I made a trade for all original 1938 Heavy barrel Model 70 in beautiful condition. I’d rate the bluing at 97-98%, the wood has some minor blemishes , but overall excellent, bore is mint, came with a B&L Balvar 24 scope also in excellent shape, I was told it spent most of its life in the safe. I made the trade because it was a good trade for me, my intention is not to keep it. I’m looking for a market value for this, I see some getting some crazy prices, any input is appreciated.
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Any Winchester model 70 aficionados out there
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Charlie Foxtrott
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Over 30 years ago I bought a Winchester mdl 70 featherweight in 280 Rem caliber. I have killed a box car load of deer with......In fact I killed one with it this evening. It has performed flawlessly over the years. I'll never let it go.........And I LOVE the .280 caliber........All I shoot in it is my handloads...I prefer 140 gr bullets. My load cronos about 2860 FPS avg.
A pic from the past
A pic from the past
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I don't know how much it's worth but I bet it could ring the gong at 1,000 yds. Nice, once in a lifetime rifle. Joe
rockquarry
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.300 H&H Magnum. That was about the only .30 caliber magnum around in the 1930s, so it was commonly referred to as .300 Magnum.
DWalt
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I have a M70 with a high 4-digit SN in .270 in very high condition. But the big fly in the ointment was that a previous owner had the rear receiver drilled and tapped for a scope mount. That will cut its collector value in half, maybe more. Unless you find a buyer that doesn't know that originals were not D&Td. Also I have a very nice 1955 M70 Featherweight in .308. Except the buttstock has been shortened a little and a non-factory recoil pad installed. That also pretty well destroys any collector premium value. But I didn't pay much for either one of them around 30 years ago.
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brendonjames65
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I believe your beautiful Model 70 Winchester is a Target Model clearly chambered in 300 H&H and all Winchester Model 70’s during that time period well before the advent of the 300 Win Mag were stamped 300 magnum.
All pre war Model 70’s were drilled and tapped on the forward end of the receiver but not the rear end of the receiver until 1948. Yours appears to have the scope mounted on the forward end and a block which was correct for that period was affixed further forward for a telescopic device. I cannot be certain the rear receiver was drilled and tapped? The scope certainly isn’t mounted on the rear receiver but there is something affixed there? It does appear that a receiver sight had been previously mounted and subsequently removed with the wood repaired. This seems a period correct pre war Target Model 70 chambered in the somewhat rare 300 H&H.
I’ve seen a couple for sale in the $4500 range but I wouldn’t know what to detract from the repaired wood where receiver sight was previously mounted. Your set up seems like what would be used for the Wimbledon Cup, Camp Perry back during that time period. I’m sure you can get better information on the Winchester collectors forum. I think your rifle is certainly valuable to a collector seeking that model and caliber.
All pre war Model 70’s were drilled and tapped on the forward end of the receiver but not the rear end of the receiver until 1948. Yours appears to have the scope mounted on the forward end and a block which was correct for that period was affixed further forward for a telescopic device. I cannot be certain the rear receiver was drilled and tapped? The scope certainly isn’t mounted on the rear receiver but there is something affixed there? It does appear that a receiver sight had been previously mounted and subsequently removed with the wood repaired. This seems a period correct pre war Target Model 70 chambered in the somewhat rare 300 H&H.
I’ve seen a couple for sale in the $4500 range but I wouldn’t know what to detract from the repaired wood where receiver sight was previously mounted. Your set up seems like what would be used for the Wimbledon Cup, Camp Perry back during that time period. I’m sure you can get better information on the Winchester collectors forum. I think your rifle is certainly valuable to a collector seeking that model and caliber.
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brendonjames65
US Veteran
The photos are somewhat blurry so hard to tell. I think the forward scope mount could be dovetailed in where the standard rear sight was. What is affixed to the rear receiver? It’s blurry. Perhaps it could be D&T, there should be no holes unless special ordered by factory and impossible to prove. I’m no expert on pre 64 M70’s especially the pre war target models, but I do have several pre 64 M70’s.
The serial number you state was manufactured in August 1937 according to the Roger Rule book. The stock is correct for a pre-war target rifle with the long tail slot inlet for a Lyman aperture sight, unfortunately it's been filled in. The rear receiver bridge has been drilled and tapped and the original safety lever replaced with an aftermarket Tilden lever, a common occurrence when mounting a scope on a pre-war rifle. It's in beautiful condition and a scarce configuration, Target .300 Magnum (.300 H&H). Somebody wanted to shoot this one, bet it has some stories to tell.
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While I have never owned one, I have always admired them and have shot a few including one just last week. It was a 30-06
and it shot really well. I do bird hunt but since I never got into big game hunting I never bought one.
and it shot really well. I do bird hunt but since I never got into big game hunting I never bought one.
I have a 1936 Model 70 that was D&T. plus the stock has a recoil pad. I took it to the July 2023 Winchester Collectors show in Cody, WY to see what value it might have. Not one collector had any interest. They want all original, period. I was told the collector pool was getting smaller every year, thus prices were not getting higher. I was told I might get $900.00 for it, because it had an older Leupold scope. By not using it, it's value won't increase, so I take it antelope hunting every year I get drawn. It' too heavy for mountain hunting.
Rpg
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I sold my last M70 (A 1956 375 H&H) in 1990.
They are lovely rifles.
They are lovely rifles.
