Help Me With My Pre 64 M70 Dilema

[RedneckRampage]

I picked up a 1953 Model 70 in .308 the other day, and I need help deciding what to do with it.

The rifle is in fair shape, not a lot of bluing left, and very minimal surface rust (most is on the follower). Wood is worn, but no cracks or chunks taken out. It came with a old, made in the USA Burris 3-9x scope, and is said to shoot sub MOA with certain hand loads.

Here is where my decisions come in.

I don't need a 308, and I'm not really a fan of the round.

Option 1 -
I'm thinking about having it rebarreled into a 7mm-08, and making sorta a light weight hunting rifle out of it. I'm a fan of wood/blued guns, so I'd have it reblued and clean the stock up. Collector value doesn't matter to me. I would then put a Leupold VX2 or VX3 4.5-14 or so. Figure rebarreled and blued I'll have about $1000 into the work, then $500 into a scope, and I'll have an awesome, packable, hunting rifle.

Option 2 -
I'm a really big fan of scout rifles. Another thought was to leave it a 308, have a gunsmith machine a rail to go forward of the receiver, come up with a rear aperture sight and a taller front sight to work with it. Reblue and clean up the wood. I'd put a Leupold VX2 EIR scout scope or an M8 on it and probably spend close to the same amount of money.

Option 3 -
Keep it as is, maybe hunt with it when I don't want to use my 7mm Mag.

What do I do, and why?!

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[erudne]

I'd love to have this rifle:
Keep it like it is, have it cerra-coated in green and strip, then oil the stock, perhaps full length bed the barrel action

 

[USMC-03]

One of the projects I've had in mind for a long time is building long range match rifle based on a pre-64 Win. 70 action. 26 inch heavy barrel chambered in .300 Ackley Short Magnum, 1-9 rifling for 200+ grain match bullets, bed it into a thick laminate stock set up for shooting prone and top it with 10x or 12x Unertl. Classic look for the Wimbledon match at Camp Perry someday. But that's just me...

 

[Mark W.]

I vote 7mm-08 if the choice is between that and scout rifling it. But keeping it as is would always be first.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

If it was my rifle , and like you I am are not worried about collector value ( though I know that pre-64 70's of any shape or caliber are insanely high valued where I live )
Then I would restore the rifle to its original look as much as I could.
It would be interesting to see before and after pictures of the rifle when you decide what you want to do.
Andy

 

[RedneckRampage]

Here's a picture for reference. The more I look at it, the more I'm leaning on having a gunsmith take it completely apart and clean it up, then just leaving it as-is.

 

[Larrytpdx]

The more I look at it, the more I'm leaning on having a gunsmith take it completely apart and clean it up, then just leaving it as-is.

That's what I would do

 

[No_Regerts]

You could sell it and easily pay for a new hunting rifle in whatever caliber you want.

Id order a Mcmillan Edge Winchestwr compact stock, put a front sight hood on it, and replace those goatphukd redfield style scope bases with Talleys or dual dovetails and then rock some 150gr TTSXs or 155gr Lapooey Skinners.

 

[No_Regerts]

Oh, and If you were gonna rebarrel, use that long action the way nature intended. Just need to adjust bolt stop and pull the mag block out its azz.

A 280 AI and 162gr Amax dont suck.

 

[RedneckRampage]

Oh, and If you were gonna rebarrel, use that long action the way nature intended. Just need to adjust bolt stop and pull the mag block out its azz.

A 280 AI and 162gr Amax dont suck.

The reason I want a 7mm 08 if I rebarreled it, is something my girlfriend can use for deer and elk with little recoil. I also want a readily available caliber as far as ammo. I have a M70 in 7mm Mag if I need something bigger, although I am looking for one in 338.

 

[RedneckRampage]

Next question, what rings/bases should I go for? I want the right "look" for the rifle. I like my Talley light weights on my other rifles, but want some options.

 

[No_Regerts]

Talley steel fixed rings look awesome on a pre 64. They can be arranged for all sorts of scope tube options. Leupold dual dovetails are solid as a rock but dont offer scope tube lattitude on anythig smaller than a 3-9x. They can be a pain to square without the right tools while talleys are not.

 

[No_Regerts]

The redfield style with rear windage screws like you have are generally ok with light kickers and kight scopes but Im a schit magnet and those screws can shear on anything that kicks, especially if you use a big heavy scope.

 

[No_Regerts]

Dual dovetails on pre64 300 Winny (!) and 3-9x40 leupold....notice larger barrel shank. You'll have more room up front bit there is still a 16th on this one. Careful of short tubes on a reversible front mount like yours, mounting low rings caused damage.....per my experience.....

 

[RedneckRampage]

Well for right now I'm going to keep it a 308 and just shoot it, and keep the USA Burris 3-9x that's on there. I just hate how the bases extend over the bolt.

 

[No_Regerts]

Talley fixed steel rings will open up that ejection port for you, are easy to assemble, solid as a rock.

 

[No_Regerts]

And, bolt clearance if you use slip on scope covers is available without creating an M16 carry handle out of your scope. Too bad the whole rear occular turns on an older Burris FFII.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Well for right now I'm going to keep it a 308 and just shoot it, and keep the USA Burris 3-9x that's on there. I just hate how the bases extend over the bolt.

I like that! I don't know about your collection but remember that .308 was not a caliber that you shoot. If you don't have another.308 that you shoot it kind of makes sense to keep something that uses a current military round! Good luck with your new rifle!

 

[mjbskwim]

Boy,I would just oil it up and leave it. Not sure why you don't like the 308 but it is a great round for hunting.And I would guess the recoil wouldn't be too bad for your girl or much different than the 7mm 08.
But...that is a much sought after action and would definitely make you a fine rifle in whatever caliber you chose.
As regrets said,you could sell it or trade it for the rifle of your choice (to a point)
That's a nice rifle .
From the posts above,it wouldn't last more than a day in the classified here

 

[No_Regerts]

130gr or 150gr TTSX makes for low recoil, deep penetrating loads for a 308. Think retained weight over starting weight in monolithics.