2023 Model 70 win ...in .375 h&h..upgrades?

[charlieB12345]

Got a new model 70 winchester..in .375 h&h any recommendations on upgrades? Or first hand experience

 

[charlieB12345]

Sling

 

[Longwalker]

Charlie that rifle and scope looks like a fine choice. That part of your planning and preparations is commendable. However, while you may have a good reason to put extra ammunition on your sling, it is not my preference. It seems like a handy location, and looks good, but think about a sling swinging with all that extra mass as you are trying to make a n accurate offhand shot at a quick opportunity. I avoid anything that with harm the steadiness of my aim, and suggest you reconsider putting ammo there. Much better in a belt holder, or even a pocket.

 

[charlieB12345]

Charlie that rifle and scope looks like a fine choice. That part of your planning and preparations is commendable. However, while you may have a good reason to put extra ammunition on your sling, it is not my preference. It seems like a handy location, and looks good, but think about a sling swinging with all that extra mass as you are trying to make a n accurate offhand shot at a quick opportunity. I avoid anything that with harm the steadiness of my aim, and suggest you reconsider putting ammo there. Much better in a belt holder, or even a pocket.

Wow I never even thought of this! And completely agree! ..this rifle will be used on a one of a lifetime african hunt and I won't be useing a sling ...and when moose hunting "primary target for this rifle" I always take it off once I have got to my target location or close to it ...but non the less I agree.thank you for the sound advice

 

[Bullthrower338]

Only upgrade you need is more ammo to feed that 70! Haven’t owned one yet that didn’t work to my expectations

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I would locktite the crossbolts in the stock. Then I would locate and purchase a spare firing pin spring. I’ve heard of enough of these going bad I would have at least one on hand.
Congrats on the new rifle. They are dandies.

 

[charlieB12345]

I would locktite the crossbolts in the stock. Then I would locate and purchase a spare firing pin spring. I’ve heard of enough of these going bad I would have at least one on hand.
Congrats on the new rifle. They are dandies.

Oooo good thinking!!!!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Great rifles!

Modern M70 are in theory safer than Pre-64's due to better design overpressure gas venting.
Now the bad...

1. Install pillars (pillar bed) for the action screws
2. Devcon/glass bed the action
3. Swap out action screws for metric head (won't find Imperial sizes in Africa!) action screws. Pack at least two allen wrenches in different bags/cases when going to Africa! You may loose one.

Steps 1-3 will ensure your rifle will hold its zero no matter how much your wood stock dances to weather changes! Also, the allen screws allow one to remove the barreled action from stock and easily replace it for maintenance, cleaning and oiling, and if desired, to pack into a shorter hard travel rifle case.

4. Swap out magazine spring for a M98 Mauser surplus spring. These do break! I've carried extra to Africa for AH members and provided same to AH members stateside.
5. Swap out extractor for Pre-64 M70 extractor. If not available have a gunsmith fit a M98, P14/17 extractor. War surplus parts were designed to be soldier-proof! Again, I've carried extra to Africa for AH members.
6. Finally, there have been reported cases on AH of striker springs breaking. Rare but has happened...
I haven't swapped out the striker spring on my M70 Classic CRF rifles, yet... I may look into Wolf springs since that is their primary business.

Make up some dummy rounds and practice loading, dry firing, and working that bolt fast and hard like a buffalo is charging you, and reloading in a hurry!

Below are photos of my homemade dummy/inert rounds for 458 Win.
Notice that I used round nosed bullets for the first batch?
Then, I turned the bullets around for a very flat base to be fed from magazine into the chamber.
If your rifle will feed backwards bullet cartridges, it will feed most any hunting rounds you come up with!

To make dummys like these;

1. Full length resize
2. Drill holes in base for positive identification that these are NOT live rounds!
3. Remove brass shaving from inside case
4. Fill primer pocket with hot glue from a $10 hot glue gun or install pencil eraser/hard foam
5. Finally, if excessive compulsive like, me, squirt hot glue into case via drilled holes. Add enough glue to weigh what missing powder and brass would weigh. I have also inserted a handful or BBs instead of glue. Your choice... This step is not necessary but for my reloading from my belt training, I want to be as realistic as possible!

