Well it has been a few years since I purchased a new rifle. Eventually, I am hoping to make it to Africa to hunt buffalo. I have been on two plains game hunts and have another planned for next year. I currently do not own any big bore rifles other than a 358 STA I had built a few years ago. The 358 STA does wonderful on plains game but is not going to make the minimum requirement for buffalo. So below I have compiled a short list of potential rifles to possibly fill the big bore void.

Question:
From the list below which would you choose?

Choices:
Rebarrel a 338 RUM Browning Medallion to 404 Jeffery
Buy a new 375 Ruger Hawkeye
Buy a new CZ 375 H&H
Buy a new CZ 416 Rem
Buy a new CZ 416 Rigby

 

You left out "buy a new Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H". Shouldn't that be an option?

Do You Rerload?

the CZ 416 rigby feeds more reliably with less work than the 416 rem on the few I have seen.

The .375 can be used for plainsgame worldwide and can be used with 200grn bullets for deer and 300grn for buffalo. The 235grn and 270grn .375 rounds are great for all plains game from Impala to eland.

You can do the same with either of the .416's but only if you reload. 300grn X are great for most plains game!

I took a .375 H&H to hunt buffalo in Zimbabwe last October for my first hunt to Africa. My checked bag and therefore my ammunition didn't make the flight but that didn't matter as Mokore Safari had .375 H&H ammo on hand.

I voted for the .375 H&H CZ.

With other and eventually my ammo, my .375 H&H worked quite well on buffalo and plains game.

I voted for the CZ 375 H&H! I love the old 404 but I wouldn't re-barrel a clean Browning Medallion to get one! Those were the last real rifles Browning made!

Personally I think I'd look for a used Mod 70 Win, chambered for 458 Win Mag, and use it as is, or re-chamber it to 458 LOTT, and load it to 450NE 3 1/4" balistics, with a 500 gr bullet @ around 2150 to 2200 fps, and take on the buffalo! The old 375 H&H is a far more usefull cartridge world wide however!

I vote buy a CZ in 416 Remington. The Rigby would be nice, but the ammo and components for it are nosebleed expensive, while Remington brass is on the shelf at most gunshops. If you reload, you can use bullets to take everything from plains game to elephant.

Sniper,

All the calibers you mentioned are adequate for any African game but I voted for the Ruger because it just is a much nicer package. It is a much smaller and lighter rifle. The CZ's although generally very accurate are to me way too big, heavy and cumbersome. The CZ's often take quite a bit of tweaking to make them function properly. I think the Ruger will mostly be turn key except for a trigger job and perhaps a litte bedding work.

Mark

Thanks for the advice and keep it coming. Yes I do reload for all my rifles.

Just got myself one. Went with 375 H&H in a Remington model 700.

quote:

I think the Ruger will mostly be turn key except for a trigger job and perhaps a litte bedding work.

X 2

I've never had a CZ that did not require "tweaking".

Outside of the trigger pull Rugers are as close to out of the box as you will get...

X3 every cz i've had needed bedding, honing etc. last one was a royal and even that needed it. Don't overlook the used gun market. big bores are usually not shot very much & are kinda hard to sell to the general public people. hence pricetags on the used ones are generally pretty reasonable

The CZ's need work, and even after all the work, there is a lot of slop in the action; tolerances just are not good, and you cant ADD metal.
For 700-100 bucks you can buy a Whitworth in 375 or 458, change the recoil pad, and go hunting. Thats what i would do.

My CZ 550 in 416 Rigby would have easily gone to Africa out of the box but I chose to customize it. I have a Brockman Laminate on it but you can now buy the 550 WITH a laminate and crossbolts. I straightened the bolt handle (just don't like the little bend in the factory ones) and shortened the barrel to 21" and mounted a new Masterpiece ramp and flourescent front sight that has elevation . Works perfectly. While the barrel was cut added front band swivel. I have 40 rounds of Mast brass that will probably last me the rest of my life. I don't really plink with big bores. At the most I've probably not fired over 20 rounds of big bore in the 8 safaris I've done. By bigbore I mean 416 or 470. I have probably used more 375 than anything. For my last Elephant (with the 416) I fired a total of 3 rounds. 1 to check the sights and 2 at the Elephant. The Elephant prior to that I fired a total of 6 rounds of 470 ammo. 1 test shot, 3 rounds I let the PH's shoot at a bucket and 2 rounds for the Elephant. For me the ammo cost is of no consequence even if I did not reload. As I said I NEVER shoot one of these guns for anything but actual hunting. For just pleasure plinking I shoot an FAL. If you are going to have only one heavy hitter I think the 416 Rigby fills the bill nicely. Mine is easily accurate out to any distance I'm going to shoot game and I have (to myself anyway) proven it to be adequate for anything Africa has to offer. I actually voted for the 375H&H which believe is the best all round cartridge in existance today,period.

just think- you get to use that wonderful Hornady ammo if you get the 375 Ruger(or load your own with some real quality bullets)

Hold out and see if Ruger bring out the 416Ruger.

