These are my two "African rifles" The top is a Husqvarna 9.3x62 in model 1640. The bottom is a 308 Win in model 3100. (I chose it on the merits of it's nice stock) I want a 40+ bore to complete my African rifle battery. Which one? I am looking at CZ in 458 Lott. What do you recomend?

Hi Aaron
My money will have to go with the 458 Lott. The CZ is a good option, but I found that I could get an even better custom rifle built by a good DG Rifle builder for not too much more than the cost of the CZ plus associated improvements.

If you dont like recoil that muc then the 458 Win Mag is a great choice and a pleasure to shoot.

Ian

Aaron, if your looking for a stopping rifle the Lott is the one.. If you just want a 40cal., any of the 416's Rem or the Rigby.. The 458 Win with the modern powders is an awfully good choice also...
The 45 calibers have the most bullets available to them for play and dangerous game...

Mike

I am not too recoil sensitive. I have the 9.3 because my gun mentor was my old swedish uncle. If Husqvarna had made a big bore magazine rifle i would find one. I once took a '06 and made it into a 458 mag... it ended up weighing 8.5 lbs... stock was all wrong for a big bore. I could shoot it although it was brutal. I could build one on a Husqvarna action but i would want exended bottom metal. What are the improvements for the CZ you speak of?

I have found my 458wm to be ample for elephant at 9 yds.

A 458 Lott is a good choice.
Loaded with 500gr bullets at 2150fps you have a combination of fairly low recoil, low pressure and plenty of stopping/killing power.

Also with 300 to 400gr bullets at 45/70 velocities you have a rifle that is fun to shoot and great for deer, wild pigs and black bear in the thick.

This means you will shoot and hunt with it a Lott [sorry for the pun but it is true], and thus you will shoot it much better when using it for DG.

Improvements I have made on CZ 550's:

1. Replace trigger
2. Grind out all the stamped "advertising" on the action
3. Refinsh, particularly if a Euro model
4. Re-checker
5. replace front sight with a brighter bead from NECG and "skeletonize" the hood leaving it in place for protection, but letting in light
6. re-bed (particularly the front recoil lug) and add cross-bolts
7. replace bolt handle or at least plug hole
8. barrel band swivel in not already in place
9. re-blue
10. get rid of the stupid white paint in the rear sights and put a warthog tusk inverted "V" on the 100 meter sight.
11. Make sure it doesn't have the cheap C-clip system in the bolt (whatever that is... my 'smith fixed it anyway?)
12. Make sure the follower is steel and not plastic
13. Replace two position safety with three position safety (Both CZ and aftermarket are available.. I like the Model 70 type, btw).
14. Go kill an elephant and a couple of buff like I did!

A modified Lux (Euro) model 550 in .375



Or... just go to American Hunting Rifles and buy one. You will get a gun that has a long history of trial and error "improvements" on the CZ... and, you'd better believe that they got it just about PERFECT!

As to the caliber.. I'd go with the .458 Lott. I can't think of any reason not to, especially if recoil is well tolerated. You have ammo, brass and bullets readily available. It is one heck of a "stopper". And most importantly, it is impressive enough that you don't have penile envy of a .470 N.E. shooter.

Get a Lott.

Keith

Aaron
I forgot to say that you "other 2" rifles look very good.

The CZ 458 Lott sounds like a good plan go for it.

The improvements i have made to my CZ550 375H&H

Smooth the bolt by working it a few times and fit a scope

problems had NONE

its a good hardworking gun it take the hammering and gives no problems

How about .404 Jeffery or .450 Rigby ?

I agree with mouse93 get a classic 404jeffery .If you have never shotanything bigger than your 9.3 you may not like it and therefore never enjoy it.I find my 404 isn't any more gun to handle than a 375 H&H and will kill buff no worries.

I like the 404 but i think the power jump from the 308 to the 9.3 the next jump would be in the 45 caliber range... from 150 grains to 286 grains to 500 grains.

