For 270 & Antelope fans; An Old Cowboys Model 70, bought it in a Cheyenne Wy. pawn shop 40 years ago

[Mustangs Rule]

I saw this model 70 the second I walked in. Once in my hands I never put it down till the deal was done. Held it listening to this story,

A widow brought it in to sell. She was moving south to live with one of her daughters. It was her husbands only rifle. He returned from the Korean War, married her, his sweetheart and bought this rifle.


He never owned a ranch but was a well-respected cowboy. They lived in mobile homes and in cabins on other peoples ranches. Had two daughters. There was always roof over their heads and food on the table, much due to his rifle. His only other possessions were a pick up and saddle. He rode the ranch horses.


He never drank or smoked but hunted a lot, mostly for antelope on the ranches where he worked, no tags, just hunt.


The rifle was 100 % original, lots of kind handling wear but no scars. Not a hint of rust with a bright bore with sharp rifling. The bluing on the 4X scope was bare metal in places from saddle scabbard rubbing.


This was the only rifle I hunted with when I lived in Wyoming, when antelope tags were dealt out to residents like a hand of poker cards. Out of respect, I left “His Rifle” just as was 40 years ago when I bought it. Got any antelope or 270 stories to share ? I do !

 

[Badknees104]

great story...would love to see some pics of the old 70

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Good People. Poor People, Eating a lot of Antelope.

The above story about the Old Cowboy feeding his family with his rifle became quite familiar to me when I lived in Wyoming.

I once picked up a young cowboy hitchhiking on a below zero winter day. As was typical he had a canvas duffle bag over his shoulder and in it was all he owned.

He was going to a cattle ranch, one barley owned by poor people who took in “strays”. He would spend the rest of the winter there, doing chores, tending cattle and working horses for a place to sleep and food to eat. I drove him right to that ranch and met the family. They would become my friends too.

Antelope stew was on the stove. Those long season doe antelope tags fed so many people. Looking around I could see that a lot what was in that home, the lamps, the furniture, the pots and pans came from pawn shops and thrift stores.

Boots stayed on in the house, the linoleum floor needed regular sweeping.

There was a coat rack coming in and in a corner of the living room there was a small rifle rack where a Winchester .270 and a 7mm Remington magnums ruled. Everybody used them

I loved that wide open prairie country, filled with fine people and lots of antelope.

youtube john denver matthew song - Search Videos

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[Mustangs Rule]

great story...would love to see some pics of the old 70

I need to learn how to include photos. I looked for directions here on Hunt Talk, but did not find any.
I am looking at that model 70 right now. It was made in the early 1950's before Winchesters WW2 era machinery wore out and their great gunsmiths retired out. It is so well made. The only things I ever did to was put linseed oil on the stock, and get a new leather sling. The old one was all dried up cracked. Typical of Model 70's of that period there is threaded lug under the barrel. Adjusting a separate screw under the forend sets the proper tension for barrel harmonics for different loads. Do that correctly and you can shoot the wings off a fly.

Since I left Wyoming I have not shot it, nor have I ever hunted antelope again, but I have had a lifetime of great memories with that rifle. When hunting antelope in the high mountain meadows in NW Wyoming I loaded used 180 grain Barnes round nosed originals. That was grizzly country.

I have a real cool custom saddle scabbard that fits it perfect. Time to go out and give my quarter horse mare some carrots, Ohh no more Mustangs for me. At 77 i need a horse as safe as a rocking chair.

It is fun writing these stories, Thank you for your kind words.

 

[El Jason]

Or…

 

[El Jason]

 

[EastTNHunter]

My 270 story isn’t nearly as nostalgic as that, but I bought my first center fire hunting rifle at 16yo with money earned from a summer job. Black Rem 700 270 with a blind box magazine. I put a BSA 3-9 scope on it. Killed a ton of deer with that rifle, but the scope didn’t last too long. I put a Nikon on it, then later a Luepold VX2. Got some rust on it with the cheap Remmy finish, so I spray painted the gun black. I later rattle canned the stock tan with a sandy finish. Not pretty, but accurate and reliable.

