Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Winchester Guys.....Help on Custom Build Plan

I'm a M700 guy through and through. But I have a full-blown custom 257 Rbts built on a pre-war M70 action and absolutely love it. I acquired another Pre-64 M70 that was unfortunately rechambered from the original 257 Roberts to 25-06 Ackley.

Soooooo.......I'd like to build a modern custom on this action and don't know much about M70's.

I'm thinkin' 35 Whelen. Here's what I have so far.

* Stainless #3 contour with a short shank - probably Brux - finished at 23".
* McMillan Pre 64 Monte Carlo pattern stock with Edge fill (brown with tan specks and red pad).

I need help with bottom metal. The metal on the donor was engraved with a previous owner's last name. So I guess I need to buy metal. Don't really want to spend over $300 for Blackburn. What else is available??

Am I good using the factory trigger?? I think it's fine, but don't have any experience with Winchester's.

Sounds great so far. I'd definitely keep the factory trigger. I use the factory fwt btm metal, but know some guys upgrade to Williams. Have you seen GSSP's 9.3x62mm? Or maybe 458Win's 9.3x62mm? This one has the echols legend edge stock on it:



Nothing wrong with the pre 64 monte carlo pattern, it's just not as popular with the guys as the legend or hunters compact. As far as going with the 35 Whelen, that would be pretty cool and plenty useful.. Are you planning on putting irons on it? Good luck and post pictures of your finished product...

Thanks BSA. So is Williams still making bottom metal for the pre-64?

And can I get a Legend stock straight from McMillan?? Or do you have to go through Echols? I see them on his site, but I want to order with my barrel inlet and pad, etc.

ETA: I wasn't wanting to spend a ton of money on it....so no irons.

You have to go through Echols, then have the stock fitted, pad installed, paint, etc. done separately. I don't think a Williams is producing new bottom metal for pre-64's anymore. You might check out Duane Weibe's stuff but it is expensive. Best bet is just factory bottom metal. It isn't stylish, but it works and can be found for under $100 if you stay off eBay and other rip-off sites. You might also consider going ADL style. You could use a trigger guard from a later, push feed blind mag M70 and modifying the magazine box should be do-able.

I have had the pre-64 Monte Carlo pattern McMillan and it is nice, but I prefer the McMillan Supergrade for heavier barreled long action 70's. The Winchester compact pattern is great for a long action Featherwight barrel rifle, but I didn't like it as much for the heavier barrel long action 70's I tried in it.

Irons are a waste of money for a rifle build like yours, in my opinion. A good used Leupold 4x in QD rings will usually end up costing less and none of the McMillan stocks I have had on my M70's were well suited to irons. The Echols pattern is the exception to that rule.

Oregon45 pretty much covered it in his post. He's pretty sharp when it comes to building these pre 64's. Most of mine are still pretty much original except for McMillan stocks.

Thanks. I might be able to polish out the engraving on the metal I have? Not sure. I'd rather not go ADL on this one, although I'm a M700 ADL slut.

Sounds like the Echols stock is above my pay grade. I will check out the Supergrade. I thought the Pre 63 MC pattern because it would be the same as the wood stock that's on it. And it feels good to me.

I like the pre 64 monte carlo pattern as well. I love the original monte carlos too. They fit me very well and I can use the factory irons with this stock. However, the hunters compact will be lighter and probably somewhat better handling. I hate to admit that because I've always liked the pre 64 monte carlo, but after getting the hunters compact (standard fill) on my 270 fwt, it changed my mind towards that stock. I felt the hunters compact (edge fill) on my extreme weather was too light and I didn't really care for it. I've handled and shot both my fwt's extensively and if I were to grab one over the other, it would be the hunters compact:

Pics of bottom metal and the couple-thousand $$ boo-boo.

That's too bad. I've been watching this on ebay. I know O45 doesn't like ebay or GB, but some of us use them becasue they tend to have a lot of hard to find parts there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181585793500

Sunny Hill.....

$500? I'd buy the Blackburn before that.

I'd love to be able to just rebore/rechamber the 25-06 barrel to 35 Whelen....but I don't think a 35 Whelen reamer would clean up the chamber.

I bet you could mill that engraving off; you may have to re-contour the floor plate somewhat but the pre-64 steel bottom metal is pretty thick.

Might set it back a turn, you'd have to cut the chamber for the extractor and remove the factor irons but it'd conceal the caliber marking.

Check with PT&G for bottom metal, they make nice stuff and it's usually a good bit cheaper than the other brands. That said I'm pretty sure that floor plate isn't "engraved" as in engraver's hammer and chisel, it looks like it was done on a pantograph machine which doesn't "cut" per se it scratches. Point being that it's likely you can polish it out pretty easy. Screw the bottom metal to a pine block using wood screws through the guard screw holes and lightly draw file until the letters are gone taking care to keep from getting a wallow in the center. Then polish the file marks out using progressively finer grit sand paper. I could have that baby ready for the blue tank in a half hour with just files and sandpaper.

Hey Steve,
I have some bottom metal for you.
Send me a pm....

How about .280 AI? (Okay, bring out the koolaid and popcorn)

Anyways, I have a few spare FW bottom metal in the shop with no chicken scratches on it

I checked PT&G and it looks like all they have is post 1964.

And I think you're right on the filing/engraving.

Great cartridge, but I already have one.

Hmmmmm. I may be contacting you on the FW metal. Thanks.

PM'ing now.