.416 Rigby just cos I like them

Hi Aaron Rust, a cz in .458 lott will perfectly complete your african battery. I m working on a similar project https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/735100449 and sorry for the following hijack but its urgent.
JudgeG: I want to install a wrist pin. In my gunsmith` opinion its not an improvement and he said maybe we will loose stability on the wood.He said the best way is to put only one crossbolt.
I saw some modified cz and most of them with wrist pin. Also your 9,3 and the rifle shown on the ahr website haven`t a wrist pin. What do you
think? Better put one or two crossbolts or one cross and a wrist? I also saw one with two cross plus wrist pin. So Im little bit confused about the most durable solution. Anybody can help? What do PHs think about this if they want use the original stock?

My vote goes to the 416 Rem. It is damn near as versatile as the 375H&H, has almost the horsepower of the 458's, burns less powder than the Rigby, at the same speed, has a smaller action than the Rigby, brass is MUCH cheaper, and those 400 grain bullets have put every type of African animal in the salt. Handloading is also a much easier prospect. Safari njema! BN

AAron, the 458LOTT is the best thing to come down the pike in a while. I had one, and wish I still had it.

The cartridge is a very versatile cartridge. It is best used as a bolt action, 450NE with a rimless belted case, in a good CRF bolt rifle.

I used mine exactly that way. I loaded it to 2150 fps, with 480 Gr Woodliegh softs, and solids, makeing it the bolt actioned 450NE, and a pleasure to shoot. It has more to offer, because if you ammo happens to get lost in the flying shuffle, you can always use factory 458 Win Mag ammo, which is easy to find almost any place.

The 458LOTT is what the 458 Win Mag should have been in the first place!

Those two rifles are very nice!

The .404 Jeffery has been mentioned some above. The very best "instant" DG gun above .40 caliber is a conversion of a Winchester Super Grade .300 Rum to .404. When mine was done, the only changes were to fit a new barrel, NECG sights, a barrel band swivel, a new magazine follower, polish the feed ramp and magazine clips.. and I have the slickest feeding, rifle in my safe (except for the Mannlichers and a Ernst Kerner )

If you look hard enough, you can get one of the special run .300 RUM's for $1200 or so and the 'smith work was less than $800, including parts.

2300 fps with a 400 grain Woodleigh does just fine on anything, btw.

Get a .416 Rigby. It is the finest big bore magazine cartridge ever.

Dave

JudgeG,

How many does the mag hold?

Aaron

I'm another 404 jeffery fan. Unlike the Judge, I'm quite happy with a load that pushes the woodleighs at 2150, but that's quibbling. It hits hard yet feels soft. Mine is a CZ.

TerryR

I've got one of the M70 300RUM conversion to 404 Jeff, and I love it. Don't know about the other guys, but mine holds 3 down.

If I was in your shoes to complete a 3 rifle battery, I'd look at a 458 or 416 of one of the various types, or a 404 Jeffery.

Find a good 98 Mauser or pre 64 win action and build a .416 REm. or 416 Ruger or even a 404 Jefferys is my suggestion..The 416 Rem would be the most practical right now, and the cheapest conversion.

Nice .308 BTW, I love that full fiddleback and that action would make a wonderful 416 Rem. or 416 Ruger, then pickup another .308 from somewhere...

Ray,
I had that thought about the 308... The action is the small ring from 1954 or 1955 i cant remember which - with the steel bottom metal. but it would hold three down and one up the pipe... I am thinking that a big bore ought to have 4+1. Perhaps it ain't that big of deal. I could sell that barrel and recoup $100 off a husqvarna forum. The metal box would be easy enough to modify as its a separate peice from the trigger guard. - I am not partial to the 308 in fact i'd probably prefer a 6.5x55, 7X57, '06. The longest cartrige that husqvarna made for this action was the 358 Norma Mag.

What do the rest of you think about modifying the 308?

Would be wise to shoot a Lott some to make sure it is something you enjoy shooting. Fine chambering ... but is beginning to get "exciting" when fired.

