Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Rebarrel WSM

My original post was asinine. Apologies. I have a nice opportunity on a used M70 270 WSM Stainless. Looks to be post-Classic, BACO or later. Low round count, supposedly.

Here’s the deal. I don’t have a lot of use for a 270 WSM.

Any thoughts on something great to do with this action/rifle? Really hard to pass up a stainless M70 at a good price. If all else fails, I’ll just buy and hold.

Going to make mine a 450 Marlin

450 marlin, 6.5 or 7 prc, 6.8 western, 458x2", there are wsm wildcats in about any caliber you can think of. I would suggest the B&M series but those seem to be on hold after Michael broke ties with SSK

Ok, so what are you wanting? Any particular caliber? Not cartridge, asking "caliber". Would you be happier with a 6.5 or a 7mm, or maybe even a 30 caliber? There's absolutely nothing wrong with the 270 WSM, as far as cartridges go. If you handload. You may want to explain what you are wanting, and why. Also, unless you are getting a stellar deal, you may want to pass on this BACO, and look for one chambered in the cartridge you want. I saw a beautiful 270 Winchester BACO sporter the other day for $700.00. It was also scoped, so not a bad deal for the package. However, I don't like BACO's. I'd look for an early classic, personally it I were looking for a good rifle.

For a good price buy it and trade it off for something you want

I explored this same route on a 300wsm I had. I think that the 6.5 PRC is an easy swap only needing a barrel change. I was personally hoping that the 7 PRC would of worked but it requires a long action which may be an issue for some makers WSM actions.

You know, these are exactly the things I was thinking about. Price is $550 with a low round count. I agree on Classics. Had one 7mm-08 BACO that I didn’t love and sold. The thing is, I have several Classics, including a 7mm RM and a 270 Win, among others, and I love those rifles. I don’t really even look at rifles other than M70s at 243 and above.

I have thought about the 6.5 PRC or a 6.8 Western, but it would be really hard to justify the cost of a rebarrel for almost identical rounds. In fact, a touch weaker rounds, unless you want to shoot really heavy bullets for long range (500 yds+), which isn’t my cup of tea. With 150s under 500, I think the 270 WSM beats them both.

Purpose? Maybe an elk rifle for a teenager, female, or less experienced shooter. Kind of a 7mm RM light (did I mention I have a 270 Win already?). 270 WSM really isn’t “lighter”. 6.5 may have some attraction for lighter recoil.

Anyway as I think about it, I’m not sure it serves a purpose for me. But the price is right, and I love M70s.

That is probably where this will end up. I will mess with it a bit and then flip it.

Yeah, I don’t want to get up into 7mm RM range with this. I have one, a Stainless Classic, it is my main rifle, I love it, and it will be the last rifle I sell or replace.

If anything, I want to go lighter/smaller than that. I wish 6.5-06 was a factory round. I know that isn’t for this rifle, just really interesting and maybe better than 25-06 and 270. Anyway, I’m leaning towards a 6.5 PRC if anything, just because of recoil.

In regards to recoil - 270 Win vs 6.5 PRC vs 6.8 Western vs 270 WSM vs 7mm Rem Mag? Anyone shot them all? With 140/150/175s?

The more I think about this, I just need a spare short LOP stock for my 270 Classic. Will be fun to mess with a new rifle, though.

Oh, one more thing - is the 270 WSM becoming obsolete? Brass availability?

Brass is definitely challenging to find. Midway just had some in stock. If you’re going to buy it and use it, you might want to grab a few bags if they are still available. Raven rock on here occasionally gets some also.

Would it bore and rechamber to a 7 wsm, I am not sure??. I liked the idea of that better but never really took off.

Slope, that is a good deal, but I remember when the BACO featherweights were $600.00 or $650.00 new.

Man, if you handload your own, I'd buy the rifle and play with it. See how you like it. Later on down the road, if you think you want to change it up, go with a 6.5 PRC, or something like that. When I buy something, it's always with the thought, how much is this going to be worth in a few years. I'll generally buy them when they are half price, or in other words, if a rifle is selling for $1,200.00 on places like gunbroker, and I can buy the same rifle for $600.00, I'm doing well. You'll never lose money that way.

If buying a new rifle, with the thought of rebarreling it right away, or throwing a $1,000.00 stock on it, you will lose money. Especially when you figure in gunsmith fees, on top of the cost of a good barrel these days. When I lived in Oregon, my smith would charge me $40.00 to re-barrel a model 70. He was damn good too, and well known. He's retired now, but I don't think you'd find a smith to do that now, at that price. Plus new barrels are expensive these days.

I was at a LGS, last year, and saw a beautiful BACO, that used to be a featherweight. It had been rebarreled to 6.5 Creedmoor. The barrel was fairly heavy, and cut to 22". I asked the shop owner if they would go down to $600.00, since it was not original. They just looked at me like I was out of it. I said, yeah, this is supposed to have a featherweight barrel on it. Someone changed the barrel. It's not worth as much because of that. He said he'd take $650 for it. I almost bought it, but it would have been a gamble. Keeping in mind, that others are going to see it that way as well.

I say, if you like the rifle, and can live with the cartridge, buy it!!!!!

The 270 and 300 wsm seemed to gain the most traction of that group. The 270 wsm components are going to be more readily available than the 7 mm in the future IMO. Nothing wrong with the 270 wsm if you want to kill things. As long as you have dies and brass

270 WSM is quite capable, especially with the action length of the M70 being slightly long for that cartridge it gives you tons of room to play with the 150s. At that price, I think I'd buy it and try a couple different loads to see how it shot before making any further decisions.

The perfect platform for the 6.5 PRC.

Slope,

Fluted or plain barrel?

Picking it up in about 15 minutes. It is a New Haven of some sort. I’ll report back.

Plain barrel.

For the moment, my thought would be to either leave it alone or rechamber to 6.5 PRC or 6.8 Western. I will play with it a bit as-is. Those cartridges are pretty close.

Awhile ago I had picked up and a factory uncheckered/unfinished walnut stock that has some nice figure in tit. We’ll see how it goes.