Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Advice for first custom built on m70

17 minutes ago · #1
Advice for first custom build m70
All my rifles are winchester m70. I just bought a proof research sendero 8 twist 24" barrel in .243

I realize building on m70 is not near as popular as rem 700. Story of my life lol. Thinking 243, 243ai, 6mm 06, ?? Used to call coyotes (so packing in on foot and lot of walking), practice long range for fun to 1000yd or so (beyond 550 that im at now). Just getting going reloading and have targets on my airstrip on our farm, maybe antelope and deer. I have a used custom 22-250 (15lb gun), 270 ss featherweight and extreme wx, 338wm ss classic

Is there a preferred donor caliber i should look for as far as bolt or bottom metal that allows for longer overal cartidge lengths?

Other build suggestions?

Thanks.

I think it's tough to beat a plain-jane 243, but you could also consider a 6mm Creedmoor, which will make your M70 SA very user friendly. And yes, a fellow M70 fan here.

I''m more interested to know what you're flying?

I'm about to build my third Winchester semi-custom. First one was a 6.5 Creedmoor in a FW McMillan stock...love that rifle but not sure I would redo it (ended up costing about as much as a Barrett Fieldcraft at days end!) Next one was a 6.5 RSAUM/ GAP 4S built as an F-Class rifle. Just starting another 'lightweight' and it will be another 6.5 GAP 4S.

As to a preferred donor action anything in the .308 family will work for your .243. Should be the most common out there.

They are great rifles. I love the M70 action. Just build it for yourself and shoot the hell out of it because you will not recoup the costs if you get hollywood with your build on a non-custom action. There have been several examples in the classifieds here that could not possibly be listed for what the sellers have in em. If you care, it's something to consider. I personally don't.

Super cubs to air tractors

If you are just getting into reloading, stick with a standard .243. Then you will have really good factory ammunition against which to evaluate your handloads, and you may even find it difficult to better the performance of factory loads. If you go wildcat, you will be jumping into the deep end of the pool without a good reference.

why not the 6mm remington? but the 257 bob is same case with ability to handle heavier bullets in 25 cal.

i use the 257R for varmints and game up to antelope and desert sheep. of course, you can talk your way up to the 6.5's and the 260 or the swede are fine choices, but then you are getting close to the 7mm stuff - 7x57, 284 and 280. more recoil and muzzle blast but still a great selection of bullets with high BC.

any standard bold face caliber will work, which means in a m70 you are talking 22-250, 243, 260, 270, 280, or '06

Goosepilot,

Is your donor action a long or a short?

John

I am just going to start looking for a donor gun. That was really the intent for posting i guess.

Is there a model i should try to find that has less parts to modify or have to buy individually later? Or models or era's to avoid?

Some points to consider:

- Your rifle will not sell for what you put into it. No worries for me, I don't have custom rifles made to get rid of them, but it seems important to some people.

- Your rifle will likely not be more accurate than a Rem 783/Ruger American etc. You'll show up at the range one day and...it just is what it is. But it will be plenty accurate.

You asked for advice:

- Use the action you like. If that's a M70, so be it!

- Seems you are trying for lightweight/midweight based on the barrel choice. If me I would call Echols and get an Edge fill Legend stock. I would use the highest quality aluminum bottom metal I could find. I think Blackburn / Sunny Hill / Williams / PTG someone makes M70 aluminum bottom metal.

- I would consider Alex Sitman to do the stock fitting. I would consider Lee Christianson (Redneck here), Jim Kobe (JKob here) for the metal work. Kevin Weaver could do both the metal work and the stock fitting if you wanted one person to do both.

Just depends on what cartridge you want to go with. In a short action, I’d go with a 6mm Creedmoor and in a long action, I’d do a 6mm/06. The short action M70s have a 2.8ish box. The box is actually longer, but Winchester puts a spacer in them. The spacer can be removed and the ejector shortened to allow a longer OAL, but I’ve read of mixed results with feeding when doing so. Depending on what price you can find a donor M70 at, you might also consider a Montana Rifle Company action. They are very M70esque and their short actions come with a 3” box.

I think Redneck is the resident Model 70 expert. Might PM him.

John

PM coming.

6mm Creed on a SA.

Agreed. Factory ammo is there and will only grow. Redneck has done a few builds for me on M70’s. All very good.

Two thoughts:

1) Find a gunsmith who is familiar / comfortable / experienced working with M70's (voice of experience...)
2) Of the chamberings you mentioned, hard to beat a Plain Jane .243 right out of the gate...Components, dies, data are readily available... Kinda like working on a small block Chevy...

[I'd say if you have figured out how to fly a plane you just might probably be able to figure out 'wildcats'. There are enough fans out there of just about any devised chambering sharing their experience that you can 'up' your learning curve a whole lot faster than the previous generation of reloaders. Lots of experience on this site.

Guessing that since you have a barrel that is what $700-800 alone price is not that big an issue. Almost begs the question of using that M70 action vs a custom...would wager a Stiller would be within a few hundred of your donor gun...and I know I just said in a previous post that I have several M70's that have been built up so take that FWIW.

I'm a pretty dedicated 6.5 guy and not intimately familiar with the .243 selections and how long folks like to load them. You may be able to take a short action and use a WSM magazine that will get you long enough for about anything w/o going to a long action. Probably best to research cartridges first, pick your poison, and then hunt down the donor.

Lots of M70 fans are diehard CRF but probably nothing wrong with pushfeed either...doubt you will be facing down a charging Cape Buffalo with your .243.

Keep us posted on your progress!

6mm Creed for me as well on a M70 short action....

I have converted pre 64 M70s to 270 and 25-06.
I have killed deer with both of them, it did not matter the cartridge.

Why not one llke this:
Some may have seen this one at DSC, rust blue by Greg Gress associate member,enjoy

[https://imgur.com/znmjXOR
https://imgur.com/eeRPgff
https://imgur.com/41PPsWl
https://imgur.com/oSU3orZ
https://imgur.com/QJ1HypG
https://imgur.com/x4du2r9
https://imgur.com/uCd24We

That’s beautiful!!

Your work, Jim??

Yes,, just finished it before DSC