Winchester Model 70 .270

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NickW

New member
Have a shot at a Model 70 in .270 Win. made in 1965. He wants $400.00 and its in great shape, bluing is more or less perfect and the wood although some minor dings is solid. What do you think, worth it?

Many thanks to all.
 
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If it was me, I'd buy it in a heart beat.

Would like to see pictures of it though, any chances its a Featherweight?

You cant go wrong with Model 70s.

You'll be impressed with the 270 Win also. Excellent round for game up to elk size animals, plus if you get some of the fancy Match bullets out now for the 270 you'll find its an excellent long range target round, flat and and remains super sonic to about 1500 yards. With some of the heavier bullets, well past that.

$400 is a steal.
 
I'd wait on a newer model. The 60's and 70's were some of the worst years for Winchester. Most are just fine, but you run a much greater risk of getting a bad one made during that era. The rifles made during the 80's and 90's were generally much better made and are easily found for about the same price.

Prices are a regional thing, but $300-$350 would be about max for that gun around here. It would never sell at $400 when someone can buy a brand new rifle for $300-$350 that is likely a better rifle.
 
Thanks Gents, I’m going to a gun-show today so I will look around, defiantly looking for a .270 win though, does not have to be a model 70, my only requirement is that it’s a decent quality firearm.

No, its not a featherweight.

Cheers
 
+1 on the positive 1980's comments. Model 70s during those "XTR" years were things of beauty. While they didn't have the vaunted Pre 64 CRF action re-introduced in the 90s, there's nothing wrong with the push feed design and IMO the wood in those ."middle" years was nicer than that used toward the Connecticut plant closing. If it were me, I'd look for a an XTR Featherweight with the nice checkering and Schnabel forend. With the re-intro of that Pre 64 action, the name for the otherwise same gun changed to Classic Featherweight. With a little more budget, one of those from the mid-to late 90s or very early 00s would be very nice.
 
The first Winchester push feed Model 70s (1964 to about 1968) were well designed, but the execution was pretty rough. You can tell them easily as they don't have a "G" prefix to the serial number. Gun writers at the time of the change over, especially Jack O'Conner, were aghast at what they considered the degradation of their favorite rifle; what is now refered to as the Pre-64 Winchester.

A good friend bought one of these post 63 and pre-G models in 1968. During a bear hunt in the Sangre de Christo Mountains in Colorado, the rear sight blade fell out and the extractor chipped off when unloading the rifle in camp. I noted two broken firing pins from Model 94s made in this time frame, so Winchester's quality control with metalurgy during this time frame extended to other models as well as the Model 70.

Around 1968 or so, Winchester realized that they had to improve the quality of the "Rifleman's Rifle" to stay competetive. That they did and the improved models have a "G" prefix to the serial number. These are well worth buyinga and using. It was also at this time that Winchester designed a great bolt guide for the push feed 70s and the later Classic Model 70s by cutting a groove into the lower locking lug that the right side rail rides in when extracting or chambering a round.

As noted in previous posts, the 80s and 90s brought about a nice change in quality at Winchester.
 
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