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Just a question for those who know: What is a 350 Rigby? What case is it built from? What velocity does it produce and what weight bullet does it typically take? I have heard a lot about this over the years, but I have never seen any load data for it. Does brass still exist? RobertD | ||
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There are 2 cartridges with this name, one is the .350 Rigby Magnum, a rimless bottle-neck case with a bit of body taper, introduced by John Rigby in 1908 for the Mauser magazine rifle. The other is the Rigby .350 Nitro Express (sometimes called the .350 Rigby No.2, or even the .400/.350 even though it is not made from any existing .400 parent case!). It is a flanged bottle-neck case like a slightly smaller version of the .375 Flanged Magnum, and was also introduced by John Rigby around 1899. It is called the 9x70R in Europe and may still be loaded in Germany. Hope this helps. | |||
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Got curious and looked up some loads: The .350 Rigby Magnum used a light bullet of 225 grains for a published MV of 2625 fps. Barnes' "Cartridges of the World" reckons 59 gr IMR 4320 will about match this. That reference also gives a load for the 250 gr bullet, viz. 53 gr IMR 3031 for 2490 fps. The flanged version was loaded with a 310 gr bullet at around 2000 fps by the Brits, and a 217 gr bullet at 2450 fps by the Krauts. Both cartridges had a good reputation for medium game from what I have read. Rifles so-chambered do not turn up very often in my corner of the world. (...unfortunately!) | |||
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I had a 350 Rigby Rimless Magnum built a couple years back. The case actually predates the 375 H&H magnum by 2 years, and can be thought of as a beltless 375 case with a few other differences. Besides the smaller bore, the COL is 2.76�, the shoulder is further back and 45 degrees (same as used on the 416). The powder capacity is just slightly more than a 358 Norma magnum. Brass is still produced, by Bertram and Hornbear. The Bertram brass is very soft and not suitable for loading to modern pressures, possibly not even original pressure levels. I have not been able to obtain Hornbear 350 brass, but based on Hornbears reputation, and the quality of their 500 Jeffrey brass, I�d expect it to be good stuff. Most of my brass was formed from 375 H&H brass, and it is the PITA. You need to use a lathe to cut off the belt, cut down the rim and deepen the extractor cut. After doing that, anneal the neck and fl size the case, hopefully setting the shoulder back far enough. Then trim the case down to 2.76� and deburr the neck. If you got the shoulder far enough back, you then have a good peace of brass, if you didn�t set it back, there�s no hope and you�ve put a lot of work for something that ends up in the trash. My rifle has a 24� barrel, and by far the best load has been a 250 gr hornady round nose over 66 gr of Varget for 2700 fps even and 5/8� 3 shot 100 yd groups. I haven�t been able to get the spitzers to group much under 1 �� at 100 yds. The original ballistics were a 250 gr bullet @ 2400-2500 fps, I don�t recall exactly. I also worked up a surprisingly accurate cast bullet load, that put five 280 gr cast bullets into 1� at 100 yds. I haven�t been able to chrono the load but expect it does around 2000 fps. I�ve subsequently found that that load hang fires at low temps, so will have to work up another one. | |||
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John Pondoro Taylor loved the 350 Rigby with 300 grain bullets. | |||
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RobertD, Here is a link to a thread on the 350 Rigby from a little while back 350 Rigby Link . I have not had the time to work with my 350 much since then, but hope to remedy that soon. I really like the caliber so far. Jim | |||
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Quote: Robert, Aren't you asking that question in the wrong forum? Roi | |||
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Thanks for all the information. I found it especially interesting that the 350 Rigby NE, has the same case capacity of the 358 Norma Mag, but ballastically is identical to the 35 Whelen. I can see where loading that case up to 358 Norma levels would do wonders, if you can find the brass that would work. My wildcat, the 350 African Express, is a modernized version of the 350 Rigby NE; although I didn't have that cartridge in mind when I designed it. Roi: You are correct, I am asking this on the wrong forum. In fact, I thought I was in medium bore when I first typed it. I spent nearly 15 minutes today looking for this thread trying to see if anyone answered. I finally gave up and used the search function. Apparently, I thought I had clicked on medium bore, but the pointer was still on big bore. Which reminds me, did you ever get your Searcy on order? :-) RobertD | |||
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Got one, a 350 No.2, that is. Boxlock double rifle made by George Gibbs. Bought it from Oz, back when John Saunders (London Guns/Century Arms) was in business. Lots of rubbish in print. Hoyem is wrong, Cartridges of the World finally got it right in the 7th or 8th edition. I've seen two doubles. One is a Rigby-made boxlock, much more finicky than my Gibbs when it came to load. Mine will digest 55 grains of IMR4895 and at 2400 fps shoots very accurately with iron sights at 100 yards (3-inch composite group, maybe 3-1/2") always using the 225 gr Swift A-frame. A Forestry officer in Sudan left his bolt gun to his older son and I falsely assumed it was the .350 Magnum. Nope, it was the No. 2 with a slanted box. Gave him some rounds and he took a Nile crocodile with it. Scoped mine and it kept regulation with a Leopold 4X compact butted up against the back sight as a recoil stop with both scope rings fitted to the front barrel. Upgraded to a VAri-X III and lost regulation when a separated the rings to fit on either side of the turret. Must have changed barrel harmonics! Curiously, mine is marked on the flats for a cordite load when the round was always nitrocellulose. I worked up a load using IMR4350, and got velocity/accuracy results that need further refinement. Regards, Tim | |||
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Quote: You must realize the 350 Rigby is nearly 100 years old, and hence loaded to lower pressures than the 358 Norma, which is only some 50 years old. The 375 H&H can also be loaded to greater than original performance levels using modern rifles and powder. I believe the 350 is a great round, but without a supply of quality brass, it isn't worth building one. I relegate my betram brass to mild cast bullet loads, with which it performs well. | |||
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