Scope suggestions

[Oldtrader3]

Buy Roger Rule's, "The Rifleman's Rifleman" to have in your library. I have nearly worn my copy out referring back to the book any time that I have a question. It was the best Winchester investment that I ever made! I read parts of mine almost weekly for 30 years now. My $.02.

 

[tddeangelo]

Buy Roger Rule's, "The Rifleman's Rifleman" to have in your library. I have nearly worn my copy out referring back to the book any time that I have a question. It was the best Winchester investment that I ever made! I read parts of mine almost weekly for 30 years now. My $.02.

Last time I priced that book on Amazon, it was over $100 used.... yikes.

 

[Oldtrader3]

It is well spent. I paid about $80., 30 years ago for mine.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Buy Roger Rule's, "The Rifleman's Rifleman" to have in your library. I have nearly worn my copy out referring back to the book any time that I have a question. It was the best Winchester investment that I ever made! I read parts of mine almost weekly for 30 years now. My $.02.

Last time I priced that book on Amazon, it was over $100 used.... yikes.

Tom, I found mine at a gunshow back in 97 or 98 in a box with other gun books. It was probably 98% and I think I paid 70 or 75 for it. As Charlie said, best Winchester investment ever.

One thing as Charlie said about the blueing. They don't blue like that anymore. So if it looks like a current production blueing, it has been reblued.

 

[tddeangelo]

Buy Roger Rule's, "The Rifleman's Rifleman" to have in your library. I have nearly worn my copy out referring back to the book any time that I have a question. It was the best Winchester investment that I ever made! I read parts of mine almost weekly for 30 years now. My $.02.

Last time I priced that book on Amazon, it was over $100 used.... yikes.

Tom, I found mine at a gunshow back in 97 or 98 in a box with other gun books. It was probably 98% and I think I paid 70 or 75 for it. As Charlie said, best Winchester investment ever.

One thing as Charlie said about the blueing. They don't blue like that anymore. So if it looks like a current production blueing, it has been reblued.

If there is more than one, I will be asking to go eyeball them all if possible.

 

[tddeangelo]

Folks,

I will find out prices and condition of these rifles when possible. At this time, it looks like I will not be acquiring any of the rifles, but I will pass info on to those interested here if the seller needs buyers.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Tom, that would be a public service in a manner of speaking. It seems that classic Model 70 prices, particularly for full magnums and scarce issues, have gone from the stratosphere to the sublime. Just attachments would help illustrate your point for me at least. Sorry that it is proving harder for you than you had planned.

I looked last year, considering maybe selling a couple rifles and a shotgun to get a .300 H&H. I could not find anything that I wanted to own for less than $3500. They were all chopped, scabbed and refinished or had extra holes in the action with a wrong color $4 recoil pad (which sagged) for only $3000. Exaggerating, maybe a little but you get the point.

I live vicariously now and was hoping that you would ride off into the sunset with a Pre-64 .300 H&H rifle that you could be happy with and use for many years. It may still happen though, someday when you least expect it.

 

[tddeangelo]

Tom, that would be a public service in a manner of speaking. It seems that classic Model 70 prices, particularly for full magnums and scarce issues, have gone from the stratosphere to the sublime. Just attachments would help illustrate your point for me at least. Sorry that it is proving harder for you than you had planned.

I looked last year, considering maybe selling a couple rifles and a shotgun to get a .300 H&H. I could not find anything that I wanted to own for less than $3500. They were all chopped, scabbed and refinished or had extra holes in the action with a wrong color $4 recoil pad (which sagged) for only $3000. Exaggerating, maybe a little but you get the point.

I live vicariously now and was hoping that you would ride off into the sunset with a Pre-64 .300 H&H rifle that you could be happy with and use for many years. It may still happen though, someday when you least expect it.

Charlie,

It may indeed happen at some point, one never does know what life will bring!

 

[SJB358]

Charlie,

It may indeed happen at some point, one never does know what life will bring!

I am looking forward to what happened Tom? Seems like there must be a good story to it.

 

[tddeangelo]

Charlie,

It may indeed happen at some point, one never does know what life will bring!

I am looking forward to what happened Tom? Seems like there must be a good story to it.

Not really much of a story, Scotty. Just how the cookie crumbled is all.

I only have 2nd hand info on prices at the moment, though, so when I know more definitively, I will let folks know who may be interested here.

 

[DrMike]

There is a reason there is no "pre-64" Winchester in my safe, Tom. The prices are wildly out of line with value. Those who have them are overly optimistic as to value. Still, it is fun to dream.

 

[tddeangelo]

There is a reason there is no "pre-64" Winchester in my safe, Tom. The prices are wildly out of line with value. Those who have them are overly optimistic as to value. Still, it is fun to dream.

Supply and demand does influence this one, as no more can be produced.

Really, I don't see them as astronomically priced as I have in the past, and to get on a 300 H&H custom rifle, one would have some significant coin involved.

The rough pricing I did get on these rifles was not terrible at all, all things considered.

 

[tddeangelo]

To the topic at the start, I looked at a Z3 tonight. Boy, is that some glass, but why couldn't Swaro put some decent dials on those scopes???? The Minox scopes have the right idea....numerically indexed and can be "zero'ed" once the scope is set.

