Winchester Model 70 Jack O'Connor Tribute rifle....WOW!

M

Mystro

New member
I have owned and been around a lot of fine guns in my days. Every now and then there is one or two that puts me to my knees......I have found such a gun this year.:eek: For Winchesters 75th anniversary of the great Model 70, they teamed up with one of, if not THE biggest hunter and outdoor writer of the last century Jack O'Connor. For those who do not know, Jack O'Connor was one of Winchester's biggest supporters. Jack's love of the Winchester 270 caliber and love of the Model 70 made the gun and caliber legendary hunting all over the world with the gun/caliber combination. Winchester teamed up with the Jack O'Connor Foundation to bring out a limited edition Model 70 worthy of Jack's name. The foundation loaned Jacks famous #2 rifle to Winchester so it could be exactly reproduced. Everything from the stock to the checkering is a mirror image of Jack's #2 custom M70 rifle.



Winchester spared no expense in this rifle using only the finest grade French Walnut for the stock and the engraving is outstanding. The "Jack O'Connor" signature is in nickel across the finger guard. One of Jack's signature Ram trophy's is engraved on the floor plate in great detail. The motif is carried out on the pistol cap.

The action on this gun is all Winchester Custom shop. That is to say "perfect". Free floating barrel with custom match crown has the best tolerance I have ever seen on a rifle. Metal to stock tolerance is absolutely as tight as I have ever seen.

My Sako's and other high end guns are extremely good but this particular Winchester sets the standard in elegance and action. I actually plan on using this fine gun and not hunting with a "Jack O'Connor" gun just seems wrong....:cool:

Jack died in 1978 and left a legacy and wealth of knowledge on what makes a good hunting rifle/caliber.
For those that do not know who Jack was as a man, hunter, and outdoor writer, take some time to investigate his accomplishments.


(My pictures do not do this gun justice.)
 
Last edited:
thats a very nice rifle! im planning on getting one of those myself...

What kind of accuracy do you get with it? I`d expect it to give at least moa accuracy up to 300 yard.
 
I promise to give a range report with pics. I needed to move my scope back 1/4" and need a reverse front Luepold base. I should be getting the part this week and will be hitting the range. Unfortunately most of these JOC Rifles will never be shot. Mine will be getting blood on it this fall.:D
JOC was a very educated man and intellectual hunter. What he did with the 270 was incredible. Jack believed a bigger caliber could not make up for a crappy shot. He was ahead of his time and I am sure he would have embraced today's advanced bullets. He was very good friends with Weatherby but never cared for magnum calibers for anything but large dangerous African game. This is why he loved the 270. He never said a bad word about Elmer Keith but Keith went out of his way to take cheap shots at Jack. Historians believe Elmer was jealous of Jacks superior writing style. Jack always took the high road. Jack took his 270 and a 375H&H with him on his African hunts. The 270 took 95% of all his trophies. Jack also liked the 30-06 but prefered the 270 because of its longer shooting potential. I am older and wiser now and personally have got to a point where I am tired of being over gunned with my 300 win mag and carrying around a big 26" barrel for PA game. I shoot it well and have taken many deer and bear but will admit it was over kill for all my hunts. My ego doesn't need it anymore. I was looking for a excuse to move back to a 30-06 or 270. The JOC gun was all it took.:D. When I see Jack killing big moose at 300 yards and dropping them in their tracks with older style bullets, it brought me back to reality of a well rounded hunting caliber. I am embracing Jacks philosophy.
 
Last edited:
Ah, I ran into one of those a couple months back a local shop and wasn't about to leave it there. I have yet to shoot mine, but plan to. There was actually two versions of this rifle. I believe the Tribute, and the Custom Tribute. The Custom Tribute is supposed to have slightly better wood, has a steel butt plate, and comes with a special edition rifle case (soft case). The shop I purchased mine from also hade the higher grade, but I really didn't think the wood was any better (not $600 better anyway). Bud's has both in stock right now. The Tribute goes for around $1600, and the Custom Tribute around $2100. Here's mine.

JOC70_1.jpg
 
I look at a purchase like this as a genuine heirloom to hand down to my son. Its also a good investment but it is ALOT of money to swallow up front. Consider you have another $750-$1000 on top of the gun for good glass. Cheap glass on a gun like this is not gonna work. A high quality Levy strap completes the package.
 
I remember when Jack O'Connor retired, he was interviewed by the incoming Jum Carmichel. Carmichel asked O'connor if he were to be restricted to one gun/caliber to hunt all of North America, what would it be? O'Connor said without hesitation, "A 30-06!" Kind of says it all.
I saw one of those tribute rifles, the more expensive version at a Sportsman's Warehouse. Nice rifle but I felt the wood could have been better. Still, I came very close to whippin' out that friendly credit card. :rolleyes:
I'll be interested to see how that rifle shoots.
Paul B.
 
Its grade 3 french walnut. The wood alone in raw stock form is $500-800. Winchester never uses this high a grade of wood for its rifles.
I can't see Jack ever shooting the 30-06. He spoke of it often and while admiring the caliber, he prefered the flatter shooting 270 and went into it in great detail why. The 30-06 hits slightly harder before 150 yards but the 270 hits slightly harder after 150 yards. Its a wash. They don't call the 270 280 and 30-06 sisters for nothing. Lets face it, Jack could shoot anything he wanted to if he felt it offered a ballistic advantage. This was way before endorsements clouded up what professional hunters shoot. I think today's modern bullets would've only solidified his choice to shoot the 270.;)


Check out the prices of French/English Walnut as raw material..
http://www.oldtreegunblanks.com/shotgunblanks.html?woodid=18
 
Last edited:
That is a beautiful rifle for sure. I must say I'm a bit jealous. Its a little over my budget but if I owned one I would do exactly as you're planning to and hunt with it. (only in fair weather of course) Even rifles as nice as that one were made to be taken out of the safe every now and then.
 
Salvadore, the man under the big had was much more correct in what he was saying than Jack. Keith dealt in real world application. Jack dealt in idealism that relied on bullet technology that simply was not present at the time. Had the Barnes X been around at the time, Jack would have been right. It was not around and Keith had much more practical application given the bullets that were available at that time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top