Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Which Winchester?

None of these can be bought now,but,it'll be fun talking about which one.

I'm going through a cycle of which Winchester M 70 to get. It goes from a Pre '64 Varminter .243 Win,Pre or Post '64 Featherweight .270 win,the JOC Featherweight,7mm Rem Mag, a Pre '64 .338 Win mag, Pre '64 .375 H&H and finally the biggie a .458 Win mag.

I go from one to the other in a matter of minutes and start all over again.

Oh, you got it bad man!!! You got to watch it around here, enablers around every corner ...My best suggestion is wait for the right one to come along. If you visit enough gunshows or even surf the web at the usual hot spots, just the right one will come along. You'll know it when you see it too. Trust me.. Keep thumbing thru that new book you just got too, cause it will save you tons of money and hopefully keep you from making a not so obvious mistake...

Yeah,enablers around here,yup and I one of them. Been looking on gunbroker & gunsinternational and today GUNSHOW! Life is good when I can dream and drool at the same time.

I need to find a decent pre 64 in a 30-06, LGS has one but is way out of line its a 1952 made model 70 and they want $1495 for it. They did tell me they would take $1400 cash for it. The rifle is worth a grand at the most. Once I find one then I can worry about finding a 300H&H in a pre 64

79S I have 7 in 30-06, Some need cosmetic work, a couple need nothing but shooting, I am in process of scoping, cleaning, tuning triggers and shooting all, I bought a case of Fed GM Match in 168 gr to use as baseline and take target photos of each and every one, I did a 5 shot one ragged hole yesterday but it was with my 56'Target in a sporter stock that I just had bedded.I also have several scopes inbound. I can tell you that NOW is the time to buy pre 64 mod 70's, you do not want to want till deer season to buy. I have been getting some very nice guns out of New England states as well as Pacific NW. very best Win Poor

Wow I have a stack of model 70 classics but no pre 64

The Classics I have owned and shot had no flies on them, most accurate out of the box gun I ever bought was a 90's Classic sporter Boss in 06 with Fed 165 gr BT's. winpoor

Well,the gunshow surprised me. There is a Pre '64 M 70 .375 H&H with the first three # 318XXX. The rear sight is not original,but every thing was. He was asking $3k for it.

Went to a LGS and they have a post '64 M 70 .458 Win mag for $1350.

Hey now, don't be buying up all my PNW guns over here. I was trying to keep all the stash to myself ....Oh well, I did just buy a "NIB" 270 FWT a few minutes ago .... 79s knows about it

When I get through with my little program on them I will have several for sale at very fair price. I try and buy em right, make em better and make 50 cent. very best winpoor

You are a hell of a good guy buddy. I believe you would give the shirt off your back if a friend needed it. I have much respect for you model 70 gurus as I believe most here are like that.

Oh boy can't wait to see it

I got an old 243 Varminter when they came out as a compromise position target rifle for 200 yd matches and a long range chuck gun. While the rifle shot well I got a heavier rifle soon after with a full size marksman stock.

I shot the barrel out on the 243 M70 and there is a Swift barrel on it now because a friend had one.

That 243 Varminter with it's 26" SS bbl. is kind of heavy for just hunting.

It's what handles best to you. If the 243 Featherweight is ok for your hunting they are a neat low recoil rifle. The Kimber 84M's are really neater however they are not pre-64's!

The 375 of course says "Africa". I shot mine some with cast bullets that don't kick so hard.

These days I would be concerned about the recoil from a 458.

elk-Now, you know you NEED one of the JOC Tribute rifles...it's only the American thing to do.

Savage_99,yeah the recoil of a .458 Win mag is a huge factor,if I get one I'm going to use either a 350/400 gr Speers loaded to about 2200 +/- fps. Did not realize the Pre '64 Varminter was heavy,but my .22-6mm is kissin' up to 11 lbs (with bi-pod) and Mister that gets HEAVY after a half day of callin' coyotes!

Kitch,all I can say is WOW!

Do your homework on the Varminters, I bought one out of the mid west, it was mint EXCEPT some cat had got on a prairie dog town and could not help,control himself, the barrel was absolutely cooked, .243 win, looking at the gun you could not tell it had been shot! HE or she must have had a case of ammo and kept barrel red hot! The FFL, dealer did not know and made the deal right, he found me another and took that one back. Both my Swift and .243 I have now came out of New England states and both look and shoot like new, barrels looked like new with borescope as well. I just wish I had been the fellow on the hot dog town that toasted the first one! very best winpoor

Yeah,it would be a pleasure in shooting out a barrel.

What calibers did the Varminter come in besides the .243 & .220 Swift?

The old M70 Varminter came in 220 & 243 when I got it in 1957.

The 26" barrel is about 3/4" at the muzzle and the taper is wide and the stock channel is wide for that.

We have heavy rifles and lighter ones. In some hunting a heavy one is steadier and what with bipods and AWD vehicles they can be good.

Part of the topic is on the revered old pre-64 M70's and your first one can be anything you can get.

Heck, I have some heavy hunting rifles and near the car I like them.

It also depends how old and strong you are.

Don't really know what I want just yet,you could say "I'm window shopping."

My smith/Winchester guru friend says he still has 140 pre 64's in his collection..

Holy smokes 140.... Their was a fella in madras he has passed on now but growing up it was known he had a pretty extensive pre 64 collection. He did gun smithing for old man oscar at Oscar sporting goods. They said when a pre 64 come in he snag it up. The guy at the other end of town that owned madras gun and tackle chad Pugh always asked him if he sell that collection to him. From what people said ol chad Pugh had one hell of a Winchester collection too. Makes me wonder what happened to that pre 64 collection???

My friend probably knew him and bought it up...

Nah us folks in madras/warm springs have standards now we don't hang out with folks from prineville and the dalles

Hey, how did you know my relatives live in Prineville

Now that I have a Model 64, I'd really like the "trifecta" posted on another thread here I believe by TMitch. A model 71 and a 65 would e most welcome additions to my gun cabinet!

Ahh,what Winchesters do to people.

HHmmm don't you mean model 54

I should have known Prineville where the women are men and the sheep are scared.

54 is a bolt rifle. (Have one of them too), the 71 and 65 would be the big and little brother to the 64. Or are we just refering to Winchester bolt guns here? I was just refering to winchesters in general!

Sorry. Been a looooong weekend!

I knew what you meant. I have a 1937 deluxe grade 71 and have been eyeballing a nice 64 at the LGS too . Those are very cool lever rifles...

This one isn't much, but it's the only 64 I have. It's in .32 Win Special and wears a Lyman receiver sight.
Bob

That 64 ain't too shabby! Very nice!!!!

I agree, that's a beauty!!!

"Isn't much"???? That's like trotting out Raquel Welch and sayin' she's kinda homely!!! Yep, you guys need the 3 gun set to fully appreciate them. That's my story.....