Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Winchester super grade 458 question

Is 1400 a good price for a as new Winchester Model 70 super grade rifle? This one is a push feed not crf. Seems like most people want a crf rifle for dangerous game hunting. Anyone have experience with one of these rifles? Thoughts and opinions are welcome.

Thanks

Tough to say without year of make, USRAC was making a PF version even after the CRF Classic was being made.

If it is one of the early ones from 1964 to 1971 with 22" barrel
and still called the "Model 70 African"
and having same barrel sights as were used on the .458 WinMag M70 African from 1956 to 1963,
in "as new" condition,
$1400 is a fair price for a collector who wants to own the Dirty Harry Counter-Sniper Rifle,
with or without the box.
Jim Supica's reference does not quote a NIB price for one of those:
NIB = ---
EXC. = $920
V.G. = $750
Good = $480
Fair = $280
Poor = $180

The Model 70 XTR Super Express from the 1980s, the pushfeed .458 WinMag with either 22" or 24" barrel:
NIB = $1100
EXC. = 920
V.G. = $750
Good = $600
Fair = $450
Poor = $320

The beat-up Dirty Harry rifle loses value faster with worsening condition,
but NIB, most would pay a premium for it, IMHO.

Of the Pre'-64 M70 African (the "Super Grade" of that chambering in .458 WinMag, only 1226 were made),
Supica says it is worth this:
NIB = ---
EXC. = $7400
V.G. = $5350
Good = $4200
Fair = $2750
Poor = $1350

Then there are the post-2007 FN/SC-made.
More Winchesters than I can shake a stick at.
And above prices are from 2023 catalog, copyrighted in 2022, so adjust for INFLATION.

Thanks for that write up. The seller thinks it was made in 1979.

No such as a "Super Grade" termed Model in the 1979 Winchester Catalog. The "African" Model the closest in my estimation to conjuring an SG profile. It specs with a 22" barrel, 8.5 lbs and the cryptic note "Not an XTR".

My usual common gripe re valuation requests with scant rifle info, "garbage in, garbage out."

Good luck!
John

My apologies for the scant information. I can only give what I have. Thanks for the info though.

I have both crf and push feed rifles. I can see no advantage to crf rifles. But that’s just me and my opinion based on my experience.

I have a Rem 700 BDL in 270 Wiin I bought in the late 60s. Still very accurate (on it's 2nd barrel). Killed a few dozen elk, more deer and javelina and 9 bears with it. It has never failed to feed, extract or fire. It has a few scratches on the stock and the outside of the barrel from when I slid down a Talus slope accidentaly. My favorite rifle, i gave it to my son. He cherishes it and got his first elk with it. That being said when I bought a DGR I bought a CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery and had Wayne at AHR do some work on it. I'd feel comfortable hunting brown bear with my old 270 but am more comfortable with my 500 Jeffery. I would expect both to feed, extract and fire perfectly. The 500 Jeff just hits a bit harder.

Besides Dirty Harry, Harry Selby and Finn Aagaard both used the Post-'64 M70 .458 WinMag extensively
and lived to tell of it.

True, there seems to be a taboo about calling any .458 WinMag M70 a Super Grade,
unless it is the limited edition of Cabela's 50th Anniversary commemorative done for 2011.
Special case, it came in a replica 1961 cardboard box with proper hanging tags for decoration,
but it sure ain't no "African" replica, differing by 24" barrel (actually 23.75") instead of 25" and has different rear sight.

The Pre-'64 African is sometimes referred to as the "Super Grade African" by some authors,
but it was never marked or cataloged like that.
Winchester quit making "Super Grade" M70s for a while circa 1960, but carried on with the African for a few more years.
It last appeared in GUN DIGEST cataloging in the 1964 edition, though last produced in 1963.

Then, without missing a beat, the 1965 GUN DIGEST cataloged the 1964-made "Winchester 70 African."
The Dirty Harry African had 22" barrel and original African rear sight, secondary recoil lug on barrel and two visible cross bolts.
Yep, 8.5 pounds. It was a solid rifle. Never failed the two Harrys and the Finn.
Production like that was from 1964-1971 according to Supica.
The 1973 GUN DIGEST is last edition to show it with the original African rear sight.

