My first 300 H&H… What do I have?

[CZDiesel]

I picked up this 1950 Winchester M70 transition rifle in .300 H&H today… I bought it to go along with the 1950 M70 .375 H&H transition I acquired several years back and had customized this year and posted about…
This .300 H&H is not in the same immaculate condition as the .375 was but is still in good overall condition. It has zero pitting and rust, and still has very good rifling that does not have any throat burn or corrosion and has nice bright bore with crisp shiny grooves…
The stock looks as it has been taken good care of but has seen many many years in the field! It has a aftermarket recoil pad and multiple dings and scratches that give it a nice patina and some great character!
The bluing is worn really well on the magazine and bolt and the rest of the rifle is at 65% at best?
The front sight hood is missing as is the rear sight and rear sling swivel. The rifle now wears a Williams rear peep that seems to be a really nice sight?
The serial # is 169,734 which puts it just 401 rifles built before a .300 H&H M70 that is currently for sale on pre64win.com that they say is the latest transition rifle that they have ever seen! So there is that?
As I said earlier my intention is to send it in to be gone through 100% and have a perfect companion to my .375!

Please let me know what you would do or if you have some knowledge or information letting me know I have something that shouldn’t be altered!?!?
Thanks all, have a great weekend!!!

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Send it to Justin at Pre64 Win and let him bring her back to life. Is the rear receiver bridge drilled and tapped? Was the stock cut for the peep sight to be mounted?

 

[CZDiesel]

And a quick follow up, in the second pic of my first post, the scoped rifle is NOT my .375 H&H, it’s

an early 90’s M70 Super Grade in .338 Win Mag…
This is a pic of my 1950 M70 .375 H&H if you haven’t seen it?

 

[CZDiesel]

Send it to Justin at Pre64 Win and let him bring her back to life. Is the rear receiver bridge drilled and tapped? Was the stock cut for the peep sight to be mounted?

I’m not sure on either question, I’ll have to remove the Williams sight to accurately answer you question…
If it has not been drilled and tapped are you saying that it might be worth to much to send off for customizing?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

The rear receiver bridge not being drilled and tapped does add value (10-20%) to the present conditions value. I’ve heard some dealers/collectors say it adds as much as 30%.

What do you want out of the rifle? Do you want to update and use it for a hunting rifle (with some nostalgia) to spill some blood with it in Africa or here in the states? Did you buy it for potential collectors value, years from now? Do you want to do both with it? Once you decide what you want out of the rifle it makes the decision easy.

Send some photos to Justin and see what they say. They’re pretty straightforward guys and will tell you if you have something special. It’s very likely they can get you the rear sight, a hood, original buttpad, etc so you can take her out hunting while maintaining what value she has. They can also say it’s worth X and you can fully customize her if that’s what you want

 

[RayAtkinson]

A great rifle in a great caliber, if handloaded to walks with any 300..skip the peep on the H&H and go with barrel irons that come with the gun is an option, use a scope of choice, I used a 2x7x28 Leupold for years with Talley QD rings and bases and a Talley QD peep in my pocket or visa versa as I like to hunt with irons

 

[CZDiesel]

A great rifle in a great caliber, if handloaded to walks with any 300..skip the peep on the H&H and go with barrel irons that come with the gun is an option, use a scope of choice, I used a 2x7x28 Leupold for years with Talley QD rings and bases and a Talley QD peep in my pocket or visa versa as I like to hunt with irons

Thanks Ray, The rifle is with LeRoy Berry right now and I have a Leupold Goldenring 3.5x10 for it…
Pretty excited to get it back!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The gold standard of pre ‘64 Winchester Model 70 rifles in a highly versatile caliber. Hand loaded cartridges with 200Gr Swift A Frames will make it an excellent all-round plains game and leopard (over bait) rifle.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Pardon my ignorance (for a change), but what makes an "early transition" Model 70? I know about the 1964 transition and then a couple more since then. Is it the safety lever on top of the bolt shroud instead of the side?