 

[Beck]

Wow I never even thought of this! And completely agree! ..this rifle will be used on a one of a lifetime african hunt and I won't be useing a sling ...and when moose hunting "primary target for this rifle" I always take it off once I have got to my target location or close to it ...but non the less I agree.thank you for the sound advice

I have been on a once in a life time African hunt...four times! Oh, and I just booked my fifth trip!

 

[Beck]

Also that is a great looking rifle!

 

[charlieB12345]

I would locktite the crossbolts in the stock. Then I would locate and purchase a spare firing pin spring. I’ve heard of enough of these going bad I would have at least one on hand.
Congrats on the new rifle. They are dandies.

Do you know what torque.?

 

[charlieB12345]

I have been on a once in a life time African hunt...four times! Oh, and I just booked my fifth trip!

I hope that's what happens to me too!‍

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Do you know what torque.?

60 Inch Pounds is good.

 

[charlieB12345]

Great rifles!

Modern M70 are in theory safer than Pre-64's due to better design overpressure gas venting.
Now the bad...

1. Install pillars (pillar bed) for the action screws
2. Devcon/glass bed the action
3. Swap out action screws for metric head (won't find Imperial sizes in Africa!) action screws. Pack at least two allen wrenches in different bags/cases when going to Africa! You may loose one.

Steps 1-3 will ensure your rifle will hold its zero no matter how much your wood stock dances to weather changes! Also, the allen screws allow one to remove the barreled action from stock and easily replace it for maintenance, cleaning and oiling, and if desired, to pack into a shorter hard travel rifle case.

4. Swap out magazine spring for a M98 Mauser surplus spring. These do break! I've carried extra to Africa for AH members and provided same to AH members stateside.
5. Swap out extractor for Pre-64 M70 extractor. If not available have a gunsmith fit a M98, P14/17 extractor. War surplus parts were designed to be soldier-proof! Again, I've carried extra to Africa for AH members.
6. Finally, there have been reported cases on AH of striker springs breaking. Rare but has happened...
I haven't swapped out the striker spring on my M70 Classic CRF rifles, yet... I may look into Wolf springs since that is their primary business.

Make up some dummy rounds and practice loading, dry firing, and working that bolt fast and hard like a buffalo is charging you, and reloading in a hurry!

Below are photos of my homemade dummy/inert rounds for 458 Win.
Notice that I used round nosed bullets for the first batch?
Then, I turned the bullets around for a very flat base to be fed from magazine into the chamber.
If your rifle will feed backwards bullet cartridges, it will feed most any hunting rounds you come up with!

To make dummys like these;

1. Full length resize
2. Drill holes in base for positive identification that these are NOT live rounds!
3. Remove brass shaving from inside case
4. Fill primer pocket with hot glue from a $10 hot glue gun or install pencil eraser/hard foam
5. Finally, if excessive compulsive like, me, squirt hot glue into case via drilled holes. Add enough glue to weigh what missing powder and brass would weigh. I have also inserted a handful or BBs instead of glue. Your choice... This step is not necessary but for my reloading from my belt training, I want to be as realistic as possible!

Wow! This is great....can I ask how you came up with all this
!

 

[charlieB12345]

Great rifles!

Modern M70 are in theory safer than Pre-64's due to better design overpressure gas venting.
Now the bad...

1. Install pillars (pillar bed) for the action screws
2. Devcon/glass bed the action
3. Swap out action screws for metric head (won't find Imperial sizes in Africa!) action screws. Pack at least two allen wrenches in different bags/cases when going to Africa! You may loose one.

Steps 1-3 will ensure your rifle will hold its zero no matter how much your wood stock dances to weather changes! Also, the allen screws allow one to remove the barreled action from stock and easily replace it for maintenance, cleaning and oiling, and if desired, to pack into a shorter hard travel rifle case.

4. Swap out magazine spring for a M98 Mauser surplus spring. These do break! I've carried extra to Africa for AH members and provided same to AH members stateside.
5. Swap out extractor for Pre-64 M70 extractor. If not available have a gunsmith fit a M98, P14/17 extractor. War surplus parts were designed to be soldier-proof! Again, I've carried extra to Africa for AH members.
6. Finally, there have been reported cases on AH of striker springs breaking. Rare but has happened...
I haven't swapped out the striker spring on my M70 Classic CRF rifles, yet... I may look into Wolf springs since that is their primary business.

