Upgrade or sell my current do all rifle.

[bnewt3]

In my experience, wondering what could have been eats at me more than spending some money. It sounds to me like you want to keep it.

As at least one other mentioned, Its a M70. spending money on a good-shooting M70 isnt wasted. I would say keep it, get the stock you want, KEEP the factory stock and see how you like it. If you still want something else, you kept the factory stock so any prospective buyer has both options. you wont lose much money on the deal and youll know for sure if it was the right call.

 

[bnewt3]

I will have to decide on caliber then (low recoil vs elk caliber).

Convention says you have to pick one or the other, more recent data says you dont have to pick between them anymore.

 

[Kyguy]

I would just keep it. And then go buy a 6.5 creedmoor. I just rebarreled my custom 700 to 6.5, probably the best compromise between performance and shootability. I kept the 308 barrel though, because it's custom as well and only has a few hundred rounds through it. The reason I kept it is because there are outfitters/guides that won't let you shoot a 6.5 creedmoor (someone on Facebook forum posted a page from an outfitters website that said they no longer allow 6.5 creedmoor) and there's at least a couple of outfitters in Maine for black bear that won't let you hunt with anything less than 30 caliber. Yeah it's stupid, but I also respect how someone wants to run THEIR business. So if I decide to hunt with them, it's on their terms not mine. And then you have states like Kentucky that have a .270 caliber minimum for elk hunting.... Not that I've ever been drawn in over 20 years of putting in the lottery. I actually gave up on it the last few years but I may get back in at some point. LOL.

 

[Arcus Venator]

Lots of great replies. I think I’ve decided to just keep the rifle and restock it. Then do a custom in the future. I will have to decide on caliber then (low recoil vs elk caliber).

Good decision, if you like the rifle.

Quite a few years ago I went the Model 70 Classic route. I have three, all in 270.
1 . Fwt with a Pendleton Composite Stock. Light weight, shooting 130gr monos.
2. Faux LR rifle before the fast twist stuff really took off. 145gr ELD-X, threaded for a suppressor.
3. Last rifle is a 1:8 twist. 155gr Barnes LRX

Over the years, all three have accounted for many deer, antelope, and elk.

I am a big 270 fan, have been using one since 1980. But there are other new cartridges that will work!
I do have a Seekins in 6.8 Western, and am going to mess around with some Berger 170's, and 155gr LRx's.

Also have a Kimber Open Country in 6.5 Creedmoor coming, priced to good to pass up.

 

[roadrunner]

What would you do in this situation? My current do-all rifle is a Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather SS in .270 Win. It has the first-generation stock, which I really don’t like. I’ve priced a McMillan replacement at around $900–$1,000, and I’m sure it would completely change the rifle. But at that point I’d have roughly $2,000 invested in it. It is a good shooter, and it’s easy to reload accurate ammo for.

Another option would be to sell the rifle to the gun/archery shop for $900–$1,000 in store credit and start over with something else. (I bought the rifle for $950 about 10 years ago, and they go for around $1,700 now.) I already have a bow on order from this shop, so the credit would cover most of that. Then I’d start fresh with a new rifle. I’ve been looking pretty hard at both the Proof Elevation and the Seekins Havak Element M3.

I’d also really like a rifle with a threaded barrel and a suppressor to protect my hearing. Despite reloading ammo, I’d probably still choose a common, do-all caliber, and my budget is fairly flexible. I hunt deer and hope to branch out to elk in the near future. My only other rifles are a .223 and a .22, but I may add more in the future.

Thanks in advance

Where's the $2,000 coming from you'd have invested in it?

Regardless, you're going spend at least $2k getting a new rifle, buying a suppressor, and spending time behind it than just buying the stock chopping and threading the barrel.