New Production - Win 70 Safari Express 375 H&H

[idahohunter8]

Has anyone played around with one of these? I have a hankering to pick one up. Sportsmans has them for $1249, and while I don't need one - I just can't walk away from them.

The fit and finish seem really good and the action is crystal smooth. The gun weighs 9 pounds so with a scope it will be on the heavy side but will tame recoil.

Figured if I purchased it, I would fully glass bed the action, put a 1.5-5x leupold on it, and start working up a load with some 260 noslers.

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/ ... mid=535204

 

[tddeangelo]

I haven't messed with those, but I have two FN guns and they are very well done. I wouldn't hesitate on another.

You know you have to get one now so we can all live through your purchase!

:lol:

 

[Guy Miner]

They feel a tad muzzle heavy to me - but that's not such a bad thing - and nothing that couldn't be dealt with if a fellow wanted to lop off a couple of inches of barrel.

Otherwise - it's one heck of a rifle - and I very much approve of your choice of scope. That's what I've got on my .375 H&H Ruger Number One. Have scored on bear with it to 320 yards... And have also killed a wounded bear in the brush, at about 10-15' with it...

Very good scope. Very good cartridge. And I think your Winchester Model 70 is great!

If you haven't loaded for it before - it's a peach. Let us know, several of us have some real good pet loads for our .375's.

Regards, Guy

 

[preacher]

I had an older one back in the mid 90's...it was a "truck axle" in the mountains! Way too heavy at the end of the day. I traded it for a Remington 700 BDL SS in .375 H&H ( a Remington 700 Classic in .375 felt even lighter in the field!) and it was a joy to hunt with! The 375 is just not a brutal caliber to shoot, in fact, I always found it to be less than a 338 win mag! Good luck to you pard.

 

[Guy Miner]

Preacher - I think Winchester uses the same barrel profile on their .375's and .458's - which makes their .375's pretty doggone heavy barreled.

Anyone able to confirm that?

My Model 70 has a reasonably light Douglas barrel, so I can't really compare.

Guy

 

[idahohunter8]

Yes, that is what I have read - Winchester uses the same barrel contour on all safari calibers. The barrel tapers to .720 at muzzle I believe...Sounds like about a #5/6 countour

 

[Anonymous]

Preacher - I think Winchester uses the same barrel profile on their .375's and .458's - which makes their .375's pretty doggone heavy barreled.

Anyone able to confirm that?

That's the way they've built them forever- I doubt they changed in the latest iteration. I've had several .375s...very nice rifles. I had an 8 pound one (Talkeetna).... that's a little light- great to pack, but it packed a wallop. Having one that goes 9.5-10 pounds would be a very shootable rifle.

 

[preacher]

Winchester made a Mod 70 SS synthetic in 375 also. It was much lighter than their Express. I took one to my friend in South Africa in '98. It was one a par with the Mod 700 BDL SS. I tried one of the Mod 700 classics in 375 also, and it was even lighter than the BDL as mentioned. I had a break put on it because of neck problems, then gave it to a friend when I had surgery finally. I have a now deceased friend who took a Mod 70 Express with 300X bullets to Zambia and shot elephant and leopard with it. On flat ground, it is indeed an easy handling rifle. I'm not trying to sway anyone away from getting one as they are indeed nice rifles. It was just not the rifle 'for me" the way I was hunting back then. They are shooters for sure. I had an Interarms Whitworth Express in 375 that was about a medium weight rifle, very nice. I left it in South Africa in 2002, we used the factory 270 Failsafe on zebra. I had an older Nikon Monarch 2x8 on it. I also used the Leupold 2.5x8 on my Remingtons. My friend put a Bausch & Lomb 3x9 on that Mod 70 SS. I have always hunted with a Leupold 1.5x5 on my 35 Whelen AI Remington Classic. I found that with the right bullets, in the field, I could not tell any difference on game between my Whelen AI and the 338s & 375s, I'm talking on game up to and including zebra (which are heavy muscled, thick skinned solid animals). With my 310 Woodleigh load, I ain't scared ( well, I'm always scared a little bit of them!) of ol Brownie the tooth popping bear, ha! I read once where Jack O Conner wrote that every rifleman should own a 375 H&H at least once in his lifetime, and I agree, it is a good one. People think of them as "elephant guns", but they are really just a great "medium bore" round. Good luck to you.