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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 14
New Member
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OP
New Member
Joined: Mar 2019
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I just wanted to share a great gun that fell into my lap recently. I've had a few deaths in the family in the past several months, and my 82-year old grandfather decided it was time for me to come pick up several family heirlooms he wants me to have. We live about a 10-hour drive away and have traditionally visited once a year, but I honestly didn't know much about his gun collection and have any expectations. I was stunned to receive several firearms from him, including my great-great-grandfather's .22 revolver from the mid 40s, but the jewel of them all turned out to be a 1960 Winchester Model 70 in .338 Win Mag. He said it initially belonged to my great-grandfather to hunt in California, and my grandfather used it one time to bag a Wyoming pronghorn before deciding he could use a little less rifle. When I texted my buddy that I was getting two Model 70s (one is a 1976 25-06), he immediately asked me what year they were. I was ignorant about the pre/post 64 split but read up on the differences, and was thrilled to see that the .338 Win Mag is a pre-64. The stock is still in great condition, with a small dent under the foregrip, a spot near the butt that could use a bit more polish, and very minor spotting on the barrel, but for a nearly 60-year old rifle that's actually been hunted with, I couldn't ask for it to be in better shape. I just started deer hunting about a year and a half ago, and have been planning to get something larger than my 25-06 as I start hunting public land for larger prey, so the timing couldn't be better. I probably wouldn't have chosen .338 Win Mag as my next caliber but I'm going to embrace it, and hopefully I'll tag a Texas nilgai, an elk, or a moose with it in the future. The Winchester was mated to a Weaver K4 60-B fixed 4-power scope on Weaver rings. I kept the scope as a souvenir and tried to mount a newer Leupold VX-2 3-9x40 on the antique rings, but no luck. Not only did the bolt not have clearance, but one of the old ring screws twisted off upon remounting. Instead of the DNZ Game Reaper one-piece that I love on my Tikka, I opted to keep a more classic look on the rifle and ordered medium-height Leupold Dual Dovetail bases and rings. They came in today and I was able to cleanly mount the Leupold scope on, and both the eye relief and the bolt clearance worked out fine. It's now boresighted, and I just have to wait a week to have enough free time for a range day and see how it groups.
Last edited by TeddyFive06; 04/05/19.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,300
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,300 |
Congrats on that 338. I have one of my own and it’s a helluva great rifle. What a gift!
Semper Fi
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 14
New Member
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OP
New Member
Joined: Mar 2019
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Congrats on that 338. I have one of my own and it’s a helluva great rifle. What a gift! Thanks! What are you shooting through it? I’ve ordered a few boxes of Federal’s 210 grain Nosler Partitions, but 338 isn’t a cheap round and I’ll be looking at handloading down the road.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,300
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
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I have used a ton of bullets in mine but if the 210 Partitions shoot for you there isn’t much reason to look any further. I’ve used 210, 225, 250 Partitions, Accubonds and 210 Swift’s. Mine has been very good to me.
Make sure the screws are torqued down well or the recoil will split the tang area. Other than that, it is one great rifle.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,348
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,348 |
That's great. I'll bet no rifle will ever mean more to you than that one, even if it doesn't get shot the most.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,024
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,024 |
Excellent rifle. OP, do yourself a favor and listen to beretzs. Especially the part about torquing the action screws down good. You have a beautiful rifle. The 338wm Alaskan is one of my favorites. I'm like Scotty and hunt mine every chance I can get during elk season here...Good luck with your rifle and please let us know how the rifle likes those 210 partitions. By the way, those DD's look sharp. That's my first choice in scope mounts and rings for the pre 64..
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,377
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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What a wonderful gift, .I hope you enjoy the rifle for many years and keep it in the family a classic for sure. The leupold DD are a great pick for pre 64 M70's.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,300
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 15,300 |
I just remembered the 210 TTSX shot well as loaded in the Barnes ammo. One year I was planning to love and decided to try some factory stuff in case I wasn’t able to load during the transition and they shot well too. My rifle did suffer from a pretty rough bore when I got it but since it’s been lapped it seems to shoot everything pretty well.
One thought is to put it into another stock to hunt and keep the original looking perfect. My wood stocks tend to get beat up pretty good.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Campfire Regular
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That is fantastic rife, congratulations.
