Gday I have a 416 Rigby (CZ 550) that I am not happy with (stock, sights etc). I was thinking of rebarreling to a 450 Rigby, fitting a new stock etc.
Has anyone tried this? Will an origonal 416 Rigby case be suitable for the cartridge / conversion?
Suggestions appreciated
Stu

Sounds perfec!

Power is about the same as the 458 Lott.

The 450 Rigby is the beltless equivilent of a 460 Weatherby. Factory brass and even ammo are available. I haven't done a conversion but it should be rather simple as these things go.

Factory loads are on par with the 458 Lott but with handloading one can add a bunch more thump - on both ends. The CZ action is strong and the Rigby case has a lot of volume. You can pretty quickly get to uncomfortable levels of recoil.

There already is a 450 Rigby and a 450 Dakota both are based on a 416 Rigby case.

Thanks guys.
I think it could make a really nice rifle.
Stu

quote:

Originally posted by stuey:
...450 Rigby, ...Has anyone tried this? Will an origonal 416 Rigby case be suitable for the cartridge / conversion?
Suggestions appreciated
Stu

CZ sells exactly this

It's an easy conversion. You might have to open the rails a little in the front. I have converted a 416 Rigby in a Dakota to a 450 Dakota. If weight is not much of an issue (could add some weight in the stock forend anyway) you could have Danny Pederson (Classic Gun & Barrel works) rebore and chamber it for under 300 dollars save some coin for the stock. I've had him rebore my 375 H&H to a 416 Rem mag and rebore a 375 H&H to a 458 Lott.

If you were not happy with the rifle as a Rigby, why do you think changing the ctg.it shoots will help? Dr.C

you are ten days late, I just purchased one, complete with dies and some brass. Check the forum here, there is some data posted on loads. Dakota factory says they load a 500gr bullet in front of 110gr of IMR-4350 for about 2470fps. The handful of rounds I got from Safari Kid clocked about 10fps faster this afternoon.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

If your planning to go that far you could also build a 470 Mbogo which is a fully blown out and lengthened 416 Rigby brass.
Take good care,
Dave

I agree. If you need more than the Lott provides in .458 (and who bloody well doesn't!), you don't need the Rigby or the Dakota .450s.

They won't get you all the way to the end of the line with that case.

You will need to go bigger to get the most from that big case.

For myself, speaking personally from my own individual and naturally therefore limited perspective only of course, I would take the Weatherby version of that case, with a fat magnum belt on it, and go pretty much all the way up to the most practical.

Which is to say, to a .500 A-Square - but wait a minute, it's too late - I already did.

Thanks everyone for your input, I just love this stuff!!!
I must say that I envy those of you in the USA who have access to a whole lot more of the good gear than we do in Aus.
Jeffeosso, Olin in Australia will not import any of the CZ classic rifles, only your stock standard CZ Safari, even then I had to wait 10 months to get one. Otherwise I would have gone down that path.
doccash, I want to do a custom build. Now I have the action I could rebuild in 416 or blow out the origonal to .450. I like the idea of having the extra wallop and the great SD that the round provides.
mrlexma, I have given this sort of project some serious thought. I have a buff / PG hunt in 2009 and felt the Rigby might be a little more versitile.
Cheers guys
stu

Stuey, I don't know if they're still doing it but Sprinter Arms in South Australia might be able to rebore the 416 barrel to 458cal. As I understand it, all you'd need then would be a neck & throat reamer to give a 450 Rigby chamber. They rebored a 375 Barrel for me some years ago to 416 & I was happy with the way it shot, they also did a 30-06 to 338 cal & I got a neck throat reamer from Clymers. Job done. It may be worth your while checking them out.
Steve.

Hey Steve, great idea. I have a 9.3 with a Sprinter barrel and it shoots just fine. Certainly a cheaper way to go.
Cheers
stu

Stuey, how long since you got your 9.3 barrel from Sprinters & was it a new barrel or a rebored one? Reason I ask is that I'm on the lookout for another 416 barrel to build a 416 Taylor with & I've got a Brno Fox in 222 with a shot out barrel which I would like to get rebored to 6mm if they think it is feasible, so I was wondering if they were still operating?
Steve.