Fast forward to my daughter turning 16 and I took her to WY to hunt pronghorn. She shot her first pronghorn quickly with that rifle, and I gave it to her. She’s killed several deer with it since then. Actually killed her first deer with it.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I took picture of my model 70 in .270 but still cannot figure how to post them

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Oh Thanks to El Jason for the lesson about posting photos. i just got lost looking at it

 

[AIM STR8]

I took picture of my model 70 in .270 but still cannot figure how to post them

Were you able to download the picture to your laptop?

 

[EKYHunter]

I took picture of my model 70 in .270 but still cannot figure how to post them

Would you know how to text it to someone to post it for you? You could text it to me. PM me if you’d like.

 

[EKYHunter]

Loved your stories by the way.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Were you able to download the picture to your laptop?

Yes but got stuck from there. I am working on workaround. Hopefully you will see them soon. Thank you

 

[shb]

When hunting antelope in the high mountain meadows in NW Wyoming I loaded used 180 grain Barnes round nosed originals. That was grizzly country.

?

 

[CRJR45]

I just click on the window icon above ^^^^, click on the pic and hit open , am I doing it wrong ?

 

[AIM STR8]

Yes but got stuck from there. I am working on workaround. Hopefully you will see them soon. Thank you

Do you know where the picture resides on your laptop? .... was it a download, is it in "Pictures"?


(Snapshot of Windows Explore)

 

[ismith]

This rifle is an old pre-war Model 70 made in 1939. Looked to be as it likely was originally set up. It was well worn and with a rough bore from shooting surplus 30-06 ammo. Somehow it still managed to shoot under an inch with the right hand loads. It came out of Minnesota so maybe it had a pile of big northern whitetails to its name. I added another good whitetail to its resume along with this elk, a pronghorn and a small mule deer buck. A friend borrowed it and got a bull with it as well. Hope whoever bought it left it as it was.

 

[EKYHunter]

Posting these for @Mustangs Rule! Beautiful rifle and Ram!!

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Thanks to EKYhunter for posting these
This rifle is completely original. Often the metal butt plate is removed and wood cut down to put on a recoil pad.
The saddle scabbard is custom made to fit it and the low power scope. I did have the top of the scabbard made with double harness grade leather for scope protection.

The bullets are .277 180 grain Barnes originals. They have a super thick copper jacket for real heavy game. I used to hunt antelope in the high mountain meadows of NW Wyoming with no shortage of Grizzlies. These bullets were my Grizz insurance before bear spray came on the scene.

The knives and sheath have been with me wow over half a century. I made the sheath for a Green River Skinner, and a WW2 Navy Pilots knife with a custom handle. A gift from a childhood friend. Also sewed the sheath with copper wire, indestructible.

I made the elk antler handles for the skinning knife from a spike antler given to me by a long dead friend who literally grew up with our national forest system. I simply cannot find the words to express my gratitude to this master hunter and devoted conservationist. He taught me so much. I spoke with him the day before he died. His name was Malcolm.

 

[ismith]

Thanks to EKYhunter for posting these
This rifle is completely original. Often the metal butt plate is removed and wood cut down to put on a recoil pad.
The saddle scabbard is custom made to fit it and the low power scope. I did have the top of the scabbard made with double harness grade leather for scope protection.

The bullets are .277 180 grain Barnes originals. They have a super thick copper jacket for real heavy game. I used to hunt antelope in the high mountain meadows of NW Wyoming with no shortage of Grizzlies. These bullets were my Grizz insurance before bear spray came on the scene.

The knives and sheath have been with me wow over half a century. I made the sheath for a Green River Skinner, and a WW2 Navy Pilots knife with a custom handle. A gift from a childhood friend. Also sewed the sheath with copper wire, indestructible.

I made the elk antler handles for the skinning knife from a spike antler given to me by a long dead friend who literally grew up with our national forest system. I simply cannot find the words to express my gratitude to this master hunter and devoted conservationist. He taught me so much. I spoke with him the day before he died. His name was Malcolm.

How do those 180 grain bullets shoot?