If you've read the Africa forum you know I've come down with elephant fever I'm thinking about buying a Winchester model 70 in 416rem. Anybody out there got one? If so could you tell me how much it weighs?

Mark,

Just picked mine up yesterday! Its a 416 Rem Mag, Winchester model 70 safari express. It does not yet have scope or bases on it and it was unloaded when I weighed it. It came in at 8.75 lbs.

Thus far(have not shot it)the rifle appears to be of good quality. The sights are very nice, good dark wood with some figure,straight grain through the wrist, wood to metal fit is good, jeweled bolt, well bedded in the stock, 2 reinforcement lugs, extra lug welded onto barrel and bedded into the stock (without that damn screw), fine matt finish and a little thing that just tickles me is the rear sling attachment is inletted into the stock.

Only bad thing I can report, the trigger came in at a gritty 6.5lbs, but the gunsmith I bought it from spent about 20 minutes on it and now it breaks clean at 4 lbs.

My reloading supplies should be here in the next day or two, then it will be ready for the range.

Hope this helps,
BigBullet

Mark,
My sample of one weighed 9 lbs. and 1 ounce on a certified commercial scale: bare rifle, right out of the box, Winchester M70 Classic Safari Express, matte blue with the factory walnut "negative drop" stock, in 416 Remington Magnum, 2001 production year. Wood weight can vary. Mine functions flawlessly, and was a good excuse to trade in a factory ported Marlin Guide Gun in 450 Marlin. Got rid of the pop gun and got a real rifle. It's a good rifle if the stock fits you, but with all the wood in the big butt of the "negative drop" stock and high straight comb that angles upward slightly toward the heel, it could easily be reshaped to suit anyone, with the LOP altered to suit.

Someone with a fat face might have trouble using the irons with the negative drop stock, but my face must not be that fat.