Winchester 670?

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pyscodog

Active member
Never really been a big fan of Winchester rifles but I ran across a Used Model 670 in 243 Win in a shop today. I did a little searching and read they were made late 60's (?) and most were pretty accurate. The 10 twist kinda limited you on bullet choice maybe preferring lighter weight bullets, which for me would be fine. Its in a composite thumbhole stock. Looks to be in decent shape but its locked up in a rack and I couldn't physically look it over yet. Price is $299. I thought about going back and see if I can get a good look at it but just kinda wanted some opinions first.
 
I went back. Turns out the guy that originally owned it works there and I talk to him. He said the rifle shot really well and he and his son both killed a bunch of deer with the rifle. He also said he put the T-hole stock on it and it was a Bell&Carlson. They let me use my Veterans discount and I got it for $308 out the door. Its not mint but isn't beat to crap either. Not bad for a Sunday gun deal.
 
Guess I should buy a lottery ticket. I looked in my rings and base collection and found a set of bases, looked a little more and found a set of rings and had a nice 4-14 Leupold taking up space on the shelf as well. Think with the 10 twist I read this barrel has, I'll see if I can't get it to shoot some of the light weight bullets and make a coyote rifle out of it. In my short search on the 670 I read the long heavies don't work real well. Light and fast is fine by me.
 
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My first centerfire rifle in the mid 70's. Purchased it new, also a 243w. I handloaded a 70gr hp for it, using a Lee whack a mole die set. Drove my parents crazy loading at my desk in the bedroom. Dad would tell me to stop the racket about 10pm. It shoot good enough for me. First couple years I would check Christmas presents hoping "Santa" had left a box of shells for me. I got the rifle when I was 12, bean walking,hay baling, fur money. Started reloading when I got a drivers license.
 
LOL, I too had a whack-a-mole set of dies. But in 308 Win. I think those are what started this sickness years and years ago.
 
It's amazing nobody ever was injured with the "whack-a-mole" set. I started loading .243 with the powder dipper when I was in the indestructable stage and chasing a 4k .243 load.
 
Been a while since I heard mention of a 670, I would say that you made a good buy. A friend of mine has a 670 30-06 carbine that is a tack driver w/165's, hopefully yours turns out to be the same.
 
Most of the 670's I saw on line had no floor plate. This one does. I plan to shoot it before I do much of anything to it. Needs trigger work pretty bad and maybe I'll bed the action. I always clean a new to me rifle first and someone seems to have took pretty good care of the bore. I gave it a pretty good scrub and got little to no copper fouling. I used a OAL gauge and can touch the rifleing with a 55 grain bullet. It wouldn't stay in the case but it was close. I feel like maybe the rifle way used mostly for deer hunting and not a lot of range time. The bore is nice and brite and best I can tell the throat isn't shot out. A trip to the range will tell me more.
 
I shot five rounds of factory 100gr Winchesters today just to get on paper. Two shots to zero then a three shot group was just a ragged hole. Granted I was only shooting 50yds but it stacked them. Now for some reloads and a little more distance.
 
Come on now. I can stack BB's out of a lever action Daisy at 50 yards.
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Well....took the little Winny out again today. I had four different loads of 75 grain V-Max and Superformance powder and it hated all four loads. Accuracy was IMO terrible. But I did have five rounds of the factory 100 grain Winchesters left so I shot a three shot group with them. Nice group under an inch, probably around 3/4" but way better than the 75 grain loads. I thought maybe it would prefer lighter bullets but maybe not. And these groups were at 100yds, LOL! So, maybe it was bullet, maybe it was powder. Guess I'll try something different as I think with the right combo it will be a decent shooting rifle. Always open for suggestions!!
 
Dad gave me a Win 670 for Christmas ‘75 in 243 Win.

It grouped quite decently with the Hornady 75 gr HP (flat base). I wish I had kept it but I had a hankering for a Ruger 77V in 243. I sold the Win 670 for its new price $130 and bought the Ruger for $200. The Ruger is (I still have it) a Liberty model and it shoots lights out.

If I had kept the Winchester it would have been a quintessential tractor and truck rifle ..... shoulda, coulda kept it!

The trigger on a 670 should be quite tunable.

Enjoy!

Three44s
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogThe trigger most definitely needs some attention. It breaks around 4.5 pounds. I also plan to give it a bedding job ASAP.

You mentioned you were not a Winchester fan. I believe the 670 used Mod 70 triggers which are simple to adjust:

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Regards,
hm
 
I see Rifle Basix sells an after market trigger with sear adjustment. I have one of theirs I installed (it was a breeze to do) on a Marlin 22WMR with the adjustable sear and it absolutely made that rifle.

If this rifle was mine, I would try adjusting the stock trigger. If it suited me for the role I chose for it leave it at that but if not then I would change it out to a Rifle Basix.

https://riflebasix.com/product-category/winchester/

Enjoy

Three 44s
 
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My gunsmith buddy says he can fix my trigger, I just need to get it over to him. It doesn't need to be super light even though I like light triggers in my rifles.

HM, not so much I'm not a Winchester guy, I just never have had many. I had a 300 WSM that shot lights out but brutalized you in the process. Then a Model 70 in 7x57 that was pretty to look at but it stopped there.
 
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