I very much enjoyed all these Pre-64 M-70 stories from this very old thread. Thought I would contribute my own. I bought a nice early 50's M-70 in 300 H&H a few years ago from a retired American PH. The old girl had made many trips to Africa. I just had to have this old classic, wearing a period correct B&L Balvar, 3.5-6 I think. Very cool looking with a straight tube and clunky externally adjustable mounts. The rifle would print boring cloverleaf groups with modern ammunition. It was run over by a four-wheeler on my first deer hunt when I carelessly leaned it against a four-wheeler without telling the driver. It got mashed into soybean field mud pretty good. I gained new respect for that ancient scope,scope mount and M-70 when it continued to lob in three shot cloverleafs, exactly in the black, the kind of reliability you would want if chasing critters that could eat you.