Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Working with Redneck on new rifle

I just got off the phone with Redneck who now has my M70 in his hands. We spent time discussing his approach to conducting a thorough analysis of the rifle's action to create a baseline in order to formulate a plan regarding what the action needs to be fully reliable.

I think I'll ask him to post pics as we go.

Jeff

Just have him swap it out for a M700 and you're there. Fully reliable... I kid, I kid...

You're in good hands with Lee, good choice.

Sounds like Swampass has been here!



Do you have any general ideas on what direction you are going with it Jeff?

I keep thinking building up a proper weight 375 using that action and an echols stock or doing it piecemeal starting with the metal and then having a walnut stock made. Haven't completely made up my mind yet. I think I'll make a final determination when Lee gets back to me with his findins about the action and what it may need though he seems to think it looks pretty good after a cursory once-over.

Jeff,

Which M70 version is it? thanks...jim

NH Classic 338 LH Blued/Walnut

Clark, I'll have to agree with War Eagle on that one... You don't want to go the way of the Swampman, eigher version (700 or 1). Could be a slippery slope right into that quagmire where Swamp dwells...

I have a pre-64 M-70 that's wearing a 26" med sporter wt. Krieger match grade SS 6.5-284 barrel. The action was blueprinted and has Borden's bumps. Now you don't see many 70's, much less pre-64's, set up like that. But, it's great, feeds smooth and shoots one hole groups. It has a Jewell trigger, is pillared and glassed. I've always liked the M-70 type three position safety. I think it's the best and the safest. You don't see M-70's retrofitted with a M-700 safety, but you sure do see custom M-700's set up with the three position M-70 safety. That should tell you something right there. No lawsuits on the "Winchester trigger"...

BTW, I do have and like Remingtons...

DF

Ok, just to clarify, what I posted was a joke. Thus the winking guy and the "I kid, I kid...". Hopefully JS took it as such. I have Model 70s in the safe, just like I have Model 700s.

I like both of em. Just got back a 700 from being rebarreled,mailed off a 700 action today, and when the .284 barrel shows it will be boxed up with a 670 action to go to Lee's.

Happily, Lee has reported that his initial inspection reveals no serious problems with the action other than the barrel being crooked. He did notice the bolt stop and ejector are in the rearmost position. Can anyone offer a guess as to why since it's a 338 win mag from the factory? Just born to be a 375?

Would like to see the step by step fixes, just cause I can't spring for it on one of my own. The late New Havens seemed to depend on the day of the week how they got put together, like never buy a car built on a Monday.

I am curious if there is anything unique to these lefties as far as tuning. I have paid good money to have the bolt stopped moved back so consider yourself lucky. A 300 H&H would be a natural if it is already set up for a long cartridge, it's been trendy for almost 100 yrs.

I wouldn't trust Redneck to work on a Model 70, he doesn't have much experience with them.....

Seriously, sounds like a cool project. And the bolt is on the correct side!

Dirtfarmer

Can you show pictures of the "Borden Bumps"? Thanks.
Did Borden do the work?

Hal

+1000 and I am a little tired of him buying up all the desirable M70's as well

Redneck says the action looks good; the boltstop and ejector are actually in their rearmost position already (?) so that is good.

ordered the barrel today: pac no no4 ss 12 twist.

CASII ordered my EDGE stock from Echols. Yippee.

I was really hoping for walnut!! A 375 just seems like a blue and walnut gun to me... still looking forward to seeing progress reports either way...

a fellow lefty

I wouldn't use an EDGE on a 375--McMillan only warrants them on 338 and smaller. But I am a big fan of the Echols for what you are doing.

According to CASII it'll be fine with the proper enforcements. he warranties the work on his dime to boot. good businessman.

an interesting comparison:

1. 338 win mag load
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/res...m?bw=250&bv=2700&cw=69&w=8.5

2. 375 H&H load
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/res...m?bw=300&bv=2500&cw=75&w=9.0

If ft lbs of recoil energy in a rifle 1/2 lb heavier will make a difference in the stock to the point of making it unsafe I say there is a flaw in the design of the stock because the faster 338s will generate more recoil energy than the win mag or the H&H

3. 340 Weatherby
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/res...m?bw=210&bv=3100&cw=91&w=9.0

Hal,

Sorry for the delay. I was re-reading the post when I saw your question. The gun was blueprinted and had "Borden's bumps" fitted by John Van Dyke in KS. Check his web site. He fitted a 26" med. wt. sporter Krieger Match in 6.5-284. I pillared and glassed it, free floating the barrel. It has shot groups in the teens and likes 140 gr. SST's, pushing them at around 2,950 fps. This is the first Pre-64 I've seen set up like this.

This is my primary Pronghorn rifle and a favorite for Louisiana Whitetails and hogs. I drilled a 300# boar hog right behind the ear at 225 yds, in an early morning fog, so thick my range finder wouldn't work. The SST put daylight right thru that hog's head with perfect performance. It does well with VLD's, but I perfer the SST's.

DF