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Pre-64 M70

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mlv2k5 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mlv2k5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Pre-64 M70
    Posted: May/28/2010 at 22:45

I have always wanted an old Pre-64 Model 70, but truthfully I never understood what the fuss was about. They are very handsome rifles to be sure, but the stocks are usually fairly plain and the prices in many cases are astronomical.

Well, you still wont see me paying five grand for one...mostly just because I don't have five grand , but I am here to say that the legend is well deserved in my humble opinion.

I recently had the opportunity to purchase one at what seemed to me to be a very good price. By collector standards I'm sure my rifle is garbage, it has some dings, the varnish and blueing are wearing thin is spots etc etc...but then I purchased it as a nostalgic and classic styled hunting rifle so all of those things were irrelevant. 

The rifle is a 1946 with the straight comb stock. It is chambered in .270 with a 24 in barrel and weighs around 9 or 10 pounds as it is currently set up. The amazing thing is that despite the barrel length and weight it handles wonderfully and shoulders better than any other rifle I own. Perhaps this says something, because I believe the length of pull is also shorter than most of my other firearms. Needless to say, upon looking at and handling my "new" classic, I was very pleased.

However, when I took it out to shoot this past weekend, my happiness with my purchase turned into elation. The rifle flat out shoots! I only had a couple different brands of ammo on hand, but it shot all of them well. It particularly liked the 130 grain Hornady SST's, which it repeatedly printed three shots into what appeared to be a single .30 caliber hole at about thirty yards. 

 As though it wasn't impressive enough at close brush hunting and stalking ranges, I decided to stretch it out to 100 yards just to see what it would do. I'll admit, I went out thinking that if the gun would shoot 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups as 100 I was going to be happy. What I got instead was a nice little .9 three shot group. The kicker is that I shot this group with a 60-year-old Lyman Alaskan 2.5 power mounted on the rifle. At a hundred yards, even the fine crosshairs completely obscured the 1 inch shooting dot I was aiming at. I plan to keep this scope as the primary optic on my rifle, but I am curious what this thing will really do. I believe I may have to buy some QD rings and bases and throw a nice 3x9 on top just to see what kind of accuracy I can really wring out of her.

Long story short, I am ecstatic with this firearm. It is strange because modern advertising has led us to believe that if a rifle doesn’t have all of the hyped assets and special features it isn't acceptable for hunting/target shooting. This rifle has no pillar bedding, no glass bedding, no target crown, no fancy recoil pad, no free floated barrel, no special polymer alloy carbon fiber kevlar weave mumbo jumbo stock. 

Instead it is just a very well made, handcrafted firearm...and at 64 years old with a "crappy" scope (according to modern manufacturing and advertising execs because it doesn't have their proprietary lens coatings or special recoil locking system etc etc) this set-up straight up shoots. For typical eastern whitetail hunting ranges and situations I would match this firearm against anything else out there for the task of successfully taking game. The difference is the unique feel of nostalgia and craftsmanship that became apparent immediately when carrying the firearm-traits that are sorely missed among the majority of modern factory hunting rifles these days. 

-Michael
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 23:20
 All that and not one pic?   Sad
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mike650 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 23:25
Big Smile
“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/29/2010 at 08:52
its about the action man.Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/29/2010 at 13:10
I have a 1948 transition model that will probably be buried with me.................... about 98% condition...................it shoots bullets into a small cluster that you can cover up with a quarter..........................I ain't parting with it...................
 
 
 
 
( mine has the little rabbit's foot safety...........) 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/29/2010 at 13:11
Hey!!!  Here is a picture of the Transition safety..........!!!  
 
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mlv2k5 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mlv2k5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/31/2010 at 21:31
-Michael
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mlv2k5 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mlv2k5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/31/2010 at 21:33
My apologies, Guess this shoulda come before the write-up but here you are gents...have a look see
-Michael
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/31/2010 at 23:20
Looks a lot like my dad's pre 64 M70.  His is also a 270 and is a tack driver.  Very nice rifles.  Glad you got a shooter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/01/2010 at 06:55
 That's a CLASSIC and a part of huntings history,Michael!!!  THANKS for sharing.
 
 Uh,where you gettin buried at Ed?   Naughty
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