model 70 project rifle

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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by SCJ429 » 26 Jun 2019, 7:06 pm

bigrich wrote:got some more load work this weekend. i'm going to try out some loads with the sierra 85gn gameking. supposedly a very accurate "all round" projectile for the 243 , the hornady 87gn vmax being a lot more frangable. however , a bloke who's bin giving me advice on 243 loads has used them on deer with great sucess so long as their put in the heart/lung area . i want something that's a bit sturdier for penetration should i come across a pig . however, one odd thing is sierra give the loaded COL length as 2.650 . i've checked and rechecked a dozen times with the hornady gauge (great tool ) and dummy case, and these projectiles touch the lands at 2.622 in MY rifle ! just goes to show to check things properly and not assume anything . i've done my first reloads at 2.602 and will see how this goes . i'm not going for max velocity , but accuracy. if i can keep my loads around 3050-3100 FPS i'll be happy as barrel life should be good

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:


You may find if you speed things up a bit you will get the accuracy you are chasing. I can shoot an 87 grain Vmax out of my 6mmBR at 3,050 fps. I shoot 107 grain pills out of a 243 at 3,300 fps and that barrel has more than 2,500 rounds through it. Not telling you how to run your barrel just observations from my own experience. Speed is often your friend.
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 26 Jun 2019, 8:32 pm

the 87 vmax load i'm using should be around the 3050 fps already SCJ . a mate runs the same load in his . between 3000-3100 seems to be the accuracy node for this projectile weight and caliber . it's a balancing act and compromise at times. i can push a 120 nosler bt out of my 6.5x55 for astounding accuracy, but that projectile is unsuitable for stout pigs and the fps is higher than i'm comfortable with for barrel life. i went back to 140sst hornady's at 2810 fps . i quite often feel for how hot my barrel gets at the range, and heat can definately affect accuracy and barrel life. that's my opinion any way for what it's worth :thumbsup:
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by GQshayne » 26 Jun 2019, 8:38 pm

From what I can see in your photos, that stock looks great. As you say, a lot of old 70's look very plain, so do you know if it was a specific model?? I do not know much about them, but they made a Super Grade didn't they? Yours looks fantastic. You will likely find that a re-finish would have it looking like a million dollars. Not hard to do either. I have done a few now.

If you are intending to keep it as a .243 for a while, and want to make it as accurate as possible, then have a look at the action bedding too. A DIY job with JB Weld is easy enough to do, assuming yours is not done already.

As far as loading goes, 87-90 gn projectiles such as Hornady Interlock or Speer Hot Cor work well on pigs. I have always used AR2209 for my reloads. I have also loaded some 70gn Noslers with 2209, and that groups nicely too.
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by SCJ429 » 26 Jun 2019, 9:53 pm

bigrich wrote:the 87 vmax load i'm using should be around the 3050 fps already SCJ . a mate runs the same load in his . between 3000-3100 seems to be the accuracy node for this projectile weight and caliber . it's a balancing act and compromise at times. i can push a 120 nosler bt out of my 6.5x55 for astounding accuracy, but that projectile is unsuitable for stout pigs and the fps is higher than i'm comfortable with for barrel life. i went back to 140sst hornady's at 2810 fps . i quite often feel for how hot my barrel gets at the range, and heat can definately affect accuracy and barrel life. that's my opinion any way for what it's worth :thumbsup:


I was just saying that a 6mmBR using just over 30 grains of powder can shoot at the same speed you are running your 243 at. You are leaving a lot of speed on the table there. I find that the best accuracy often occurs at a reasonable speed. If you are getting the results out of your 243 that you are looking for then, well done you.

For me, barrel maintenance and long strings play more of a role in barrel life than knocking over 300 fps off the speed you are running at. I don't consider running 107s at 3300 fps to be on the ragged edge for my rifle and I think 2500 round count to be pretty good given the pressures I am running. Again not preaching, just discussing what I have observed.
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 27 Jun 2019, 4:48 am

Hey GQshane, the specific model of this rifle is a “westener “ , which is printed on the barrel. I’ve seen this model before, but never with a wallnut stock like this ones got. I own two other model 70’s , a 222 xtr that shoots like a laser, and a super grade in 6.5x55 . The stock on the xtr i redid with tri-oil and it’s turned out nice. Besides a possible bedding job I’ll probably leave the 243 stock alone for the moment. Cheers
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 27 Jun 2019, 4:54 am

SCJ429 wrote:
bigrich wrote:the 87 vmax load i'm using should be around the 3050 fps already SCJ . a mate runs the same load in his . between 3000-3100 seems to be the accuracy node for this projectile weight and caliber . it's a balancing act and compromise at times. i can push a 120 nosler bt out of my 6.5x55 for astounding accuracy, but that projectile is unsuitable for stout pigs and the fps is higher than i'm comfortable with for barrel life. i went back to 140sst hornady's at 2810 fps . i quite often feel for how hot my barrel gets at the range, and heat can definately affect accuracy and barrel life. that's my opinion any way for what it's worth :thumbsup:


I was just saying that a 6mmBR using just over 30 grains of powder can shoot at the same speed you are running your 243 at. You are leaving a lot of speed on the table there. I find that the best accuracy often occurs at a reasonable speed. If you are getting the results out of your 243 that you are looking for then, well done you.