.......I voted for the 416 Rem for several reasons ....As you have and use the 358 STA you have a ready source of brass if need be .....The 375 won,t do anything that the 358 won,t do just as well other than places where there is a legal issue......And the 416 Rem is just a Real nice round ...That has proven to be not too hard to shoot well and is big enough to do the job ....

I vote for a claw extractor rifle, unbelted brass, 416 rigby in a Ruger or CZ 550, but boths with a litle job in the the action (tuned bold, ramp, magazine follower, chamber mouth, control feed sistem (claw) and ejector by a competent gunsmith, easy to do in no more than two days, if you choose the CZ a good bedding and cross-bold too, I agree with Ganyana .
Quote; A REM 700 for DG?
Eyedoc ... keep hunting with Bow and sharpened sticks... !!!

Looks like the CZ 375 has a lead in the polling.

Find a used M70 Classic Safari Express in 375, or 416. 458 if you have another of the other two.

There's a used Rem. 700 in 375 H&H by Bear Paw Jack for sale right now in the classifieds for $700.

I'm glad you posted this thread, as I am in the same boat. I hope to go to south africa (for the first time) in 09 and will need something a little bigger than my 7RM for buffalo!
i have been considering the cz in 416rigby, but i do not handload (yet). so for factory ammo, which is best?

Buy the Ruger. The new factory trigger is fine for hunting out of the box. Just commit to handloading some stout premium bullets.

CZ 375 H & H! Best rifle for the money.

Hornady loads very affordable 416 Rigby. Hell, all the big bore stuff from Hornady is/will be affordable.

I voted for the CZ 375 as the best place to start. I have a CZ 416 Rigby and really like it. As to tweaking the CZ, I tweak every rifle I own, so no big deal. My three big bores (375 H&H, 416 Rigby, .458 WM) are all different brands, but the CZ was the best value.

While I wouldn't call a 375 a "Big Bore", I think you are looking in the most practical direction. However, unless you are a hand loader I would not consider a 375 Ruger. If it goes over like the last batch of short cartridges you may not find factory ammo readily availible. The idea is sound but if sales do not meet expectations it will be dumped like so many others.

I gave them all a lot of consideration and it came down to a choice between the CZ 416 Rigby and the .375 Ruger. I chose the Ruger due to the compact size and lighter weight. I reload so brass and ammo should not be a problem, unless ammo is lost in transit, oh well on that one.

The .375 Ruger I believe will also serve a dual purpose for me as I can use it on plains game and on that buffalo one day.

Again thanks to all that contributed and once I get the rifle and get some loads worked up I will give a post on the performance.

CZ550 416 Rigby right out of the box worked flawlessly for me in Mozambique this year. I love it. All the new ones have the cross bolts right from the factory. I highly recommend spending some time working on the trigger pull and trigger travel when you get it (follow the directions, it is easy).

Earlier this year took a CZ 550 American Magnum 375 to SA and Zim. 11 big game animals, including buffalo, were taken. Mods - glass and pillar bedded, bolt handle slightly bent, trigger pull reduced to 2 3/4 lb. Leupold vx II 2-7, Talley qd mounts. Will send Federal 300 gr TBBC into less than an inch at 100 yd, Fed Trophy Bonded Sledgehammers print within 1" of the TBBC at 100.

Prior to gunsmithing approximately 150 rds were fired with no problems. After smithing another 200 before the trip.

Shots on my safari(s) ranged from 30 to 215yds.

Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by wesley timmerman:
There's a used Rem. 700 in 375 H&H by Bear Paw Jack for sale right now in the classifieds for $700.

W T, One should never buy a rifle that is to be used on dangerous game that is built on a push feed action! The 700s have some problems other that being a pushfeed action, but that is the most serious problem for DGR use!