds up compared to Cerakote, but either would be better than what is on it right now. Or you could leave it just like it is and hunt it. The rear bridge on your rifle was not factory d&t'd, so that was done by a smith. Those mounts and rings and scope look sharp on that rifle. Great choice on those. I generally run steel weaver style mounts on my H&H rifles, but those S&K's are damn nice. Now, if you like a checkered bolt knob, you can always have that sent out and done. That would add some style to the already tampered with action. You won't hurt the value by having that done. Especially if it is done right. The Micky looks great too, but I'm like Scotty. I like the red pads on the brown colored stocks. That is always a winning combination that stands out and looks great. You say you shot the rifle, did you glass bed the action in that stock yet? If not, Id do that for sure and I'll bet it shoots even better. Probably to a point that it will really surprise you. Nice rifle, thanks for sharing!!

I shot it in the wood stock from the first pictures just to see. That stock wasn’t bedded at all. It shot fairly well. Killed a few pigs.

I just set it in this stock last night to see how it looked and felt. Will have it bedded for sure. Just want to decide what, if any, metal work I want done before bedding.

I had requested a red pad from McMillan but was told they don’t offer them anymore. I haven’t had cerakote hold up real well for me in the past. Would hate to not have it refinished just to protect. Have had one rifle done with Black-t and like the look, but haven’t hunter it enough to comment on durability yet.

If I was going to be replacing the bolt handle, it would probably be going to Matt Roberts for the work and have him it reset it to the same angle he uses on his Richardson and Roberts action. I’m leaning towards not doing it now though.

Black T is good stuff in my opinion. I’d likely do that over Cerrakote myself these days.

Sounds like a great rifle to me. I like to see people make them rifles work for them!

I agree. I know this is the "collectors" forum, so some get offended when you talk about coating an old rifle. I've had a few done, and for good reasons. One was my 338wm. It was rebarreled anyway and the stainless stuck out like a sore thumb. I wanted it all the same color. I had it cerakoted and have no regrets. The thing about cerakote is it has to be prepped right. if not, it may not be super strong. The guy that does mine is a damn wizard. He does them right. It holds up very well. I also have a rifle that used to be a 300H&H, but it's been rechambered to 300WBY. I love that rifle, so I recently put it in the Brown PoundR stock. The bluing is damn near perfect for its age, so I leave it as is. So I can understand why keechi kid said if the bluing was good, he'd just leave it. With a rifle like the kid has, it's basically a canvas at this point. He should make it like he wants. Spruce it up a bit, you won't be hurting the resale value, as the damage has basically already been done. I'd be all over making it look better, while also protecting its metal surfaces:



The guy that cerakotes mine, also does the bolt jeweling. He's pretty good at what he does^^ and takes pride in his work.

Nothing Matt Roberts does is going to decrease the value of that rifle at this point. May not increase it; but Matt does incredible work. If it is a want, I wouldn’t hesitate to scratch it. It will look incredible when he is done.

Always wanted a 300.


What's the floor plate say?