Alright... here's the deal. This winter I have deicded to get a new rifle. I'm currently in graduate school getting a PhD and have a little over two years left until I'm finished up. My family has agreed to funding half of a trip to Africa as a graduation present. Which sounds like a heck of a good deal to me! We're trying to get all this worked out soon, as it of course takes a lot of planning for the trip and saving money. The plan is for a buff and some small game (no cats). So, I need to get a rifle for the trip as I currently ahve no bigbores. I want to get it as soon as possible, so I can start practicing. So, now comes the choice of what rifle and round to use. Since I'm a graduate student (Microbiology), I don't have tons of cash (but you can't complain when tuition covered and they pay us a salary to basically go to school! of course we have to work like we're slave labor.. but who cares! hehehe), but have saved more than enough for the rifle and have a decent start on paying my half of the trip over. But, $$ will need to be a concern when looking as the cost of shooting, as I want to put a lot of rounds through the rifle in the next two years before the trip. I've poured over countless threads here and on Nitroexpress in the recent months... and are familiar with most threads on these issues. But I am still having a difficult time making a choice. I have pretty much decided on getting one of the RSMs. My father has a Ruger in .375 h&h that I love to shoot and it has always worked without a hitch. I can shoot the 375 very well and have put a good number of rounds through his over the years. So, it would seem that a Ruger in 375 would be a good choice, and hard for anyone to argue against. I've also shot ~30 rounds through a CZ 416 Rigby. Now that was fun! Of course there was substantially more recoil, but I still managed. And I believe I could easily become get used to it with practice.

I currently have a .223 in the form of a custom built AR-15, setup and used for Service Rifle match competition, a 6mm REM, and a .338-06. So, the lower stuff is covered pretty well. Part of me thinks the 375 might be too close to the 338-06 and that I would be better suited with soemthing larger.

Other issues is the cost of ammo. I know the Rigby is hella $$$$ to shoot. Even brass is freaking expensive. Maybe once Hornady starts production of their rigby ammo things will get better. Now, I do handload so that would help a lot in the price of shooting it... but I know my current press isn't big enough to handle the rigby, so I'd have to factor in getting a new one as well. Not a huge deal though.

I'm half tempted to get a 458 lott, as the brass is cheap from Hornady... and there are TONS of bullet options for practice. I know it would take more work to use effectivly, and in the end wouldn't be as versitle..... but I bet it sure would be a fun one to have. Plus, the 338-06 dispatches most smaller things without a fuss. The Lott or the 375 will also work with my current press without problem. Just something else to think about.... see my problems here guys! Help a brother out

You can't go wrong with the Lott, Rigby/Remington or H&H, I know that doesn't help much, I use all three.

quote:

Originally posted by blah:
....But I am still having a difficult time making a choice. I have pretty much decided on getting one of the RSMs. My father has a Ruger in .375 h&h that I love to shoot and it has always worked without a hitch. I can shoot the 375 very well and have put a good number of rounds through his over the years....

I think you have answered your question right here. The Ruger is a good rifle and the .375 will do a yeoman's job on anything on planet earth.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
You can't go wrong with the Lott, Rigby/Remington or H&H, I know that doesn't help much, I use all three.

hehehe... thanks for the help

I honestly know I can't go too wrong with any of them. The Rem is prolly out as I am fairly set on getting a Ruger.... but it's always a possibility.

Whatever I decide on, I'm going to use it exclusivly for my big game hunting here in the states over the next two years. Sure, they'll be overkill for deer, but more practice is worth it. I think any will work great on moose next year... and I hope to do some hog hunting for fun. I've shoot a fair share of cyotes with a 375 for kicks.... maybe popping one with something bigger would be even more fun

Once you decide to step up to a big bore then shooting them justs gets more expensive. You can use lead bullets to cut costs, but I find it a hassle going back & forth. The Lott is a great round but you will probably get more use out of a good .375h&h & the Ruger is that. The press size is the same for a Rigby or Lott. Brass can be expensive initially but how much are you going to shoot it? Brass lasts quite along time.
My own choice was a .404jeffery. For "plinkin" loads I size down 300gr .429 bullets. Useable .404 cases can be made from inexoensive .338 or .375 RUM brass.

With what you have I would get a .416 Rigby......................cz or Ruger whatever fits you best.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
Once you decide to step up to a big bore then shooting them justs gets more expensive. You can use lead bullets to cut costs, but I find it a hassle going back & forth. The Lott is a great round but you will probably get more use out of a good .375h&h & the Ruger is that. The press size is the same for a Rigby or Lott. Brass can be expensive initially but how much are you going to shoot it? Brass lasts quite along time.
My own choice was a .404jeffery. For "plinkin" loads I size down 300gr .429 bullets. Useable .404 cases can be made from inexoensive .338 or .375 RUM brass.

