The Winchester- Pics or it didn't happen...

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ali9cg8

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The Winchester 70 arrived. Not ashamed to admit that it slept next to my bed last night. Its a standard Model 70, 30.06, serial number 148414- which dates it back to 1950. The scope is a Weaver K-4 1 and I apologize for my lack of photography skills this afternoon. The lighting- always the lighting!

Please let me know your thoughts, advice, critiques, ect. I welcome it all. The reloading advice was pretty well covered in highpower's thread and I plan to start my disassembly "getting to know you" process tonight.

Oh, and I also wanted recoil pad advice. I love the stock as is- similar to my service rifles, but how hard it this thing going to kick without it? I'm not a hunter, strictly target shooting and my mainstay rifles are my Springfield 03A3 and the Garand. Fine with those, I can put 60 rounds through offhand without much difficultly. Just wondering what shades of black and blue can I expect without a recoil pad?

Thanks, and hope ya'll are having good shooting weather this weekend.
 

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Looks like solid rifle much like FN Mauser Sporters, Brno 47/22 or Parker Hale of same vintage. I would replace antiquated scope with new one. Few years back Khales 'Helia' 1.5-6x42 was best optic for the money. Not sure what I would pick today, but new scope is what your rifle needs.
 
My first center fire rifle was a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 with a Weaver K2.5. Bought new in 1959, before variable scopes and 400 yard shots were the norm. I was 14, 130 pounds, never needed a recoil pad. Still have the rifle.
 
I'm a real Model 70 fan and I would offer some suggestions. I don't know how you hold a rifle but it looks to me the scope is mounted a little far to the rear. The first few times you shoot watch to make sure it isn't coming close to your eye. I can't tell the condition of your stock but it is almost a sin to cut a vintage stock with a steel butt plate and add a pad. If you want a recoil pad I would suggest at some point in the future of buying another shooter standard grade monte carlo stock off eBay that already has a pad. A recoil pad added by a competent gunsmith will cost you $100 and a replacement shooter stock with a recoil pad will cost about $185. Standard grade Winchester pre 64 model 70 stocks with a straight tang are very interchangable and any non magnum stock from 1950 through 1963 will fit your rifle. One final point, your rifle is capable of really good accuracy and to get the highest level of performance requires shooting good bullets and having good optics. Not to be critical but you are limiting the performance level with a Weaver K4 scope. Bullet manufacturing and optic design has really come a long way since 1950 and your rifle with modern bullets and modern optics should perform like a new quality rifle bought today. If you're satisfied with the Weaver keep it but I'm trying to explain that there's a whole level of performance above that perticular scope. If all of your shooting is at 100 yards or less you may never know the difference.
 
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I kill elk with that same setup, although mine is a post '64 model. I think the K-4 may last forever. I don't find 30-06 recoil to be bad at all. Congrats!
 
I can't tell the condition of your stock but it is almost a sin to cut a vintage stock with a steel butt plate and add a pad. If you want a recoil pad I would suggest at some point in the future of buying another shooter standard grade monte carlo stock off eBay that already has a pad.
Click to expand...

this!

please take this advice. don't monkey with the stock.
 
I would loose the Weaver and go with a gloss VX-2 3-9X40mm on Talley lightweight lows. And I would definitely have a smith add a perfectly fitted RED Decelerator recoil pad. It is your rifle and you should fit it to your needs.
 
limbsaver is what I use on my M70s. DO NOT alter your stock in any way. Not because of the fact that it will kill the value, although it will, but because IMHO the pre-64 M70 was the best non-custom hunting rifle ever made. The fact it's a .30-06 makes it the perfect rifle. I'm jealous. My M70s are all the new FNs, which are great rifles and as close to the pre-64 as you can get, but they are not.
 
Congrats! Looks great. Leave it as it came from the factory. :D Thanks for the pictures.

Geno
 
beautiful rifle. congrats!

shoot it first before you change the stock or scope. the rifle weighs a bit under eight pounds (with scope) and should not kick that bad. that scope is bullet proof.

murf
 
Don't cut that stock for a pad.

Get a slip on pad. Measure that rifle and others and get one that will fit all for your first one.

I have them in my range bag and use them all of the time there.

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Some pads out there will use the existing screw holes. I'd suggest trying to find one that matches your rifle. As for the scope, I'd agree with replacing it. While some people think replacing an old scope like that is a sacrilege, the truth is that optics are one area that have improved so dramatically that even a sub-$100 Simmons scope is still going to give you better magnification and clarity than that old Weaver. It makes zero sense to cripple it with obsolete optics.
 
murf,

Those old weaver scopes were a joke. We called them "no see'm thru scopes!" lol

I was there when those old M70's were being made. The steel and aluminum butt plates they came with really hurt.

I still have the steel plate on my 1957 M70 243 Varmint that I ordered new however the others were terrible.

The magnums came with a recoil pad!
 
I have a Rem 700 that came with a hard plastic butt cover -- the first time out it was interesting, after about 10 shots I put one of my sand bags behind the stock.

I ground a pad down to fit -- hole placement was an exact match so I did not cut the stock -- Length of Pull was increased but I am taller than norman.

Another option is a pad that goes over your shirt to minimize the recoil shock -- then you do not have to modify the rifle at all.

Something like this -- http://www.amazon.com/Past-Super-Plus-Recoil-Shield/dp/B001C5XOJQ/ref=sr_1_13?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1365434527&sr=1-13


UK
 
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