Rob to fully appreciate a pre-64 M70 you'll need to shoot one. . You'll soon learn the balance points and it'll feel good in your hands but when you're sitting at the bench at your range hunkered over looking through the scope and you touch off a round you'll soon appreciate the NRA stock design as the recoil is pleasant compared to other rifle designs and makes. Everything is just right with it. The 338 WM is one to keep your cheek tight on the stock or it'll let you have a good slap. The 375 is very manageable as the push comes straight back. The 300 H&H is a pure delight and just a pleasure to shoot. I mainly use the Winchester military type shoulder strap as it's fully adjustable on the go if you figure out how to use it and allows the rifle to be easily carried. With all these positive points, the weight of the rifle is just fine with me. The only one of my pre-64's I find too heavy for packing around is my 220 Swift with a 15x Supertarget Spot Scope with a heavy stainless barrel and heavy scope. .
