Iv'e decided i want a .450 Rigby........looks like a Ruger RSM is the best way to get there.Anyone with informed feedback please chime in...
Thanks, guys.

Bob

I was looking into it a little while back and was told it was a simple job. Just have it rebarreled and and new bottom metal for that (needed) extra round or two in capacity. Since you say a Ruger in a 416, the rails would need only a little tweaking to feed flawlessly.

Buy a Ruger .458 Lott and have it rechambered & Bolt face opened up...or buy a cz 550 in .458 lott or winnie mage and do the same.

Bob,
I would go with PC on this one..

I would buy a ruger or cz in 458, and do the feeding work, as the barrels will be more expensive.

INHO, it would take me (since i am VERY slow at this) about 4-6 hours to do this, and the rifle would still appear stock.

Let me give you a cost breakdown, worst case on both
1: rebarrel.. barrel #5 contour $200, reamer and headspace ga $200, sights with dakaota quarter tip, $250, recoil lug 50 gunsmith time and reblue, 250

$750 and it doesn't have the ruger super clean rsm lines

rechamber a 458
reamer and gages 200, gunsmith time and reblue $300, new sight insert, $30 buck (necg)
530 bucks, and it's still gorgeous

jeffe

Wouldn't buying a Ruger in 416 Rigby bypass the bolt face work and the feeding problems, just leaving a rebarrel?

I thought it was possible in the US to buy a barrel already chambered and threaded or will the makers only do that for popular calibers/cartridges?

Here is a picture of the 450 Rigby
Nice round.


Cheers,

Andr�

If you do go the 458 route, my gunsmith has the reamers and gauges for the 450. He is a quite good at it and has been very affordable. Contact me if you go that way.
Frank

416sw
The ruger would be the worst possible way to get a 450 rigby, unless you rebored, as one is paying ~1200 for the ruger, and then throwing away the barrel. it's AT LEAST 1000$ for an intregal quarter rib barrel.

So, getting the ruger in 458 and reworking, getting the cz in 458 (it's 300 EXTRA for intregal sights)

I guess the best all around would be to get the action in 416 IF YOU ALREADY had a 458 barrel lined up for that action.

btw, there is "real" difference in potential between the 460 weatherby and the 450 rigby... belt and pressure is about it, so any 460 weatherby can be loaded down to 450 rigby levels.

In fact, I have often thought that some wiseguy (ah, me) should develope a .05" shorter weatherby, with a regular shoulder, and load it to 450 rigby... removing the wicked recoil and the high pressures

jeffe

Buy the Ruger in 458 Lott and go out and shoot it. If the 500 grain bullet at 2,300 fps doesn't give you enough recoil, then go ahead and rechamber to the 450 Rigby. That will give you another 100 fps or so and also decrease the number of rounds that can fit in the magazine.

Game won't notice the difference between a 500 grain bullet at 2,300 fps or 2,400-2,500 fps. They will die either way. You, however, may have a tougher time putting the bullet in the right place, given the extra recoil.

Regardless of the above, the 450 Rigby is a very cool round to have. However, I think it really deserves a classic magnum mauser action to do it justice.

Tim

Tim
<grin>

Why do you think the 450 rigby needs a classic action? It's of the newest rounds out there, as it's less than 10 years old. Seriously... It was developed in 1995, 1 9 9 5....

<lol> I think it needs something like a blazer!!

Just kidding, as I understand why it needs to be in a classic action, but the round is younger than the 460 weatherby, the 450 dakota, and about the same "age" as the lott.

jeffe

Paul,
the ackley has been around since, what, the 50s or 60s?

I meant saami, ...

or, just load a 460 down

jeffe

Hey Bob, I thought you were getting a 500 AHR? Did you get one and are now getting a 450 Rigby, or did you change you mind in and are now getting a 450 Rigby instead of the 500 AHR?

ASS_CLOWN

The first one I know about, and it pre-dated the 458 win mag, was the 450 (total brain fart, he was an Alaskan as well), it was 51 or 52 as I recall. Anyhow, it was the full length belted basic case straight tapered to make it a 2.85" 458 case. When Jack developed his round, full length belted basic brass was hard to come by, so he shortened his round to 2.80" to allow the 375 cases to be clened up after necking them up.

Curious thing, I just got some 458 lott hornady dies and ran some 375 cases through them. The finished up 2.7670-2.795. Oh well, good for plinker rounds. Sporting good store across the street has Hornday 458 Lott brass, so I'll pick up a box.

I've fired a couple of rounds with a .450 Rigby that was built on a Enfield P17 action. The recoil wasn't too bad, I think, although a Tasco scope couldn't take it more than two rounds before falling apart...Seemed like a good round for serious buffalo hunting

The 450 Dakota should be ver simular in performance and the case can easily be loaded to 2450 fps for 500 and 600 gr bullets.

