Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Winchester Model 70 Pre-64 & Model 70 Classic

Is the Winchester Model 70 Pre-64 and/or Model 70 Classic the best action to build a custom hunting rifle on?

No such thing as best. You need to think about what is your application.

Are you building a 375 HH dangerous game rifle?

Are you buidling and ultralight 284 winchester mountain rifle?

Are you building and all around North American rifle including Brown Bears?

Do you want a custom rifle just because you want a custom?

What are you trying to achieve that you don't find in a factory rifle?

That about says it. I like Mausers and Winchester rifles. I have no use for the700 it’s clones.

Just looking to have a high quality, accurate, reliable rifle. Like you said, primarily an all around North American rifle, including brown bears. I want there to be no doubt (as much as possible) it will function if I get into a situation though.

I want a custom rifle so that I can pick and choose all the details. I know me and I'd just end up modifying just about everything on the factory rifle anyway.

What is your budget?

I certainly don't have a unlimited budget but say you did, and could build it the way you wanted, would you still use the Model 70?

I’ve got no issues with the 70 Classic or P64 worked over by a good smith. I have a Defiance with CRF and 3 pos safety but really all that cuts out is the machining that’s usually done to a 70 action.

If I couldn’t use a P64 or Classic I’d likely try to get my hooks into one of Darcy Echols LX1 actions if money was no object.

Thanks for the advice. I'll take a look at them.

I've hunted, and continue to hunt, almost exclusively with pre-64 model 70s. Some of my hunting is almost in my backyard calling coyotes, but my last several trips have been to Alaska. My last was a year ago on Kodiak for brown bear, which I was successful on. I can only speak for myself, however I suspect others share my opinions. There are a couple reasons I prefer pre-64s. Any action is susceptible to some problems, however when I closely analyze the design of the pre-64, and to a somewhat lesser extent, the post-64 CRF, 2 things are true: the individual components are simple, proven over decades of hard use, and rugged. I'm talking about trigger design, safety design, feed system, one piece bolt, etc. All those things add up to a less likelihood of breakage or other failure. Second, the over-all functional system works really, really well. When I hunt Alaska, I hunt with my son, who is a licensed guide. He carries a post-64 CRF .375 and likes it a lot, but has only used it a few years. However, pre-64s in Alaska, especially .375s have been a staple for many, many years. When you hunt in places like Kodiak, you appreciate reliability more than just reading about it. So that's just my 2 cents worth. Good Luck.

I recently had this conversation with a good friend, I was an avid collector of Model 70s when they went back to CRF in the 90s, had many rebarreled and restocked by a very good smith. Recently, and the reason my friend called me out, I've been building rifles DIY on Defiance actions (modified Rem 700 clones of some sort). He asked why I'm not doing as I have with the Model 70s.

I've I were building a rifle for dangerous game in a wilderness hunt environment, Model 70 would be my easy choice, simplicity of design and function, big parts, durable trigger, not much changed since designed in 1898 by Mauser. Properly set up, the Win CRF action is hard to be for dangerous game.

On the other hand, for an accurate and easy to shoot hunting rifle, I like the modern Rem 700 clones from Defiance, Impact, Terminus or others. The new, modern receivers, are so well made with exaction tolerances that it's easy for someone like me to gather the parts and put something together and produce a rifle that shoots 1/4" at 100, my 6.5 CM just did.

So, like others have said, it's all about what you intend to do with it.

I would not choose a model 70 pre-64 or classic for the following reasons. 1) far fewer after market parts available. 2) Not known for their accuracy, I am not saying they can't be accurate but most people who build all-around rifles want them to be very accurate 3/4 moa or less and preferrably closer to 1/2 moa. I can't see selecting a cartridge like the 300 PRC and then putting it on a Win Mod 70 3) to the extent you use a cartridge not originally designed for your donor action, fixing feeding problems is more involved.

if you are not going to to use a high end action, then I would use a Remington 700 or a Savage.

If you think "Remington 700s" are unlreliable you might want to ask yourself then why are they the chosen platform buy more LE aganecies than any other and why the have been the basis for both the USMC and US Army snip rile for since the 1960s without modification to the extractor.

If you are a fan of CRF, you may wish to consider that they are really Controlled Round Extraction; i.e., I changed my mind during the bolt cycle process. Observe carefully on various push feeds the postion of the cartridge when it is released from the rails or magazine, it generally almost 1/2 way into the chamber. That cardige is going only 1 place and that is into the chamber.

Of course this my opinion, others will have others. Unfortunately, the gun industry is full of zealots.

It is worth having this conversation with the gunsmith you want to build your rifle. Getting into the specifications of said rifle will help answer your question.
That being said there are a lot of "real" custom rifles built on model 70 actions.

If you are right handed, find a Pre-64 featherweight .30-06 in good condition. Drop it into a McMillan Hunter Edge stock. Go kill stuff, mice to moose to brown bear...

This is me. I have multiple customs built on M70 Classics and if my life might depend on it, I’m taking one of them in .338 wm or .375HH. But when I want to build a precise shooting instrument with minimal fuss, I buy a clone and a prefit barrel because I can build the entire rifle in my garage in less than an hour.

This is where my thoughts were headed. If I could swing it the LX1 would be real temptation.

Thank you very much for the insight!

What smith did you use to re-barrel the Model 70 actions?

And that is where the fault lies. A good pre 64 or classic needs nothing except for a proper glass bedding job and trigger job. After that, it's picking the right scope/mount and developing a load.

Great post. All the same things can be said about my favorite hunting rifles: The m1917 properly sporterized. Tough as nails and I'd trust my life on them. Some of you guys are talking about pushfeed rifles, like the Rem 700 clones. F that. Pass the Tikka please and make it a factory one.

CRF is pointless....