For me, barrel maintenance and long strings play more of a role in barrel life than knocking over 300 fps off the speed you are running at. I don't consider running 107s at 3300 fps to be on the ragged edge for my rifle and I think 2500 round count to be pretty good given the pressures I am running. Again not preaching, just discussing what I have observed.


Don’t take me the wrong way mate I appreciate any advice I can get. I’m cautious by nature, especially with loading things that go “bang” lol . If I can get 3100 FPS with a trajectory of 2.5 @100 and around 2.3” @200 that’ll do me for a hunting rifle
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by GQshayne » 27 Jun 2019, 7:46 pm

I have never had a chrono, so have only ever gone off load data in manuals etc. In later years I have erred on the mild side too, reducing my loads from what they were back in the 80's when I was a lad. So any info I can offer will be no more than you can get on the ADI website! :lol:

But from memory, using 85-87 grain projectiles I have always sighted in 1" high at 100m, for approx. zero at 150m, and a couple of inches low at 200. For pig sized game, pretty much aim dead-on at all reasonable ranges, for me anyway. Rare occasion I have shot a pig at further than 200m.
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 28 Jun 2019, 10:16 pm

GQshayne wrote:I have never had a chrono, so have only ever gone off load data in manuals etc. In later years I have erred on the mild side too, reducing my loads from what they were back in the 80's when I was a lad. So any info I can offer will be no more than you can get on the ADI website! :lol:

But from memory, using 85-87 grain projectiles I have always sighted in 1" high at 100m, for approx. zero at 150m, and a couple of inches low at 200. For pig sized game, pretty much aim dead-on at all reasonable ranges, for me anyway. Rare occasion I have shot a pig at further than 200m.


at the end of the day it's what works. i got some more handloads to try this weekend , once i settle on the best load i'll chrono the load and post it. for pigs , i like my 6.5x55 .... :D
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 29 Jun 2019, 6:32 pm

Well fellas, this old Winchester 70 is turning out to be a pretty good shooter. And the Sierra 85 grain HPBT seems to be living up to their reputation for good accuracy. I’m going to fine tune this load , chrono it, and check trajectory next weekend :thumbsup:
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jun 2019, 6:38 pm

You should be very happy with that. What did she cost?
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 29 Jun 2019, 8:11 pm

Oldbloke wrote:You should be very happy with that. What did she cost?


i paid $700 for the rifle (pics at the begining of the topic) and got the scope ( bushnell xlt extreme , 2-10x42 with a 30mm tube ) for $200 from the same shop . probably coulda got a second hand tikka for a bit more or a new package deal howa/weatherby , but i like the old school all steel model 70's . and they have a simple,consistant ,easily adjustable no creep trigger standard. after i get my load sorted i think i'll bed it :thumbsup:
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by GQshayne » 29 Jun 2019, 8:11 pm

Fine tuning????? Looks finished to me! LOL
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jun 2019, 8:14 pm

GQshayne wrote:Fine tuning????? Looks finished to me! LOL



:thumbsup:
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 29 Jun 2019, 8:33 pm

GQshayne wrote:Fine tuning????? Looks finished to me! LOL


i like to tinker mate, i spent about 33 years playing with old school street machines ( HQ's , toranas, valiants ) and the bug to modify and improve and tune is now being applied to firearms. i recently had a look at a mates 6.5x55 zastava , floated the barrel, and did a cheap bedding job with aluminium tape from bunnings . the action was loose in the stock, so i built up layers of the tape along the sides of the stock where the receiver and first two inches of barrel sit ,till the receiver dropped snuggly into the stock . he shot three 129 gn sst handloads that grouped half inch in a cold clean barrel . he seemed pretty happy , and so was i to help out my mate. i picked up that trick off rimfirecentral web site . it will be permanantly bedded at a latter date with acraglass . the zastava MK70 is a better rifle than i gave credit too as well . new mauser 98 action with a parker hale/timney fully adjustable trigger . stock is a bit average and the barrels a thin featherweight that moves with heat , but their not a bad qaulity gun . i think they were sold under the "mark x" tag in the past . the factory stock inletting on my 1980 made model 70 is that exact it "clips in " i don't know if bedding will improve it that much. from a lot of yank forums the word is the mid 70's to the early 80's were a golden period for winchester when they had their sh!t together after the 1964 corporate "revamp" and downgrading of a previously well built product . all this posting is hard work, time for another beer ..... :lol:

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by in2anity » 29 Jun 2019, 9:32 pm

Will you still rebarrel br?
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by bigrich » 29 Jun 2019, 11:49 pm

in2anity wrote:Will you still rebarrel br?


atm , no i think 243 is a great crossover caliber . varmiter/ deer caliber . gives me a excuse to buy another gun for a 358 build up , i seen a win featherweight that would do .a flatter shooter than my 6.5x55 is the 243 :D
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Re: model 70 project rifle

Post by Tank » 30 Jun 2019, 12:26 pm

bigpete wrote:I like big bores and I cannot lie...


Awww hell yeah!!
Go big or go home!
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