Make an older gun shoot

[Speaks]

I have an M70 270 that has been replaced by Tikka's at a hunting gun but that I really have no desire to sell.

Thing is that its more of a 2.5 MOA gun which kind of takes it out of the running to be a user even for nostalgic purposes. Its not worth re-barreling unless I also upgrade the stock and frankly I am not going to invest that much.

Fiddling with is yesterday though its clearly obvious that the wood stock makes contact with the barrel all or most of the way down. Would sanding out the barrel channel and free floating it have a decent probability of improving performance.

I figure it as least could not hurt to be able to throw a dead cat through there?

I can easily do this at home just by sanding and then refinishing. Any downside I am not considering?

 

[Deere_Man]

Have you checked it over for simple things like the mag box making contact with the stock too much? Or maybe a screw in the scope base protrudes too deep and makes contact with the barrel shank threads?

Glass bed the action and recoil lug and free float the barrel. There are plenty of YouTube videos.

Both Midway & Brownell’s sells a glass bedding kit.

Good luck

 

[JRay]

I had the same issues with two wood stock Rem 700 in 30-06. I completely disassembled them, sanded down the barrel channel (mine had pressure pads), bedded the lug and shank, then degreased and reassembled with a paint pen.

Both rifles went from ~2” groups to ~1” groups with factory loaded hornady and sierra ammo.

Timney triggers were a nice addition as well.

 

[Nick4050]

Before you do any modifications to the stock, I would try giving the barrel a good cleaning. use a good copper fouling remover, brush it a bunch, and get it pushing clean patches. I've helped several friends turn old "tired" rifles back into useable shape with a simple yet thorough bore cleaning. If it's an older rifle that hasn't seen any love lately, I'd also take the optic and any mounting hardware/rails off and remount it all, to make sure that nothing has worked loose over time.

 

[Deere_Man]

A nice trigger helps!

 

[Sled]

In addition to what's been posted above, how does the barrel look? Any heavy fire cracking? What about the crown? That would be quick and easy to remedy or roll out. A lot of old rifles have nicks and cuts in this area because the crown wasn't well protected.

 

[Tmac]

Before you do any modifications to the stock, I would try giving the barrel a good cleaning. use a good copper fouling remover, brush it a bunch, and get it pushing clean patches. I've helped several friends turn old "tired" rifles back into useable shape with a simple yet thorough bore cleaning. If it's an older rifle that hasn't seen any love lately, I'd also take the optic and any mounting hardware/rails off and remount it all, to make sure that nothing has worked loose over time.

I brought an old Springfield 03A3 back to life accuracy wise with copper fouling remover. It took a long time and multiple sessions. Thing probably had never been cleaned down to bare metal.

So imo it's worth a try if that M70 has an unknown history or has been shot a lot.

 

[Speaks]

Before you do any modifications to the stock, I would try giving the barrel a good cleaning. use a good copper fouling remover, brush it a bunch, and get it pushing clean patches. I've helped several friends turn old "tired" rifles back into useable shape with a simple yet thorough bore cleaning. If it's an older rifle that hasn't seen any love lately, I'd also take the optic and any mounting hardware/rails off and remount it all, to make sure that nothing has worked loose over time.

Yea its likely worth doing the cleaning.

I did pull the optic and fresh mount a known good SWAFA fixed 6 hoping it was as simple as that.

 

[grfox92]

Yea its likely worth doing the cleaning.

I did pull the optic and fresh mount a known good SWAFA fixed 6 hoping it was as simple as that.

Not sure why you think it's not worth re barreling and putting a new stock on it?

Stockys has carbon fiber stocks for M70s now. M70 is a phenomenal action. As good as Tikka in my eyes. I have one that shoots worse than yours in the safe that I am waiting to turn into a semi custom once the funds are available.

Ive been told those old wood stocks are notorious for poor fitment and needing bedding. I would start there and cleaning the barrel. You may be pleasantly suprised.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Seems like a worthwhile project to me. It will keep you out of trouble. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Speaks]

Not sure why you think it's not worth re barreling and putting a new stock on it?

Stockys has carbon fiber stocks for M70s now. M70 is a phenomenal action. As good as Tikka in my eyes. I have one that shoots worse than yours in the safe that I am waiting to turn into a semi custom once the funds are available.

Ive been told those old wood stocks are notorious for poor fitment and needing bedding. I would start there and cleaning the barrel. You may be pleasantly suprised.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

Re-barreling and a new stock is likely well over a grand and I dont really have a need for it in my hunting lineup. Its just fun to have an old classic in a classic caliber. Maybe down the road I will but if I can easily get it shooting myself I would prefer that route.

I do have a m70 rokstock that I was going to put on another one in 300wm that is a good shooter but also has no real place in my hunting gun lineup. I would really rather keep the 270 in wood though if I can. Its also the two piece bottom metal which I would almost certainly have to change if I re-stock it.

