Guys, I have been toying with the idea of putting together a rifle in either .450 Rigby or perhaps a .450 Dakota. The Rigby would be the least expensive because rifles are available from CZ. However, Heym also chambers that caliber (as well as Rigby, of course). As far as I know, only Dakota chambers the .450 Dakota. What are the pros and cons of either caliber?

Dave

Dave: I toiled...and toiled with caliber selection for my custom big bore project. In the end, I chose the 450 Dakota for a very simple reason; ammo and brass availability (this was before Norma's announcement of their new "PH" line of ammunition that features, among others the 450 Rigby).

While Dakota ammo & brass is strictly the purview of Dakota, I was able to easily obtain a lifetime supply of brass and a set of dies from Redding and RCBS wihout any difficulty.

With the Rigby, what little brass I found was close to eighty (80)! bucks/20. Granted the Rigby has more "sex appeal" but ballistically they are identical. jorge

Yep, what he said!
No ballistic or practical difference between them, chose whichever one appeals the most to you.

Dave,

the Rigby can be "made up" less expensively than a Dakota, IMHO. Take an $850 CZ in 416 Rigby and have the barrel rebored to 458 and clean up the chamber neck area with a neck/throating reamer. Somehow 450 Rigby just sounds proper.
Check your PM.
regards,

Rich
DRSS

Don't forget this ready-made Mauser in 450 Dakota, on a Prechtl Magnum Mauser 98 action:



www.mauser.com

450 Dakota.

The M98 Magnum Basic Model is offered in
.375 H&H (5 + 1)
.338 Lapua Magnum, .416 Rigby, 450 Dakota, .458 Lott (all 4 + 1)
500 Jeffery (3 + 1) "at extra expense"

The Mauser Banner Rifle folks thought the 450 Dakota was more desirable than the 450 Rigby.
There is absolutely no significant difference between them really. You can do one as easily as the other (CZ, Mauser or Dakota if building your own, though the CZ ready-made 450 Rigby is the cheapest to buy off the shelf) and use .416 Rigby basic brass for both, or just neck up and fireform .416 Rigby for both. But I sure found 450 Dakota brass a lot easier and less dear than 450 Rigby.
I just like the 450 Dakota better because it is a much older cartridge than the 1995 upstart 450 Rigby.
The 450 Dakota has a richer history in the game fields, steeped in nostalgic tradition.

RIP, is the .450 Rigby simply the .416 Rigby necked up with no other changes? Can you make it by just running an expander through a .416 Rigby case?

Dave

Dave,
Before Mr. Roberts made the 450 Rigby legitimate, there were some wildcats just as you say. Clymer shows a reamer print with a 45 degree shoulder but different headspace and body taper than the original .416 Rigby, etc.

I recall reading an article about the official "450 Rigby" by the new Rigby company, after it came out in 1995. It specified a new shoulder of 40 degrees, and some other differences in shoulder diameter and location, so no, it is not simply a necked-up .416 Rigby. It does use the same basic case as far as head and rim diameter.

I lost track of the specifics on the 450 Rigby, as I chose the 450 Dakota. IIRC, the 450 Dakota has a 26 degree shoulder angle. It can also be formed from .416 Rigby basic brass by running the brass through the FL sizing die and fire forming to make the crisp shoulder angles, just as can be done with the 450 Rigby.

A 26 degree shoulder is a lot easier to work with than a 40 or 45 degree shoulder. The only fly on the .416 Rigby is that 45 degree shoulder. Hence the 20 degree shoulder of the Forty-Ought-Seven.