I have wanted a 416 bore for some time with the hopes for buffalo in the future and just plain fun until then. I also wanted it to be a "full dress" classic so began researching the options and costs. My intent was to either build one on an FN action (416 Taylor) that I had or buy a new Win M70 (416 Remington) and have its metal and wood worked over. I kicked around the CZ and Ruger as well. It quickly became apparent and no surprise really that it gets real expensive real fast. So I recently stumbled into a 416 Rigby Dakota African in about mint condition. Something I just never would have considered. Slight bluing wear on the muzzle and floor plate edges with as new wood. Metal-wise it has the dropped belly magazine, quarter rib with one fixed leaf, 2 panel checkered bolt knob, skeleton grip cap w/ wood checkered, gold oval (blank) and a barrel band swivel all nicely matte blued. The stock is XXX Bastogne with an ebony forend tip, wrap around point checkering, twin cross bolts, shadowline cheekpiece and inletted swivel base. All in all, the wood is very pretty with proper grain flow. It also comes up surprising well with the iron sites. I was able to pick it up for $3100 which I thought was a pretty good deal given the apparent (to my somewhat green knowledge) quality of the piece. Also, the Rigby round just makes me... well you know. Anyone own one of these or have comments, good or bad, about them? Also, I removed the action from the stock which is very tightly bedded and noted that there was no secondary lug on the barrel. Is this OK?

ED!!!! You have violated a major rule!!! You described a great sounding rifle....without posting pics!!! Shame on you!

Ed you've scored a wonderful sounding rifle of top quality. I looked at a Dakota 330 in a local gun shop that had the nicest wood stock that just made me drool. The guy wanted $4000.00 Canadian for it which would have worked out to about $2900 US. I offered him $3000 and he wouldn't take it. I found out later that he had two of them so I wonder what the keeper looked like. So your deal on the Rigby sounds pretty sweet. If you load to the standard Rigby loads you shouldn't have a problem. If you hot load it then the second recoil lug might be a good idea. The Dakotas sure are a nicely put together rifle.
Take care,
Dave

Ed

I started my 416 Rigby project last year (early).
Bought a CZ550 and wanted all "bells and whistles" to be done by my gunsmith.
I'm on my 3rd gunsmith now - rifle is now almost finished - will take another two month or so...

Finally the rifle alone will cost just a tad below Euro 4,000 and for sure I would be happy to trade it for your Dakota

You saved a lot of money and time with your deal - be a happy camper with a wonderful rifle and shot it a lot!

Franz

I am in just about the same place as Franz. I can't tell you how much I have in my CZ and am not sure I want to figure just exactly. You got a sweet deal. Hang on to it, shoot it to death and love h%^& out of it. Good hunting. "D"