Winchester Model 70 Super Grade Maple

[Cowboy T]

Walnut might be a tad lighter .
The guy whos said use a Howa, it is a fine rifle but the metal bluing is not as nice as a super grade. I choose a Super Grade in traditional American walnut. It is the most beautiful gun I own hands down. Mine is not a safe queen, I got it because I hunt whitetail in Arkansas out of stands so I can take care of it for the most part aside from some scratches here or there. If I am going to be sitting there for hours on end , I might as well look at a piece of art then some plastic tool. My coyote gun is synthetic stocked Howa and it is a tool workhorse that gets a lot of bumps and bruises in and out of truck and through cover etc.

In that case, another proper solution for an "heirloom rifle" is to get a Weatherby Mark V in one's preferred chambering and call it a day. Have you seen the bluing on those? It's beautiful, and the wood figure in the riflestock is equally gorgeous.

[1859sharps]

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

In person comparison may change my opinion, but right now all I got is photos on the manufacture web sites and based on that, Winchester would be my choice.

[ar15barrels]

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?

Actual rifle pictured:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/902951413

Price is not crazy either.

[theduracellbigd]

I second the rifle suggested by Randall. 1400 is a good price considering the market today. I paid 1,300 for mine before the Covid shortage. Although you can't see in person to see the figure change in different angles and light, it is obvious that that gun has ample tiger stripping and figure to be a looker. Gosh it is pretty. I can admire that maple, even if I prefer darker Walnut.

[Preston-CLB]

The rifle Randall suggested looks like a keeper. The price is pretty decent, and the wood has a wonderful look. .308 is a great round, too.
-P

[sakosf]

Personally, I would prefer this model over the maple

https://www.winchesterguns.com/products/rifles/model-70/current/model-70-super-grade-french-walnut.html

[vmuth]

That French Walnut is nice for sure. I do like the figure of walnut. Although, i favor a nice fiddleback/tiger stripe. I've tried for several years but cannot seem to find any fiddleback figured walnut in my price range.