Winchester Model 70 Super Grade Maple

[vmuth]

Well, I think it's time I do something about it. I've over the last 8-10 years have become more appreciative of a nice classic looking rifle with Fiddleback/Tiger stripe wood.

I really would like to get a Cooper Western Classic but with 2 kids in college, that definitely is not in my future. Waaaaaaaaay out of budget. I do like the looks of both the Model 70 Super Grade and the Featherweight with maple stocks with a slight more lean towards the Supergrade. The only caliber I am interested in is the .308. It's what my buddies call the "Sunday Gun". Which means when the boys are over for a Sunday BBQ, I pull that rifle out and pass it around.

For me to make this happen, I would be selling 2 safe queen rifles that between the both of them, have less than 100 rounds through them. One is a battle rifle and the other is a SS bolt gun.

The dilemma is actually seeing the specific rifle before the purchase. I just can't bring myself to buy a rifle sight unseen. I've been banging around the gun stores over the last year and haven't seen one in person. They are available online but never with any pictures of the specific rifle, only generic factory pics. The main purpose of my getting the rifle is for the fiddleback figured stock. I have on one occasion asked a gun store how they address this and the response was you get what you get when one is ordered. I'm not going to drop that kind of money for a luck of the draw. ($1,400 is a big amount of dough in my eyes)

Any suggestions from the group?

Thanks.

[elSquid]

[elSquid]

https://www.gunbroker.com/Bolt-Action-Rifles/search?PageSize=24&Sort=13&View=1&Ch-manufacturerName=Winchester&Ch-model=70%20Super%20Grade%20Maple

[sigstroker]

Cabela's had them a couple years ago, in stock. Freakin' gorgeous. Not just the wood, but the metal too. They were on sale for $1300 then. I had absolutely no use for it but I should've just bought one as art.

[DrewN]

$1400 will buy a pretty nice used Weatherby MK V (granted, .308 will be hard) and they usually sport some pretty nice wood. And I agree with ElSquid, if you are building a rifle around the wood, you need to start with the wood, the action is a lot more straightforward.

[theduracellbigd]

Weatherbys are nice, I own a couple, but the Model 70 the Riflemans rifle are my favorites. I own three, a Sporter, Featherweight and Super Grade. I would recommend the Gunbroker route with good pictures as a last resort. Fine wood stocks will have tiger stripping ,figure etc that changes as the angle of light changes as you look at different angles and in different lighting. Also the sheen of each stock varies a bit. So do the legwork calling gun shops, enjoy the process, drive a distance if need be and be selective, you want that Sunday gun something you enjoy and have no second guessing on.

[sigstroker]

$1400 will buy a pretty nice used Weatherby MK V (granted, .308 will be hard) and they usually sport some pretty nice wood. And I agree with ElSquid, if you are building a rifle around the wood, you need to start with the wood, the action is a lot more straightforward.

A $1400 Mark V won't hold a candle to the maple Super Grade. Have you seen one? Maybe a $3000-$4000 one would, but then the rest of the rifle would be a lot better than the Winchester.

[DrewN]

A $1400 Mark V won't hold a candle to the maple Super Grade. Have you seen one? Maybe a $3000-$4000 one would, but then the rest of the rifle would be a lot better than the Winchester.

I haven't actually. Sounds like I should though. And (well, I'm a lefty so maybe different?) older Weatherbys are usually pretty good deals and 90% of them have barely been shot. I just remember them really standing out on the rack back in the day without getting into the stratosphere of good wood. It just sounds like subby wants a sweet bbq gun, so in my mind, the action and even caliber are pretty secondary. With modern coatings you could splurge for sweet custom wood then drop in a barreled action and Bob's your uncle. Paid $1K for this one right here on CG.

[MongooseV8]

Ive seen a few in person and they sure are pretty. You only live once.

[sigstroker]

I looked on Cabela's website, and my semi-local store has them in stock. Check your local store.

Do not go look at them if you're only mildly interested and your credit card is clean. You might end up a little poorer.

[LynnJr]

You didn't list your location but if you are in northern California you can visit Calico hardwoods in Santa Rosa. They make most of the Weatherby blanks and you can hand pick your own blank.

Another option would be to have an existing stock hydro-dipped in your choice of wood.

[870classic]

...visit Calico hardwoods in Santa Rosa. They make most of the Weatherby blanks and you can hand pick your own blank.
Another option would be to have an existing stock hydro-dipped in your choice of wood.

^^ This.
Lynn Jr for the win.

[FISHNFRANK]

The .308 isn’t a classic round for a classic model 70. I’d pick the .270 or .30-06.

[Thefeeder]

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A blank (from Calico) will run in the $250 range for AAA grade.....much more for a piece of exhibition Grade......add the cost of making the stock and you will be up there in the k's. Much cheaper to buy the whole rifle.

The best wood is found on older 30-40+ year olds ......IMHO (easy there I read your mind)

New high grade commercially made rifles don't come close to the vintage ones when it come to wood.

Lookup at some of the old Kimbers of Oregon rifles for eye candy

[theduracellbigd]

WRONG
The .308 was developed in 1952. It was trademarked and marketed by Winchester. It was offered in the "Classic Pre 64 Winchesters". It made a handier shorter action gun with 30-06 ish velocities
I have 2 30-06 model 70s and one in .308, and so I am not biased, like them all. Classic is a word that one can argue what it means, but Websters says "judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind", and 70 years and being the original short action .30 caliber with modern velocity's makes it outstanding and Classic.
If you want to say get the 30-06 because it handles heavier bullets better, or handloads faster velocities then I will agree with you. However the .308 is a classic, especially if you ask anybody under 30 who is all about the 6.5 CM generation.