Look for a second hand 450 Dakota rifle!

Dak

Paul H ----- I am reading a book "African letters" about Bror Blixin of "Out of Africa" fame. He was using a 450 Rigby in the early part of the century, along with a 600 Jeffery that hit the scales at 15 pounds. I would have to reread to check for sure what year exactly. Good shooting.

450 rigby rimless nitro express was "Created" in 1995,



"1897 saw the introduction of the .450 calibre Nitro Express Double Rifle."

otherwise known as the 450 nitro



http://www.johnrigbyandco.com/pages/History.html



http://www.african-hunter.com/450_nitro_express.htm



jeffe

Phurley,

Must have been a 450 Rigby double rifle, as in 3-1/4" Nitro Express.



The 450 Rigby Rimless is indeed a relatively new wild hair for Paul Roberts or whoever owned Rigby then, IIRC, and 1995 birth date sounds about right.



I chose the 45 Lapua instead. Otherwise known as the "457 Faultless Express," or "45/.338 Lapua Magnum." Just fit in an engraved "45" on the headstamp and you got it made. Direct neck up of the .338 Lapua Magnum. Adequate 20 degree shoulder. The .338 Lapua has the same case taper as the 416 Rigby. Sweet. Easy low pressure 2400 fps with 500 grainers.



A .338 Lapua reamer with .458 pilot, a .458 neck and throat reamer, and a competent gunsmith, and the rifle is made by rebarreling a .416 Rigby, or rechambering a .458 WinMag CZ CZ 550 Magnum. Make your own dies from a cannibalized set of .338 Lapua and 460 Weatherby dies. Mine worked so well that I never bothered to get custom dies made.



Besides the "Rigby" nomenclature, the 450 Rigby has only the case head and length in common with the .416 Rigby. And the 450 Dakota is essentially more of the same.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.Yes, i do have a .500 AHR coming from Ed Plummer...but, as one can never have too many guns, and, as i desire a .458 cal. rifle also, it occurred to me that the .450 Rigby would be a nice alternative to the .458 Lott.Lott velocities at Rigby pressures sounded like a good idea.
Now......whos got a Ruger .458 Lott RSM they want to sell me...):

Uh, Bobbie old chap, a few years back I convinced Ed to add the .450 Rigby to his range. He's all set up to do it. Why would you want to fiddle around muckin' up a Ruger when you already like the AHR's? 'nfact, soon's I get back from Africa, 'll be sendin' the Original Left Coast Rigby to Ed for new wood and fittin's. Got enough sheckels now for the safari in style so's don't need to sell it. Unless there's a .505 on m'horizon it'll someday be a true jumbo rifle, i.e., one that's shot an elephant.

Mr Rip,
You have the potential to be a bad influence on me. With that cavernous case how many grains of what powder to send a 500 grain bullet out of a 24" barrel at about 2200 fps? How much dacron to keep the powder from sloshing around too much? What technique do you use to reform your brass? I know the 458 Lott would do that task with less bother, but hey, any excuse to use Lapua brass. Think I would prefer to rebarrel a CZ Rigby to make the 45/338 LM. Can you recommend a gunsmith? I guess I'll take that part time job after all. BTW I ordered in a CZ 375 (hogback) and a Winnie Ultra Mag (stainless) today. Jerry's Sport Center also has Sako L691 actions (blue) for $345.00 (rhymes with 270 Win). That did in my credit at Boise Gun.
I hope you're happy .
JCN

JCN,
Forgive me for being a bad influence. The 45 Lapua is 0.2" shorter than the 450 Rigby. 100 grains of RL-15 will push the 500 grainer 2453 fps in a 22" (12" twist McGowen stainless) barrel or 2499.3 fps in a 25" CZ (14" twist?)barrel. You can cut that down to 90 grains and it might go as slow as 2200 to 2250 fps, like a factory loaded 458 Lott.

All you gotta do is neck up the .338 Lapua brass to .458 (two steps: .338>>>.375 then .375>>>.458) and you are ready to shoot.

Easy. Any gunsmith can cut a 45 Lapua chamber with a .338 Lapua reamer and a .458 neck and throat reamer and floating pilot of .458 on the .338 Lapua reamer.

The other Dave at PPG lists the 45 Lapua reamer as a special order, as others have done it.

This way lies madness. 457 Faultless Express. There, dragons be ... good night.

I'd use the CZ as you would have a lot more room in the box and I am better you could get more 450s down in that magazine than in the Ruger...I consider magazine capacity a very important option on a DGR...