I have been pondering getting a Rigby "stalker" in 275. I do not know how well they shoot..dependability etc. I would sure appreciate some input. I want to use it for whitetail, hog and hopefully a Nilgai.

At the price they charge, I would expect that, like the torque figure Rolls-Royce used to quote, the answer to both questions would be "adequate".

Going by history and background I am sure they are strong enough ...I was just wondering balance and accurate with nowadays work.

Every ranch that I'm aware of that offers Nilgai hunts wants the hunter to shoot something bigger than a 275. They are large animals, very tough with hide an inch or more thick. Most advise shooting a 375 or at least a 338. I am aware of some being killed with smaller rifles though.

Swamp, yes, that's what I am reading. I wanted to check more into the bullets themselves and see if not a 175 partition would work in the 275. I still want to see about the rifle. I have a Dakota single shot in that cal and really like it.

Well I imagine their quality hasn't slipped over time. Regarding cost of one, well it is a Rigby! Besides the Stalkers are pretty much inline with what any similar custom would cost.

Funny how people will drool all over themselves because a rifle is "old". But question the same gun from the same shop because it was made recently.

Have you looked at their website for dealers near you that sell them? If I wasn't recently retired I have thought seriously about taking a look at them.

They also offer them in 9.3x62mm if that matters. But I can't imagine a 175 grain 7mm bullet not doing what you want to do. They work just fine on elk......

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Well I imagine their quality hasn't slipped over time. Regarding cost of one, well it is a Rigby! .

Rigby is different from Purdy or Holland & Holland, in that it has been a name, rather than an organization since the 1970's. The present owners simply have the legal right to stamp their product with the Rigby name. There is no "Rigby" organization which has persisted through the years with a legacy of trained workmen, passing down a tradition of workmanship.

Buying a "Rigby" today has no more connection with the original company than buying a "Winchester" today has a connection with Oliver Winchester.

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Well I imagine their quality hasn't slipped over time. Regarding cost of one, well it is a Rigby! .

Rigby is different from Purdy or Holland & Holland, in that it has been a name, rather than an organization since the 1970's. The present owners simply have the legal right to stamp their product with the Rigby name. There is no "Rigby" organization which has persisted through the years with a legacy of trained workmen, passing down a tradition of workmanship.

Buying a "Rigby" today has no more connection with the original company than buying a "Winchester" today has a connection with Oliver Winchester.

Well said. Although I will give Marc credit for trying on some level to make it so. The Rigby name has unfortunately been stained by the bickering and selling back and forth.

Ive shot enough Nilgai on the King ranch to know they are tough as nails, but a 7x57 175 gr. Nosler partition in the right spot would certainly do the trick..It has the penetration and the history proves it out, its killed all the DG on this earth many times over and its the lightest gun that I would hunt any DG with and feel Ok with it..BUT

My Nilgai gun is a .338 Win. with 210 or 225 Noslers, and 250s and the 300 gr. woodleighs work as well...

With a lighter rifle one might want to give up an opertunity shot under certain circumstances.That would be my only consideration, and that's not good is it?? Therefore I prefer to be over gunned than undergunned...Spent to much of my hunting career undergunned before I knew better.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Well I imagine their quality hasn't slipped over time. Regarding cost of one, well it is a Rigby! .

Rigby is different from Purdy or Holland & Holland, in that it has been a name, rather than an organization since the 1970's. The present owners simply have the legal right to stamp their product with the Rigby name. There is no "Rigby" organization which has persisted through the years with a legacy of trained workmen, passing down a tradition of workmanship.

Buying a "Rigby" today has no more connection with the original company than buying a "Winchester" today has a connection with Oliver Winchester.

Well said. Although I will give Marc credit for trying on some level to make it so. The Rigby name has unfortunately been stained by the bickering and selling back and forth.

Ok but do any of you have actual current experience with the new offerings from Rigby to make a legitimate comparison? They look pretty good to me and the current owners seem to be trying hard to at the very least match the past offerings.

Ok. I am pondering over whether a Rigby or Dakota.

I know nothing about the current rifles, but I make reproductions of original 1908 Rigby barrels and stocks. (Almost finished on the stock pattern; barrels in production in 275 rigby)

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Fisk:
Ok. I am pondering over whether a Rigby or Dakota.

Well I guess then it boils down to which action do you prefer; a model 70 clone (Dakota), or a true Mauser (Rigby). Both are in the same general price range.

A Rigby should be on a true Mauser action and made by Rigby IMO because in order to be a Rigby it must be made by Rigby IMO..otherwise its a 98 Mauser or mod. 70 in 7x57...

Ray,

Rigby never made their own actions, Mauser made them. Same is true with Holland & Holland and the others.

For the less then the price one is paying for the name, one can get a very fine rifle from top smiths here in the sates.

Y'all done got my head screwed around. I first thought off the shelf Rigby, then remembered I can get the Dakota with zipped up extras at no more costs. I think it best that I just leave my table and go handle some while I am at the Safari show

Sorry Jerry, it is after all a forum for people who apparently have nothing better to do.

Marc put together Clara's London Best in 275 for our 20th anniversary and presented it to her at DSC. I will be getting a special Highlander in 30-06 at DSC in a couple of weeks. Jerry, please stop by and check it out. Marc and I had many conversations about a Rigby in the Dakota price range. I think he nailed it with the Highlander. Marc and his team have done a great job in "bringing Rigby back".

Happy Christmas.................L

Cougarz,
Re read my post, I stated a Rigby should be made on Mauser action???, I know Rigby or H&H didn't make their own actions!!

