The National Match pre 64 Model 70 is one of the oddest target rifles Winchester made to the modern eye. The rifle used the marksman heavy stock and all the features you’d think of being on a heavy barrel rifle. The difference is the NM has a standard weight “sporter” barrel. The reason for this was the weight restrictions on rifles in NRA matches at the time. You could have a heavy barrel or a target stock but you couldn’t have both and be legal.

The National Match was born out of Winchester’s desire to create a lightweight target rifle. The NM rifle is built on a target rifle action (stripper clip slot), mated to a special 24″ sporter-profile barrel, and all of it tucked into a tailored target stock. The barrel differs from a standard sporter in that it is drilled for the target rifle scope block and has a unique low-profile sight ramp which is not slotted for a sight hood and no dovetail for the rear sight. The stock differs from a standard target stock in that it is uniquely inletted for the sporter barrel profile.

The other variants are the ” Bull Gun” with a 28 inch barrel and the Standard Target with a 24 inch heavy barrel. You can see them below.

Lastly, thought not a target or match gun exactly, is the varmint rifle. Which is essentially the target rifle in a sporter stock. The Varmint rifle came chambered only in .243WCF and .220 Swift. The target rifles seem to have came in just about any rifle round you could think of. I even saw one in .22 Hornet.

Meant to be used with optics, the varmint’s did come with holes drilled to accept rear and front iron sight target blocks.