Scope for a pre64 M70

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thepitchedlink

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SO I bought my self a pre64 M70 in 270 and while back and really like it. Also started reloading about the same time and found myself shooting it lots. I figured maybe I shouldn't be blasting away at the range with this gun, so I bought a Ruger 270 to paly with. I'm taking the nice VXII off the Winnie and putting it on the Ruger. I'd like to put another scope on the M70 so that it is still ready to go and hunt. What would be a good choice for a vintage scope to match this old girl? I don't want to spend a fortune, having a 500$ scope sitting on this gun seems a little silly to me, but I hate to thought of picking up a cheap Tasco or something....doesn't do justice to a nice classic gun. Any thoughts
 
I think you are better off with a modern scope, although you might try to find one with the lines of the older scopes. A Leupold M-8 6X would be a nice scope on a .270, but if you prefer a straight tube look you might find a 1.5-5X.
 
Vintage scopes just aren't as good. Too many advances have been made in the last 40 years in terms of lenses, coatings and such. If you want something in the style of the period, get a Leupold fixed 2.5x or 4x, or for something in a variable I'd go with the 1.5-5x.
 
It may be more than you're wanting to pay, but the Leupold FXIII 6x42 is a fantastic scope that goes with the .270 like vanilla ice cream goes with apple pie. Slightly cheaper and not nearly as dreamy (but still very good) is the FXII 6x36.

A fixed-power scope is a nice nod to the old-school of scope design, but yeah modern optics kick the living bejiminy out of anything O'Connor ever owned--one area you do not want to go 'vintage'.
 
+1 to everything said above. the cheapest chinese made scope, is better than anything made 40 years ago.bishopus is right on when he says a fixed power style scope matches the lines of a pre 64 mod.70
 
There were a lot of GOOD scopes made pre 64. Granted, the newer scopes, even the cheaper ones like the new Burris models are better for a number of reasons.
If you're trying to keep it authentic, look for a Weatherby,Balvar or one of the fixed power, "steelite" Weaver models that were available from 1 1/2x to 8x. Good, clear and sharp, also quite good for paralax out to 250yds. bearhunter
 
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I'd pick up an older, minty Leupold VariX-II 3-9x40mm for your Pre '64 Win 70... you can usually find them in the $200 - $250 price range. Would put a 'nice' scope on your rifle without breaking the bank. And you still have the Leupold lifetime guarantee to fall back on.... ;)
 
I bought my first K4 weaver in 1971 ($23.95). That scope has been mounted on a dozen different rifles and carried hundreds of miles. I still use it. In fact, it's latest use is on a 308 target rifle (the DCRA has allowed the use of 4X scopes in place of iron sights). It is still clear, the adjustments are perfect, and it has never fogged. I have a half dozen others ranging from 2 1/2 to 8X and all are fine scopes. Considerably better than any of the modern Chinese scopes I've tried. In comparison. looking through a new Burris is like looking through a fishbowl.
I have an early '60s vintage 8X leupold Pioneer which is as clear as any scope I've looked through.
I think the conviction of the superiority of todays optics is held largely by those who were not using scopes 40 years ago.
I have an old J-4 weaver on a Springfield 03 (Most of you won't have seen a J-4. It is a 3/4 inch tube). Through it, I can see bullet holes in the white at 100 yds which isn't half bad. It's very low and compact and just looks right on the Spring field.
My feeling is, there is no reason to eschew the use of a vintage scope if you can find a good one. One a pre-64 270, I would like a K-6. I would use Redfield or Leupold mounts and have a classic vintage outfit which would perform as well in the field as any stainless/fibreglass/ modern scoped rifle you might have. Regards, Bill.
 
12magnum said:
+1 to everything said above. the cheapest chinese made scope, is better than anything made 40 years ago.bishopus is right on when he says a fixed power style scope matches the lines of a pre 64 mod.70
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You're WRONG!!
iIve got some very old Unertls and a Kalles that are top shelf quality even today.
the old lymans are goiod scopes also.
They may not have the fancy reticles and stuff, or variable power, but they are clear and are duarable.
I've seen too many of the cheap scopes come about in only a few rounds...
cat
 
I've had a couple Pre'64 M70's and believe it or not they both arrived with the same scope...a Weaver 4X made in El Paso in Weaver rings and bases....quite "period correct" for a Pre'64 IMHO...these were later Pre'64's....early 60's rifles.
 
The old K-4s optics are as good as modern scopes,but the coatings are not .They might be more reliable as well.There is fellow in Canada who rebuilds them.
 
downwindtracker2 said:
The old K-4s optics are as good as modern scopes,but the coatings are not.
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Bingo. Plenty of good manufacturers made very durable scopes with excellent glass back in the day, but grinding the lens is only part of the battle re: light transmission. Thanks to newfangled deposited coating methods, even cheap modern scopes are getting more light to your eyes than the top of the line from 4 decades back. Sorry guys, them's the facts.

The next big step in 'sport optics' will be fully digital imaging with integrated rangefinding, adjustable bullet drop, and 'live' trajectory tracing. Give it 7-10 years :D
 
The newer scopes, as mentioned, have lens coatings that can't be beat for light transmission and clarity. But there is still something special about an older Banner 2.5x on a .300 Savage 99 or Weaver K4 on a pre-64 .30-06 that has a special appeal. Both in Weaver rings & bases of course.
 
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Those new coatings are indeed good for up to a 5% increase in light transmission. Whooooee!
The fact is, I can see better in dim light through that old 3/4 inch J-4 than I can with my naked eye. I can see well enough to make a good shot through any of the vintage scopes I own, well after legal shooting time. Are new scopes brighter? Yes they are, Especially the premium models. Does it make a real world difference? Probably not.
When scoping a classic vintage rifle one also wants the whole outfit to look right. A modern Leupold 3.5-10x50 won't look right. I don't care how much light it transmits.
JeffR,
The Weaver guy used to be Harvey Trace. Now I think it is his son. Call Russel Sports in Calgary and ask for Don. He has had scopes refurbished by Trace and can give you contact info.. Regards, Bill.
 
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