--- Express Rifles ---
Classic Big Game Rifles

Webpage Updated - Aug 2007

Express Rifles - Available by Custom Order
New Cartridge - 435 PH Express

EXPRESS RIFLES by Julio Acum

Express Rifles are high grade custom bolt action rifles built by Julio Acum gunsmith in Reno, Nevada USA. Specifically designed for dangerous game and big game hunting, with traditional and classic design features from experienced big game hunters, professional hunters and gunsmiths. Using only trusted Mauser type actions for controlled feed and reliability. The classic stocks are of high quality Australian grown English walnut hand selected for strength through the action and grip. These rifles have all the special features you have come to expect on a high grade custom rifle.

Pictured - Express Rifles - African 505 Gibbs.

EXPRESS RIFLES - Specifications & Prices
(additional features, rust blueing, exhibition walnut etc available at extra cost)

AFRICAN Series
Features: Granite Arms mauser type action, 3 Position swing safety, island Express Sights 1 standing 2 folding, Ebony forend tip, Banded front sight, Barrel band front swivel base, Steel grip cap, Classic high grade XXX walnut stock with 14"LOP, Small cheekpiece, Functional 22lpi checkering, Inletted 2 screw rear swivel stud, Magnum stock cross bolts, and Drop box magazine. Rifle weight varies per caliber, but is kept down for many days of use on safari in Africa.

Caliber:  300H&H, 300WM, 300WbyMag 338WM, 340WM - $8900. (Includes fitted QD Talley scope mounts).
Caliber:  375H&H, 416RM, 435PH Express, 458WM, 458Lott - $8900. (Includes fitted QD Talley scope mounts)
Caliber:  416 Rigby, 450 Rigby, 500Jeffery, 505Gibbs - $9900.

AMERICAN Series
Features: Granite Arms mauser type action, 3 Position swing safety, Plain barrel, Steel grip cap, Classic high grade XXX walnut stock with 14"LOP, Slight montecarlo cheekpiece, Stock mounted swivel bases, Inletted 2 screw rear swivel stud, Functional 22lpi checkering, Drop box magazine, includes Talley scope mounts. Weight is kept down for treks and use in the high country. This is the ultimate custom made mountain or plains game rifle.

Caliber:  270Win, 7mmRM, 30-06, 300H&H, 300WM, 300WbyMag, 338WM - $6900.

NOTE - PLEASE ONLY GENUINE ENQUIRIES FOR ORDERS - sales@expressrifles.com

"Express Rifles are practical working rifles that look fantastic, feel great and handle fast...... made especially for use in the field... the 505 Gibbs recently tested on Safari excelled on our huge Buffalo......"

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NEW - 435 PH Express

The 435 PH Express  - Graham Williams

The 435 PH Express is a new wildcat big game cartridge based on a long belted magnum (375H&H or 416RM) case, firing a .435 diameter 450grain bullet at around 2250fps, resulting in 5000ft/lb of energy.  During my professional hunting career I have observed many hunts and bullet / cartridge performances on large thick skinned game. A 435 caliber has been on my mind for a couple of years now, especially when contemplating better rifles for our guides and clients.  As PHs occasionally we are called upon to back up when a wounded Buffalo is either too close and charging OR the hunter has fired his 2 or 3 rounds and the south bound Bull is now over 200yds away.. and a FMJ must be able to penetrate to the vitals !!

In August 2004 around the campfire the 435 PH Express was designed on scraps of paper, and in early 2005 the project became reality.  Whilst the 416 Rigby has served us very well indeed and has excellent penetration on the longer shots, I wanted more bullet weight, diameter and energy transfer while still maintaining that good penetration on the 200 yard shots, all in a rilfe around +9lb.  In the past the 458WM has been very effective up close, but performed poorly further out.  Personally I found the 458Lott whilst sporting impressive figures and thus higher recoil, needed to be in a rifle over 10lb, plus large bullet diameter reduces penetaration at the longer ranges.  In between are the excellent 404 Jeffery and 425 Westley Richards, both have great performance and past records on large game, for a long time they were the best choice of large bolt actions for buffalo and elephant work.  Solids were the only reliable option back then, so penetration was never a problem and bullet placement (as always) was most critical.  If an animal did not go down it was not the fault of the cartridge, but that of the shooter placing his shot.  This still holds true, no matter how large or effective a caliber we are using.

My requirements which led to the development of the 435 PH Express cartridge were the following: between 416 and 458 caliber, effective up close and over 200 yards on Buffalo, +5000 ft/lb energy, +2200fps, headspacing on magnum belt, good magazine capacity, rifle carry weight around 9 lb, manageable recoil, thus option of being able to use a scope, bullet diameter entering a larger diameter chamber, and a case neck length that gave plenty of old fashioned bullet tension and support.  I did not want a large mega cartridge with lots of velocity, muzzle blast and huge recoil, but basically a modern version of the 425 WR (.435dia) that would feed easily and lend itself to good magazine capacity.