Thanks for the info on the Lott and press size, I was mistaken that I could use my press in hand for that guy. Either way, that doesn't really make that big a a difference though. A single station press isn't too expensive.

I know the 375 is the logical choice, but it does seem close to my 338... I already load some 250grn bullets in it. Hmm... who knows... decisions decisions!

If you have a .338 you already have NA pretty well covered. May be a little big for some situations but very, very useful in most. Also a great plains game caliber.

Decide if you want to collect guns or hunt. If you want to hunt, be a bit patient and do it right the first time. Then put the extra monies into the hunting fund ... and actually use the rifles in the field. (If you want to collect guns just buy what catches your fancy and enjoy it.)

Next one to be for DG, eh? The challenge then becomes not the caliber as anything in the .375 to .404 range is not quite so specialized as a Lott or .470.

The recoil characteristics of the .375 are not dramatically different than the .338. (I personally think the .375 is a bit more comfortable to shoot as its recoil velocity seems less than a light .338.) The limiting factor might be how big the game will be and what kind of terraine you'll want to hike the rifle around.

Weight does go up pretty significantly as you go beyond .375, and for a pretty good reason ... you want to be able to get that second shot in a pinch. Brass is more expensive as are premium bullets. The quality of scope required also goes up. Deivered energy also goes up.

Plug your preferences into the equation and then make sure you buy something that either fits or that you are willing to have fitted to you. Rugers and CZs are kind of kit rifles. You start with the box stock unit and then have some work done on them to make them ultra reliable and hardy at high recoil levels.

...take the .375 and spend the rifle bucks down there...

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
If you have a .338 you already have NA pretty well covered. May be a little big for some situations but very, very useful in most. Also a great plains game caliber.

Decide if you want to collect guns or hunt. If you want to hunt, be a bit patient and do it right the first time. Then put the extra monies into the hunting fund ... and actually use the rifles in the field. (If you want to collect guns just buy what catches your fancy and enjoy it.)

Next one to be for DG, eh? The challenge then becomes not the caliber as anything in the .375 to .404 range is not quite so specialized as a Lott or .470.

The recoil characteristics of the .375 are not dramatically different than the .338. (I personally think the .375 is a bit more comfortable to shoot as its recoil velocity seems less than a light .338.) The limiting factor might be how big the game will be and what kind of terraine you'll want to hike the rifle around.

Weight does go up pretty significantly as you go beyond .375, and for a pretty good reason ... you want to be able to get that second shot in a pinch. Brass is more expensive as are premium bullets. The quality of scope required also goes up. Deivered energy also goes up.

Plug your preferences into the equation and then make sure you buy something that either fits or that you are willing to have fitted to you. Rugers and CZs are kind of kit rifles. You start with the box stock unit and then have some work done on them to make them ultra reliable and hardy at high recoil levels.

Thanks for the comments. I intend to hunt with my rifles. I'm not wealthy enough just to collect rifles at this point in my life. But, I try to buy the best quality that I can afford.. or even stretch the budget a bit, as I am in the do it right once camp.

As far as weight goes, I am not too concerned with carrying something heavy around. I'm a pretty fit 27 year old, I race in competitive cycling and do a lot of hiking and scrambling at high altitudes. I figure if I can carry a 60 lb backpack up a 14,000ft moutain, I can arry a 10 lb rifle around. One benifit of being farily young still

quote:

Originally posted by mouse93:
...take the .375 and spend the rifle bucks down there...

A decent idea, but I live several states away from my folks. I wouldn't be able to have the rifle here with me to practice as much as I'd like. Plus it would be nice to have something of my own to start filling in my battery on the top end.

There's a lot of overlap between the 338 Win. Mag. and 375 H&H. To me, the 375 is a fine cartridge (yes, I've used it extensively myself, and bought my first one in 1980)), but in many ways it's neither fish nor foul.

I'd rather carry a 338 Win. Mag. for general-purpose hunting, and I'd rather use something bigger than the 375 H&H on dangerous game.

Personally, I'd stick with the 338 Winchester, and add the 416 Rigby to take care of your DG needs. You'll have the best of all worlds with that combination, and Craig Boddington himself has previously stated that a 338/416 combo was darned-near perfect for Africa. It is!

Since ammo cost is a concern with the 416 Rigby, obtain the tools and components and learn to handload for it. You'll benefit in all ways if you do...........

