Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters pre 64' model 70 accuracy

1960 FWT in edge stock 2.5x8 Vari X III. 500 yard groups a few years back and last fall, prone in sling off pack:

Factory .270 barrel 130 Hornadys



Shot out that barrel and added a 6.5-06 Rock 5R purchased from a member and shot this with 127 LRXs last fall



I think I'll keep it!

You're set Mike, good shooting.

Thanks, now if I could do that every time...

Blame the wind and coffee, I do all the time.

MikeS I don't see much difference between the 270 and the 6.5/06......


How'd that happen?

Glad to see this thread! Never get tired of reading about old Model 70's!

I have 2 pre-64's. One is a 1952 .30-06 that is one of the two most accurate rifles I own. Still in factory stock, no bedding or other tweaks. The other is a 1963 .300 Win Mag that was in a Boyd's laminate stock when I got it, appeared to have been shot very little. It shoots as good as the .30-06.

Have mostly shot Federal Fusion 150 gr in the '.06, started and stuck with Federal loadings of 130 Barnes in the .300. Those things are extremely accurate in that gun! I've killed both hogs and deer with the 130's in the Win Mag, last season loaded some in my .300 Savage 99 and took my deer with one, have some loaded in .30-06 to try next.

Have a 1968 .30-06 Mannlicher Model 70 and a SC Featherweight .270 that don't shoot as well on paper as the pre-64's, but the .270 has killed everything it's been pointed at, including my best whitetail to date.

Mike

I liked it a lot, that's why I resurrected it. You can't have too many Sako's model 70's or Kleinguenther's in my opinion!!

I noticed that as well.

And I can't seem to hit the dot with either one...

Put an older Leupold Mark 4 10X M1 on it this morning to play around with. Shot the below group with 123 A-Max's over H4831 this afternoon from a bench at 100 yards (1" grid). I may leave this scope on it for my November Coues hunt.

I looked at this post recently with great interest. Always interested in learning about pre 64 model 70's. Took me a while to realize that I started this post 6 years ago I bought a 30-06 model 70 pre-64. It shot great with factory ammo. Sub MOA. I gave it to someone as a thanks for letting me shoot his deer. Now I want another one just like it.

What more could you ask for from a hunting rifle?

I'm gonna take one with me to lease and blast some pigs this weekend.

Great old thread. Thanks for bringing it back up.

Never tried a 6 shot group...

I have a couple pre-64’s - 300 H&H and a 375 H&H AI. I’ve had a few other bolt action Winchesters, but no longer. The other Winchesters I have now are lever guns and also a 1885.
I think these old rifles belong in the hunting fields. I don’t have a hunting need for the 375, right now. It sure would be nice if/when I find a need.
The 375 has been altered (AI chamber, rebluing(?), and recoil pad) and the 300, I think, is factory.
I’m trying to find a sweet load for the 300 now and it looks like a day at the range today. I don’t know what to do with that fore-end screw but I’ll be messing with it, I sort of wish it wasn’t there.
I’ve shot the 375 quite a bit more than the 300, mostly off hand. They both have a M8 4x on them with quick detachable Leupold rings - I have a spare M8 4x in the same rings. If I go on a trip with either, the spare scope will be sighted in, just in case.

I like these rifles’ triggers. Maybe a gunsmith worked these over sometime in the past but they are sweet - crisp and about 2 1/2 lb. I wish they still made triggers that way.

My 35 Whelen was also a pre-64, but it’s been altered so much, it’s a gun made out of parts.

I once picked up a 1947 M70sporter in 270, it had a Griffon and Howe mount and a Lyman Alaskan 4X scope.
Danged thing shot really well, three shot groups less than 3/4" were normal.
However because the stocks on those old M70's kick me like a mule I moved it over to a friend for something else.
I also have a log book of my father's that he used when he worked for a large Canadian ammo company.
In it are some test results of bullets he was testing in a .220 Swift M70 in 1954 or so.

The only mods to the rifle were a couple of pie plate shims under the action.
Scope was a l 15X Lyman Super Targetspot (( which I happen too have !)
Danged rifle was capable of shooting 5 shot groups into 1/2" with some of the bullet and powder combinations!
Of course there were some that were 1.5" and larger as well! LOL
Cat

This answer your question for you? FWT 3006 Hornady 180gr, 58gr H4350 F210s

OR...308 FWT

My 1954 vintage .30-06 standard rifle, unaltered in any way and with Leupold 3-9, will cluster 3 shots like Jorge's much of the time. 165 Sierra hpbt's, 47 grs. Varget, Lapua brass. It'll also slop 5 into Sub-MOA with a 180 grain cast bullet over 20gr. SR-4759, when using a 10x Unertl target scope.

I've honestly never messed with the forearm screw except to "make it snug" by feel.

Minute of Elk.



This old rifle loves a heavy load of 4064 and Hornady 150gr SP bullets. 180's and 4350 are nearly as accurate and work well on the bigger critters.