Yeah, I have a few - two .375’s, two .300 H&H’s and quite a few others. I’m having trouble telling from the pictures but might this be a Bull Gun? They were a bit heavier than the Target Rifle and were often chambered in .300. A LGS I hung around back in my college days (quite a few years ago) had a .300 Bull Gun on the rack once. It was beautiful and I lusted after it, but it was priced at $300. Might as well have been a million. Somebody else got it but I never forgot it. I have more money now. If yours is a Bull Gun I’ll give you $300 for it. 
LittleCooner
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Most interesting 300 H&H. As Fullmetaljacket stated, you guy is mid 1937. I have attached a most interesting historical article about how the Wimbledon Cup was won in 1935 by at 300 H&H, first time for a magnum case to win the 1000 yard match. This would have been the seed to have your gun built in 1937 at the Winchester factory. The date will be stamped on the bottom of the barrel just in front of the receiver being "37" and most likely also stamped in the stock near the same place.
I believe you will have difficulty in obtaining a valid appraisal on this one. It is not completely stock, which hurts the collector value, but it is a rare bird. The military sniper rifles ordered by Van Orden and saw duty in many places in the 1950s have created a huge demand, up price tick in pre 64 target rifles.
The guys in Woodville, Washington are the experts in these pre 64s and are most likely your best bet for obtaining maximum funds for a sale. Look at their blogs and you can educated yourself some about target models, the Van Orden guns, etc.
Someone said the 300 H&H is obsolete, I do not agree. Fantastic round, yes I have a late 50s, pre 64 hunting gun in 300 H&H. Winchester chambered over 37,000 of these pre 64s between 1936 and 1963. It is not a rare chamber. And then some dude by the name of Roy Weatherby out in California in the 1950 decided to follow the idea of P O Ackley and improve the case by blowing out the sides and called it the 300 Weatherby Mag. Nope, they will never quite making 300 H&H brass.
some of the photos I saw a few minutes ago show that block siting on the back of the receiver bridge with a peep sight mounted, so it is possible this was on the gun when it departed the factory in 1937. This gun would have been at the top of the heap if one wanted a long range competition gun in 1937, as very few custom shops were out there.
Check the guys at pre 64 win dot com and look at the blogs and you may want to send photos for help. Attached is the article about the world waking up to one of the best 1000 yard cartridges to compete and win at Camp Perry over the years.
Wimbledon Cup History: Ben Comfort's Controversial Sighters | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal
I believe you will have difficulty in obtaining a valid appraisal on this one. It is not completely stock, which hurts the collector value, but it is a rare bird. The military sniper rifles ordered by Van Orden and saw duty in many places in the 1950s have created a huge demand, up price tick in pre 64 target rifles.
The guys in Woodville, Washington are the experts in these pre 64s and are most likely your best bet for obtaining maximum funds for a sale. Look at their blogs and you can educated yourself some about target models, the Van Orden guns, etc.
Someone said the 300 H&H is obsolete, I do not agree. Fantastic round, yes I have a late 50s, pre 64 hunting gun in 300 H&H. Winchester chambered over 37,000 of these pre 64s between 1936 and 1963. It is not a rare chamber. And then some dude by the name of Roy Weatherby out in California in the 1950 decided to follow the idea of P O Ackley and improve the case by blowing out the sides and called it the 300 Weatherby Mag. Nope, they will never quite making 300 H&H brass.
some of the photos I saw a few minutes ago show that block siting on the back of the receiver bridge with a peep sight mounted, so it is possible this was on the gun when it departed the factory in 1937. This gun would have been at the top of the heap if one wanted a long range competition gun in 1937, as very few custom shops were out there.
Check the guys at pre 64 win dot com and look at the blogs and you may want to send photos for help. Attached is the article about the world waking up to one of the best 1000 yard cartridges to compete and win at Camp Perry over the years.
Wimbledon Cup History: Ben Comfort's Controversial Sighters | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal
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Capt. F.
Member
I have two pre-64 Model 70 standard grades, a .300 H&H and a .375 H&H. I also have my son’s Pre-64 .270 stored at our house.
None of the three are in mint condition but if we were to sell (which we aren’t) minimum would be $1500 per.
Remember, like Registered Magnums “they ain’t makin’ ‘em anymore”!
None of the three are in mint condition but if we were to sell (which we aren’t) minimum would be $1500 per.
Remember, like Registered Magnums “they ain’t makin’ ‘em anymore”!
As others have said the safety has been replaced with what looks like a Tilden. Either the bolt has been shaved for scope clearance or the bolt was replaced with a later version. If the original safety was present it would be easy to tell if it has been shaved. One thing that bothers me is as already said the stock has been filled in for what probably would have been a long slide Lyman sight. When you look at the receiver where the mount for the sight would have been there is no sign of a mount for the sight having been put on the receiver. Could the receiver been reblued?
I think you have shooter grade Pre War Target 70. Take it to Forum | Winchester CollectorWinchester Collector, that is where to true experts hang out.
I think you have shooter grade Pre War Target 70. Take it to Forum | Winchester CollectorWinchester Collector, that is where to true experts hang out.
rockquarry
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I don't get the "obsolete" description fo the .300 H&H Magnum either. I sold my pre-'64 Model 70 .300 H&H recently, but handloaded for it for years. I've also had a .300 Winchester Magnum. Ballistically, there's not a dime's worth of difference between the two cartridges. The more recent round is shorter and can be easily put into a .30-06-length action. Brass is also much easier to find and it's cheaper.
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