 

[grfox92]

Re-barreling and a new stock is likely well over a grand and I dont really have a need for it in my hunting lineup. Its just fun to have an old classic in a classic caliber. Maybe down the road I will but if I can easily get it shooting myself I would prefer that route.

I do have a m70 rokstock that I was going to put on another one in 300wm that is a good shooter but also has no real place in my hunting gun lineup. I would really rather keep the 270 in wood though if I can. Its also the two piece bottom metal which I would almost certainly have to change if I re-stock it.

In that case, clean that barrel and bed the stock and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

 

[North of 60]

Speaks i overhauled a model 70 .300 WM manufactured in 1964 that inherited from dad almost 40 yrs ago.

I free floated the barrel, glass bedded the action with a kit from Brownells, refinished the wood stock, and replaced the hockey puck recoil pad with a grind to fit pachmayr and then had a brake put on it.

Fast forward to the age of suppressors and i sent it off to Karl Feldkamp to take a little off the barrel and thread it with a collar.

My part was a fun project, the rifle looks better, is more shootable, and shoots well enough for me.

 

[Speaks]

Speaks i overhauled a model 70 .300 WM manufactured in 1964 that inherited from dad almost 40 yrs ago.

I free floated the barrel, glass bedded the action with a kit from Brownells, refinished the wood stock, and replaced the hockey puck recoil pad with a grind to fit pachmayr and then had a brake put on it.

Fast forward to the age of suppressors and i sent it off to Karl Feldkamp to take a little off the barrel and thread it with a collar.

My part was a fun project, the rifle looks better, is more shootable, and shoots well enough for me.

Yea I think I will float and bed it and see what happens.

I actually have 3 project M70s. In addition to this one I have a 300wm in a plastic stock that shoots well that I plan to move into a RS.

I also have 338wm in a really nice wood stock that if I recall correctly was a decent shooter. Trying to get the scope mount off it now and see how it shoots with just new glass. Been sitting with Kroil for 2 days waiting on my new screw bits to try and get the old optic mount off.

 

[rickyw]

In addition to the above, you can polish the trigger sear and add a lighter spring. I wouldn’t replace those triggers, they are super sweet with a little love.

 

[Davyalabama]

Before you do any modifications to the stock, I would try giving the barrel a good cleaning. use a good copper fouling remover, brush it a bunch, and get it pushing clean patches. I've helped several friends turn old "tired" rifles back into useable shape with a simple yet thorough bore cleaning. If it's an older rifle that hasn't seen any love lately, I'd also take the optic and any mounting hardware/rails off and remount it all, to make sure that nothing has worked loose over time.

I'm with Nick. Look at the easiest, first.

 

[Speaks]

It looks like there was a previous attempt to bed the recoil lug though the back of it not the front.

Barrel crown does not look perfect but no clear nicks either.

 

[willfrye027]

After you float the barrel and bed it…and check integrity of the scope mounts…can you try handloading with more traditional flat base bullets?

I bet there is a Sierra bullet out there without a crazy aggressive profile that would shoot better than the rest.

I loaded for an old BDL 30-06 that “wouldn’t shoot” and now prints nice little groups with 150gr SSTs. Tried a couple different bullets with average groups ranging from 4” down to 1”. Also discovered in that process that the receiver holes are not drilled right and still need to rectify that issue..

 

[Wrench]

Feed it a 130gr speer btsp or 130 sierra with about 58grs of imr4831. If it doesn’t shoot that fairly well....start investigating.

Always check the mag box. Remove the bedding on top of the stock and make sure the front action screw doesn’t touch on it's bottom. The front base screws can touch the barrel and cause problems too.

The m70 trigger is my favorite. It's simple and foolproof. A few bucks to buy ernies spring and a touch of work on the sear faces can make a winner.

 

[nomadicbohunk]

My first rifle was a new wood bedded m77 mkII. POS. Never did group and I didn't trust it over 100 yards. It grouped about 4-6moa with handloads and factory. A new trigger and filing the mag box made it a consistent 4. I pillar bedded it, put a rod in the forend, and freefloated it. That got it down to 2. I figured out it has like a 3/4 inch throat. I never did measure it before then as it is length limited by the magazine. A lot of reloading trial and error got it down to a hair under an inch. I use it now.

Also, with the cleaning. I bought a used sako deluxe in 9.3x62 that wouldn't group better than over two inches. I figured out it was super duper full of copper. I even plugged the barrel and filled it with cleaner overnight a couple times. After over a week of cleaning I finally got mad and figured screw it if I'm getting a new barrel anyway. I used over 1/2 a container of jb on it over a couple days and got it down to bare metal. It shoots great now. I thought for sure I trashed that barrel doing that.