post 64 model 70 winchester 30-06

the post-63 rifles are basically the same design as the pre-64s, and shoot just as well if the poor fitment is fixed. 200 dollars sounds like a great price for a model 70 winchester.

murf

The post 64's are the same as the pre 64's in that they are bolt actions. That's about the end of it.
Less than $200? Buy it if you want it. Good price for any CF rifle.

the post-63 rifles are basically the same design as the pre-64s

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There were enough changes in 1964 that it should have been given a different model number.

The action was completely redesigned, pre 64's were controlled round feed with a large claw extractor and blade ejector. The rifles made 1964-1992 all had pushfeed actions with a tiny spring loaded extractor and button ejector.

For the 1st 10-15 years after the change overall quality was questionable, but still most were pretty good shooters. By about 1980 they were making excellent rifles, just PF instead of CRF that many prefer. In 1992 Winchester brought back CRF in their top end rifles, but continued to make PF in their budget line.

Since 2008 when FN started making rifles under the Winchester name they have been making very good rifles and only the CRF versions.

$200 or less is an excellent price and it will likely be a good shooter if a little rough looking. There are some options to replace the stock with better at some decent prices at the link below if you decide to buy it. I think you'll find it a step up over the 700's you've been shooting.

http://www.cdnnsports.com/gun-parts.html?brand=1322&cat=36

The rifle is almost certainly a pre 2008 rifle and will need the adapter sold for $10 in the link to make a newer stock fit an older rifle.

Catpop-
The trigger on that M70 will be adjustable. The trigger on my 2006 M70 coyote is identical to my 1936 M70. You will need 2 small open end wrenches [1/4 or 5/16, I forget]
The trigger is one thing that carried over from the pre-64's and it is legendary for it's crispness. FN changed it I read but even so the same basic design lasted 70 years.
The excellent 3 position safety stayed also. What caliber is it?

Jmr40, thanks for the post. Good information. I like my early 90's push feed 30-06 a lot, and think it is a highly underrated action mostly because it was always compared to the pre-64, and not appreciated on it's own merit.

The only issue with mine is that I think a wood stock would be nicer than the black plastic stock, and thanks to the CDNN link, I can get one now. Pacific tool has aluminum and steel bottom metal for the '70, so I can set mine up nicely.

See this link below for a good explanation of Model 70s.

http://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/ctgy/winchester-model-70-information

If receiver stiffness is important to you, the Winchester is near 3 times stiffer than the Remington. And it's more reliable and easier to maintain.

Catpop,

I've built match rifles out of both the post-'63 Winchester pushfeed and CRF actions. They are excellent. For less than $200 you did really good.

Don

I own one of the post-63 model 70's. I bought it back in 89 from a Service Merchandise for the princely sum of $219 IIRC. I really didn't know much about guns then & my research was just that my Dad had a winchester pump .22 that was very accurate. I bought a .30-06 because that was what all the older guys I knew that hunted used. I don't really have anything to compare it to as it is the only deer rifle I've ever had other than a Marlin .30-.30 I sold off when I got in a bind in the mid-80's. It is sub MOA with Remington core-lokt ammunition. It is a little over MOA with the Hornady stuff I swapped to a couple of years ago when things were crazy & I couldn't find any core lokt to buy. From time to time I think about getting another deer rifle but I've never really had a reason to.

Oh, Mine is the Ranger Model it was the cheapest model Winchester sold at the time. The only difference between it & their higher end models was that it has a plain birch stock instead of having nicer wood.

I own a push feed Winchester M70 and have owned Remington model 700s. I vastly prefer the M70.Reasons: far superior trigger and three position safety. It shoots sub MOA with my hand loads. Granted, I did float the barrel and bedded the stock with JB Weld, but I do that with all of my center fire rifles. I paid a little over 230$ from a pawn shop and have put a few thousand rounds through it. It is a .270W.

it would have surely come home if id would have seen it for 200 bucks!!

a quarter inch open end wrench for adjusting the trigger.

murf

Good snag. I found a SS M70 last year for $238.00. It only took long enough to log in and hit the buy it now before it was mine.

I have a 1968 model 70 in 30-06. You can tell the year of production via the serial number, with a little Google work you'll find a guide online correlating serial number to year.

I understand why people prefer the pre-64 to my 1968, Winchester really cheaped out to cut costs and it shows -- the pre-64s are definitely nicer. That being said, mine is a great shooter, and I've no complaints about the action or trigger. It's definitely worth $200. There are lots of aftermarket stock options, a Bell and Carlson synthetic stock with aluminum bedding block runs around $250 if I recall correctly.

My biggest gripe on my 1968 model is probably the pressed checkering. It's purely ornamental, and does not help you grip the rifle in any way. I've been trying to keep the rifle original because it was my grandfather's, but I may have to replace the stock (or have someone cut real checkering).

a quarter inch open end wrench for adjusting the trigger.

murf

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You need two to loosen the jam nut.

you can get by with a small crescent wrench for the top nut (best with two wrenches, though).

murf

For what you paid, you can have it sent out for cerakote and put it into a McMillan fiberglass stock.

Catpop;

You did real good! If, for some reason it doesn't work out for you, you should have no problem making a coupla bucks on it too.

900F

Try some 180-185gr ammo; it seems to work fairly well in the factory barrels.

Best buy on a post '64 Win 70 target rifle was one in .308 Win.; brand new still sealed in its box. 'Twas on a USN guided missile frigate I was stationed on (mid 1975) in the ships store. Someone had special ordered it, then got tossed in the brig for being a naughty boy.

The ship's store manager asked me if I wanted to buy it for $50 to clear it from his stock. Darned near broke two fingers grabbing my billfold as fast as I could.

A better deal a few years later, in my opinon, than a pre '64 Win 70 featherweight in .30-06 that its owner ringed the barrel about 1/2 inch back from the muzzle. He asked me if I'd take it for $20. That night, I cut the barrel off an inch, squared it up then recrowned the muzzle. Still a good deal.

$20? You didn't try to talk him down?

The guys are right. You need 2 quarter inch open wrenches and a small standard slot screwdriver to adjust the trigger. The nut and screw slot on the bottom of the trigger adjusts the overtravel and you want to feel a little looseness when the firing pin is forward. If the trigger feels too hard move the two nuts down on the rod until the trigger pull gets less. This removes some of the spring pressure. The action will need to be in the stock to check for final trigger pull. If the trigger pull is still to heavy when the nuts are all the way down you can remove one of the nuts so that only one nut holds the spring. Even when using only one nut I have never had the trigger pull change. It's better to remove one nut than to cut a coil off the spring. After the trigger has been adjusted to a feel that you like it is time to check for creep. Creep is when you feel the trigger move before the firing pin falls. The best solution to a creepy Model 70 trigger is to install a Timney #401 which costs about $120.

Bart B. said:

Best buy on a post '64 Win 70 target rifle was one in .308 Win.; brand new still sealed in its box. 'Twas on a USN guided missile frigate I was stationed on (mid 1975) in the ships store. Someone had special ordered it, then got tossed in the brig for being a naughty boy.

The ship's store manager asked me if I wanted to buy it for $50 to clear it from his stock. Darned near broke two fingers grabbing my billfold as fast as I could.

A better deal a few years later, in my opinon, than a pre '64 Win 70 featherweight in .30-06 that its owner ringed the barrel about 1/2 inch back from the muzzle. He asked me if I'd take it for $20. That night, I cut the barrel off an inch, squared it up then recrowned the muzzle. Still a good deal.

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Bart, I commend you on your good luck and good deals.
But posting them was just... well, mean.