Make up some dummy rounds and practice loading, dry firing, and working that bolt fast and hard like a buffalo is charging you, and reloading in a hurry!

Below are photos of my homemade dummy/inert rounds for 458 Win.
Notice that I used round nosed bullets for the first batch?
Then, I turned the bullets around for a very flat base to be fed from magazine into the chamber.
If your rifle will feed backwards bullet cartridges, it will feed most any hunting rounds you come up with!

To make dummys like these;

1. Full length resize
2. Drill holes in base for positive identification that these are NOT live rounds!
3. Remove brass shaving from inside case
4. Fill primer pocket with hot glue from a $10 hot glue gun or install pencil eraser/hard foam
5. Finally, if excessive compulsive like, me, squirt hot glue into case via drilled holes. Add enough glue to weigh what missing powder and brass would weigh. I have also inserted a handful or BBs instead of glue. Your choice... This step is not necessary but for my reloading from my belt training, I want to be as realistic as possible!

Also I'm in canada and with are rules it's impossible to find or get parts but I will try my best!!

 

[Wyatt Smith]

60 Inch Pounds is good.

I think he meant for the cross bolts. In which case just good and snug. You just want pressure on the wood to keep from splitting.
Winchester says the action screw torque is 35 inch pounds. That’s what I would set them at unless I had pillars in the stock.

 

[BeeMaa]

Please use BLUE LocTite 243. Do not use any red unless you really don't want to ever take it apart. Of course you can use a torch to heat up the red and take it apart, but who wants to do that.

Technically LocTite 242 (also blue) will work as well, but 243 is more oil resistant and has better vibration damping.

 

[Major Bonkers]

In 1910, W.W Greener wrote (in The Gun and its Development): In no country are better sportsmen to be found than in the United States of America, nor does any country possess keener buyers or better men of business, yet is so much of the worthless of the (mass production) gun-factories offered for sale. The Boers are a race of sportsmen, but it is no use to offer them rubbish at any price, and the author can hardly believe that the astute American will sacrifice everything to cheapness.

I don't mean to be rude, but the idea of buying a new rifle and then 'upgrading' it by fiddling with it and possibly replacing parts, strikes me as bizarre. Nor does it say much for the quality of product that Winchester is selling.

Apparently, there are so many after-market add-ons to a Harley Davidson motorcycle that you can build yourself a new engine without a single part from the factory. In which case (if you are inclined to do so)... why are you buying that motorcycle - or rifle - in the first place?

As I say, I have no wish to be unpleasant, but if you are spending your money on something that needs work on it to operate as you want it to, perhaps you have bought the wrong product to begin with. No European would buy a new rifle with the intent of throwing half of it away and rebuilding it.

 

[charlieB12345]

In 1910, W.W Greener wrote (in The Gun and its Development): In no country are better sportsmen to be found than in the United States of America, nor does any country possess keener buyers or better men of business, yet is so much of the worthless of the (mass production) gun-factories offered for sale. The Boers are a race of sportsmen, but it is no use to offer them rubbish at any price, and the author can hardly believe that the astute American will sacrifice everything to cheapness.

I don't mean to be rude, but the idea of buying a new rifle and then 'upgrading' it by fiddling with it and possibly replacing parts, strikes me as bizarre. Nor does it say much for the quality of product that Winchester is selling.

Apparently, there are so many after-market add-ons to a Harley Davidson motorcycle that you can build yourself a new engine without a single part from the factory. In which case (if you are inclined to do so)... why are you buying that motorcycle - or rifle - in the first place?

As I say, I have no wish to be unpleasant, but if you are spending your money on something that needs work on it to operate as you want it to, perhaps you have bought the wrong product to begin with. No European would buy a new rifle with the intent of throwing half of it away and rebuilding it.

Very good point and I can honestly say I'm very happy with it just was curious what other people have done

 

[Puddle]

Make up a magazine worth of dummy rounds (I use play sand to make weight).

Fill the magazine and work that action every which way, and from slow to fast to extra fast (extra fast = Buff at 35 feet) and be sure the action is perfect.

Mine needed a little polishing with the follower, feed ramp, and bolt face. Now it's perfect.