Steve, I dont know. I bought the 9.3 as a 2nd hand custom in 2005. I will make a few inquires and let you know.
Stu

Steve, I just got off the phone with a fellow by the name of Keith. They are still trading. The best way to search the address is to Google Sprinter Arms. They are in South Australia and the phone number is 08 8388 7137. Good luck....
The problem I have is that he does not have a reamer for the .450 Rigby, so back to square one. I will do some checking around.
Stu

Thanks for finding that out for me Stuey, I'll get A into G & get in touch with them. Don't forget what I said in an earlier post on this thread, that with a neck & throat reamer rather than a finishing reamer AFAIK, you can create a 450 Rigby chamber from a bored out 416 chamber. I've never heard of it being done but it may even be possible to use a 458 Win Mag or 458 Lott finish reamer to put the neck & throat in the 450 Rigby chamber. Just tossing ideas about now.
Steve

Cheers Steve
Stu

if your gunsmith is good, he can make a one-time single flute reamer and do your barrel. Type Mopane Mike in the search function, and PM him. He had a set of dies for sale awhile back. If you buy those dies you can FL size a case to get dimensions off of. Your gunsmith can take a piece of 5/8ths inch round stock and turn it to the external dimensions (get the reamer print) of a line drawing and add .002 OD to all the dimensions. He can then mill that round stock to half its thickness and sharpen the two edges. Heat treated, it will hold its edge long enough to cut one perfect chamber and THEN a file and trim die made out of a piece of barrel stub, or round stock with a suitable hole drilled thru it. Shade tree mechanics at its very best. I understand some of the restrictions you mates have to deal with in OZ.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

stuey,
A piece of advice for what its worth ... whilst the Australian dollar remains high ... just order a chambered barrel in whatever floats your boat from PacNor. By the time Sprinter does your rebore (with no guarantee) you'll have your PacNor barrel in hand and be up and shooting.

Mate just received a 50cal barrel from PacNor and due to a typo ... it came in at 20" not 28" ... but I believe they're looking after him to rectify their error! All his delays (a few weeks) was caused by Registry triple checking it wasn't a 50BMG barrel ... otherwise its an absolute piece of cake. Get a B709a, fax PacNor a copy to include in the documentation just in case Customs opens it ... I reckon for $700-$800 Australian (barrel supply and fitting)you'll be home and hosed and pulling the trigger. I only worry about the rarity of the 450Rigby in Oz and whether you'll be able to get the barrel headspaced correctly ... if it uses 416Rigby headspace guages then its no problem at all.

We've had TSE (MAB) do our metal 'smithing on the 458AccRel's and are pretty happy so far ... but in hindsight, we could have had saved a considerable amount and purchased stainless PacNor barrels chambered and ready to fit over getting the reamer/headspace guages and using Australian C/M barrels.
Cheers...
Con

Thanks guys, I am sorry for late replys but have been busy with work.
Will respond tonight.
Cheers
Stu

Stuey,
PM ShortandFat for his perspective on importing a chambered, contoured stainless (I think) PacNor barrel. I believe total cost to him including freight was just under AUD$350. An MAB C/M profiled barrel will set you back $300 ($440ish for stainless) and you still require $175 to get it chambered and fitted, plus need to source the reamers.
Cheers...
Con

Hey Con, thanks for the heads up. I think your idea could be a winner. I have sent off an email to PacNor and am waiting for a response.
Spoke with my smith today and he sees no reason not to go down that path. I was very impressed with the range of chamberings and barrel options displayed by PacNor.
After reading mrlexma's comments I have been giving it some thought and may jump up to the .510 cal, we shall see...it just means I need to aquire more rifles
Idaho, thanks too.
Regards
Stu