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My uncles Model 70

That's easily fixed and he is already on the right track with floating the barrel. All of my pre64s ( that I actually hunt with )are pillar bedded and free floated and the POI never changes.
Thanks for jogging my memory re the pillars. I usually go to the trouble of molding a full carbon stock totally solid under the action area. Free floating the barrel and bedding the receiver then keeping the timber stock if ever I want to sell it. Carbon pillars won't compress, are more temperature stable and so easy to make. Drill a hole under the receiver half way into the stock and a larger hole up the underside. Fill the two connecting holes with carbon fiber and epoxy resin, wait until it cures and rebed. I have been shooting benchrest since 1966 but love my field shooting best.
 
I'll try to make a long story short. My favorite person on the planet was my uncle Larry. He worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife and took me to do all kinds of cool stuff as a kid. The only gun he ever hunted with was a Winchester Pre-64 model 70 .264 win mag featherweight that my grandad bought him for Christmas in 1962 (he was my blood aunt's husband and my Grandad skipped buying all his own kids presents that year to buy this) He had terrible heart genetics and passed 15 years ago then my aunt passed from cancer. My cousin ended up with his gun and her husband and son googled what it was and saw it was worth $$ so I figured I'd never have a chance to own it. A few years ago I mentioned to her I'd love to take it and clean it up good, build some ammo for it and shoot a deer, then I'd give it back with some ammo for them to shoot it. 8 months ago she brought it to me and I told her I'd get it back to her after deer season and she said, "oh no, I want you to have it." Could've knocked me over with a feather. I cleaned it up good, adjusted the trigger, floated the barrel, and put a correct looking for the gun swaro on it and shot it for the firsts time today. Got in the deer stand and 30 minutes later got this deer. I've shot much bigger but none mean as much as this one. The leather sling broke on way back to the truck and I was disappointed. His middle name was Alpheus and that is mine too, so I'm going to get a custom sling made with Alpheus on it. I know this is just stuff and I don't have to have it to have the memories, but I'm sure glad to have it.
Great story. I've shot a pre 64 .270 my wife gave me for my birthday 30 years ago. Grew up shooting model 70' and 12's.
 
Pre 64 Model 70's are my favorite rifles also, I have 5, the first one I bought from my uncle to go on my first elk hunt in 1973, it's a 30-06 and is my go to rifle as I have got a lot of "first " with it, elk, bear, Mule Deer, and sheep. The serial number shows it as 1950 or 51 which is about right as he told me he bought it the year I was born.
 
Not trying to hijack this post, love these stories and would like to share two.

I was 11 or 12 when my Grandfather took me duck hunting in Northeast Arkansas. We were hunting in some rice paddies, cold, wet and miserable. We spotted a flight of Mallards land two paddies over, so we crawled thru the wet fields, god it was cold. He laid his trusty side by side 10ga on top of the levy, pulled both hammers back, and stuck both fingers in the trigger guard. I looked at him with a puzzled looked, he whispered to be quiet. He slapped the water with his left hand, when the birds raised their heads, he pulled both triggers. He mowed a path through them, we picked up 19 birds.

He passed away when I was 18😢 My mother and aunt asked if there was anything of Pop's I wanted, I said I would love to have the 10ga. My Aunt said "Daddy promised that to me." I told her to never let her son's have access to it because it would be at the nearest pawn shop (loosers). She promised me it would be kept in a safe place and someday it would be mine. For many years when I asked about the gun, she would state it is hidden away.

Close to 40 years later, on Christmas day I was sicker than a dog. My wife came upstairs and insisted I came down to open at least one present. After complaining I got out of bed. She handed me a box that was about 32-34" long and wide from my Aunt June, you guessed it! Don't remember crying that much. That 10gr resides in the far back corner of one of my safes, the rule is "if you break into that safe, you can take the other guns. If you take that gun, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!"

Story #2
I was with my father in 1963 at Weatherby's in South Gate CA when he bought his MKV 300. It was his favorite rifle, killed many deer in Utah and a few Elk. Dad passed in 2002, my last hunt with him was 1994. Since I am an only child, it was one of my prize possessions.

Fast forward to 2015, my hunting partner and I had a chance to get three cow tags for Utah. We asked my youngest son to go, but said he was too busy. I told him if he would go, I would pull out his Gramp's 300 Weatherby and tune it up to hunt with. He smiled and said I'm in.

Two days before Christmas he was at the house, I opened the safe and handed him the rifle. Told him it was ready to go, we just need him to shoot it to confirm it was on for him and by the way, when you go home take it with you, it's you'res now. Of course I seen the tears well up in his eyes.

Our hunt was the second week of January 2016, on the second day we spotted a small herd 2 ridges over. We hot footed down and over the next ridge to get into position. He found a low branch to rest the rifle on, I ranged them at 634 yards, my partner ranged them at 635.

John looked at me and nodded "take one!" He looked up and said "this is for you Gramps!" Let the round fly, I watched her take one step and keel over. He jumped up and started saying 635! Nope, my range finder said 634, not giving you the extra yard. One of my proudest moments!
 

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I'll try to make a long story short. My favorite person on the planet was my uncle Larry. He worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife and took me to do all kinds of cool stuff as a kid. The only gun he ever hunted with was a Winchester Pre-64 model 70 .264 win mag featherweight that my grandad bought him for Christmas in 1962 (he was my blood aunt's husband and my Grandad skipped buying all his own kids presents that year to buy this) He had terrible heart genetics and passed 15 years ago then my aunt passed from cancer. My cousin ended up with his gun and her husband and son googled what it was and saw it was worth $$ so I figured I'd never have a chance to own it. A few years ago I mentioned to her I'd love to take it and clean it up good, build some ammo for it and shoot a deer, then I'd give it back with some ammo for them to shoot it. 8 months ago she brought it to me and I told her I'd get it back to her after deer season and she said, "oh no, I want you to have it." Could've knocked me over with a feather. I cleaned it up good, adjusted the trigger, floated the barrel, and put a correct looking for the gun swaro on it and shot it for the firsts time today. Got in the deer stand and 30 minutes later got this deer. I've shot much bigger but none mean as much as this one. The leather sling broke on way back to the truck and I was disappointed. His middle name was Alpheus and that is mine too, so I'm going to get a custom sling made with Alpheus on it. I know this is just stuff and I don't have to have it to have the memories, but I'm sure glad to have it.
I have my uncles Model 70 fwt in 308 with a 2.2-9 Swaro . It's my favorite rifle.
 
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