3 days. The steel had been glass-bead blasted and hot-dip (conventionally) blued, and it looked very much like the rust bluing on the Browning/Rigby. The caliber designation was engraved into the barrel on the left. The well-figured dark walnut stock was given a stand-off cheekpiece, and finished in oil. With its lightweight 24-inch barrel, this rifle is ideally suited for a telescopic sight. Especially considering the fact that good quality and reasonably priced bolt action rifles like the CZ USA 550 Safari Magnum and Mauser M 98 Magnum are available in .416 Rigby, it should not be surprising that the cartridge is still incredibly popular among visiting hunters as well as PHsin Africa who want a powerful and proven cartridge to use onbuffalo and elephant. It proved to be too much for him to continue. Milan At the range we expected to get kicked, and we werent disappointed. However tempting, there really is no need for hunters to push the 400-grain bullet downrange any faster than the standard 2,400 feet per second. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We loaded 350- and 400-grain bullets, using Speer 350-grain flat points and Hornadys 400-grain soft-noses. Candidly, I was always trying to push the performance in every big-game load I threw. It was these tales that fueled new interest in both the rifle and .416 Rigby cartridge. The sight picture was, well, out of Africa. We liked it a lot. Our primary objective was to see if Rugers production gun offered enough performance for us to comfortably recommend it in the potentially life-or-death conditions it would serve. Billed as the most powerful 7mm cartridge on the market, the .28 Nosler made quite a splash when it hit gun stores in 2015. Each of the Lombardy Provincial administration offices provides information on hunting restrictions, facilities and licence applications (note that the websites are in Italian). When I was 12, my dad took me to an Issac Walton League banquet at the Broadmoor hotel in Colorado Springs. Custom 3 panel checkered bolt with engraved rosette. Without a question, there is no substitute for a well-placed shot, but regardless of your skill, you may never get that perfect angle on a trip of a lifetime. John Rigby & Co. has rejoined forces with its old German partner, Mauser, Though it is mild compared to the recoil of the really big bore cartridges that it was designed to replace, it is still certainly more than the recoil of a cartridge like a .375 H&H or a .375 Ruger. Introducing the Veracity PH from Burris, the perfect combination of reliability, quality, and technology delivering a simple aiming solutiona tool for the hunter that just works. and 4,100 ft.-lbs. (Details later). The sight base was held to the barrel by two bolts, and was also soldered in place. Like the .375, the rear sight was set onto a matted quarter rib. Pressing onward with our test session, we got a best group at 100 yards of 2.5 inches for five shots, more than good enough for any hunting we might do. A 23-inch custom Douglas barrel was installed to which he fitted a tasteful quarter rib with a single V-sight accented with an ivory triangle. Thanks for your support. and churning up some 4,700 to 5,100 ft.-lbs. We would have liked a central white line, which the next test rifle had. After all, such a stout rifle and accompanying ammunition are going to be heavy. The action is fitted with the classic three-position flag safety and a 22-inch barrel (24" on the Vintage edition). Laser Range Finders Head to Head: We Test SIG vs. Leupold, Viridians RFX11 Green Dot Reflex Sight Now Shipping, XS Sights Introduces Standard Dot Night Sights for Taurus 856 and, Laser Range Finders Tested Head to Head: Burris and Vortex, FN America Introduces Two FN Reflex Micro Compact 9mm Pistols, Working Over/Under Shotguns: Chernobyl Classic Gets Our Nod. Paul Roberts, the former owner of the Rigby Co., confirmed this had been done, but also said the company didnt like to cut up the relatively short standard Mauser action. Well, consider this: With the price of today's big-game hunts, and careers being nearly all-consuming, it just is not possible to spend anywhere near the days in the bush that old trappers and prospectors did. With factory loads that produce overof 5,000foot pounds of energy, the cartridge meets the legal requirements to every species intheAfrican Big 5along with just about every other species of dangerous game in the world. In the summer of 1912 the .416 Rigby rifles, with Mauser actions, became available as a less expensive alternative to a double rifle. Unloaded, the rifle weighs 10 pounds 8 ounces; the length of pull is 14 inches, including a recoil pad. The .416 Rigby is almost exclusively loaded with 400-grain bullets. of recoil energy. Gradually, I saw more and more rifles come north chambered in the .375 H&H. It was not a favorable impression, just a deep one. Corditea double-based smokeless propellant that looks similar to spaghettiwas patented in Britain in 1889. The .416 Rigby cartridge looks extremely modern, with its sharp shoulder and barely tapered case. The fit and finish were outstanding overall. of energy. The old ones were bargains, and the brand is well worth a good look, but not everyone will like their new stock design. Two stainless cross bolts were hidden within the wood, one near the trigger and one behind the main recoil lug. The Big Game is available on a single or double square bridge action (depending on the model), and offers professional and sporting hunters a more moderately priced alternative to our London Best custom rifles. This included hidden cross bolts embedded in Brownells Steel Bed, and relief between stock and metal where recoil could drive the steel as a wedge into the wood. Thin strands burned at a faster rate, while thicker strands had a slower rate of deflagration. Our first shot got the expected reaction of, Ye gods! This rifle was not for those unused to recoil, make no mistake about that. Its powerful enough to take large and dangerous game, ammo is cheaper and easier to find, and it has a wider range of bullet weights. No other common cartridges break 50 ft.-lbs. The Rigby name was always identified with the finest quality in firearms, and as the 19th century came to a close, firearm technology was skyrocketing. In 1897, he negotiated an agreement with Mauser-Oberndorf to be the exclusive source for all Mauser-made rifles, barreled actions and parts in Great Britain; an arrangement that extended into the first 40 years of the 20th century. So, it should not come as a surprise that the .416 Rigby made a big splash whenJohn Rigby & Company introduced the cartridge in 1911. Rigby then set about designing a cartridge that worked well in a bolt-action magazine rifle and perform as well or better than the Jeffery and Westley Richards cartridges. In some ways, the United States military decided this Caliber Battle in 1957. It was possible to put the safety on during rapid fire with the scope off the rifle. Add to Wish List Add to Compare. Brown (1) Green (1) Sort By . Shootability vs. the .416 Rigby Shootability Although Rigby built less than 200 such rifles at this time, their extraordinary reputation swept through the sporting world. Game You Need to See This Demonstration of a .416 Rigby Elephant Gun's Power By John McAdams | August 14, 2017 Check out this demonstration of Mauser's .416 Rigby elephant gun. Neither cartridge is designed for long-range work, but higher BC bullets can extend ranges beyond the cartridges original designs. Do you really need, or desire, such power in the new world? Note: some of the links below are affiliate links. and the .30-06 Springfield hover just under 20 ft.-lbs., and anyone coming home from a long practice session with either cartridge has felt the effects. In theory, this should make it more advantageous when expeditiously feeding the round for something I guarantee you will need with a brownie--a second shot. While the Brno action's double-square bridge . The .416 Rigby operates at lower chamber pressures than smaller cartridges of its caliber and that can be a good thing when hunting under an African sun with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The rifle, as tested, weighed right at 8 pounds. of energy. Dave Campbell posted on August 21, 2021 News, Ammunition, Rifle Ammunition Support NRA American Rifleman DONATE The British firm of John Rigby & Co. is older than the United States. As logic would dictate, Rigby's .416, with modern. Such a huge case could only be contained in a Magnum Mauser No. The superb English gun-making firm John Rigby & Co. was the sole agent for Mauser in England before WWI. Polar bear can reach 700-1000kgs (1500-2000lbs), and they are very inquisitive and curious, and are not afraid of humans. Start with one of the worlds best actions, install a 22-inch Marquart cut-rifled .416-caliber barrel, chamber it for the .416 Taylor, put an aperture sight on it, rework the original stock, and you end up with a lightweight, powerful rifle that is mighty handy and very easy to feed. or .300 Winchester Mag. Weatherbys .30-378, .338-378, .378, .416 and the .460 Weatherby Magnums may have a beltalmost a trademark of Weatherby cartridgesbut dimensionally each can be traced back the Rigbys original case. If you dont like those but still want a .416 Rigby, you can have one custom made. Yet, to compare a black bear to a grizzly is to contrast a bike to a tank. All Petersen's Hunting subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. That of the .375 Ruger had been perfect. I killed a very nice cape buffalo in Mozambique in 2019 with a .416 Rigby in a Ruger Magnum rifle using handloaded 410 grain Woodleigh Weldcore soft point at 2350 fps. 