Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Winchester Model 70 Custom African Express - is this a Sleeper?

Hello All,

Shortly after Christmas I got a postcard in the mail from Cabela's, offering "Employee Discount Pricing" on all items in their store. Since I have 2 stores in my area, one 35 minutes north, the other 60 minutes south, and since I didn't get myself anything for Christmas, I decided to "road-trip" to see if there was anything in their Gun Libraries that I really needed (wanted) for which to use the discount.

Well, there was one. I had never before seen one of these in person, only in pictures, and very few of those. The rifle was a little known Safari rifle, the "Winchester Model 70 Custom African Express". (they also made a lesser model standard production, Safari Express)

I believe this rifle may be somewhat of a little known sleeper having been introduced in the late 1990s through the Winchester Custom Shop. It was discontinued within only 5 - 6 years, for reasons unknown, perhaps price? I was told most of the orders for this Custom Model 70 came at Safari Club Shows.

This rifle was 99.9% condition, looked unfired, and is chambered in 416 Remington Mag. It falls midway between my 375 H&H, and my 458 Win Mag. Its my first, and only 40 cal rifle. Well, I used this self-justification for the purchase, as well as the additional 15%+ employee discount pricing I received.

The first picture shows an advertisement I found. The subsequent pictures show the rifle that I purchased. It came with a Leopold 1-1/2-5 scope on Talley lever-rings. I have contacted Winchester's Historical Department to obtain specific history on the rifle's configuration / purchase. Apparently stock dimensions, recoil pads, scopes and mounts, could all be specified when ordering the rifle. One reference I located told of ordering a rifle in September of 2000, and receiving it 13 months later in October, 2001.

As usual, I couldn't go to bed with an unfired rifle in the house, so I ventured out in sub zero temperatures to test fire it. 5 shots produced a nice one-hole group at 100 yds. I improvised some handloads by reforming 375 H&H brass, and using a set of 416 Hoffman dies for loading. I'm anxious to see what it will do when the real 416 brass and proper reloading dies arrive.

I'd be interested to hear if there are others out there that own this model, and their opinions about it.



100 yards
5 shots = 1" group
400g Horn RN
67g IMR 4895
F215
2050 fps

Nice find and it shows potential!!!!

Nice rifle.

You are picking up some really nice hardware lately!

405wcf

Hello strosfann,
Hello 405wcf,

Thanks for the reply. I have a hard time passing-up a 15%+ discount right around Christmas.

You have bought yourself a very useful hunting rifle. Here is some reloading data I generated in my Remchester. (Model 70 Super Grade .458 with a Remington .416 Factory barrel fitted)

.416 Remington Magnum

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments

300 gn Barnes X
92gn Rel 15 2830
93gn Rel 15 2864 .417" Best Accuracy Load
94gn Rel 15 2903 Warm Load

325 gn Barnes X
92gn 748 2712
95gn 740 2797 5647 Warm Load
85gn Rel 12 2679
89gn Rel 12 2779 5575 Warm Load
86gn IMR 4064 2695
82gn H 4895 2685
84gn H 4895 2726 5364
86gn H 4895 2779 5575 Good Load
86gn Rel 15 .7" Good Load

340 gn Woodleigh
85gn IMR 4064 2652 5311
83gn IMR 3031 2626
84gn 748 2570
86gn 748 2592
88gn 748 2610 5144 Good Load
84gn H 4895 2722 Warm Load
85gn Rel 12 2631 5227
80gn Varget 2560 Mild
82gn Varget 2604 .7"
84gn Varget 2640 .7" Best Load
86gn Varget 2687
85gn IMR 4320 2700 1.5"

400 gn Hornady
80gn IMR 4064 2435 5268
82gn IMR 4064 2490 5508
78gn Rel 12 2371 4994
75gn 748 2241
80gn 760 2131
85gn 760 2245

410 gn Woodleigh
75gn IMR 3031 3.658" 2318 4893 .376"
77gn IMR 3031 2340 4986
79gn IMR 3031 2400 .8"
80gn IMR 4064 2404
90gn 760 2337 Mild
92gn 760 2389 5197

Great score.

I've been looking for that exact rifle/caliber combo for some time now.

I had that exact rifle some years ago. Had a feeding problem which I felt was a significant disadvantage in a dangerous game rifle. The second round kept popping out from under the left rail. Eventually the rifle went back to Winchester. Their fix, which worked, was to attached a small metal "button" on the side of the follower which prevented the follower from moving too far out from under the rail. Sold it eventually but not till after a successful bear hunt up north.

Hello AussieGunWriter,

Thank you so much for the loading info. I'm particullaly interested in the light bullet info and I'll be doing lots of experimenting in the Spring.

Hello nyrifleman,

When you say you were looking for the exact same rifle / caliber, were you looking for an "African Express" model?

Hello Domhnall,

I've been loading 4 cartridges in the mag, and one in the chamber, for a total of 5. I've cycled the 5 rounds through the rifle "as fast as I can" about half-a-dozen times with not a single hick-up. I noticed that the follower on my rifle is a very tight fit with little left and right movement as it moves up the well. Mind you this is only with the one bullet, a 400g Hornady Round Nose.

Nice wood.

Hello bobnob17,

Yes, the wood has just enough figure to look pleasing, but not so much that it weakens the stock. I especially like the hand rubbed oil finish.

I had a used .458 M70 from 1980 or so that had the same problem. My gunsmith said that someone had actually squeezed the magazine walls together. After he fixed it it worked OK and I used it for DG in Africa.

Nice looking rifle for sure. Congrats!! I remember seeing those at the SCI conventions in the early 2000's. There were 2 different custom models that could be ordered. One was like the one you have , which was the top of the line model..Custom African Express.

There was another and I believe it was called the Custom Safari Express that didn't have the drop box mag.

Then of course there were the standard safari express models.

It's been awhile but, as best as I can remember ..used to be a woman named Leslie who would take your order and you could make some changes...order what you wanted at the safari conventions.

A friend of mine has a Win. in 416 rem. that's a take down model with an HS precision stock. I believe HS may have actually built those with Winchester supplied parts. He tried to get a 338 barrel for it but somehow HS couldn't or wouldn't do it because of the contract with Winchester.

Winchester built some different rifles back then. A couple years ago I saw a 470 Capstick at my LGS.

Anyway, you have the top of the line model there!!!

Hello Sendero,

Thanks for the reply. I might call and ask Winchester if they had any 416 Rigby barrels that could be fitted to my rifle. Just for the nostalgia effect. I believe ballistically the 416 Rem Mag and the 416 Rigby are the same.

Beautiful rifle. The stock is magnificent with it's straight grain and contrast!

Hello djs,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm very pleased with the look of the stock.

Congrats on a good find. I'm not sure that the Rigby will feed in your rifle without modification to the action. I'd probably leave it as it is: a very nice rifle.

It won't. Researched this one in the very early 90's. Not practical.

WOW; nice find and a good shooter to top it off!

Hello navlav8r,

Thank you for the reply.

They aren't but no critter will ever know the difference.