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Posted: 8/3/2026 7:17:58 AM EDT
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I recently bought a Model 70 Classic Super Express in 458 Winchester Magnum and was just wondering if I was the only one who bought something like this with absolutely no plans to go to Africa to hunt? I was looking for a 45/70 to replace one I was forced to sell when I happened upon this rifle. Beautiful with some safe handling marks and a Leupold VX-3 1.5x5 mounted in talley mounts for less than I could get a Marlin 4570. Plan to reload it to match upper end 45/70 loads and believe it will be more comfortable to shoot than a lever gun. |
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I've kinda toyed with the idea of a .338 Lapua .450 .458 or something like that, but I figure its just another caliber to scope, stock and keep. As of now my largest Rifle calibers is .308, its never not done anything I've asked of it. Truthfully, rifle wise all I really shoot are .22 and .300 Blk. I can't remember last time I shot any of my own 5.56... |
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Originally Posted By Boom_Stick:
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Originally Posted By Boom_Stick:
""AKs are for villagers you have to tell not to shit in their water supply.""
| I bought my 45/70 lever just to add to the collection. Walking through Walmart one day and saw it. Another 45/70 I'd like to get is the stainless-steel single shot with the built-in muzzle brake. I can't remember the manufacturer at the moment but always thought it was a neat looking rifle. |
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Biggest thing I have currently is a 30-06. I have bought some 45-70 ammo, in preparation of buying a new lever gun. 
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Got my 45/70 long ago at the okc sportsman warehouse going out of business sale. Hard to pass up a hellofadeal cheap 1895cb 45/70 & win 1300 defender w/rifle sights for bit less than $700 otd, Course the reloading components priced at pennies on the dollar is what got me in there in first place, even better I was the only one in the firearms, ammo & reloading area. Bought 2 dillon 550s for $180ea, several rcbs dies, shitloads of bullets, win brass & some powder. My shopping cart was weighted down when I got to the register.  It's a good thing I had my cc with me. Would have had two shopping carts full if I hadn't bought the rifle & shotgun. Got a Goddamned high priced cabelas up near there now. |
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Originally Posted By bkssniper: Plan to reload it to match upper end 45/70 loads and believe it will be more comfortable to shoot than a lever gun. Down load it to match heavy "ruger" 45/70 loads. iirc a 458wm is something like 2000fps with a 500gr bullet & a 45/70 with 500gr heavy ruger loads is like 1600fps. I could be wrong though & I'm too lazy to check a load book to be sure. never shot a 458wm iirc, have shot a 416 rigby and it kicked like an angry chick. |
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I have a 35 Whalen because a fellow shooter knew I was a reloader and he had 2 boxes of 35 call bullet tips. Obviously, I bought a Winchester 70 and sent it to Oregon to be bored into a 35 Whalen, so I could then buy some brass and load cartridges…duh. I have a 45-70 trapdoor that’s been in the same family since new, because a client of mine was old/dieing of cancer and he gave it to me. |
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Originally Posted By pavil58ar: I bought my 45/70 lever just to add to the collection. Walking through Walmart one day and saw it. Another 45/70 I'd like to get is the stainless-steel single shot with the built-in muzzle brake. I can't remember the manufacturer at the moment but always thought it was a neat looking rifle. That sounds like the CVA Scout Takedown. 