AD

It doesn't sound like you'll get to shoot it a lot, so maybe by handloading, cost of components isn't as much of an issue. I would get a .416rem, .416Rigby or .404jeffery. I find the .40s more usefull than the .458, but it ultimately comes down to what you want. I had a Lott & it was just too much rifle for me to enjoy, more like work shooting it. I love my .404 & would be just as happy if it were a .416Rigby.

Well, since you are on a budget, really the most cost effective thing to do is use your father's rifle. In my family, although we do have a lot of duplication, we share rifles without trouble (although my mom is not allowed to use my brother's featherweight 7x57 because she has made it clear he won't get it back )

that will get you into the game with 600-1300 dollars extra in your pocket.

2nd suggestion would be the CZ550 in 416 Rigby, although personally I would make a few aftermarket changes to it, it would still be cheaper than the Ruger.

3rd, if money allows and not going to affect whether or not you can make your half of the money for the trip, then do the RSM. I do like the way they look, that rib is sweet.



Red

blah,

Yup, I understand about the physical condition thing. Last time in Wyoming we backpacked in south of Pinedale with 80 pounds and a rifle. Was only 8800 ft altitude into the camp, but as an old man I was happy to have an 8.5 lb .338 WinMag.

My .416 Rigby CZ weights in at almost 11# loaded with scope. The .470 Searcy comes in at 11.5#. Would not have wanted either of those on the daily treck from 8500 to above 10000.

Back and leg strength is different from arm and upper body strength. In RSA I found out the big CZ was not all that much fun to wag around all day. I tended toward the 9,3x62 CZ as a result.

The cannons are fun, but I have come to think it's more fun to have fewer and hunt them more. Best of good luck with your choice and your graduate education.

Now that Cumes or first orals are over you are probably pretty much on the way. Do good research, don't piss off anyone on your committee, and prepare for the dissertation defense like it is a war. Knock'm dead!

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
It doesn't sound like you'll get to shoot it a lot, so maybe by handloading, cost of components isn't as much of an issue. I would get a .416rem, .416Rigby or .404jeffery. I find the .40s more usefull than the .458, but it ultimately comes down to what you want. I had a Lott & it was just too much rifle for me to enjoy, more like work shooting it. I love my .404 & would be just as happy if it were a .416Rigby.

Well, I plan on shooting the rifle a lot before the trip. As I mentioned, I will likely use it exclusivly for big game hunting over the next two years in the US just to get more experience with it... aside from frequent trips to the range. Handloading for whatever round I decide on will be a given. I load for all of my rifles and shotguns I have now.

I have a feeling a 416 would be the best bet given what I have now. But it just bugs me tha the factory rounds and brass are so freaking expensive right now... and that the stuff for the Lott is down right cheap in comparison. Then I think that I could always just bring my 338-06 along on the trip if I got the Lott. Anyhow, keep the comments coming guys. Thanks for all of the good input so far.

.375 H&H Best of all Worlds

Roland

blah
Your 338-06 will do fine as your plains game rifle. I would use premium bullets so you can take your game from any angle. As for your big bore, I would get a 416, either the Rem Mag or the Rigby depending on which rifle brand you like.
I would start reloading so I could shoot a lot.
Keep us posted on what you choose.

I can recommend the Blaser R 93 in 416 Rem Mag without reservation. However with Blasers people either love them or hate them.

Get the 375 H7H and use the money that you save on practice.

You are the man that the .375 H&H Magnum was made for.

Sell the 338. Buy the 375 CZ. Simple.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
blah,

Yup, I understand about the physical condition thing. Last time in Wyoming we backpacked in south of Pinedale with 80 pounds and a rifle. Was only 8800 ft altitude into the camp, but as an old man I was happy to have an 8.5 lb .338 WinMag.

My .416 Rigby CZ weights in at almost 11# loaded with scope. The .470 Searcy comes in at 11.5#. Would not have wanted either of those on the daily treck from 8500 to above 10000.

Back and leg strength is different from arm and upper body strength. In RSA I found out the big CZ was not all that much fun to wag around all day. I tended toward the 9,3x62 CZ as a result.

The cannons are fun, but I have come to think it's more fun to have fewer and hunt them more. Best of good luck with your choice and your graduate education.

Now that Cumes or first orals are over you are probably pretty much on the way. Do good research, don't piss off anyone on your committee, and prepare for the dissertation defense like it is a war. Knock'm dead!

Thanks for the words of encouragment. Yea, my comps are over with... what a living hell that was But I guess I'm stronger for it! Good thing is that I am not actually worried about mythesis defense at all. It's more of just grinding away and doing enough work at this point... and jumping through a few more hoops of course.

