Possibly the holy grail of hog rifles....

[H&Hhunter]

last week I was pursuing the local gun stores and lo and behold on the discount used rack there sits a pre 64 model 70 feather weight in .358 Win.

And in nearly NEW, PERFECT CONDITION!! Needless to say I grabbed the rifle and forearm shivered two little kids and an old lady on the way to the counter. The guy had no idea what he had and I didn't feel the need to educate him.

In any case on the way home I bought a couple of Lbs of H4895 some 225gr Noslers BTs.

I then had my buddy Ashley Emerson express mail me a rear ghost ring and front post and wala a hog hunting I did go.

That little bugger is the easiest carrying sweetest shooting little rifle I've ever messed with. And oh ya it didn't hurt my feelings that it shoots MOA either.

In any case hunting was a bit slow and I only killed two hogs one 150lber and a little ole 60 lb shoat. But preliminary results seem to indicate that the little .358 round is a true B/slapper. Both hogs went down with authority.

I think I'm going to like this little jewel. More reports to come.

 

[Art Eatman]

 

[DigMe]

Nice.

brad cook

 

[LeonCarr]

They did not make very many of them...good catch . Pictures?

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[H&Hhunter]

Some pics as requested...

She is in fantastic condition and the bore is shiney, bright and sharp as well. It has a sweet trigger job. This was a riflemans baby at sometime in history. I'm sure he'll be glad to know she's in good hands..

 

[GunGoBoom]

Outstanding...I'm jealous!

 

[BigG]

Excellent catch! Great gun and caliber.

 

[Ole-sailor]

Every now and then the Lord smiles on us

It is a total joy to hear that a great piece of shootin hardware ended up in the hands of a qualified owner.

Good shootin'

Ole-sailor

P.S. I have two pre-64 model 70 Winchesters in 30-06 both of which are fine shooters! Both were made in the early 1950's

 

[LeonCarr]

Thats a purty rifle .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[elkhunter]

Nice rifle. I wish I could find deals that good around here.

 

[P95Carry]

You sure lucked out there H&H - nice deal indeed.

So, you can throw 225's - sounds well useful but - and I am too lazy to consult my load data books - what sorta vel do you reckon you'll achieve - I am lusting to calculate an ME figure, tho obviously thus far it's proved a good put-down!

Lucky - or what!

 

[H&Hhunter]

So, you can throw 225's - sounds well useful but - and I am too lazy to consult my load data books - what sorta vel do you reckon you'll achieve - I am lusting to calculate an ME figure, tho obviously thus far it's proved a good put-down!

P95,

I am throwing a 225 NBT at around 2400FPS. I've seen loads as high as 2500 but don't really see the need. The little bugger does have some serious smack down for such a light compact low recoiling rifle.

 

[P95Carry]

2875 ft lbs - that'll work!!!

Thx!

 

[Matt G]

Heh. Ashley prol'ly had more respect for your Pre-'64 M70 Featherweight than he had for mine. I pulled out my "new" (thanks, Art!) '53 vintage .243 Featherweight and showed it to Ashley last month while hog hunting, and he sniffed and allowed that we might get a shot at a coyote with it, but didn't I have something in a real caliber? He seems to know no calibers betwen .22 LR and big bore. (I had, of course, brought the Springfield .35 Whelen for such stuff, and was pushing my 225 Sierra spitzers out at about 100 fps faster than your .358 load.[But it's a heavier rifle, and a longer action, and a completely different cartridge altogether.])

That's a very sweet (nicely preserved but huntable) rig you've got there, and classic looking, to boot. What sling do you have for it?

 

[H&Hhunter]

Matt,

Did you guys hunt on the Triangle and if so did you stay in my trailer?

That rifle wears a Murray latigo style(I'm not sure of the proper name) sling. Murray sent it to me as a token of gratitude after I let him and Ashley stay in my rig for the weekend.

 

[Matt G]

Well heck, pilgrim, Ashley called it his trailer, so I don' know. There was another trailer next door. Could that be yours? Either way, I can attest to the fact that we left it right clean.

I'll confess that I don't know the geography well enough to know where we hunted, 'cept it was a LOT of Almost Panhandle countryside in Cottle Co. TX near Paduchah, that gave lie to the myth that "it's so flat out it's boring!" I wore myself out (happily) rambling up and down those cliffs and caprocks. You know what? Don't tell him I said so, but that Emerson feller's a pretty good hog guide.

 

[unclestu]

Congratulations! BTW, that stock is pretty rare too, I think they only put them on the .358's. My Deer rifle: a pre-64 M-70 in .270 Win.

Good catch!

 

[El Tejon]

Excellent weapon!

 

[H&Hhunter]

Well heck, pilgrim, Ashley called it his trailer, so I don' know. There was another trailer next door. Could that be yours? Either way, I can attest to the fact that we left it right clean.

Matt,

Ashley doesn't have a trailer. You stayed in my rig. Which I've discovered becomes his rig when I'm not around. If you noticed it had Colorado plates on it.

That other trailer over to the south is an abandoned deer hunters rig.

But your welcome anyway..

Oh and yes, Y'all did leave it right clean. Thank you..

And yes that was the triangle ranch you were hunting. Ashley and I both have varmint leases on the ranch. Pretty place ain't it?

 

[Kestrel]

H&H,

Beautiful! I picked up one in .30-06, just like it a couple of years ago, in similar condition.

The Ashley Emerson sights - does the rear attach to the rear scope mount holes? Does the front sight slide into the existing fron tsight base? (What is different about it?)

I'd like to contact him for the same sight setup for mine...

Thanks,
Steve

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

H&H:

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool 35 caliber kind of guy, so please forgive me for asking, but if it was on the used gun, discount rack, what kind of bargain price did the ignorant (as in, lack-of-knowledge) seller have on it?

Shweet lookin' rifle, BTW. My Holy grail is a Marlin 336-ER in .356 Win.

Sam

 

[H&Hhunter]

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool 35 caliber kind of guy, so please forgive me for asking, but if it was on the used gun, discount rack, what kind of bargain price did the ignorant (as in, lack-of-knowledge) seller have on it?

Sam,

I'll just say this, it was under a grand.

According to my blue book that rifle in that in that condition in that caliber is worth around $1800.00.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Matt,

Don't get the impression that I'm ruffled over you guys staying in my rig. Ashely is welcome to use it anytime he wants. I just thought it was ironic that you've slept in my bed....

Greg

 

[nico]

You guys with your pre-64 Model 70s really make me wish my grandfather hadn't sold his before he died (for more reasons than just having a pre-64 M70, obviously).

Very nice catch H&H. I'm not very familiar with the .358Win. Anybody care to fill me in?

 

[H&Hhunter]

Nico,

The .358 win is quite simply a .308 win necked up to .358. It was developed in the late 1950's and never really caught on. The round pushes a 225gr bullet at a max of about 2500fps and a 250 at like 2300fps.

It is one of those rounds that looks lack luster on paper and is in reality quite potent on game not to mention a very effcient cartridge. Not to much recoil and muzzle blast is pleasant compared to the thunder mags of today.

Winchester only built a very few of these rifle in the Model 70 featherweight and many of those were rechambered for one reason or another making this an extremely rare Winchster rifle in a really cool caliber.

I am a bit of a model 70 geek so you'll have to excuse the bubbly oration!!