Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum LH Winchester 70 SS .338

Not sure if this has been on Gunbroker before, but I just ran across it today. Will be interesting to see if it gets the starting price.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=544633882

I thought it would've sold by now. The last LH SS .338 sold for $1920 last month, but it did come with an "expensive" Simons scope. Maybe the $70 shipping charge is holding this one back?

Another LH SS .338, but with a Leupold Vari-X IIc, sold for $1650 back in December. Auctions are funny.

I have purchased two left hand MRC X2 rifles in the past year from SAS. One group buy. One custom order. And really like both of them. Any more, I would be hard pressed to spend that kind of money on a LH Winchester, versus starting with a LH MRC rifle, or action, and working up from there. Could buy an MRC X2, a Leupold VX3, Talley 1pc mounts, and still have money left to cover shipping and transfer fees for the BIN price of this rifle.

Can't argue as to the practicality of your MRCs, but you could go a step further with a Ruger Hawkeye for even less. When it comes to out of production Winchesters, the rules of practicality go out the window.

Also a NIB blued one on there for $1995

I wouldn't pay more than $1,500.00 for that rifle. Like others have said, not when there are damn comparable rifles that you can buy for much cheaper. Ruger 77 mkII and MRC for example..

I have a MRC, Ruger, and a Win 70 all LH and prefer the Ruger.

Could anyone give an semi accurate guess as to how many of the above rifles ever left the plant?

Couldn't even hazard a guess on numbers but can tell you that Winchester only offered the LH stainless actions in the very first year of their LH production. That was 1996 best I recall. They were dropped as a catalog item after that year. I don't know if they ever made a second run or not, they did offer LH stainless rifles from their custom shop right up until the demise of USRAC, but they never offered them as an off the shelf item after that first year.

I also recall reading that D'Arcy Echols called those first LH Model 70's some of the straightest factory actions he'd ever seen. In pics #6 and #9 you can see that little screw right behind the bolt handle. That was taken out in later production runs. I forget the significance of that except that is a desirable feature, hopefully someone else can chime in on exactly why.

It's a good rifle and certainly is somewhat rare, there's no doubt about that. But whether it's worth the asking price is anybody's call, especially with stainless MRC actions readily available.




One thing I definitely remember is calling Black Sheep Sporting Goods about a LH SS Winchester and they didn't have any in their Boise store but their store in N. Idaho had all kinds - .30-06, .270, .300 WM, .375 H&H. Prices were in the $600 range for all of them. If only I knew then what I know now...

When my son-in-law wanted one they had a chart at a convention that programmed 250 units but he'd have to wait at least 18 months with no way to be assured to get one. '96 seems about right. I found a 700 barreled action and he did a semi-build with a HSP stock and black T job. Someone botched up the bluing and since it was a customer gun they offered to fix it free. So the T job was sweet. I think he's got under 6 bills in it. Not exactly what he wanted but he's been happy with the results. I'm not sure if they even made the 250 in 338 WM but I imagine they made what they sold and pulled the plug.

Looked in my records and I got mine in 1998. I remember a large volume gun shop here had the SS LH 338 in stock. I don't know what other calibers they had. $629 sounds familiar. I just know I went in asked for it, and he went in the back and pulled one, like it was a Remington 870. I do recall calling them a year or so later to see if there were any left in any caliber, which there were not.

I remember I got it sighted in one day, and the next morning took out a cull buck with it.

I used it as it was for a few years, then ordered a black McMillan for it. Sold it around 2003, if I remember correctly. If I would have known that all my guns would now be stainless and composite, I may have held on to it.

It shot decent, accurate enough for a .338. Did have the scope mount hole issue that was common. Had to use the Leupold type standard bases to compensate for the crooked holes, or I'm sure the scope would not have had enough windage adjustment.

I remember when I got my first LH .30-06 Sporter as they were called then (mine was blued) and was somewhat aghast at the machining on the bolt face which looked like it had been done with a dull screwdriver. I was used to Model 700's with that clean and unadorned bolt that slid back and forth of its own weight, and here was this contraption with things hanging off of it that went clackety-clack as it traveled back and forth.

But it fed those long 30-06 rounds like greased ice. I honestly had to check sometimes to be sure it had fed a cartridge, it was that smooth out of the magazine.

So they grew on me. Have had at least 10 or maybe 11 over the years including two stainless ones from their custom shop, but only have three left. They can be slick as snot and plenty accurate out of the box.

But good, bad or ugly, I sure wish FN would see it in their hearts to give us another run of left handers. A Featherweight short action this time with a true featherweight profile barrel would be nice, in case anybody's listening...

not worth that much money in my opinion and i have two Left Hand Model 70's , 270 Winchester and 270 WSM

What something's "worth" is pretty subjective. It's worth whatever someone's willing to pay. Given the prices some LH M70s are bringing, they are worth quite a bit to some people, like this LH Super Express . Same can be said for certain other out of production rifles, i.e. Remington 660s or 760s. It's kinda amusing seeing people grumble when a LH M70 brings a high price. Heck, that makes me happy. It means mine are "worth" more than even I'd be willing to pay!

*Seems to be an abundance of LH70s showing up lately. Another Classic Stainless .338 on GB with a penny start & no reserve. We'll see what this one's worth in a couple weeks, price should be lower due to the flooded market.

I mentioned that a stainless 338 is my Grail Gun. Was set to order an MRC X2 awhile back. Just been dragging my feet to place the order

I know Jim had some heartache with his MRC. But wanting a SS LH CRF 338 with a 26" tube is gonna run me $1369

Still think the MRC X2 with synthetic stock the best way to fly? Or watch this above auction w finger on the mouse?