Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Period correct for pre-64 M70?

Hello, I am new to the forums and have a question in regards to setting up my pre-64 Model 70 with a period correct optic and mounts.

The rifle was manufactured in 61 and is a Featherweight model in .270 winchester. I would like to find a scope and mount setup that would have been around in the early sixties. I have read a bit about the lyman Alaskan line of scopes but other then that I am not that familiar with older scopes and mount setups.

Thanks

B&L Balvar series, I'd go with a Balvar 8, 2.5-8x, in B&L adjustable bases.

Lyman Alaskan optics are very old technology and pretty marginal, at least that's my take on them.

Jeff

The Weaver bases and rings will be the easy part (large screw on the rings instead of todays thumbscrews, the older Redfield rings and mounts (four screws on the rings instead of two) show up at gunshows and on the on-line auctions. A Weaver K4 steel scope would be right, a Redfield Bearcub would work, a Lyman Alaskan, and Leupold was making scopes then (don't remember the model).

If I were you I'd look for a Weaver K2.5 or K3 in Weaver mounts. You could get the rings, mounts and scope for less than $100 and it'd be period correct for 1961; the K2.5 and K3 are still excellent scopes and I've owned several of each.

Here's a K3 on one of my pre-64's

Patriot, welcome to the forum. My interest is in vintage, period correct optics & may I suggest to you the following. Vintage optics were usually mounted as low to the center axis of the rifle bore as possible (see above photo). I would recommend the following mounts & rings:
1. Early Redfield vertical split low rings & JR bridge mount.
2. Early Weaver low rings & bases.(See photo above)
3. Buehler vertical split low rings & 1 piece mount.
4. Bausch & Lomb, Buehler or Leupold adjusto-mounts for scopes
with no internal adjustments.

Period scopes came with tube sizes of 7/8", 1" or 26mm size. Some suggestions are as follows.
1. Lyman 2.5x Alaskan(7/8")
2. Lyman 6x & 8x Wolverine & 4x Challenger(26mm)
3. Lyman 2.5x, 3x, 4x, 6x, & 8x All American & Perma-Center(1")
4. Leupold 4x Pioneer(7/8")
5. Leupold 4x & 6x Mountaineer & 8x Westerner(1")
6. Kollmorgen 2.75x, 4x & 6x Bear Cub(26mm)
7. Redfield 2.75x, 4x & 6x Bear Cub(26mm & 1")
8. Stith 2.75x Bear Cub(26mm)
9. Rudolph Noske 2.5x & 4x fieldscope(7/8")'VERY RARE'
10.Weaver K1.5, K2.5, K3, K4, K6, K8(1")
11.Bausch & Lomb scopes such as Baltur, Balvar, Balfor Etc.(1")

Many of these were produced in the 1950's but were still in wide spread use in the early 1960's. The Noskes were from the 1930's but were ahead of their time & supremely built(handmade).

Patriot:Welcome to the Campfire! Everyone here loves to give great advice so I'll start by saying that you should not scope that old M70 Winchester 270 because it is so antiquated and outdated that,not only won't it work well,but you yourself will be branded a reactionary,and should have a true Campfire Rifle with McSwirly stock,tricked-out Rem700 and chambered for the 280AI;scope should be a high-end Euro,of course..

To assist you in financing the new rifle,being a magnanimous guy,I'll take the old pre 64 270 off your hands....

Welcome to the campfire!!!
Pay no attention to my good friend Bob from New Hampshire,,, and sell the rifle to Moi!!!
I've been collecting older Remington Model 722's, and have been periodizing some of them with appropriate scopes. The scopes I'm buying for these rifles are the older Weaver Steel Tube models, and Leupold fixed 3x scopes, both M7's and M8's.
Bases and rings from that era aren't too difficult to find. I have a bunch of them.

Don

Check out the gunsamerica site, they look to have several of the proper vintage scopes,there is even a balvar, with pre 64 mounts included. Good luck to you

Thank you everyone for the information and recomendations. I will take a look at some of the auction sites and see what I can turn up in regards to the above suggestions. Once I have made a decesion and a purchase I will post up some pictures for everyone to see.

P.S. Oregon45 that is the "look" I had in my head for a scope setup on my rifle. Thanks.

Patriot1776,

I have some of those sweet old M70's and to be frank I would put a good modern scope on them. The old scopes have dry seals.

In particular the Alaskan is only a 7/8" tube and of low power. Not good for that rifle.

Some of the best optics were from the Lyman All Americans however they have a bright black gloss finish that does not 'go' that well. The B&L is a good looking scope but I believe they need adjustable mounts.

Put a matte finished Leupold or Conquest on it and people will say "wow its a Leupold or a Ziess!"

Those old Weavers were considered junky here in CT. Not for a rifle of the M70's stature.

Patriot: I wouldn't go to the auction sites, I'd post a want ad right here on the Campfire!

Post up an ad saying that you want a Weaver K2.5 or K3; you can still get weaver mounts for the Model 70, pre-64, from most online outlets and the low Weaver rings like I have are available most anywhere as well. Mention them in your ad.

I bet you'll get a response within a day or two, and won't have to pay more than $100 for the whole set-up. And you'll get to deal with some good fellas who sell here on the Classifieds.

Savage 99, I actually had a Leupold Vari-x II 3-9 on the rifle for a few years using a one piece Leupold mount. I sold the scope a year ago and since I have a couple of other deer rifles now I just thought it would be interesting to go with a period correct setup on this rifle.

Oregon45 I will take your advise when I definetly decide on what I really want and post an ad on the forum.

Weaver K6 60-B

Forum member RAS has four very clean, period correct, Weaver K4's for sale in the classifieds right now for $95 apiece. One of them would work well if you wanted a 4x scope.

I'm clearing out my scope collection and have a Weaver K2.5 that looks like Oregon45's scope. No photos yet but I would probably have listed it in a week or two. It has the "bullseye" lens caps and duplex reticle. Can do photos now if you are interested. $75 shipped.

Also a Lyman All American 4x plain crosshair for $50 shipped.

(Patriot1776 gets first shot at these in case anyone else is interested.)

Bruce

bcp thank you for the offer on your scopes, your prices are great but it will probablly be a couple of weeks before I make a purchase so I will have to pass at this time.

Patriot, Savage 99 mentioned scope finishes. The pre-64's have that satin blue finish which is somewhat difficult to match. Weavers early K series & Lyman Alaskans match pretty well, as do the Weaver & early Redfield rings. Buehler Mounts were highly polished blue, appropriate to match some of the other period scopes. Oregon45's rifle/scope combo looks about perfect & don't be afraid of a 7/8" tube, low power scope since they're period accurate.

Patriot:

Be aware that not all scopes had permanantly centered reticles back then. That means that if you have to crank in much vertical or horizontal adjustment, you just might end up looking at crosshairs in the in the upper left (or right) quadrant of the scope. If you go the Lyman route, try to pick up a Perma-Center model.

Jim

Patriot,

My favorite go-to rifle is a Tom Burgess Mauser built in 1964, I bought it in 1992 and it came with a B&L Balvar 2.5x8 on an adjustable Buehler mount. It's a pain to sight in, but once there it seems to stay put for decades. I love the scope, very clear with a wonderful tapered recticle. The whole package is a very clean classic look.

Patriot, the permanently centered reticle models would be the following.
1. Kollmorgen Bear cubs (1956-1959)(my favorites)
2. Lyman All American Perma-Center (1962-1980)(I have 4 of these)
3. Redfield Bear Cubs (1959-1964)(just like Kollmorgen)
4. Weaver 60B & 60C K-series (like Oregon45's scope)