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| I own three .375's at the moment with plans to build a .458WM. I have been to Africa, but only for plains game and I used the PH's rifle. While I don't really consider the .375 a big bore, they are fun to shoot in limited quantities. I've also been fortunate enough to shoot a Verney-Carron .470NE. It was a big, slow push. I want one now, but the price is a little hard to stomach, hence the plan to build a .458. |
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| I had a pair of 700’s I traded into 375 and 458. Never shot them but I should have held onto them. I do have my 50’s though and mostly just because. |
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Had a neighbor pass away, he had his fathers Winchester Model 70 .458. Long story short, I picked it up for $300. My wife asked me what I needed that for, I said to keep the elephants out of the neighborhood. My wife said we've never had elephants in the neighborhood, I said that's because Bill had this gun, I want to keep it that way. I sold it a short time later without ever firing it. |
| The brother of my future son-in-law knows I am into guns, shooting and hunting. He was admiring some of my modest collection and asked if I have an elephant rifle. Unfortunately, the largest caliber in the current collection is a Marlin 45/70. Every time he sees my wife now he reminds her that she needs to buy me an elephant rifle. My hope is that she takes his suggestion! |
"Freedom through Victory"
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Many years ago I got into .45-70 target shooting with iron sights. I picked up an H&R 1871 Buffalo Classic with 32" barrel, Lyman Globe front sight with inserts and Williams receiver sight. Lots of fun. Then, my state created a "primitive weapons" deer hunting season. .45-70 qualified. So did the rifle being single-shot and exposed hammer. Now, I have a second use! FWIW, the action is the modern strong action. I handload, so I can load at trapdoor power level for target shooting, or up to the maximum loads listed for #1 Ruger or Mauser bolt guns. For deer hunting it is a 405 grain Missouri Bullet Company #1 hard cast over a maximum charge of RL-7, producing a velocity of 2,100 fps. That is a very stout load, gives me a bit longer point blank range, and has devastating terminal performance - bone breaking, through and through prnetration with good exit wound. I did find out that, strangely, the rules allow scopes. So, I had it drilled and tapped for a scout scope with QD rings so I could retain the receiver sight. |
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Originally Posted By Bushman_269: The brother of my future son-in-law knows I am into guns, shooting and hunting. He was admiring some of my modest collection and asked if I have an elephant rifle. Unfortunately, the largest caliber in the current collection is a Marlin 45/70. Every time he sees my wife now he reminds her that she needs to buy me an elephant rifle. My hope is that she takes his suggestion! Not that you need an "elephant gun", but some hot .45-70 loads safe in Marlin 1895 lever guns can come close. Buffalo Bore Ammunition has a line for .45-70 that fit that ""close" category. Their 405 grain soft point leaves the barrel at 2,000 fps. |
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Originally Posted By WI-2021: I own three .375's at the moment with plans to build a .458WM. I have been to Africa, but only for plains game and I used the PH's rifle. While I don't really consider the .375 a big bore, they are fun to shoot in limited quantities. I've also been fortunate enough to shoot a Verney-Carron .470NE. It was a big, slow push. I want one now, but the price is a little hard to stomach, hence the plan to build a .458. I had the opportunity to shoot a friend's 460 Weatherby Magnum. It had a muzzle brake so the recoil was similar to a 12 gauge. |
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| At one time in my younger (single days), I ended up with some foreign made bolt rifle in 375 H&H magnum. I believe it was german or something like that. I reloaded for it and used it on one of our local doe hunts with a 235 bullet. It hit the back of the doe and came out the front with the deer stopping immediately. I then bought a ruger number one in 375 H&H and one in 458 win mag. I only shot the 458 at the range and used the 375 on a utah deer hunt. Shooting clear through a small buck about 200 yards away. When I married I had to cull the herd, and the number ones went away. I held onto the bolt gun for awhile, but then the wife needed something for the kids so the 375 went away. Right now my biggest caliber is H&R handi rifle in 500 S&W magnum and I shoot 50 caliber mini balls and lee real bullets out of it at the range. |
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| Not currently but I had a .375 H&H Mag for a while and would like to get another. It’s just a want so I’m waiting for the right deal. No interest in anything bigger. I’ve had 3 .45-70s over the years as well but didn’t like them enough to keep any. |
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| I'm on the lookout for a .375 H&H currently. We are heading to africa next year and I don't want to be under gunned. No dangerous game is planned, just plains, but I have read until my head hurts and don't want to leave anything caliber wise on the table. Plus I have to outfit both my son and I. Currently gonna try to load for a 300 weatherby, 7 SAUM, and possibly a 30-06. The .375 just seems like it would be perfect though. |
