Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors No one got a model 70 for Christmas??

Yep, have heard and read the same.

My old gunsmith, who was a major pre 64 aficionado, told me that the best shooting pre 64's were always the 270's. STD, FWT, it did not matter, according to him. He's also the one that had new ones still in the box. He offered me a new 270 FWT, back when I bought my first one, and my jaw dropped when I looked at it. I always thought my rifles looked pristine, but the new one put all of them to shame. Now I kick myself in the azz for not buying it. He said he had never shot it, so he pointed to the best shooter in the bunch, because he knows I like accurate rifles. He said the one I bought (for $1,350.00) would put 5 shots into a dime at 100 yards. After I bought it, I took it out, and he was right. The damn thing easily shot 3/4" all day long.

What's laughable, is you still have ignorant guys on places like youtube shooting videos of old model 70's shooting 2-3" groups and saying that's just how they are. They are old rifles, and that kind of accuracy was normal back in the day. I'll usually leave a nice comment in those videos.. ha ha..

My original I got from Bob is pretty decent as well.







It is far from a dime for five rifle, and I am not a dime for five sorta shooter myself, but it has always been more than good..

Ok fellow connoisseurs, I'm ready to see those bargains for rifles you feel won't be appreciated. I'm your guy... age 38. 270win preferably 😁

That is a sweet one buddy..

If this one catches your eye, we can ask the guys what they think it's worth..


Just don't tell me I'm crazy for selling it, because it's so accurate!!!!!



I already know!!

That’s one of those rifles you can drop into a lighter weight stock and fill backpacks with.

Couple things. I agree with all the advice given here, my own observations are the same.

I would add that I originally thought it would be no problem to find and buy a .270FW that met my requirements at about any time. That was wrong. It took about 3 months I would say to find the first one and about the same again for the second one I bought. They don't come up for sale as often as one might think. The 06's are more frequently encountered, as are the .243's.

Id also point out that these are often found with the plastic buttplate but not always found with the hand cut, shall we say larger profile, checkering. I haven't seen an aluminum buttplate and scant checkering, they may be out there. I think plastic and hand cut is acceptable (because that stock finishing is more important to me than the plate) but it would take a super clean rifle with the scant checkering to interest me much. I found one like that and bought it, glad to own it. But I thought it worth pointing out that the checkering is different in that era of manufacture and perhaps (it is to me at least) more important than the butt plate.

It took me far longer than 3 months to find the first 270 fwt I owned. I even told guys what I was looking for. I was being pretty particular though. Had to be an older aluminum butt plate model, and in excellent condition. It took about a year to find the right one, and that one came to me, from a very well known Winchester model 70 gunsmith. This is one rifle I paid dearly for though. Like I said in another post ($1,350.00). This one was made in 1957, and all original. I later put it in a nice Hunters Compact Mcmillan, and sold the original stock. Got $425 out of the stock about 4 years ago, so you know it was a pretty nice one. That more than paid for the Mcmillan, which I bougth for $350.00.

To me, if you are concerned about pre 64 model 70 checkering, you might as well look for a different rifle, because none of them are perfect. Just how it is. The checkering on my Japanese model 52 is superior, in every way shape and form, just to give an example. We all know the pre 64 model 70's have less than perfect checkering too. We buy them for the rifles they are though.

Fast forward to the fwt I have now. I bought that one about 7 months ago, and like a lot of them you see, its had a recoil pad put on it. That instantly turns them into a "shooter grade". They are then prime candidates for a full glass bedding job, and accurizing treatment. Just the way I see it. I paid $729 for that fwt, because the shop did not know what it was worth. I later sold the scope that was on it for $225.00, to recoup some of the initial cost.

I am out and about very often, and do not run into pre 64 270 fwt's that often, let alone one for that price. To be honest, in all of last year, that is the only pre 64 270 fwt I saw. I saw plenty of XTR FWTs, and a ton of std wt's, but only 1 270 fwt. If you are finding them every 3 months, you live in a place where they are far more abundant than any place I've ever lived. That is cool, as that may bring the price down on them?? I'd wager a bet, that most guys aren't seeing the 270 fwt's on the used rifle racks either.

Moral of the story, if you can find a primo 270 fwt for a good deal, jump on it, because they don't surface very often. The one I have is well worn, but it's going to stay with me for a very long time.. YMMV..

Pre64 270’s find me

You’re definitely chosen Pocono

Post some pics of your 270 fwt's that have found you..

$520 out the door. It is a Post 64 Westerner in 7Rem Mag. It fills in that 1 gun per month resolution that I made this year.

Pinhole camera?

Here is new pictures of my recent M70 pre64 270 win FW purchase. 1956 all original. Someone here posted a link to this rifle and everyone commented on it and said someone needs to buy it. I caved to the peer pressure and did and it has been one of the best purchases I have made. Haven’t even tried to reload for it yet. Put it immediately to use. Think I paid $1,650 not great but knowing what I know now would have paid more.

For pocono:

Thanks AK

Top pics are of nib Transition 270 W.C.F. Standard Rifle with all the original goodies.

Bottom pic is a Pre-war 270 W.C.F. Carbine, rear sight delete, Griffin & Howe side mount, Tilden safety, Lyman Alaskan and 48 WJS w/Lyman slot blank.

Awesome guns Pocono!