The 1974 GUN DIGEST shows the "Winchester 70 African" with the new rear sight base, shorter in length and lacking the slope of the original African.
The 1982 GUN DIGEST is the last to show that version, reportedly produced from 1972 to 1981 when
Olin Corporation sold the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. manufacturing assets of Winchester-Western (W-W)
to U.S. Repeating Arms Co. (USRAC).
W-W/Olin continued making ammo. USRAC made the Winchester-trademarked firearms.
The "Winchester 70 African" name was replaced in the 1983 GUN DIGEST by "Winchester 70 XTR Super Express Magnum"
applied to a 22"-barreled .458 WinMag and a 24"-barreled .375 H&H.

So, a 1979 "Winchester 70 African" does have some appeal.
More so than the post-1981 XTR.
If I had one I would counterfeit it into a Dirty Harry Rifle by replacing the rear sight with a Wisner copy of the "African Rear Sight."
I'd call it a "Dirty Finn Rifle" in honor of Finn Aagaard.

Sir Ron,


This line caught my eye so I looked up the photo of this rear sight on the Wisner site


At the risk of confessing total ignorance on this specific topic, I just recognized this as the rear sight Roger Biesen installed on my Win M-70 P-64 404 Jeffery. I have used this rifle in the field for its intended purpose with this sight but hadn’t realized the provenance or significance until today.

Now knowing that Finn Aagard’s DGR used this sight makes that hunt even more memorable, albeit in retrospect. Wish I had known it at the time. Live and learn, even as an opsimath.

Appreciate the historical context gained at the Square Table.

I have a PF Super Express that dates to 1988 that is electroless nickel plated, not sure if a factory option or after market, but it does not have XTR stamped on the 22" barrel. It is the smoothest feeding Model 70 I have ever used with a trigger that breaks like a glass rod, as they used to say. It is actually smoother feeding that the John Rigby & Sons rifle I had for many years.

A .458 is the perfect mate to a nice .30/06.

I could not agree more.
The official State Rifle of Alaska is not Phil Shoemaker's .458 WinMag.
It is the .30-06 M70 P64, state legislature approved.
Those two make a complete battery.

Speaking of PF M-70’s, my good bud killed a nice 41” buff in Zam with his .416 Rigby Ruger Safari Magnum Rifle. One 400 gr TSX did the trick.

His PH carried a battle worn PF M-70 in .416 Rem. He liked the Ruger, but said it was too heavy. Guess he figured on carrying it a lot more than shooting it, although that old gun would probably whack a buff about as well as the RSM.

DF

My 416 Rem wears that same sight from Jim. Pretty slick and reasonably priced.

Sir Woods,
I had to think a bit about that part of your post above.

I know the Winchester Custom Shop was in action prior to 1988.
The earliest record of them offering what would become the "Classic" M70 CRF action is a reference to
a Super Grade in 1988, in .300 WinMag and such rat calibers.

I now suspect your rifle is something from the Winchester Custom Shop
since they were doing both the PF and CRF actions around 1988.

Photos of your rifle would be greatly appreciated especially for any barrel markings and rear sight type.

Like Finn Aagaard, I have come to not care much about that "African Rear Sight."
I have six of those Jim Wisner copies of the ARS in the armory,
but I would actually rather have the XTR-type, folded down and out of the way of a receiver sight,
that could also be folded or pocketed until the scope goes TU.
But I would have a backup 2.5x20mm Leupold or a red dot too.
So that ARS would be 4th or 5th in line of sights.
Eyes getting old I guess.

AussieGunWriter has provided the images, many thanks for his furthering
of the history of the .458 WinMag.

Five more for some details:

Here is AussieGunWriter's littermate to the "Super Grade .458 Win. Mag." birthed in 2011 for Cabela's 50th Anniversary.
The Winchester Custom Shop was still alive in South Carolina, it seems:











He says it is spooky accurate as well as good lookin'.