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I have one bolt gun each in .375 H&H, .416 Rem, .460 Weatherby, and a wildcat .510 caliber. For several years I was reloading for them and shooting them, but it has been awhile. My .375 H&H was used on an African hunt by its previous owner. I bought the .460 Weatherby from a South African PH living in the US, so I imagine it went to Africa. Unfortunately I have never been to Africa. The .416 Rem was the previous owner’s “grizz medicine” in Alaska. I have not been there either. The .510 was built by the previous owner as a benchrest gun, using .510 projectiles in .460 Wby brass. |
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Originally Posted By cmalone1: I'm on the lookout for a .375 H&H currently. We are heading to africa next year and I don't want to be under gunned. No dangerous game is planned, just plains, but I have read until my head hurts and don't want to leave anything caliber wise on the table. Plus I have to outfit both my son and I. Currently gonna try to load for a 300 weatherby, 7 SAUM, and possibly a 30-06. The .375 just seems like it would be perfect though. A buddy of mine went to Africa with his sister and very well off doctor brother-in-law. My friend is not a man of means by any stretch of the imagination. They were only hunting plains game on that trip. He took a well worn Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 that is his deer rifle and had no problems killing everything presented him. No need to over think it. It's the Indian not the arrow. |
"Freedom through Victory"
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Those who can't ... become site staff"
"Those who can ... do
Those who can't ... become site staff"
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In my youth... I bought a .458 Win Mag Ruger No 1 . I had it rechambered in .458 Lott. That dang thing will shoot straight through 36"-39" of solid pine tree. I haven't fired it in years... My 45/70 Browning Lever gun is also good for "poops" and giggles. 500gr Hornady Steel Jacketed , 600gr Barnes Original SP ( unfired ) , and a 500gr Barnes X bullet are shown next to a 62gr M855 bullet.     |
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I came in here just to read the posts, but after reading all the 375H&H comments wanted to add a bit. I have a Weatherby 375H&H, that I love and consider to be one of my best rifles(even as a designer of rifles), as I have a strange fondness for Weatherby and the original inventor. For those of you looking for this caliber, just a heads up. I consider the caliber to NOT be a big bore but it certainly packs a big punch. I can handle recoil better than most but after about 10 rounds of that, my shoulder is going to be black and blue. The other thing to consider, is that you expect a large bullet like that to drop after a certain range... it does not. Its one flat shooting, nasty big bullet that will totally wreck anything it hits. Its one of those rounds thats amazing, scary, powerful all in one, but not as rough as the other calibers that are even larger. |
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Originally Posted By bfoosh06: In my youth... I bought a .458 Win Mag Ruger No 1 . I had it rechambered in .458 Lott. That dang thing will shoot straight through 36"-39" of solid pine tree. I haven't fired it in years... My 45/70 Browning Lever gun is also good for "poops" and giggles. 500gr Hornady Steel Jacketed , 600gr Barnes Original SP ( unfired ) , and a 500gr Barnes X bullet are shown next to a 62gr M855 bullet. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171545/IMG_0340__2_-3673463.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171545/IMG_1123-3673461.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171545/IMG_0339__2_-3422351.jpg https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171545/image1thumbnail_1_-3422344.jpg Are you the guy who maybe a decade or 2 ago would post about the .458 Lott and how you tried to use a flip flop between the pad and your shoulder and it left an imprint of the flip flop on your shoulder? |
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Sold the Safari grade 458 Win Mag because it was needed by someone else to take to Africa. I just had it to have and play with. Sold the 375 Ruger and H&H because they were needed for a hunt in Alaska. I kept A Ruger African in 338 Win Mag because I have a lot of ammo for it. These days I just enjoy a 45-70 trapper. There is nothing wrong with having a big bore rifle just to have and look at. |
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Love me some .375 H&H Attached File (Montana Rifle Co.) I also have a single shot .45-70 that I load very stout loads for… Attached File |
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Originally Posted By RhinelandArms: Are you the guy who maybe a decade or 2 ago would post about the .458 Lott and how you tried to use a flip flop between the pad and your shoulder and it left an imprint of the flip flop on your shoulder? Lol... no, that wasn't me. But... that is funny. Best one I got, was a friend wanted to shoot mt Browning 1886 Lever Gun... he left his thumb "up" ... needless to say he bonked his eye pretty hard. Handed the rifle back to me , and said ... No more. |
*Hold on to your AR-15s. Their magic must be very powerful, or they wouldn’t want them.*
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JAFOM.... Just another fat old man.
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TOGC,IADC
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