So do we need another bolt action cartridge ? Definitely.  I am sure the 435 PH Express will be very popular once 450 grain Softs and FMJ solid Bullets.  As the hunt season approaches we look forward to some great big game hunting and will have some feedback for you later in the year. For those with the odd negative comment...  I will just say that every big game cartridge has its pros and cons, and yet all have achieved excellent results on big game over the years.  Many hunters are open to new ideas and improvements thus cartridges like the 6x45, 300WSM, 338Sabi, 416RM and 458Lott have filled a need and all become popular.  We all have choices, favourite cartridges and rifles, plus each hunt and each shot is different, thats what makes our sport so interesting.  Good hunting. Graham Williams April 2005.

The 435 PH Express was developed by Graham Williams, Professional Hunter, Australia. Project assisted by David G Walker Ballistician Maine USA, Julio Acum custom rifle builder Reno NV USA, and Doug Barnes gunsmith West Australia.  These comments are the opinion only of Graham Williams. No liability taken.

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NEWS Aug 2005:   WOODLEIGH BULLETS made a new .435 caliber 450grain FMJ Bullets for the 435 PH Express.

July 2005:   As you know a custom project, action, barrel, reamer, dies etc etc can take a long time.   Finally the CZ 550 magnum was fitted with the rebored 435 barrel, the express sights remained in place and minimal use of the new reamer was required to cut the larger chamber.  One quick test firing session with 410gr Woodleigh RNSP & FMJ (.435 / 425WR Bullets) came up to 2350fps wih no signs of high pressure.  It was nice to shoot and recoil was not excessive for a big bore rifle of 9 1/4lb.

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LOADING NOTES:   Cases fireformed perfectly from loaded 375H&H ammo with case mouths being nice and square.  We found 416RM cases also worked well, however no extra thickness was acheived to hold the bullet, so neck tension is the same.  For persons after a 435 PH Express in Australia, Sprinter Barrels SA can make or rebore to .435caliber, and Doug Barnes of Western Gunsmiths West Australia has a reamer.  In USA Julio Acum can build you a custom rifle in this new cartridge.  Reamers are available from Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge, Oregan (541) 826 5808. You dont need expensive special reloading dies. Fireformed cases can be decaped with a 458WM decapper with expander plug removed. Necks can be sized with a 44RemMag sizer die. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE NEW WILDCAT 435 PH EXPRESS - DAVID G WALKER

The .435 PH Express is a new wildcat cartridge conceived and developed by Australian Buffalo guide Graham Williams.  A cynical mind might wonder what the world needs with a new round for dangerous game. After all, we have the .458 and the .416, right?  Correct, but the .458 has always had serious design shortcomings that manifest themselves in tight situations.  It starts with the .458's lack of powder capacity.  Most experienced users agree the .458 Win is about 100 FPS shy in the velocity department for acceptable penetration on thick skin game. While, the .458 can be bumped up a little thru careful handloading, the results are some awfully high chamber pressures for a hot climate. If a dangerous game rifle is anything, it must be reliable.
The .416 Rigby is a fine choice for buffalo, but there are times it wouldn't hurt to have a bit more momentum and frontal area than it can provide.  The .435 PH Express does this, while still delivering good penetration, and decent ranging capability. Best of all, the .435 PH Express has slightly less recoil than the .416 Rigby.  How is this possible?  Because the .435 PH Express uses a more efficient case than the 95 year old Rigby, the .435 achieves it's ballistics using 16 to 18 less grains of powder.   Less powder consumed equals less recoil.
What about the .458 Lott?  It's certainly a reliable killer. It's drawback is it's heavy recoil, which is about 22% greater than the .435 PH Express.  In order to mitigate the Lott's backslam, we either need go to a heavier rifle, or have it muzzle braked, and neither one lends itself to functional field useage.
The .435 PH Express is based on the .375 H&H case. Necking it up to .435 not only makes a practical, efficient round, it also delivers good useable field ballistics without the high pressures of the .416 Remington. The .435 PH Express can launch a 450 grain bullet at 2,250 FPS, giving us 5,060 Foot Lbs. of energy, and 62.9 Taylor Knockout Value. A 450 grain bullet in .435 caliber  has a Sectional Density of .340!
Advantages over the .458 Win. include:  A. More energy for the .435.   B.  Better penetration for the .435...This is due to higher impact velocity, and a little less frontal area.  C.  Greater practical range, due to nearly 200 FPS faster muzzle velocity.  D.  Lower pressure,= more reliable extraction. E.   Smoother feeding, due to the .435's longer case, that isn't straight walled like the .458's.  F.  More reliable expansion of soft point bullets, due to higher impact velocity.  The .435 PH Express delivers all this with no increase in recoil!
435 PH Express advantages over the .416 Rigby include;  1,  An increase in bore sectional area.  2.  Greater momentum.  3.  Slightly less recoil.  4.  An extra round in the rifle due to smaller case diameter   5.  Less expensive, and more readily available cartridge cases for the brass.   Best of all the .435 holds it's own against the .416 in the areas of range, and penetration, unlike the .458 Win.  Taking nothing away from other better known cartridges, the .435 PH may well turn out to be the Goldilock's porridge of Dangerous Game rounds.  For good reason... It retains the best features of the .416 and .458, but without having to put up with their drawbacks.
David G. Walker  .....   Ballistician and Buffalo Hunter from Hartford,  Maine, USA. April 2005.

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