Zeiss and Swaro would do well to emulate that concept, imho.

The glass is, of course, beyond reproach.

 

[gerry]

What would be the expected value of a pre 64 Winchester? My friend that I went elk hunting with is thinking about selling his 30-06, it is in decent shape but did pick up some rust at one time when he went moose hunting in remote country.

 

[tddeangelo]

What would be the expected value of a pre 64 Winchester? My friend that I went elk hunting with is thinking about selling his 30-06, it is in decent shape but did pick up some rust at one time when he went moose hunting in remote country.

I was just at the Hamburg, PA Cabela's. They have battered m70's in 30-06 for $900 and up (pre-'64's).

Not sure what to tell you on price. I wouldn't pay that kind of price for such a common chambering in such a condition, though, as what they had to offer.

Those rifles at Cabela's have been there a while, too. Several months at least.

 

[SJB358]

To the topic at the start, I looked at a Z3 tonight. Boy, is that some glass, but why couldn't Swaro put some decent dials on those scopes???? The Minox scopes have the right idea....numerically indexed and can be "zero'ed" once the scope is set.

Zeiss and Swaro would do well to emulate that concept, imho.

The glass is, of course, beyond reproach.

Same here, I think the BT models are about the only ones that interest me right now. I don't want a huge ballistic tree.. A couple lines will usually get me to 500-600. I am surprised they don't have a similar method as the Minoxs?

 

[Oldtrader3]

Having worked as an engineering director in Germany for a couple years partime, they are really technology transfer protective of each other which is good. That is probably why they don't "use" each other's patents much. Of course Kahles and Swarovski were the same company for 20 years until last year. They will borrow from the US (sometimes) and certainly from the Japanese. The Rain Guard is Swaro's invention so turn-about is fair play but Bushnell is paying them royalties now.

I know it sounds weird, but I would consider buying another older Swaro AV before the Z3. The scope is better built (maybe by Kahles?) and they cost roughly the same out the door with the advantage to the AV. I can not tell any difference in optics.

I think that we are going to have another dip (recession) especially if Oflama-drama is reelected and that may shake some deals out of the trees on optics? There is a lot of choices and a lot of scope makers. Hide and wait, I guess some of them will surely not be able to sustain working capital and control turns of inventory.

 

[tddeangelo]

To the topic at the start, I looked at a Z3 tonight. Boy, is that some glass, but why couldn't Swaro put some decent dials on those scopes???? The Minox scopes have the right idea....numerically indexed and can be "zero'ed" once the scope is set.

Zeiss and Swaro would do well to emulate that concept, imho.

The glass is, of course, beyond reproach.

Same here, I think the BT models are about the only ones that interest me right now. I don't want a huge ballistic tree.. A couple lines will usually get me to 500-600. I am surprised they don't have a similar method as the Minoxs?

Yeah, I don't get it, Scotty.....but I guess the top dogs will sell units whether they have ALL the features people want or not. Man, put Leupold's stock VX7/VX6 dials on a Z3 and we'd be in business!

VX6 is lookin' better again....or maybe just another Minox! LOL

Sun is shining again on the 300's, so maybe there is hope after all.

 

[Oldtrader3]

If you would be so kind as to keep me generally in the information loop, Tom. As I mentioned (to someone), I live mostly vicariously now but I am still very much interested in the details of the Pre-64 Win market, particularly as it pertains to the .300 H&H magnum market and pricing structure for various standard, magnum rifles and Alaskans. A standard rifle would be great and may entice me to reorder priorities some time in the furure, after you find what you want.

That may be the one rifle which I am most sorry to have abandoned in a weak moment after retirement and during divorce. The last Alaskan that I had, actually both of them (the .338 WM was nice too) were fine rifles and I should have hung on to them more doggedly.

I would would be happy to reciprocate as well. Since time is something that I seem to have plenty of. Except for a one week Alaska cruise next month, I will be around looking and appraising the market for opportunities and pricing. There are a couple large stores here but they do not have much stock of older classic stuff except shotguns. anyhow, good luck with that quest.

 

[tddeangelo]

I will, Charlie. Asked the guy in charge of selling the rifles if I could see them. He was ok with that, but wasn't sure when...said he's put in over 100 hours in this "project" over the last 30 days. This is an estate....a gunsmith passed away sort of unexpectedly, and his will named my buddy to liquidate the firearms and related stuff.

I think he said there's over 25 M70 barrels he has yet to catalog....among other things.

Right now, he's got one in particular in mind for me. Pre-64 with the last 3/8" of the barrel threaded. I have no flipping clue why one would do such a thing, but the end would need to be trimmed and recrowned. He recommended a smith (the guy doing this used to run a gun dept for an Army-Navy store) who will do a good job. I gave him my total budget, what I was looking for, and mentioned I'd like to leave room for glass in my budget. That's the rifle he settled on. We'll see....

I'll keep you posted as I know more.

Bear in mind, I hunt with the guy selling these guns, and he is going to give me the best price he responsibly can. This may not necessarily be helpful in any sort of market analysis.