Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Winchester M-70 375 H&H

A couple of years ago I purchased a stainless/synthetic M-70 375 H&H. Shot it a bit and it shows promise, but it is such a "club" that I just can't like it. The 24" barrel is just too heavy. What have you guys done with these guns? Shorten the barrel, have the barrel turned down, rebarrel? The sights had been removed when I purchased the gun and I would also like to get new sights installed. Any suggestions?

Lots of folks have cut down their factory m70's. There was a thread here a few months ago where a few folks posted pictures.

As for sights, the NECG banded fronts are well thought of, but to my knowledge are not available in stainless. Ruger offers its banded front as part but come in just two sizes, one is too small for a 375 and the other is what they put on the stainless alaskan and African models. If your barrel diameter at your desired length is right it might be a good option.

Some guys here have shortened the barrels or had them turned. Dirtfarmer is one of them, if I remember correctly. I wouldn't shorten it any less than 22" personally. The barrels on these rifles are too heavy. I'd also suggest replacing the Tupperware and put a lighter stock on it like a Mcmillan. I don't mind the tupperwares on the lighter rifles (270's and 30-06's), but on a 375, it might be "the straw that broke the camels back"...

ALthough mine is built on a pre 64 M70 action it has a #4 SS barrel @22" and sits in a brown precision stock. With a 3x leupy It weighs about 8 3/4 lbs all up and balances quite nice.

20"-21" and Tupperware works fine. there are two versions of Win Tupperware. one has coarse checkering and the other has finer checkering. the coarse is a little more 'grippy' IMO.

at 21", the rear front sight screw hole can be used for the front after the cut, leaving just one hole to D&T. I went sans sights and DD mounts. it's still heavy, but much more 'lively' and portable as pictured.

Sell it for what might be a nice profit. Boy, do I wish I would have bought one (two?) in 1998 when a local sporting good store was getting out of SS/syn M70's. My pick of 30-06, 7 Mag, 338WM and 375H&H. I just got the '06.

I bought mine already altered; barrel chopped to 20", but I added the Echols Legend stock, and it now wears a VX-6 1-6x24. It'll stack 260 grain Partitions very tightly at about 2,600 fps.

I'd think long and hard about selling yours. With a new stock and shortened barrel, you can have the PERFECT foul weather or Alaskan rifle (provided you have any intention of going to Alaska).

I'd give it to an old friend in Virginia if I were you.

Now, that's NICE...

With the earlier reference to turning the barrel, my smith said the sight screw holes would cause a lot of chatter on his lathe and he didn't want to turn it. Those Winchester barrels shoot too good to just pull and replace.

After seeing what others had done to theirs, I had my New Haven SS Classic cut to 21", added NECG irons. It now wears a 1.5-6 Zeiss in QD Talleys. It felt and handled like a different gun with the 21" barrel vs. 24".

I kept the Tuppereware stock but really like the Echols Legend. Maybe one of these days...

DF

Later photo with Zeiss Victory 1.5-6 scope in Talley QD's.

DF

I've had at least 1/2 dozen of these over the years maybe more. I agree at 24" the barrel is just way too heavy. Problem is I've has a few cut down to 20" and they are still heavy but also unbalanced. Best I've found and what I use is a Sako AV 375 23" barrel in a McMillan stock. There was one in the classifieds not long ago. Don't know if it's still there.

Dang, that thing is NICE! My personal preference would be for a 22" barrel, but then I'm a big tall bubba and like a little length on my rifles.

I know you are a big man K, but 22' (feet) is a little long, even for a big Paul Bunyon guy like yourself...

Ream it out to a 45 caliber.

Dang, busted. LOL

And I thought mine was big at 25". You got me beat!!!

My 1948 M70 375 was cut to 22" before I got it, and I think it balances beautifully. Not sure if the stainless guns have the same profile, but if I had it and planned to use it without regard to resale value, I would shorten it to 22" like my '48. Don't undersyand why they were made long in the first place.

With the New Haven guns, seems they had the same barrel contour for the .458, .416 and .375. Of course, the .375 had more steel in the barrel with the smaller bore. In the larger bore options, the barrel may not be that bad.

Not sure about Pre-64's and SC/FN versions.

DF

The Pre's were a lot slimmer. At least the ones with the 25" tubes and the 10 or so they made with the standard barrels. The first ones had the heavy 24" tubes. They got smart and did away with those after just 5 years of production. They should have learned that and went with the same profile with the New Haven classics, but they kind of had their heads in their azzes. It was all about the almighty dollar and using the same contour for the 375, 416 and 458, since it was cheaper for them to just use one contour, that's what they did.

I bought one of the Classic SS versions when they first came out. Replaced the plastic stock with a David Miller Laminate. Mounted a barrel mout front sling swivel base. Replaced the rear sight with a Wisner reproduction of the prewar 375 rear. Used it for all my safaris in Zimbabwe taking a little bit of everything with it. When it was new I shot a 20 shot group of Nosler Partitions that measured .70. That was 20 shots pretty much just load and shoot with no cooling time. It will still shoot pretty close to that today.