The day after Christmas I got a postcard in the mail from Cabela's. They were 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 respective Gun Libraries that I really needed (wanted) for which to use the discount coupon.
Well, it didn't take long to find something. I had never before seen one of these in person, only in pictures, and very few of those. The rifle was a little known Custom Safari rifle, built by Winchester. It was a "Winchester Model 70 Custom African Express". (they also made a lesser standard production model called the 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 it was the high price, selling for nearly $5000 in 2007 I was told most of the orders for the Custom African Model came at Safari Club Shows, where the rifle was displayed a lot.
This particular 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 dangerous game 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