 

[CZDiesel]

Pardon my ignorance (for a change), but what makes an "early transition" Model 70? I know about the 1964 transition and then a couple more since then. Is it the safety lever on top of the bolt shroud instead of the side?

Hey Ontario, Pre64 Winchesters M-70’s have three variations - The Pre War, Post War, and rifles that were built just after the war that have a blend of characteristics of both the Pre and Post rifles, these are called “Transition” rifles.
The Transition rifles also have unique characteristics of their own and only found them as they are kind of a blend between the other two. Because they were only built for several years they are rarer than the others, though not sure if more valuable?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Hey Ontario, Pre64 Winchesters M-70’s have three variations - The Pre War, Post War, and rifles that were built just after the war that have a blend of characteristics of both the Pre and Post rifles, these are called “Transition” rifles.
The Transition rifles also have unique characteristics of their own and only found them as they are kind of a blend between the other two. Because they were only built for several years they are rarer than the others, though not sure if more valuable?

So what are the different characteristics? Just curious as I'm not into collecting or trading. I am, however, a business historian.

 

[CZDiesel]

So what are the different characteristics? Just curious as I'm not into collecting or trading. I am, however, a business historian.

The receiver tang, the bridges, the safety and bolt handle, the type of bluing, removal of the clip loading slot, etc, etc…
The “Post War” does the same again as Winchester standardized the M-70. The Book “The Rifleman’s Rifle” is a good reference for this as is the Pre64 website

 

[RayAtkinson]

Its still a popular caliber in Africa and many an elephant and buffalo and fallen to the 220 gr solid..Seems like every PH I know has one or wants one!

 

[dogcat1]

I had one built on a pre-64 action and love it. My 300 WM's are in the safe and the 300 HH is getting a work out.

 

[hoytcanon]

And a quick follow up, in the second pic of my first post, the scoped rifle is NOT my .375 H&H, it’s View attachment 572402an early 90’s M70 Super Grade in .338 Win Mag…
This is a pic of my 1950 M70 .375 H&H if you haven’t seen it?

Who did the work on your .375 H&H? If you were happy with them, send the .300 H&H to them and have it "sister" matched to that rifle. That would be a spectacular pair of hunting rifles... no "need" for another, although "want" is a different story.

 

[Red Leg]

So, I was one who pushed back on doing anything to the first one because it was in such good original condition. But a 65% rifle with an ugly white line aftermarket pad on a cut stock? I absolutely would restore this one.

 

[CZDiesel]

Who did the work on your .375 H&H? If you were happy with them, send the .300 H&H to them and have it "sister" matched to that rifle. That would be a spectacular pair of hunting rifles... no "need" for another, although "want" is a different story.

So, I was one who pushed back on doing anything to the first one because it was in such good original condition. But a 65% rifle with an ugly white line aftermarket pad on a cut stock? I absolutely would restore this one.

Hoyt, LeRoy Berry at Canyon Creek did my 375 and I was so happy with it I sent my 300 to him six weeks ago! It’s being built on the exact same piece of Turkish Walnut as the 375 was! He is a true artisan and you are right, it will be a great matched set!

Thanks Red Leg! The 300 is actually a really great rifle but you are right, and even I had pause with the 375 but this will truly be a great set of 1950 Magnum Winchesters here soon ….

 

[hoytcanon]

Hoyt, LeRoy Berry at Canyon Creek did my 375 and I was so happy with it I sent my 300 to him six weeks ago! It’s being built on the exact same piece of Turkish Walnut as the 375 was! He is a true artisan and you are right, it will be a great matched set!

Thanks Red Leg! The 300 is actually a really great rifle but you are right, and even I had pause with the 375 but this will truly be a great set of 1950 Magnum Winchesters here soon ….

Sweet... I look forward to seeing the two pictured together... and over some game!