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Some even say 15 ft.-lbs. While a 300-yard shot isnt out of the question with either cartridge, greater power at closer range is likely to be more helpful for this type of firearm, which is why Im giving the nod to the .416 Rigby. By the time they were returned, the firearms were virtually worthless, most having been disassembled and cannibalized for parts. For context, a .30-06 Springfield, one of the most powerful common deer cartridges, is typically loaded with a 165-grain bullet and travels only slightly faster than either the H&H or the Rigby. of felt recoil with a nine-pound rifle. The .308 Win. One of our handloads was mild, and an inexperienced shooter fired two rounds with it. The pores were well filled and the stock had a pleasant sheen. This is about as easy as wildcattingmaking non-factory ammunitiongets. Yet in this state, more than thrice the size of California and with the fortunate deficiency of all but a handful of roads, the .416 Rigby is my favorite. Forward was fire, and the middle position permitted the bolt but not the trigger to move. The RCBS reloading dies we had on loan with this rifle were all we needed to make ammunition from .458 cases. I've fired it approximately 25 times to get a feel for the rifle and to zero the iron sights. . At 2,900 fps, the magnum .30s are 1.7 inches high at 100 yards and three inches low at 250 yards when zeroed at the same 200 yards. The rear sight was by Wisners Precise Metalsmithing. Fortunately, other companies eventually picked up the slack and today hunters armed with a .416 Rigby have more good quality choices for ammunition than at any other time. JOHN RIGBY & CO SLE 470 NITRO/416 RIGBY DBL BARREL SET GI#: 102331273 John Rigby & Company of London double barrel set one chambered in 470 Nitro Express and the other in 416 Rigby. The .404 Jeffery needed a Magnum Mauser action to accommodate its overall length. Today, just as was done a century ago, barrelled actions are supplied by Mauser, then assembled into superb hand-finished rifles by master craftsmen at the Rigby workshop in London. 416 Ruger, 20" BBL, Bolt Action, Laminate Green Mountain Stock, Hawkeye Matte 416 Ruger, 20" BBL, Bolt Action, Laminate Green Mountain Stock, Hawkeye Matte Stai 416 Ruger, 23" BBL, Bolt Action, American Walnut Stock, Satin Blued Finish, M 416 Ruger, 23" BBL, Bolt Action, American Walnut Stock, Satin Blued Finish, Muzzle For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The two other guns gave us a framework against which to compare what you can go out and buy (or order) today. Any rifle that can be chambered for the .458 Winchester will prove to be ideal for rebarreling to .416 Taylor. He started from scratchno parent case and no existing bulleta rather expensive way to develop a new cartridge. In that guise it excels. The .416 Rigby, left, is shown next to a .375 Holland & Holland cartridge. Where the flat-nosed .375 Sledgehammer drops 23 inches and has lost 40% of its speed at 300 yards, the .375 Bear Claw only drops 16 inches and has lost 30% of its speed at the same distance. Not every hunt is for huge animals that can and will stomp you back if you mess up a shot. Unlike the modern push-feed Remington action, the Magnum Ruger responded to the reawakened desire for the vintage original British big bore rifle with classic style in a classic chambering. But for serious work on dangerous game, the .416 Rigby remains in a class by itself. Whitetail hunting strategies for the next generation. Prior to these developments, hunters primarily used single shot or double barreled black powder firearms. While this kind of adventure might be out of reach for most North American hunters, its never too early to start planning. This in turn resulted in bullets with significantly higher sectional densities (.338 for a 410gr .416 bullet and .330 for a 400gr bullet), which correspondingly penetrated much more reliably than the old big bore rifles. 5 Oct 2, 2020 #1 Ok guys. My Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/jamesyeagerMy Older Gun Vids are on LIBERTV: http://www.LiberTV.com PATREON: http://www.Patreon.com/JamesYeagerF. From its release in 1911 until the beginning of WWII, there were less than two hundred .416 Rigbys made, yet it had developed a great reputation among the serious hunters in East Africa. RCBS stocks more-or-less standard dies for the Taylor, and bullets are easy and greatly varied. We would have liked a filler installed into the notch in the rear base. Virtually every firearm in his place was seized and kept for a lengthy time. Built to harness the spirit of pre-1940s Rigbys, with a traditional stock shape and specifications taken from historic models in our museum. Publisher, Kevin Steele is with Brett Marquardt from Streamlight Inc. discussing the new Streamlight Pro Tac 2.0, the latest edition in the Pro Tac series. With original pattern engraving, case-hardened recoil bars and a heat-blued extractor, these rifles represent exceptional value and are a benchmark in modern sporting firearms manufacturing. This means I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase. The oldest of the .416s is the .416 Rigby, introduced in 1911 by John Rigby & Co. There were no large-caliber cartridges for bolt-action rifles. