Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What's it worth? Pre 64 M70 custom .280 Rem PICS ADDED

Found it at a pawn shop today verified by serial number 1958 action. Has a Leupold VX-III 2.5-8X36 mounted on it in two piece windage adjustable bases and rings. It must have been set for a small statue shooter as the scope is way too close for proper eye relief and the stock is around 1" shorter than I like. Barrrel is a light contour not quite a fwt contour SS around 22-24", couldn't tell what make of black synthetic stock was on it. I did get to weigh it and it is right at 7.65 lbs, would have taken pics but my phone was dead at the time.

Asking Price $800 out the door but I never jump on the first offer, I'm not up on Winchester's and need a decent low offer to go to him with. Guy did say he would hold it for me until Monday. I've bought several rifles from him so I'm sure it will be held. I'm not too excited about it being a .280 I've owned them before and they never shot better than my .270.

My smith tells me he can get that much for an action....I've seen them for much less and bought complete original rifles for much less than that...The rifle in question may be worth that to the right person, but you have to ask youself how much money it's going to take to get it to where you can use it...Is it worth it to you???? The scope is pretty desireable as many people love them here and would be a quick sale if you wanted to get rid of it...Is the smithing work quality and does it check out with go/no go gauges???? How does the bore look?

VXIII $250
Action $400
Stock $?
Barrel $150

Did the stock have any kind of checkering, painted, cheek piece, Decelerator? From the weight you described it's fairly light. I'm fudging on the barrel $ and obviously not any gunsmithing work. Might be a Bansner, BP stock, etc.

I'd say if you can get it for $700 you'd might be accused of theft.

Carlos has some good useable numbers there. Kind of how I pictured it too....except the barrel may be of question until it's checked with gauges and verified to be in good useable condition...

Looked like it needed a good cleaning but rifling was strong. Looked like it had been used but not abused. Don't have a headspace gauge to check it out. I was looking at it more as a donor anyway for a future build of some sort. Like I said I'm not a big fan of the .280, I know the work but it just don't trip my trigger so to speak.

$250 seems a little low on the scope since they sell on here at $300 plus on a regular basis. Even for the old VARI-XIII's don't sell very often for less than $300.

Stock was without checkering or cheek piece and was flat black, but had the decelerator pad on it.

Since it is a pawn shop I doubt I'll ever figure out where the barrel came from.

I guess Karnis and I can get the new ones (VX3) for pretty cheap so that's where I come up with that figure....

I rarely can find the new ones for less than $400 anywhere, but I'm sure I don't have the connection on Leupold's you and Carlos do. The 2.5-8 is my favorite Leupy of all time.

My estimates were kept low for illustrative purposes.

It sounds like a good deal to me. When you go back in, make an offer and take a pic. Post it and the collective we should be able to tell you what kind of stock it is. Might even be able to tell you it's a Douglas #2 at 22".

Trust me, only a loony would build on a pre-64 M70 with a stainless barrel, chamber it in .280 and slap a 2.5x8 on it. I think it was purpose built and well thought out.

I recently bought a 1950's model 70 fwt with a Bansner stock and Shilen after market barrel at about that price and think I did ok. Actions like that are generally worth more than $500 in my area and the scope is worth at least another $275 so anything for the barrel and stock would be a plus.

My pre '64 FW in .30-06 cost me $700.


Since the .280 was never offered, there's no particular collector value. And since you don't really want that chambering, you'd be buying an action...and a project. It would be worth more to someone who wants the .280, or if the rifle's condition was exceptional.

That was what I was thinking as well when I saw the rifle. I'm becoming one of those loonies the older I get. It first caught my eye because I've always got my eye open for another M70 to build my .338-06 on since I can't bear to tear apart that rifle that you sold me.



Nice rifle and nice snag for $700! Too bad it has that recoil pad on it.

I knew there was no value to a collector when I saw the stainless steel barrel sitting on the action and it was in a synthetic stock. There are a lot of people out there who like the pre-64 action to build on. Who knows I may give the .280 Rem another shot if I buy the rifle or I may rebore or rebarrel it into something I want.

The Browning Safari that I mentioned in the .308/.30-06 post this AM, had a stock 1" short padded. I originally intended to make a custom something out of it (bought it right). I found the stock handy with winter clothes and just set the scope forward enough that it works. I have never banged my nose with the thumb. So, twenty years later, it is still like I bought it and has become my favorite walking rifle. The ladies in my life like it also. jack

Poor Pal, he's always getting slapped down about the added recoil pad . He just couldn't find any like mine for that price I guess:




.....and just think, he could have held out and spent the extra $100.00 for one with original aluminum butt plate . ...In all seriousness though Pal's rifle is a beauty and just about the perfect "shooter" now.....that aluminum butt plate is hard on the shoulder after a while....

I wasn't really trying to slap it down for the pad, just the vents and the white line detract from the rifle. I'd swap it out for a decent Decelerator on it or something. I'd be proud to own that rifle as well.

Not at all. Don't feel sorry for me. I wouldn't want to shoot it w/o a recoil pad. And that's what made it a bargain (which is why I jumped on it). And it has the grain going in the right direction.

If you reject it put me in contact with the seller!

I agree with this, and there's no flies on a .280. If it was something I was real interested in, I might start with an offer of maybe around $500 to $550 and see where it goes from there. I like to haggle out deals back and forth, so it can get interesting finding his bottom dollar and your top dollar. You may end up getting a nice rifle at a price you are very comfortable with. You may even end being accused of thievery
Good luck in your negotiations,
BD

Well here are the pics and it is a Vari-XIII not a VX-III. Not that really bothers me much since the glass seems to be in good working order. It has aluminum bottom metal as well.













[img]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r155/taylorce1/280%20REM/5.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r155/taylorce1/280%20REM/8.jpg[/img]

Dang man I wouldn't change a thing; 'cept maybe commissioning a high-grade walnut stock...