If the Lott is just a bit much, the standard .416 chamberings are OK too and are a little less exciting to shoot.

CZ makes a pretty nice rifle. The two I have are accurate and function well.

I like the idea of modifying the .308. I think the .375 H&H or .375 Ruger would be a nice fit. I know you're looking for over .40 and in that regard the .416 Remington, .416 Taylor, or .416 Ruger are top candidates.

My Winchester holds three down. It easily "jumps the rim" since it is a Model 70 and one can slip the fourth round in the tube in just a second with a bit of thumb pressure on the top round in the magazine.

I usually put three in the chamber and leave the barrel empty, but upon cutting tracks, I can have four ready to go before I take the first step from the Land Cruiser.

I'm not sure that every .300 RUM will be so .404 friendly, but mine is a joy!



It kills the doo-doo out of pretty good black wildebeest at 220 yards, too.

If you havent shot a Lott you better do so before you build one. Working up a load and practice will make you a believer in to much recoil is not a good thing.

i had a 8.5 lbs 458 will full 500 grains and an ill fitting stock... it would rock your world... but i could shoot it. I was afraid that i couldn't shoot it so i took it into the woods and shot two red fox squirrels. The 500 grains brought those charging beasts down... I think a 458 lott should weight 9.5 - 10 lbs though...

Aaron, here is my 2 cents worth.
Look into one of theseMauser 03 in 404 Jeffery

I really don't know anything about this new rifle. It seems to be a takedown rifle that you can change barrels/calibers. A bit of an upfront investment, however getting a custom made or altering an existing firearm is not inexpensive nor quickly done.

Perhaps someone who knows this system can input their evaluation.

I have a "new in box", unfired, CZ Safari Magnum Classic in .404 Jeff, Redding dies, some brass and Barnes Solids that I would part with!! Great wood, flat black finish on the metal. Nice as is or run it through the Judge G process for even more. This rifle sells for $2,995.00 right now and I could do better including the dies etc. If this sounds good to someone out there, feel free to shoot me a PM. Didn't mean to hijack, just throwing out another option for Aaron and all the rest.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

What a deal!

My pockets ain't that deep cousin!
Aaron

If you KNOW that you can shoot accurately and
quickly with the LOTT it is GREAT. If it's too
much, go 416 Rem Mag. But have the rifle done
right by a skilled rifle smith, and put hundreds
of rounds through it BEFORE facing any game in
AFRICA or traveling ANYWHERE to hunt with it.

I suggest you consider the .458 Winchester (not the Lott) handloaded with 450 grain bullets. The flat nosed solids made by North Fork or GS will penetrate at least as deep as conventional 500 grain bullets. You can load them to 2250 fps. You can also losd 500 grain bullets to 2200 fps but I find they recoil noticeably more. Neither is a high pressure load with modern powders.

I think either beats a .416 with 400 grain bullets for really big game. And all the Lott adds to this is more recoil.

If you're only taking one rifle for plains game as well as big stuff, take a .375. Almost everyone can shoot it more accurately than a .416 or .458.

But why take one rifle? The hassle is no different if you take two, so take a .458 and a .30 of some sort.

I see the 458 win mag to the lot the same as i see the 308 to the 06. What ever the smaller one can do the larger one can do better. The action length of the rifle is the deal for the smaller ones. Why go small for such a big continent. I have a 308 because that is what was in the stock when i bought the rifle. I don't think i would want a 458 win mag if the lott will fit. One can always down load the lott but you cannot up load the win mag. just my thoughts

why no just get the 416 ruger
Daniel

Right now I think i will either get a lott or make a 416 ruger out of the 308. Is there a signifigant power jump from the 9.3X62 and the 416 ruger? Because the 9.3 is my favorite.
Thanks
Aaron

If ruger could match the H&H with its 375, I see no reason they wont match the Rigby or maybe even Rem Mag with their 416. If the pockets are not the deep end of the swimming pool like some members here, I say wait for the 416 Ruger, as you'll probably be able to pick one up right around 1000$