Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??

I have the opportunity to buy this rifle. He says Has winchester paper stating year made and history and that he has owned it for 40 years and never shot it or scoped it. Says his uncle was original owner and it was shot only a handful of times. Very respectable man I have known for years. Says gun is in excellent condition. I will have first rights at buying. What can you tell me about this gun??? Value??

$2,450.00

Very nice guns, tackdrivers! Off top of head 2400 were built and sold, a few at the very end had CM vs SS barrels. I have shot sub 1 1/4" , 5 shot ,300 yard groups with mine, It was dead calm, cool, my farm airstrip ,factory 70 gr Federal Perm ammo. mine is a 56' my 220 swift is a late 59' ( 904 of them) there is very little difference in the Varminter and Target , stock being the main change. very best on a nice gun, buy it if at all possible! very best on a good one!, If you decide you dont need it take photos and give me a chance. WinPoor

I think BSA is in the ball park price wise, maybe a little more maybe a little less depending on condition. Can you post some pictures of it?

I will after I go see it tonight or tomorrow. I'm new to the old winchester game for sure. What should I be looking for to determine real vs fake? Will it say varmint on barrel or target? If it's a target what's the value?? I greatly appreciate all your help guys. I might just be getting bit by the bug

It will say model 70, you will know by the 26" ,med heavy barrel and sporter style stock that it is the Varminter, the Target will be in a Marksman stock, a lot of good info here BUT do yourself a favor and buy the paperback book ,The Riflemans Rifle by Mr Roger Rule. It will pay for itself in a hurry because if you buy this Varminter ( it sounds like a good one!)you will have to have more, pre 64's are like a good woman or drug. very best and welcome WinPoor

Thanks guys. Greatly appreciate all help

I bought one new in 1957 and I still have it. It cost $124.95.

That $2400 price is high but that's collecting pre 64's.

I wanted one gun that I could shoot in competition in the big bore matches that did not kick like an 06 yet be a long range chuck gun.

It did very well in the matches and was kind of heavy for chucks.

The barrel wore out however an old buddy had another barrel so that's on the rifle now. That barrel is a 220 Swift chamber.

Post us up photos, We all love these darn things and have never seen one we did not like ! very best WinPoor

an old shot of mine with a 6x 18 Pentax, it ended up being a POS scope, give me an old Redfield, Leupold or if I hit the lottery a S&B, Sworo... very best WinPoor

My 50,1,2,and 300 yard range, my uncles family have cut those planted pines, we had a storm then the beetles moved in. very best winpoor

220 Swift on a day when I was on, at 100 with 55 Hornady Customammo , grey boxry best winpoor

I called the neck shot on the horse to my buddys, the scope is my very favorite 10X OLD Leupold with the thick to thin tapering X hairs. WinPoor

same gun shooting Federal 52Gr Match ammo, this gun likes the Hornady 55 gr Custom better! My Varminter swift is picky on ammo, I had an old tang safe Ruger 77V that came from factory with a Douglas prem heavy barrel the would shoot any ammo made! I sold it after 3000 rounds to help buy the Winchester, the Ruger was still shooting under .75, To my thinking you have to try to burn a swift out OR do not know how to clean! v best WinPoor

I've had two varmints in 243, still have one of them, and they were both unreal when it comes to accuracy. They both preffered lighter bullets in the 55-60 grain range.

I bought some 58 gr Hornady .243 ammo and did not have readers on, it was moly coated and due to it attracting moisture I'm not a fan, the Boron is the way to go IF you are trying to shoot in the teens. Half inch and I smile from ear to ear, I own more half inch guns than a fellow should be so blessed to have now the nut behind the trigger wiggles to much! I did nail a crow scratching peanut seed up a week of so ago at I'm guessing 250 yards, heck that made me smile! Now back to the story, mine likes the 70 gr and 95 gr ammo better than the 58 gr moly stuff and it may well have been me that day. I'm going to dig back thru empty ammo boxes but I got ahold of an obscure box of rem ammo, 1 box just to try, I'm pretty sure it was a 60 gr flat base hollow point and it shot like a house afire! Of course by the time I got back to pawn shop to clean the shelf out somebody else had cleaned em out!Same with the 220 Swift, I bought some flat base 53 gr rem match ammo one time that was pure magic!! very best winpoor

These old motteled 26" SS barrels make a noise like a bank vault shutting when you chamber a round, You also know if you do not kill the house fly at 100 yards its your fault not the gun once you get em dialed in! Dog darn sure build confidence, I really worked with my swift when I got it as I had been looking for years for one, I was a little disappointed at first till I found pet factory ammo, I worked with it several nice cool days in a row and learned what the bench guys have known for years, a few degrees in temp and or humidity can have you shading a tad high or low, a clean barrel may take a few shots to foul and 'settle in' heck how tight you hold it makes a difference.
This is one gun that I learned that a target knob on the elevation is nice! I like to set windage dead calm and never fool with it again if its a good scope, I had rather 'hold' wind .
To build a tack driver like a lot of these old gals will shoot will have you digging deep in the coffee can!
This afternoon Im going to work with one I can afford to shoot,a sporter varmint in 223 rem that Ive had the barrel shortened on from 26" to 23",I bought several thousand rounds of Federal 50 gr HPs, that was some kind of Govt over run or maybe seconds, Lake City and military crimp, several years ago they popped up at Wally World in 200 round Fed boxes, inside were white box 20 round boxes. 36cent a round out the door, my gun shot them well and I wish I had bought 50K rounds but I did end up with 10K. Darn great crow and coyote medicine! easy to sell the once fired brass for 25 cent at hull. I will take some photos after I get her dialed in. very best winpoor