Like most M70/rifle loonies here, I'm always thinking about the "best" scope for my rifles. It includes a lot of changing of mounts, rings, etc. I mostly get it right, though, after a couple of tries. Here's what I ended up with on my FN American M70 in 7x57:

Leupold 6x36mm in Talley steel rings



I had a 3-9x Meopta on it previously. Great scope, but big. I just don't think I'll ever need a 9x on a 7x57. The 6x works fine at the range for load-testing and zeroing. Here's the rifle with the Meopta (it sits on top of a nice CZ .223 now).

If you live in open country fixed 6x makes a lot of sense.

It's yours, YOU have to be happy with it. No body else.... I personally love 3-9x40's, 2.5-10's, 3.5-10's, and 4.5-14 and even 6-18's. Totally depends on what rifle it's going to be on and what range/distance I'm shooting with said rifle. Most all of my hunting rifles wear 3-9 scopes. It's not hard turning the dial up or down...

Not the kind of open country I hunt... Could have never made the 648 yard shot with a 6x scope. At least I would have never pulled the trigger. It would not have been ethical at all. Some people can see great with 6x, I am one that can not..

Have a Leupold 2.5x and Talley Lightweights on this 7x57 Fwt.

Have a Redfield 4x on this Pre '64 M 70 Fwt .30-06.

I love that fwt. Reminds me of my 30-06....

Roger that; the Meopta is an awesome scope. I'll confess that my 2 most heavily-used rifles both wear Leupold 2.5-8x variables. And I won't be changing them. On two recent quickie (one day) hunting trips though, the M70 7x57 killed a couple of pigs and 3 coyotes. The longest shot was a sow at 110 yds. 6X was good enough (for THAT rifle). And it looks good!
Bob

Bob, all of your rifles look great buddy.. You have very good taste and know how to make the scope/mount/rings as pleasing to the eye as possible. I think your rifle looks great with either scope..

The pre-64 M70 in .30-06 cries out for an older 4X. The classic American hunting rifle combo.
Bob

I had a steel tube weaver K4 on my 270 fwt when I first got it and that was a pretty good scope and it looked great on that rifle. Just not enough magnification for my eyes....:



The Kollmorgen bear cub was cool on my 308 fwt as well:

Leupold QR rings and bases. Best looking combo on any Pre-64 ever.

That's how I roll.

Those are saaawwweeetttt!


Oh and one more thing...... GEEZER!

If I can match a period correct scope to the rifle I will. I put a 6X Kollmorgen with a dot on a STD 22 Hornet and a 2-7 Redfield wide angle on a 257 Roberts. A Leupold 2.5X8 went on a custom Ruger #1 7MM/08. If I could find a nice older 1.75X6 I'd put it on a 358 FWT. A better woods rifle I haven't found. Most scopes are either 2.5-8 or 3x9x40. I don't care or the larger objective lens as IMHO they look out of place on a pre 64 M70.

A 3.5-10X Leupold in Conetrol's rides on my 270.





A 1.75-6X Leupold in Matt Williams rings and Michael Scherz bases rides on my 358.

BSA, with you on that, buddy, except the 6-18. Outside that box, only a 6-24 I just had to have.
PS- only a couple hundred $$ away from putting that Swaro on my new FWT. Doug and his Camera Land guys have been uber helpful, BTW.
Can't say enough about him and his crew.

Best Wishes,
LD

I'll raise a toast to this line of thinking. I've got a bunch of older rifles but only one pre-64 M70. All wear period scopes, the M70 .270 a 6x Lyman All-American. The newer glass may be better optically, but I'm not hunting enough to take advantage of that edge, and the large objectives are a big turn-off IMHO.
yooper

Mr EdM who did the wood on that .270 ? Dog dam thats nice! v best winpoor