When I get a gun in I take it apart and put a real scrub,clean and inspect for any surprise,My .264 is my first with a std, dog knot barrel,question being how do you folks set the forearm screw. Somewhere in the back of my mine someone had told me just engage the threads do not torque. What is you folks rule of thumb on that screw ? I could tell that I was the first to have the gun apart since it was built in 59' . I started to seal the barrel channel but did not. thanks

Just barely snug, like the middle action screw.

The same as I do my middle action screw; tighten it up good then back it off 1/2 turn,

Winchesterpoor: One part of me wishes you would NOT shoot that nifty pre-64 Model 70 and another part hopes it will shoot as good as it looks for you?
Personally I would take the scope rings and bases off'in it and stow it away as an investment.
Then I would go buy a Remington 700 Classic in 264 Winchester Magnum or one of the wonderful Remington 700 Sendero's in that caliber - and Hunt away with one of those.
Back when I did Hunt (Varmints and Big Game) with pre-64 Winchester Model 70 Standard Rifles I would set the barrel screw to 30 inch/pounds - or just snug.
I sat the action screws at 40 to 45 inch/pounds by comparison.
Over the decades I found just one pre-64 Standard Rifle that prefered next to no torque on that barrel screw to shoot its best.
Either way (use it for Hunting or stow it and use it for an investment and pride of ownership!) that is a dandy Rifle you have there.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmint Guy, I know what you are saying vis hunting with a 90+% mod 70, my situation is unique in that I can walk out the back door and be in one of several tree stands on the river place, I take care to not ding gun against metal ladder and just generally 'be particular' with the old gals, I usually wipe em down with corrosion X after dark. I have only fired 18 rounds with the .264 and walked 200 yards between each shot,a feat for my since the cow horned my azz in 2000! Heck I seem to pick up more 'safe rash' from the safe than hunting the guns!! Here is a photo of first blood,freezer meat with the westerner, 1 coyote as well but only a sorry cell phone pix of the yote.

I treat em like little girl daughters... It shoots so well with factory ammo that I think I am going to just stick with it, save all the rounds one must shoot to do load development,and it is a simple way for me to keep up with round count as I save all boxes and brass, I do not feel that Winchester factory ammo is 'hot'. The varminters make the 4.5 mi trip to the farm where my old 3350 ft air strip serves as pasture and range. Maybe 40 rounds a gun / year, all factory .Long story short a hunt for me is not like a 2 day trip up the mountain on a horse in whatever weather the Good Lord has in store. Nuff rambling I will take very good care of them during my hopefully next 15-20 years max. I do have and use a'truck' gun... very best

Kind of like I treat my high grade Browning. Tow the Kawasaki Mule to the ranch entrance. Unload. Put cased gun on Mule, and drive to stand. Enter stand with cased gun. Unzip and use case for a pad. Look, watch deer, or make meat. Case gun, field dress deer ( only if one comes by that needs killing), reverse the above back to the safe.

If the hunting is hard, other less valuable guns do the dirty work.

I like to go out and watch the deer interact. If things get boring, one can study the engraving or the fine line checkering and wonder what that would cost today. Short answer is that I could no longer afford same. Jack

Nice collection. I'm glad to see someone else likes using them just the way they came from the factory (well except with scopes on them). You have excellent taste in fine rifles!!

Winchesterpoor, you are RICH in Winchesters! Nice collection!

Eric

Good looking rifles, what cartridges you shooting there?

264win mag, 30-06, 243win, 220swift. very best

Winchesterpoor........very nice M 70's.

Love the 220 I bet!

I will never sell that one in my lifetime, Mr Rule says Winchester made 904 Swifts in the Varminter. To me it is the king of varmint .22 cals. In my younger dumber days I shot whitetails on crop control with a swift.