If your a leftist, whatever Donald Trump says or does, that pisses you off rest assured, I am a Happy Camper!
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Joined: Apr 2016
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Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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That is a wonderful family heirloom. The pre-64s are great rifles. Teddy, please take the time to absorb the family oral history which accompanies this rifle. Too often we realize, too late, that we should have asked more questions of our ancestors.
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Joined: Oct 2011
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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That is a wonderful family heirloom. The pre-64s are great rifles. Teddy, please take the time to absorb the family oral history which accompanies this rifle. Too often we realize, too late, that we should have asked more questions of our ancestors. ^^^^^ THIS! TeddyFive06, that is one very nice rifle. Were it mine, it would definitely stay in the family. The suggestion of a "hunting" stock is a good, especially if your style of hunting is a bit "hard on equipment." I suggest you keep learning about Model 70 rifles. As you learn more, you will likely come to appreciate that rifle even more. (When you mentioned your current lack of knowledge about M70's I thought "Dear Lord! This guy just had a jewel drop in his lap and hasn't a clue!) You have already learned that bolt clearance is an issue with Pre '64's. It is much less an issue with post 64 M70's. You are also about to discover the .338 can rock you a bit. Careful ammo selection and hand loading can mitigate that a bit.
Clinging to guns & religion since 1959
Keyboards make people braver than alcohol
Election Integrity is more important than Election Convenience
Washington Post: "Democracy Dies in Darkness" More correct: "Killing Democracy Faster Than Darkness"
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Joined: Mar 2019
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New Member
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OP
New Member
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That is a wonderful family heirloom. The pre-64s are great rifles. Teddy, please take the time to absorb the family oral history which accompanies this rifle. Too often we realize, too late, that we should have asked more questions of our ancestors. My grandfather was kind enough to have written down serial numbers and models along with notes about the history of the guns (and several guitars) that he passed along to me. It was greatly appreciated.
Last edited by TeddyFive06; 04/06/19.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,858
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,858 |
Really nice acquisition and a refreshing post. Thanks for sharing.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 221
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
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Posts: 221 |
Very nice rifle,I have a FW in .270 they are usually good shooters with the right ammo. While I was looking at your pictures I noticed that you might want to replace that older Pad with something a little more modern,especially since its a .338. Keep the original one but maybe look at Limbsaver,Pachmayr or Kick Eez these would be a good place to start.
Enjoy.......Greg
Semper Fi
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 14
New Member
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OP
New Member
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Thanks for the tips everyone. I’ll get a good feel for it at the range next weekend. I popped off a few rounds with iron sights at 25 yards since I’m in the country, but I’ll probably put a couple of boxes through it soon and get it sighted in.
I’m a little torn on changing out stocks. On one hand I want to keep it in good shape, since I do not intend to ever part with it until I’m old and gray, but I’m also inclined to hunt with it in original form. I’m only a couple of years into hunting big game but I’ve already climbed up through devil’s club and shouldered my way through clear cuts on Prince of Wales, and I’m thinking I’ll probably just take a different rifle if I’m hunting in nasty terrain. It will be a good gun for anything a little more open, like nilgai down here in Texas.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,777
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
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Great gift!!! Enjoy.. You probably can load this down to 348 or .33 Win. speed for whitetails if you like... Full power loads also do a fine job on lighter game.
Molon Labe
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Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 9,324
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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That is a great story.
I would hunt with it just the way it is. Take a different gun in the rough and nasty spots as you stated. Good plan...
"You cannot invade mainland America. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass" ~Admiral Yamamoto~
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. ~Thomas Jefferson~
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Beautiful old hunting rifle. Congrats on your inheritance.
Figures don't lie, But Liars figure Assumption is the mother of mistakes
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Ol BobinNH coaxed me into slipping mine into a Legend. It’s my hands down do everything rifle at this point. Shoots like a dream and carries well even for being 9lbs but I take the weight penalty and enjoy the gun since it has been so good to me. This is the same rifle in wood.. I’m not one to baby my stuff so the Legend works better but properly sealed and such I can’t find any fault with wood.
Semper Fi
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Joined: Dec 2004
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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VERY nice rifle. I like your choice of rings, too. Congratulations!
Don't be the darkness.
America will perish while those who should be standing guard are satisfying their lusts.
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