Pay attention lad!

Although I built one 7x57 and called it a .275 Rigby, I don't feel like its proper for anyone but Rigby to use that name..the rest should be 7x57s, just my two bits but nostalgia should be real, not imagined IMO...

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Cougarz,
Re read my post, I stated a Rigby should be made on Mauser action???, I know Rigby or H&H didn't make their own actions!!

Pay attention lad!

Then I stand corrected.

But the new Rigby's are most certainly Rigby's. Here's a few. The one in the middle is the rifle presented to Jim Corbett. The rest are the new Stalkers. You decide.

Why don’t they do the steel butt plates these days?

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Well I imagine their quality hasn't slipped over time. Regarding cost of one, well it is a Rigby! .

Rigby is different from Purdy or Holland & Holland, in that it has been a name, rather than an organization since the 1970's. The present owners simply have the legal right to stamp their product with the Rigby name. There is no "Rigby" organization which has persisted through the years with a legacy of trained workmen, passing down a tradition of workmanship.

Buying a "Rigby" today has no more connection with the original company than buying a "Winchester" today has a connection with Oliver Winchester.

100% correct. The company does not have the continuity of Purdey or Holland. It's only a name that has been put on guns, including the terrible ones made in Paso Robles. Now they don't even machine their parts. Others do that for them then they assemble it in a small workshop.

Rigby Bolt action guns begin life as actions made in Germany, as the company that owns Rigby also owns "Mauser", Blaser, and J.P. Sauer. To the best of my knowledge they don't even make the that action in Germany themselves, rather they buy it from Pretchl.

Save the money and buy any of the many excellent shooters out there, and if you want a real historic name save up and go for a Purdey, Holland, or a Westley Richards.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Ray,

Rigby never made their own actions, Mauser made them. Same is true with Holland & Holland and the others.

Current Rigby actions are made by Pretchl. Holland uses American GM among others. Purdey uses British made actions by Mayfair Engineering. That's for Mauser 98 actions. For double rifles and shotguns Purdey and Holland make them in their own London factories. Rigby's double guns are machined in the trade then assembled & finished by them.

Everyone sources out color case hardening to St. Ledger.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian564:

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Ray,

Rigby never made their own actions, Mauser made them. Same is true with Holland & Holland and the others.

Current Rigby actions are made by Pretchl. Holland uses American GM among others. Purdey uses British made actions by Mayfair Engineering. That's for Mauser 98 actions. For double rifles and shotguns Purdey and Holland make them in their own London factories. Rigby's double guns are machined in the trade then assembled & finished by them.

Everyone sources out color case hardening to St. Ledger.

I asked Marc who made the Rigby actions and he said Mauser themselves. Trying to find the email to find the details, but it may have been on the phone... And I think he said they used Mayfair for left-handed actions? Hmmm.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:

I asked Marc who made the Rigby actions and he said Mauser themselves..

I doubt it. Buying an action in white and finishing it could be called "making" by some, but actual manufacturers of M98 actions in Germany are the likes of H&W, Reimer Johannsen, Pretchl, FZH, and Heym. I have seen no evidence that Luke & Ortmeier (the owner of the Rigby, Mauser, Blaser, etc.) manufactures actions from scratch in their own facility. Not saying it's impossible but it would be new to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian564:

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:

I asked Marc who made the Rigby actions and he said Mauser themselves..

I doubt it. Buying an action in white and finishing it could be called "making" by some, but actual manufacturers of M98 actions in Germany are the likes of H&W, Reimer Johannsen, Pretchl, FZH, and Heym. I have seen no evidence that Luke & Ortmeier (the owner of the Rigby, Mauser, Blaser, etc.) manufactures actions from scratch in their own facility. Not saying it's impossible but it would be new to me.

It must have been a phone call, as I can’t find an email, but this article mirrors what I was told, that the actions are made by the Mauser “group”, not purchased then finished. Maybe things have changed.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/h...-together-again/amp/

Thanks for the link. The article from 2013 speaks of future intent to do it, so I'll look more into it and see if they actually followed through. Would be great to have one more manufacturer if true

I like the old one in the middle..

BenK,
Im with you, I like the steel butt plates, as a wise man once told me a recoil pad give the rifle a one inch run at your shoulder..He may be right up to a point anyway..

My new 7x57 I have about finished has a steel butt plate, I like the balance they give as a recoil pad seems to unbalance a fine rifle, wow that ought to stir up the masses, but Im sticking with it.

Really nice looking set of rifles up there!!

Ray, my old Rigby .275 had the steel butt plate, of course, and so does my new custom Mauser 98 (1938 Oberndorf) .300H&H. Absolute perfection.

Rigby is owned by the same parent company as Mauser. The Highland stalker is a nice rifle and for £4 to £5000, is the same sort of money as a Blaser and I now which I would prefer. When they do a left handed action, which in these days of CNC milling is a straight forward process, I will be very interested in one in 30-06, with a horn tipped fore end.

Our London's Best was done on an Oberndorf intermediate action.

Happy Christmas and best wishes to all for a safe, healthy and prosperous 2018.

Can't wait for DSC!

LL

SFR, what booth will you be at? I am at booth 1126 I think it is. I will be dashing
Off at times to check the rifles out.

I am an attendee; but Rigby will be set up at Booth 4347. That is the elevated area with all the firearms exhibitors. The Rigby booth is center row towards the rear.

Safe travels...........Larry

I will come by there then. I know about right where they are. I have a knife table at the show. Normally we sell out in 4 hours so I will have time somewhere to make it.