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7de35eb1aff09d9e The Big Game Hunting Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, and other Amazon stores worldwide. This cartridge is flexible and easy to load, if you handload. The British firm of John Rigby & Co. is older than the United States. The .375 H&H Magnum produces more than 35 ft.-lbs. A 400-grain .416 at 2,400 fps will generally out-penetrate, say, a 500-grain .475 bullet at 2,150 fps. The owner explained that he had had excellent results with old Weavers, and had another of them on a nine-pound .458 Winchester Mag. While handy to carry, pistols chambered for the cartridge tend to be harder to shoot well and thus require more practice to master. This really comes into play during the very hot conditions sometimes encountered in Africa. of energy, and has only dropped 16 inches. A scope would have probably reduced those, so by any measure, the Ruger shot extremely well. But thats a lot better than the $10 youll pay per shot for the .416. The original multi award-winning Rigby-Mauser collaboration combining classic design features with practical modern innovations. Your IP: If you have to choose, which should you pick? It stayed closed during our testing, and was easy to open when needed. Along with being easier to shoot, the .375 is also cheaper and more readily available. A brother to the .375 H&H Ruger we tested recently, the .416 Rigby Ruger appealed to us just about as much as the smaller version. With the current industry-wide climate, please allow for 5-7 days of processing time before shipment. Mag. The .416 Rigby is very likely overkill for this kind of work, but having a reliable rifle with express sights, proper controlled feed and that large Mauser extractor really gives an extra bit of confidence when something is out to eat you. Like the originals, these rifles carry London proof marks. With all that said, the .416 Rigby has a proven track record of over 100 years of excellent performance in the field on the largest and toughest species of dangerous game in the world. The Taylor gets about 75 fps less, with maximum loads, and its sectional density is better. The burn rate of Cordite was modified by the surface area early on. We didnt entirely like the three-position safety, in that it was difficult to find it when it was fully on. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. As a sporting cartridge, the .416 Rigby may not be as popular as the .30-'06 Sprg. The wood looked good. of energy. OConnor was a gifted wordsmith and shared compelling stories of adventure with his rifles around the world. The .375, on the other hand, can be commonly found with 250- and 300-grain bullets, and some manufacturers also produce 260- and 270-grain loads. Fortunately, I never had to use it, but we did have a huge bear come close enough to warrant firing flare guns to scare it away. All Rights Reserved. The Single Square Bridge style is the professional hunters rifle of choice. However, we had some excellent handloaded ammunition in a variety of types to try, so that is how we proceeded. Many shooters try to make it into a .416 Rigby, but that may not be the best way to go. Keep pressure down and the Taylors cases will last indefinitely, the rifle will be more fun to shoot, and itll still have enough power for nearly any riflemans tasks. Without picking hairs, we believe the .416 Taylor ought to be considered an easy-bullet substitute for the .404 Jeffery (which takes 0.423-inch diameter bullets, of which there arent many choices) instead of a poor-mans .416 Rigby. Guide Gun (1) Hawkeye (1) Barrel. This is one for Africa, or for down-loaded handloading for lots of shooting fun. Besides the recoil, cartridges are more than $5 per round. Another cartridge that has seen great favor in some circles over the past few decades is the .416 Taylor. Its forward end was knurled. Roger Hurt and Morgan Potters stories were enough to inspire anyone to burn two weeks of vacation time chasing Cape buffalo on the plains of Tanzania. of thump. is a great choice as well. But as 6.5 Creedmoor haters are so fond of pointing out, newer doesnt always mean better Sign in to access your profile, save content and more. We obtained 2-inch accuracy with iron sights at 