Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors EricM and I are thinking about having this one refinished...

We all have different ways of getting there.

My hard use rifles are stainless New Haven guns in fiberglass. Reasons are obvious. To me, these were another "sweet spot" for the M70. The only two complaints I ever heard that might concern me were about the bolt handle and extractor. If those are issues to you, they are easily dealt with.

In general, stocks are easier to mar and damage than even blued metal. If you want to hunt a Pre '64 hard, or even moderately so, but you have a nice stock you don't want to mess up, then a "user" stock is clearly in order.

To me, and this is just me, part of the allure of using a Pre '64 is staying close to original. So, I go with "beater" stocks that have low collector value. They have either seen hard use, or obviously have been refinished, or have been cut for a pad, or maybe more than one of these things. This works for me. But again, if things are really nasty, the hard use rifles get the nod.

But if you aren't into staying close to original, a nice synthetic certainly works well.

I was always a bit jealous and a bit amazed that JOC would get such beautiful rifles built, and then use them so hard. He took care of them, but he didn't baby them much.

Great news fellas - We're a go with the refinisher! We are sticking with the original plan.

Eric

Project Update: The refinisher upped his price, so I decided to take a different tack and get this rifle restocked into an Echols Legend. It should work well. I'll be sure to post pics when it's done.

I'm going to be researching scopes for this bad boy as my next step.

Eric

My 300RUM ate that very same scope for lunch, and it cost me a buck pushing B&C. I'll never forget it. After sending it back to the factory for repair, a followup phone call to the repair folks there got me this reply "Let me guess, you had this scope on a 300 Ultra Mag?". I'd think long and hard about a Swaro on a hard kicker. I replaced it with a Schmidt & Bender and never looked back, at the advice of one on this website whose opinion is seldom questioned.

Godogs, thanks for the input. Let me guess, you bought a 10x42 S&B?

Here are a few options I'm looking at:

Leupold 1.75-6x32
Leupold 2.5-8x36
Leupold 6x42 LR Reticle
Leupold VXR 3-9x40 Firedot LRV Duplex
S&B 6x42
S&B 8x56 would be fun! lol
Meopta...?

Eric

The Leupold 1.75-6x32mm has been pretty good so far on my .375.
Bob

RGK that's a very nice 375. I like that!

If your not going with a 6x, the 2.5x8 is pretty slick. The B&C reticle makes it a handy combo.

I put a Leupold Vari X III 3.5X10X40 on my 338 and it's been to Alaska and Africa with out any problems. Just my 2 cents.

That's an extremely nice lefty 375.

Eric, the rifle should look awesome in an echol's legend. Can't wait to see it when it's done. Good luck on finding the right scope for the bad boy. I was just running a cheap Burris FFII 3-9x40 with ballistic plex on it, but you know how I am about those scopes

Roger that. It was built for an African Safari that never materialized.
Bob

Weren't you trying to sell it a while back?? I'd be totally spoiled with a rifle like that. Bolt on the right side (for me), safety easier to manipulate, etc. etc.... ... I'm just going to have to suffer along with my pre 64 model 70 375 H&H

I put it up for sale to see what happens...took it out of the safe after 6 years and put it on the block. Since I have almost 600 rounds of factory .375 ammo around, I couldn't resist shooting it yesterday. After 30 rounds of some 300 grain Norma stuff, I had enough. Nice 3-shot groups clustered about 1" high at 100 yards. One group went into 3/4". I won't cry if it doesn't sell. Who knows? Maybe another safari will beckon. In the meantime, I'll probably whack a hog with it.
Bob

Sweet 375! Someone should scoop it up!

Thanks for the ideas, guys!

BSA - The FFII is a good scope. I can see why you like it. I think I'd want a little more ER for this rifle, though. Maybe I'll just get the 8x56 and hunt elk in the middle of the night. lol.

Eric

S&B 3x12 x 50 Klassic

You sure the 56mm OBJ. is big enough???

You think I'm kidding with that 56mm, BSA...? You just wait and see.. lol.

I'm actually leaning towards a Leupold 6x42 LR, but I've had a few Leupolds crap out on me lately so I'm not sure I want to go there.

Eric

Eric, I have a 6x42 on my Mashburn. It is really starting to win me over very fast. It is one of the optics I have bought that I didn't feel ripped off after I started to really use it..

Glad your going with the Legend. I think your making a really good choice. I would have gone that direction, but I had already ordered my McM Pre64 MC.