The Model 70 - A Riflemans Rifle

Lovely rifle, it appears new. My first M-70 was of 1973 vintage. Pretty much the same as the one pictured except my stock had cut checkering. Carried that rifle for about 27 yrs. It was very accurate and reliable. Had the bolt get wet one time and freeze up on me. Put the bolt under my arm until it thawed and then carried on. I have 3 of the newer ones, 243, 30-06, 375 H&H, and one pre 64 in 300 H&H. There was zero wrong with the push feeds models. Well made, accurate, dependable rifles.
 
I've hung on to my dad's cheap old Ranger Model 70 forever. Crappy beechwood stock, standard-length push-feed with irons on a featherweight contour barrel. It kicks like a cannon in .30-06, with a Burris 3-9x it weighs maybe 7 pounds 4 oz and has an actual Goodyear-marked "buttplate".

I'll be damned if that scope didn't fog up - sent in for warranty this spring after 22 years of ownership (and mounted and re-mounted on many rifles), they fixed it and purged it and retested the tracking and sent it back to me. Decided to sight it back in after mounting. Aside from rattling my teeth it also would consistently put 3 into 1.5" of cheap 165gr Power Point. 3 Fusion 180's would go into just over an inch. I fired off a whole box just because they shot so well I didn't want to stop shooting them.

This gun has been hunted hard and put away wet a lot in it's life but it's still in amazing condition and shoots great.
 
What would the approximate value of an early 70's push feed Model 70 30.06 in good to vg condition be these days? Not sure of exact model but not a Ranger, walnut stock.
 
600$ for a VG one. Less for hunted condition pedestrian model.
Like new condition? Up to 1k depending on caliber and model.
 
Very nice rifle, Buckmastr. I had a similar one in 300 Win Mag a long time ago.
It was very accurate. And several moose and 2 Elk must have hated it, lol.
The push feed rifles were disdained by many, but they worked well. Dave.

I would agree. I bought a 308 Win XTR new in about 1977 - took dozens of deer, and my first elk with it - our son is still using it for big game, and took his first elk with it as well. It is his only "big" rifle and still the same 165 grain Speer Hot Cor loads that I developed for it in 1980's (?). Also have nearly similar "Sporter Magnum" in 338 Win Mag. Brother has twin in 300 Win Mag - also his only "hunting rifle" in NW Alberta. With wear and use will have issue with that little nub that aligns the bolt shroud when bolt is opened - hardly read about that at all - almost nothing posted on Internet about the issue, so we must have got unlucky with our three of them... Maybe takes 30 or 40 years of use to show up?

The specific part is called a Breech Bolt Sleeve Lock - at least on Numrich's website - and still showing "Out Of Stock". I found that a similar part for an older Marlin "M7" (?) seemed to fit and work fine once the original Winchester part had failed. So I kept a spare on hand for when the next one wears out.
 
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Hi Chuck that’s a beauty of a rifle . It’s a CRF correct ? What is the date of manufacture ? Do fellas actually part with those that are in that great of shape ?
Thanks!
Leavenworth
I also picked one up this week. IMO no sporting arms manufacturer has done it better.

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Okay Thanks ! Left hand doesn’t do me any good . LOL !
LeavenworthQUOTE=chuck nelson;18215872]The SS Left Hand Model 70’s were all CRF and were only produced in 1997. They are definitely hard to find anymore.[/QUOTE]
 
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What would the approximate value of an early 70's push feed Model 70 30.06 in good to vg condition be these days? Not sure of exact model but not a Ranger, walnut stock.

$500 tops. Post 64s are fine as shooters, but they haven't even got the cachet a period Model 700, let alone the Pre 64 M70. They're just the poor cousin of the original M70.
 
You guys are all evil lol

Picked up a mid-late 1970s push feed in 308 Win at a price I couldn't pass up. Other than dropping it into a synthetic stock and cleaning up the trigger a bit, I think that will be that.

Happy so many people think they are somehow lesser rifles than the CRF or pre-64's as it means lots of em out there and much more affordable.
 
I've got an old M70 1982 push feed featherweight in 7x57, its been carried thousands of km, all over the southern alps, taken many red deer, pigs etc, been an excellent working rifle, in 2011 I perched one of the new M70 in 7x57 featherweight, controlled feed, my present to myself, for paying off the house. Impressed enough, that a stainless .308 and Ew .264 win have since joined the old 7x57 pushfeed.
I had the opportunity to buy a .257 Robbets the sister to my original rifle, still kicking myself for not doing so.
great working rifles,
 
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