It does one’s soul good to have a couple of special guns, whether or not someone chooses to hunt with them is another matter.
Quite true!!!!!
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
They are also "collectible". Thats why you should take care of them. Also, seeing how some are more collectible and valuable than others, it would be wise to be mindful of where and how you hunt them.
Originally Posted by raybass
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style.
Originally Posted by Pharmseller
You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole.
100% of my hunting is with pre-64 model 70s, from local coyote calling for 6-7 months a year to Kodiak Island for goats and bears. While I have a few that I purchased strictly as investments that I've not even shot, my others are for hunting. I'm in the minority here in that I use the factory stocks strictly. I think the synthetics are way over priced, and not necessary IF you prepare the inside as well as outside of the stock properly. I've been to Alaska 4 times including 2 to Kodiak and have taken the same rifle each time, Yes, I took the time each night to properly clean it including the bore, but it still looks not much different that when I started the hunt. I would have been on Kodiak in the last month had it not been for corona virus. I guess game and fish will be re-scheduling that hunt. I will be taking a different M70 on this hunt: a pre-64 .375 with factory stock, prepared both inside and outside. I use my rifles, but not abuse them. I use pre-64s because taking all things into consideration, I believe they are one of the best hunting rifles ever produced, over-all superior to anything being made today, and for me, they are a joy to use. If you want to own them just to admire or shoot in the sunshine, that is fine, but I own them to use and appreciate how they function.
Missplacedinnebraska: I have Hunted SE Alaska on four different Hunts and been to Kodiak Island twice for outdoor adventures. I made the mistake of taking a pre-64 Model 70 in 30/06 on my second Mt Goat Hunt to SE Alaska, the conditions there were so horrible and wet with horizontal rain and sleet that my Rifle suffered immensely from that 10 day misery fest type venture. I mean you could just as well have slung that Rifle over a shoulder and stood in a shower for 10 - 12 hours a day! I would never (and have never!) again take a "quality" Winchester to SE Alaska or Kodiak - take'em if you want but they are very likely gonna suffer. I was buying a license at a sport shop in Kodiak one year and they had guns for sale - the used gun rack of Rifles looked like a rust bin with nary an unblemished (severely!) stock or pleasant bluing on any Rifle there. The air is a bit to the salty side there in Kodiak for sure. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
I'm a proponent of hunting with your pre-64s but the above post by VarmintGuy is spot on, in my opinion and experience. I've hunted AK quite a bit and my experiences reflect exactly what he wrote. If you're hunting SE AK, for sure, your rifle won't come back the same. However, that being said, John Barsness (Mule Deer here on the Campfire) has written quite a bit about how the "weatherproof" a blued/walnut rifle for wet environs. If you can waterproof the stock (Spar Varnish) completely and put a rust proof coating on the steel and then be religious about wiping your rifle down at the end of the day, then, and only then, MIGHT you bring your rifle out halfway unscathed. If you really want to do it, it can be done, even in SE AK.
I hunt them all, including a couple nice custom rifles (I’m the older definition of custom, with real juglans regia and blued steel).
I love fine guns, and understand the many levels of pride of ownership. But I’ve never understood the collecting business. For big money, there are a lot nicer things to put on the wall and admire. Compare that to guns that just live in a vault. Different strokes.
Spar Varnish the stock of an original M70 and collector value goes out the window.
Collectibility tied to originality is an American thing on mostly American Guns, think WInchester, Parker, Fox. I have a 1927 Ithaca NID 12E, all original, rarely leaves the safe, I have other guns to duck hunt with like an old post-war JP Sauer.
Over in Europe they realize guns are to hunt with and "freshening up" a tired gun is part of regular maintenance.
In the last 5 years I bought a tired old Francotte and tired old Purdey. I had them freshened up and now hunt them.
"My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income."
Missplacedinnebraska: I have Hunted SE Alaska on four different Hunts and been to Kodiak Island twice for outdoor adventures. I made the mistake of taking a pre-64 Model 70 in 30/06 on my second Mt Goat Hunt to SE Alaska, the conditions there were so horrible and wet with horizontal rain and sleet that my Rifle suffered immensely from that 10 day misery fest type venture. I mean you could just as well have slung that Rifle over a shoulder and stood in a shower for 10 - 12 hours a day! I would never (and have never!) again take a "quality" Winchester to SE Alaska or Kodiak - take'em if you want but they are very likely gonna suffer. I was buying a license at a sport shop in Kodiak one year and they had guns for sale - the used gun rack of Rifles looked like a rust bin with nary an unblemished (severely!) stock or pleasant bluing on any Rifle there. The air is a bit to the salty side there in Kodiak for sure. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
I'm a proponent of hunting with your pre-64s but the above post by VarmintGuy is spot on, in my opinion and experience. I've hunted AK quite a bit and my experiences reflect exactly what he wrote. If you're hunting SE AK, for sure, your rifle won't come back the same. However, that being said, John Barsness (Mule Deer here on the Campfire) has written quite a bit about how the "weatherproof" a blued/walnut rifle for wet environs. If you can waterproof the stock (Spar Varnish) completely and put a rust proof coating on the steel and then be religious about wiping your rifle down at the end of the day, then, and only then, MIGHT you bring your rifle out halfway unscathed. If you really want to do it, it can be done, even in SE AK.
