Just Completed My Set of Safari Rifles

KY Hunting Guy · Apr 30, 2025

I just finished up completing my set of Winchester Safari Express rifles. It started a year ago with a 375 H&H. The416 REM was then added because if one is good then two must be better. I then found the 458 WM a couple of weeks ago at a gun shop brand new and just couldn’t walk away from it (you know just in case I have to fend off a herd of angry squirrels roaming the neighborhood). I guess now it’s time to decide what I am going to use all of these on. My wife has said no more Safari guns until I actually go on a Safari. So now the planning (and fun) starts

baxterb · Thursday at 12:00 AM

Very nice - that's an awesome set of rifles...

BUT... if a man wanted to be pedantic... he would say that you are missing the 338 Win Mag version of the safari classic. Yes, winchester made a 338 in the Safari Express/Classic configuration. It wasn;t part of the Big 5 - just a standard off the shelf one.

KY Hunting Guy · Thursday at 12:09 AM

baxterb said:
Very nice - that's an awesome set of rifles...

BUT... if a man wanted to be pedantic... he would say that you are missing the 338 Win Mag version of the safari classic. Yes, winchester made a 338 in the Safari Express/Classic configuration. It wasn;t part of the Big 5 - just a standard off the shelf one.

I didn’t know that one existed. I guess I just have to tell my wife that I have one more to get. I don’t have to be talked into buying another rifle very hard.

mark-hunter · Thursday at 12:10 AM

KY Hunting Guy said:
So now the planning (and fun) starts

Very fine choice and collection of DG rifles!
Congrats.
I think that biggest problem in the future will be which one to take? And you dont want any of them neglected.

My suggestion:
Take only one each time.
Then repeat the process, after first three safaris.

Safari Dave · Thursday at 12:29 AM

Beautiful!

Muskox · Thursday at 12:44 AM

You also need a 470 Capstick.

Spearhead · Thursday at 12:55 AM

KY Hunting Guy said:
I just finished up completing my set of Winchester Safari Express rifles. It started a year ago with a 375 H&H. The416 REM was then added because if one is good then two must be better. I then found the 458 WM a couple of weeks ago at a gun shop brand new and just couldn’t walk away from it (you know just in case I have to fend off a herd of angry squirrels roaming the neighborhood). I guess now it’s time to decide what I am going to use all of these on. My wife has said no more Safari guns until I actually go on a Safari. So now the planning (and fun) starts View attachment 682140

Beautiful rifles. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, you must have gotten a great deal on these, because the bolt is on the wrong side.

. Southpaw

Muskox · Thursday at 1:02 AM

A friend of mine is a lawyer in Kentucky, and he has a ton of safari rifles and never has been on a safari. He hunts in Europe every year, his wife is a fancy pants and for her to go on a safari would be way too much gross little nasty stuff for her to deal with.

grand veneur · Thursday at 1:46 AM

Muskox said:
A friend of mine is a lawyer in Kentucky, and he has a ton of safari rifles and never has been on a safari. He hunts in Europe every year, his wife is a fancy pants and for her to go on a safari would be way too much gross little nasty stuff for her to deal with.

There seem to be quite a few of such rifle owners, but to each its own. I started hunting in Africa without owning a rifle for safaris because I did not know if I would enjoy this kind of hunting. I shot my first buffalo with a borrowed rifle caliber 375 H&H Magnum. Over the years and with increasing experience, I added gradually a few more rifles to my battery.

Sabre · Thursday at 2:35 AM

KY Hunting Guy said:
My wife has said no more Safari guns until I actually go on a Safari.

I think you are reading this wrong. I understand it as her saying, "Go on a safari and I will reward you with more rifles." What a fantastic woman.

baxterb said:
Very nice - that's an awesome set of rifles...

BUT... if a man wanted to be pedantic... he would say that you are missing the 338 Win Mag version of the safari classic. Yes, winchester made a 338 in the Safari Express/Classic configuration. It wasn;t part of the Big 5 - just a standard off the shelf one.

KY Hunting Guy said:
I didn’t know that one existed. I guess I just have to tell my wife that I have one more to get. I don’t have to be talked into buying another rifle very hard.

This can be the rifle she rewards you with. Very sweet of her.

SRvet · Thursday at 3:30 AM

KY Hunting Guy said:
I just finished up completing my set of Winchester Safari Express rifles. It started a year ago with a 375 H&H. The416 REM was then added because if one is good then two must be better. I then found the 458 WM a couple of weeks ago at a gun shop brand new and just couldn’t walk away from it (you know just in case I have to fend off a herd of angry squirrels roaming the neighborhood). I guess now it’s time to decide what I am going to use all of these on. My wife has said no more Safari guns until I actually go on a Safari. So now the planning (and fun) starts View attachment 682140

I also think you are missing an important point, that of service to the community. I would wager heavy coin that since you obtained that third safari rifle that there have been zero , yes zero attacks by rogue hippos and elephants in your neighbourhood! More is clearly better from that regard. Clearly you now need to look for a double in 470 or 500. Think of the children!!

uplander01 · Thursday at 7:02 AM

Best Value in a safari rifle easily....

Javaman · Thursday at 8:19 AM

Great looking trio! IMHO the Model 70 Safari rifles are the epitome of classic bolt-action Safari rifles - they just fit the part and work well. I’ve found that wood stocks are much quieter in the bush than synthetic stocks. I have Model 70’s in 375 H&H and 416 RM, prolly not going up to 458. GO ON SAFARI!

AckleyHunter · Thursday at 8:36 AM

Completed!? What kind of crazy talk is that. You only have three. You need a 7x57 and 9.3x62. Moar is better.

eyedok · Thursday at 8:56 AM

.300 H&H too……404 Jeffery….

Raven · Thursday at 10:19 AM

What about the nitro express? What's a safari without nitro express? Have the wife look it up on google about it and let you get a double rifle in .500 NE.

KY Hunting Guy · Thursday at 3:02 PM

Raven said:
What about the nitro express? What's a safari without nitro express? Have the wife look it up on google about it and let you get a double rifle in .500 NE.

I would love to get one someday but out of my budget for right now. I still need to have rifles to dream about.

KY Hunting Guy · Thursday at 3:03 PM

eyedok said:
.300 H&H too……404 Jeffery….

I thought about a 404. Already have a 300 H&H in a Cooper rifle that I will hunt with soon.

KY Hunting Guy · Thursday at 3:04 PM

AckleyHunter said:
Completed!? What kind of crazy talk is that. You only have three. You need a 7x57 and 9.3x62. Moar is better.

I should have said completed for right now.

CBeck · Thursday at 4:02 PM

Beautiful set of rifles, but as others have mentioned, you definitely need a light rifle!

I must admit I have a bit of the same affliction, been working on my Safari rifle collection without doing any Safari hunting… I hope to change that shortly!

Just Completed My Set of Safari Rifles

KY Hunting Guy

baxterb

KY Hunting Guy

mark-hunter

Safari Dave

Muskox

Spearhead

Muskox

grand veneur

Sabre

SRvet

uplander01

Javaman

AckleyHunter

eyedok

Raven

KY Hunting Guy

KY Hunting Guy

KY Hunting Guy

CBeck

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