100 yards with our test loads. Find 416 Ruger Rifles for sale at Omaha Outdoors, the best online firearms and outdoor gear site. Far more .416 Rigbys have been made by Ruger than were ever made by Rigby, and CZ makes an excellent bolt-action as well for the big .416. When it was first designed in the early 1900s, the .416 Rigby was a quantum leap forward in the field of big game hunting ammunition. Our Oehler 35P chronograph told us we were pushing the 350-grainers out at about 2,350 fps with our load, and the 400-grainers came out at 2,200 fps, giving us just about the power of the .404 Jeffery, though we could have loaded both loads hotter. If youve shot a full-bore .45-70, you know about what the .375 feels like. It's doubtful whether you, or your guide, would entertain such silliness. Reliable data from responsible sources gives a 400-grain bullet 2,300 fps, not far off the .416 Rigby. Ballistics vs. the .416 Rigby Ballistics However, even this, the world's most versatile big-game cartridge, fell to the .416 with brown bear guides. .375 H&H Mag. $10,925.00. Photo by Michael Anschuetz. The details of the rather immense task of converting the FN-made Browning action into one that would handle the huge Rigby case were written up in the 1997 issue of Gun Digest, if you care to read about it. The forend was checkered completely around in an English-style point pattern, and the pistol grip had a large panel of checkering on each side. These significantly higher velocities enabled the use of smaller diameter bullets. | There may be slightly better choices for hunters who need a good stopping cartridge to use on angry buffalo at close range (like some of the Nitro Express cartridges), but the .416 Rigby is still a pretty darn good all around big game hunting cartridge. Information is also available from the Italian hunting federation (Federazione Italiana della Caccia) Lombardy branch (in Italian) Provincial offices. The owner had chronographed factory Federal 410-grain ammunition at 2,430 fps and, with the scope off the rifle, that produced 65 foot-pounds of recoil. Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 .416 TaylorOur recommendation: Our test rifles costly action, Marquart barrel, stock work, special bedding and sights would run the value up to about $1,000 to $1,200, depending on sources, but you can beat that a lot if you rebarrel a less expensive rifle chambered for any short-belted case, like a .458, .338, or even a 7mm Mag. The .404 Jeffery was initially loaded with either a 300-grain bullet at 2,600 f.p.s. Today, just shy of 100 years later, those original magnum Mausers are the most coveted actions in the world. The stock was tied to the steel by five bolts, just like on the .375. Davenport opened up the Model 70's bolt face and magazine box to accept the long .416 cartridge. Worked great, and was a classic rifle for a classic hunt, with the classic loading. If you want a custom Rigby, there are better actions than the 98 Mauser around which to build it, even though John Rigby & Co. did just that when Magnum Mauser actions were unavailable right after WWII. Copyright 2023 Big Game Hunting Adventures LLC | All Rights Reserved, READ THIS BEFORE HUNTING CAPE BUFFALO WITH THE .45-70 GOVERNMENT, You Need To Read This Review Of Hunting Africa: A Practical Guide Before Your Hunt Africa, .375 H&H Magnum: Ultimate Guide To What You Need To Know in 2023. Hinterland #: 47774. For these same reasons, it is also a really good cartridge for hunting extremely large species of African and North American antelope and deer like eland and moose. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Although the CZ 550 sells for around $650, we could not obtain one in time for this report. At 300 yards, the 250-grain Bear Claw bullet in .375 is still travelling at 1,940 fps, carries 2088 ft.-lbs. Too, its not something any sane person would want to shoot 200 rounds of it in a day of shooting. A century and more ago, Mauser made barreled bolt-actions for us and shipped them to London, where they were assembled, finished and proofed by Rigby craftsmen. The .416 Rigby: A Classic African Big Game Hunting Cartridge Keep reading to learn all about the history and recommended uses of the .416 Rigby. The foresight was a rather large replaceable bead on a ramp having an integral band that encircled the muzzle, ensuring that the foresight would stay there. The bolt was removed by pressing forward a tab at the left-rear corner of the action. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. W.J. Two years later, John Rigby died, and William brought in his brother, John Jason Rigby, into the business. Before the Rigby round was introduced, serious hunters who needed powerful rifles used large-bore single shots or double rifles.
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