I have some older firearms specifically for use in rugged conditions. Well as rugged as I’m going to get my gimpish corpus into! LOL! I don’t see myself getting into many such situations anymore. So I’m pretty good.
While on the subject And it certainly isn’t for everyone. When I was working at the shop, I generally would not purchase a firearm unless it was at least as old as I am! Just one of my personal caveats. But I also had the luxury of cherry picking. And also fell into some good deals.
To each his own!!! Enjoy your hunt! I try to treat each hunt like it might be my last.
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
100% of my hunting is with pre-64 model 70s, from local coyote calling for 6-7 months a year to Kodiak Island for goats and bears. While I have a few that I purchased strictly as investments that I've not even shot, my others are for hunting. I'm in the minority here in that I use the factory stocks strictly. I think the synthetics are way over priced, and not necessary IF you prepare the inside as well as outside of the stock properly. I've been to Alaska 4 times including 2 to Kodiak and have taken the same rifle each time, Yes, I took the time each night to properly clean it including the bore, but it still looks not much different that when I started the hunt. I would have been on Kodiak in the last month had it not been for corona virus. I guess game and fish will be re-scheduling that hunt. I will be taking a different M70 on this hunt: a pre-64 .375 with factory stock, prepared both inside and outside. I use my rifles, but not abuse them. I use pre-64s because taking all things into consideration, I believe they are one of the best hunting rifles ever produced, over-all superior to anything being made today, and for me, they are a joy to use. If you want to own them just to admire or shoot in the sunshine, that is fine, but I own them to use and appreciate how they function.
I totally agree with you. You spend a lot of time looking at that gun while hunting. I would like to see some nicely grained or even better yet figured walnut with deep rich blued metal than look at a piece of asphalt and flat black metal. Life is too short to hunt with ugly guns. I also do like to see a well used gun; they have been there and done that. If it is a rainy November in PA Bear Season, they get a nice coat of wax or as a minimum, a good spraying down with Lemon Pledge. An then take care of them at the end of the day.
I will admit that I did ruin a 1946 Win 70 (stock only) on one particularly drenching November Bear Season opener. The finish just started disappearing. The stock was like a sponge when I got home. It leeched water for months. I replaced it and sold that stock to a fellow who thought he could salvage it. I do not know if he was successful or not.
Plan was to drop it in an Echols Legend and put nice sights on it. The contour isn’t the same as factory so not sure how it would all work out. But decent enough thought though. I just found myself wanting a pre-64 375. I had a transition gun once and let it go. If I’m going to buy one I feel like I need to put it to work. So that’s how I came to opening up this thread
I had a pleaasant experience with one of my special "old" rifles. Maybe 30 years ago I built my father a deer rifle on a Springfield 1903 high serial numbered barreled action (original barrel) using a highly figured stick of American Black Walnut in case the mood hit him to shoot a deer. He never did. After he passed, I brought it back to my house and I decided to take it deer hunting one afternoon. Well, lo and behold, a really good buck presented himself and I killed him with one round luckily just as he was going behind an obstruction. The buck was a non typical with 2 drop tines and measured 199 1/8. A very good day with a special rifle! Phil
C'mon man, a picture of the gun and a picture of the deer!
Good story..
Originally Posted by TenX
I had a pleaasant experience with one of my special "old" rifles. Maybe 30 years ago I built my father a deer rifle on a Springfield 1903 high serial numbered barreled action (original barrel) using a highly figured stick of American Black Walnut in case the mood hit him to shoot a deer. He never did. After he passed, I brought it back to my house and I decided to take it deer hunting one afternoon. Well, lo and behold, a really good buck presented himself and I killed him with one round luckily just as he was going behind an obstruction. The buck was a non typical with 2 drop tines and measured 199 1/8. A very good day with a special rifle! Phil
"My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income."
Well, since you twisted my arm, here's the rifle and the deer. And yes, I know my bench is a mess. I cleaned it once then I couldn't find anything. Phil
Well, since you twisted my arm, here's the rifle and the deer. And yes, I know my bench is a mess. I cleaned it once then I couldn't find anything. Phil
Grew up reading JOC and dreaming about the day I could hunt with a rifle close his. Well I have a couple now and I'm not going hunting with out one! I dont buy to resell, not worried about what there're going to be worth when I'm gone. I have my dads model 70 .264 I'm sure glad he didn't leave it home when he went hunting! My son scratched up an old model 70 300 HH a couple years ago finally got a shot at great mule deer at 415 yds. I smile everytime I notice them scratches!
