Very nice guns, tackdrivers! Off top of head 2400 were built and sold, a few at the very end had CM vs SS barrels. I have shot sub 1 1/4', 5 shot,300 yard groups with mine, It was dead calm, cool, my farm airstrip,factory 70 gr Federal Perm ammo. Mine is a 56' my 220 swift is a late 59' ( 904 of them) there is very little difference in the Varminter and Target, stock being the main change. Very best on a nice gun, buy it if at all possible! Very best on a good one!, If you decide you dont need it take photos and give me a chance. WinPoor- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: Dec 2014Posts: 1,409Campfire RegularCampfire RegularJoined: Dec 2014Posts: 1,409.
I bought one new in 1957 and I still have it. It cost $124.95.That $2400 price is high but that's collecting pre 64's.I wanted one gun that I could shoot in competition in the big bore matches that did not kick like an 06 yet be a long range chuck gun.It did very well in the matches and was kind of heavy for chucks.The barrel wore out however an old buddy had another barrel so that's on the rifle now. That barrel is a 220 Swift chamber.- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: May 2012Posts: 2,251Campfire RangerCampfire RangerJoined: May 2012Posts: 2,251. 220 Swift on a day when I was on, at 100 with 55 Hornady Customammo, grey boxry best winpoorI called the neck shot on the horse to my buddys, the scope is my very favorite 10X OLD Leupold with the thick to thin tapering X hairs. WinPoorsame gun shooting Federal 52Gr Match ammo, this gun likes the Hornady 55 gr Custom better! My Varminter swift is picky on ammo, I had an old tang safe Ruger 77V that came from factory with a Douglas prem heavy barrel the would shoot any ammo made! I sold it after 3000 rounds to help buy the Winchester, the Ruger was still shooting under.75, To my thinking you have to try to burn a swift out OR do not know how to clean!
V best WinPoor. I bought some 58 gr Hornady.243 ammo and did not have readers on, it was moly coated and due to it attracting moisture I'm not a fan, the Boron is the way to go IF you are trying to shoot in the teens. Half inch and I smile from ear to ear, I own more half inch guns than a fellow should be so blessed to have now the nut behind the trigger wiggles to much!
Winchester Collector - Topic: Pre 64 Model 70 Bull Barrel Varmint in.243 Advice Hi Dave- As far as I can tell, Winchester would shorten the LOP on a stock (up to 1 inch) on special order (catalogued option). The new model 70 varmits I think come in a Bell & Carlson stock, but I do think they but some in the HS stocks also. I purchased a Model 70 coyote light in 243 with the laminated stock bull barrel for $550. Not sure if the trigger would kick the price to $750 but mine had a damn nice factory trigger in it about 2.5# and breaks like glass.
I did nail a crow scratching peanut seed up a week of so ago at I'm guessing 250 yards, heck that made me smile! Now back to the story, mine likes the 70 gr and 95 gr ammo better than the 58 gr moly stuff and it may well have been me that day. I'm going to dig back thru empty ammo boxes but I got ahold of an obscure box of rem ammo, 1 box just to try, I'm pretty sure it was a 60 gr flat base hollow point and it shot like a house afire! Of course by the time I got back to pawn shop to clean the shelf out somebody else had cleaned em out!Same with the 220 Swift, I bought some flat base 53 gr rem match ammo one time that was pure magic!! Very best winpoor- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: May 2012Posts: 2,251Campfire RangerCampfire RangerJoined: May 2012Posts: 2,251.
These old motteled 26' SS barrels make a noise like a bank vault shutting when you chamber a round, You also know if you do not kill the house fly at 100 yards its your fault not the gun once you get em dialed in! Dog darn sure build confidence, I really worked with my swift when I got it as I had been looking for years for one, I was a little disappointed at first till I found pet factory ammo, I worked with it several nice cool days in a row and learned what the bench guys have known for years, a few degrees in temp and or humidity can have you shading a tad high or low, a clean barrel may take a few shots to foul and 'settle in' heck how tight you hold it makes a difference.This is one gun that I learned that a target knob on the elevation is nice!
Very nice guns, tackdrivers! Off top of head 2400 were built and sold, a few at the very end had CM vs SS barrels. I have shot sub 1 1/4', 5 shot,300 yard groups with mine, It was dead calm, cool, my farm airstrip,factory 70 gr Federal Perm ammo.
Mine is a 56' my 220 swift is a late 59' ( 904 of them) there is very little difference in the Varminter and Target, stock being the main change. Very best on a nice gun, buy it if at all possible! Very best on a good one!, If you decide you dont need it take photos and give me a chance.
WinPoor- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: Dec 2014Posts: 1,409Campfire RegularCampfire RegularJoined: Dec 2014Posts: 1,409. I bought one new in 1957 and I still have it. It cost $124.95.That $2400 price is high but that's collecting pre 64's.I wanted one gun that I could shoot in competition in the big bore matches that did not kick like an 06 yet be a long range chuck gun.It did very well in the matches and was kind of heavy for chucks.The barrel wore out however an old buddy had another barrel so that's on the rifle now. That barrel is a 220 Swift chamber.- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: May 2012Posts: 2,251Campfire RangerCampfire RangerJoined: May 2012Posts: 2,251. 220 Swift on a day when I was on, at 100 with 55 Hornady Customammo, grey boxry best winpoorI called the neck shot on the horse to my buddys, the scope is my very favorite 10X OLD Leupold with the thick to thin tapering X hairs.
WinPoorsame gun shooting Federal 52Gr Match ammo, this gun likes the Hornady 55 gr Custom better! My Varminter swift is picky on ammo, I had an old tang safe Ruger 77V that came from factory with a Douglas prem heavy barrel the would shoot any ammo made! I sold it after 3000 rounds to help buy the Winchester, the Ruger was still shooting under.75, To my thinking you have to try to burn a swift out OR do not know how to clean! V best WinPoor. I bought some 58 gr Hornady.243 ammo and did not have readers on, it was moly coated and due to it attracting moisture I'm not a fan, the Boron is the way to go IF you are trying to shoot in the teens.
Half inch and I smile from ear to ear, I own more half inch guns than a fellow should be so blessed to have now the nut behind the trigger wiggles to much! I did nail a crow scratching peanut seed up a week of so ago at I'm guessing 250 yards, heck that made me smile! Now back to the story, mine likes the 70 gr and 95 gr ammo better than the 58 gr moly stuff and it may well have been me that day. I'm going to dig back thru empty ammo boxes but I got ahold of an obscure box of rem ammo, 1 box just to try, I'm pretty sure it was a 60 gr flat base hollow point and it shot like a house afire!
Of course by the time I got back to pawn shop to clean the shelf out somebody else had cleaned em out!Same with the 220 Swift, I bought some flat base 53 gr rem match ammo one time that was pure magic!! Very best winpoor- 05/18/15 Re: Pre 64 model 70 varmint in 243??Joined: May 2012Posts: 2,251Campfire RangerCampfire RangerJoined: May 2012Posts: 2,251. These old motteled 26' SS barrels make a noise like a bank vault shutting when you chamber a round, You also know if you do not kill the house fly at 100 yards its your fault not the gun once you get em dialed in! Dog darn sure build confidence, I really worked with my swift when I got it as I had been looking for years for one, I was a little disappointed at first till I found pet factory ammo, I worked with it several nice cool days in a row and learned what the bench guys have known for years, a few degrees in temp and or humidity can have you shading a tad high or low, a clean barrel may take a few shots to foul and 'settle in' heck how tight you hold it makes a difference.This is one gun that I learned that a target knob on the elevation is nice!