these model 70 discussions always attract we model 70 admirers' interest. The pictures of the pretty wood are enjoyable to see. we all like nice wood. but if you buy the "form FOLLOWS function" theory which I do, then the appearance and even accuracy to an extent, follow reliability. And for that reason, I'm in the pre-64 camp because predominantly of the actions. And a lot of that is based on my hunts in wilderness settings where reliability is really what you want more that anything else. So the one piece bolt and old trigger proven over decades of hard use are part of that reliability issue. I don't get excited about whether the rifle will shoot groups 1/2" less on calibers that I use mostly like .300 WM or .375 H&H. Even in the area of accuracy, I have found that a tuned pre-64, at least the ones I own, can be made to shoot really good, and some, like my .375, incredibly good. As a matter of fact, that .375 and my standard grade .270 shoot, or at least were easier to get shooting really good, than some of my re-barreled pre-64s. I keep going back to those few pre-64s that were used for decades in harsh conditions by some famous outfitters. They were factory guns that just worked, and worked and worked without failure. thats what I admire in a serious hunting rifle. because the new ones have only been on the scene for such a short period of time, in another 20-30 years we'll know if they have that same functional reliability.
