Best rifle for 458 WM?

[V.Veritas]

This was an interesting read.
I have seen and handled the Heym Express by Martini rifles and loved them.
I would like to see in person a Winchester pre-64 custom and reach my own conclusion.

 

[CZDiesel]

This was an interesting read.
I have seen and handled the Heym Express by Martini rifles and loved them.
I would like to see in person a Winchester pre-64 custom and reach my own conclusion.

Here is mine along with its smaller twin in 300 H&H, you’re invited to come shoot them anytime…

 

[hoytcanon]

You guys are funny... spend tens of thousands if you like, but truthfully, any "off the rack" Ruger M77 Mark II, will be there in the end, put them down and stacking them up, right along side your Custom Shop Winchester or Heym. Spend the money you save on ammo and hunting trips to the wilderness. Cheers and Merry Christmas to all!

 

[V.Veritas]

You guys are funny... spend tens of thousands if you like, but truthfully, any "off the rack" Ruger M77 Mark II, will be there in the end, put them down and stacking them up, right along side your Custom Shop Winchester or Heym. Spend the money you save on ammo and hunting trips to the wilderness. Cheers and Merry Christmas to all!

That’s the way most men are built. The same can be said about women, but truthfully all have the same “function” in the end.
I do not know of a single man who picked up the ugliest one on the rack and was happy with the savings..... We get what we like, afford or can justify, even if some times turns out to be the wrong decision.
That’s the spice in life I think. (Also, I admit that sometimes we only think we picked the woman - they are that smart and trick us).

Merry Christmas everybody and enjoy your next chase. Or enjoy what you already have.

 

[hoytcanon]

Here is mine along with its smaller twin in 300 H&H, you’re invited to come shoot them anytime…

View attachment 654175View attachment 654176View attachment 654177

For the record... those Winchester M70's are absolutely gorgeous! NEVER sell!

 

[fourfive8]

For 458 WM DG platform, instead of concentrating on cost or whether or not “bespoke” or quantity of “lipstick”, I would concentrate on basic, proven reliability and simplicity of design. Hard to beat CRF models of Win 70 with original design trigger, three position safety and the often overlooked anti-bind feature. Late New Haven model 70s incorporate all these design details.

 

[cash_tx]

I know of a nice Interarms Mark X in 458WM for sale at a local gun shop northeast of the DFW, Texas area, in good shape with a small, well-done repair to a crack in the tang. If memory serves, they are asking $800, and it has been on their shelf for at least six or eight months (maybe more).

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

This post refers to the above comments of pre-64 Model 70 of New Haven made CRF Classic M70 compared to a Heym Martini Express Magnum Bolt Action Rifle. https://www.heymusa.com/rifles/express.html

This is the old form vs. function debate. Ginger or Mary Ann? Having dated a few Gingers in my youth, I finally gained enough wisdom to settled down with a Mary Ann. Oh, I still enjoy seeing a Ginger now and then but I don’t give them much thought.

Form over function or, better function over adequate function? I am frugal about many things in life but I love beautiful guns. I love English Walnut with more figure than a young Rachel Welch. Figure one could swim in. Lovely, simply lovely! That stated, I own many rifles with composite and laminated stocks. They are stronger and like an old Timex watch, take a licking and keep in ticking!

My collection of rifles includes several custom pre-64 M70’s, a couple New Haven CRF M70’s, custom CZ 550 Safari, and a custom 450 Rigby built on a South African Vektor magnum length action and stocked by Bill Dowtin. I’ve owned other rifles by famous gunsmiths and previously owned some wonderful vintage shotguns such as W&C Scott Premier grade guns.

I am not a gunsmith but I know how to smooth an action. I work on my rifles until the actions can be operated as easily as possible. Of the aforementioned collection, my Vektor magnum length rifle has the smoothest action. It functions better than my Model 70’s or CZ’s. I had my gunsmith copy a Heym Martini bolt handle and weld it to my bolt. That really helps in easy, smooth operation of the bolt without fingers or palm scrapping over the scope. My Vektor is a beautiful rifle that feels great to me and speaks to my heart.

Running the Vektor’s is smooth but not as smooth as the Heym that I played with at last year’s DSC convention. The Heym has a larger diameter bolt body than a Mauser M98, M70, or probably most other rifles. Even pushing the both closed hard from a 45-degree angle and the Heym would not bind at all. And I was not kind to that Heym! I would have traded one of my double rifles for it!

What else was so special about the Heym Martini Express? The rifle just plane fit! A large palm swell, perfect balance, wide buttstock and so on. At ten and half pounds she shouldered like a light bird gun. With the palm of my hand I could slam the bolt open and closed with little effort. The long, straight bolt handle and extra diameter bolt body undoubtedly enabled this.

Heym builds their rifles cartridge specific. That includes the design of magazine, barrel external diameter, and weighting/balance. A custom builder can use a pre-64 M70 action and build all a Heym Martini is into a bespoke rifle except to increase the diameter of the bolt body.

Is the Heym worth six to eight times the retail cost of an out of the box M70? Probably not functionally. A .375, 416, or 458 new BACO M70 or similar rifle is all one needs. And an ugly woman is all a man needs. We are not referring to Mary Ann either. Rather her ugly cousin who can cook, earn money, raise children, and so on. She is still ugly and one's heart will wander sooner or later...

In closing I will share a wisdom I discovered long ago when I actively would ride rode and mountain bicycles. “Never ride a better bike” was told to me. I learned that while I may wonder why I bike could be so much better than mine to cost three times as much? One ride and I wanted one and eventually bought one. It’s all in how they feel and inspire one’s heart.

Finally, a good friend and AH member was over 200 head of trophies. All those from Africa to include elephant tusks, he shot with a custom M70 in .375 H&H. Beware the man with one rifle. He collects trophies while I have loved and collected guns for over 50 years. We are all different. Whatever flips your trigger!

 

[hoytcanon]

Ginger or Mary Ann? Having dated a few Gingers in my youth, I finally gained enough wisdom to settled down with a Mary Ann. Oh, I still enjoy seeing a Ginger now then...

Here ya' go...

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

You could have put a warning up…..like
"WARNING, NOT FOR GENERAL VEIWING"
or
"EYE BLEACH MAY BE NEEDED"

Gumpy

 

[BeeMaa]

Hard to beat CRF models of Win 70 with original design trigger, three position safety and the often overlooked anti-bind feature.

Blaser R8 458WM or LOTT will sort you out quite nicely, and probably for less money than a pre-64 or New Haven CRF.