Gun Porn Wednesday

[Ben Lamb]

Taking the next 10-14 days off to go chase speed goats, elk & deer from one border of the state to the other.

Pronghorn come first, and so does this:

Pre-64 (1959 manufacture) Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. It's factory original except the recoil pad and front site (which popped off on a rocky slope when I dropped it a few years ago). Scope is a Leupold VX2 3x9. This rifle drives tacks. It loves 165s, and I just found a load for 180's that it dumps into about a .5 inch group at 100 yards. This rifle was a gift from an old fly-fishing friend who had it gifted to him by an old Pronghorn hunter. Neither of them had children who wanted the rifle.

 

[MKotur325]

Beautiful piece of wood on that. Nice to see the the golden oldies that still perform! Nice Stick!

 

[noharleyyet]

30-06....?

 

[MKotur325]

I would assume so, clearly long action. If you look at the target it says 57gr IMR4350. Sounds alot like an '-06 load to me.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Yes, 06. She's my main game getter.

 

[noharleyyet]

Yes, 06. She's my main game getter.

Form, function, venerable calibre....I like.

 

[noharleyyet]

I would assume so, clearly long action. If you look at the target it says 57gr IMR4350. Sounds alot like an '-06 load to me.

Ben does leave adequate clues for speculation.

 

[2rocky]

Sounds like the perfect tool for the one rifle guy. I can respect that.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Sounds like the perfect tool for the one rifle guy. I can respect that.

It would be, but who wants to live in a world where you have only one rifle?

 

[2rocky]

It would be, but who wants to live in a world where you have only one rifle?

I like the OPTION to limit myself to one rifle. Kinda like having just one wife....

 

[Bambistew]

I would assume so, clearly long action.

I think Winchester introduced their "short" action in the late 70's, not sure on date... All Pre-64s M70s were "long" action, from 375H&H to 308. The action was designed around the '06 length cartridges, and either modified for the long mags such as 300 & 375 H&H with a notch cut in the rear bridge, or a spacer and bolt stop for the short rounds. The action is about 1/8 in shorter than the current long action M70s, so one can bubba a new long action stock onto the old pre-64 action.

You have great friends Ben, and nice taste in rifles.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I like the OPTION to limit myself to one rifle. Kinda like having just one wife....

Owning mulitple guns is much cheaper than multiple wives.

 

[WV Hunter]

I like the OPTION to limit myself to one rifle. Kinda like having just one wife....

Beware of the man with one rifle, he probably knows how to shoot it

 

[stillkickin]

Owning mulitple guns is much cheaper than multiple wives.

Amen to that!

 

[MKotur325]

I think Winchester introduced their "short" action in the late 70's, not sure on date... All Pre-64s M70s were "long" action, from 375H&H to 308. The action was designed around the '06 length cartridges, and either modified for the long mags such as 300 & 375 H&H with a notch cut in the rear bridge, or a spacer and bolt stop for the short rounds. The action is about 1/8 in shorter than the current long action M70s, so one can bubba a new long action stock onto the old pre-64 action.

Not sure if they changed the action length, but Winchester did chamber the pre '64 for both .243 and .308. I could have sworn that they had a short action variant that was released in the mid 50's to run these two... Anyone?

Do we have a Gun Guru?

 

[ERSS]

Love those Winchester classic action featherweights. That stock looks a little different from mine. Seems like most I have seen ( definitely post 64 ) have this type of stock style. Any idea what year they switched?

Your classic winchester is in amazing shape, best of luck on your hunts!

 

[Ben Lamb]

ERSS, they went from cut checkering to pressed in 64, along with eliminating the claw extractor and few other handcrafted touches. Winchester wanted to compete with the Remington 700 & the only way they could think of was to reduce the quality of materials and eliminate skilled labor.

Not sure when they went back to the classic design, with the new stock (Schnable forend, cut checkering ,etc).

 

[Southwind]

To stay in theme a mod 70 fwt 270 wsm

a 61 ,od 70 fwt 270 win

 

[MtnWest]

Good looking rigs. I'll play the Mod 70 game. Son carries the featherweight 7x57 that I did at his age and mine is a Pre-64 264 Westerner.

 

[Ben Lamb]

A model 70 in 7mm Mauser is one of those quintessential game guns. Fantastic combo,

Love seeing all the Winchesters!