Even 8,800ft is a fairly high altitude... especially if you aren't used to it. I gone up above 12,000 ft too fast a couple times in the past (when I wasn't conditioned) and gotten some altitude sickness. I also do a fair bit of climbing. Just mentioned about extended backpacking at high altitude and cycling as a comment of general fitness. I've done the Everest challenge out in Southern Cal once before...if I can survive that... I think I can get through just about any pain that is thrown at me! (If you don't know, that's a bike ride/race that is in the Eastern Sierras.... two days, 200 miles.... and about 29,000ft of total climbing Talk about thinking your lungs are going to explode!)

I'm still not sure what I'm going to end up with. But, I really do appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions. I won't be making the purchase till the first of the year. So I've got some time to mull things over still.

To those suggesting to sell my 338-06.... that just isn't gonna happen. I love that little rifle WAY too much to get rid of. Plus, I was pretty much brought up on the "never sell a gun once you own it" mindset....unless it's a real dog/doesn't fit/etc. 'cause you'll almost always regret it.

Sure I could borrow my father's rifle... but where's the fun in that I have the budget to get something nice for myself and are planning accordingly. I'm going to give some of the CZs a good hard look before I make my final decision. But I am really leaning to one of the RSMs, as I have shot one quite a bit already and am familiar with the action stroke and how they handle. Plus I love the rib and barrel band swivel.

I know the 375 would perform without a hitch... but is a bit of an overlap with my current 338. That is really pushing me to think that maybe the big 416 is the answer. That would give me 150gr more bullet weight... rather than just stepping up 50gr with the 375. The history and lore that goes along with the Rigby make it even more appealing. I know I would never need anything more than a 400grn bullet at 2400fps as a visiting hunter. Just the thought of the Lott, with it's cheap bullets and brass that keeps haunting my mind! Maybe by the time I make my purchase in a couple months, the Hornady ammo will be on the shelves and it will be a no-brainer. Still, I'd love to fire a Lott just to feel how much of a wallop they give the shooter. (anyone live near Iowa?? )

Anyhow, thanks again guys. Of course, any further comments are welcome.

Yes the .338 Win and .375 H&H do overlap quite a bit, but the answer to your question is...

Sell the .338 and get the .375 - that's what I did and haven't regretted it for a moment... Your problem is then solved!

Buy a Lott. You are 27 and will soon be entering your profession. You have a passion for hunting and after you whack a buff, you are going to want to whack an elephant. The 416 is a great round and a very good client's caliber, but the 458 Lott impresses the big stuff better and it will be a bit cheaper to feed over the next couple of years. The plains game you are going to shoot on a buff hunt will probably be taken at ranges you can shoot with the Lott. Especially with your good eyes and physical conditioning.

Perry

quote:

Originally posted by 458RugerNo1:
Yes the .338 Win and .375 H&H do overlap quite a bit, but the answer to your question is...

Sell the .338 and get the .375 - that's what I did and haven't regretted it for a moment... Your problem is then solved!

Hehe... yea, I won't sell the 338, but having a bit of overlap wouldn't be a totally bad thing. I have a feeling that when it's all said and done, I'll have a 375, 416, and a 458. Just trying to figure out what will serve me best until I can get to that point in my life.

quote:

Originally posted by 458RugerNo1:
Yes the .338 Win and .375 H&H do overlap quite a bit, but the answer to your question is...

Sell the .338 and get the .375 - that's what I did and haven't regretted it for a moment... Your problem is then solved!

The 375 H&H, and the 338-06 don't over lap that much! The properly loaded 375 H&H is far superior to the 338-06, and both on the same Safari would make a fine pair. However I'd rather have the 375 H&H as my light rifle, and spring for the 458 LOTT, for the big boys.

The 458LOTT can be loaded to shoot well, without bone crushing recoil, and still do a fine job on Buffalo, and Ele! As far as shooting the LOTT at longer range, that isn't too hard to do! Look back at the old sharps rounds, long considered to be very accurate at long range, with far less power. SOOOooooooooo, PWN375 is correct, plains game are not out of the question with the LOTT, you just learn to shoot it. I load mine to the 450NE 3.25" balistics, and in a 9 LB rifle it will handle anything I shoot with it, and isn't bad on the shoulder at all! I don't think anyone would be willing to stand at 300 yds, and let me shoot at him, hopeing I can't hit him with every shot!

Too me it is obvious, this gentleman is not going to Africa, only once, and the LOTT will be used a lot over the next 20 yrs, I'd bet!

quote:

Originally posted by PWN375:
Buy a Lott. You are 27 and will soon be entering your profession. You have a passion for hunting and after you whack a buff, you are going to want to whack an elephant. The 416 is a great round and a very good client's caliber, but the 458 Lott impresses the big stuff better and it will be a bit cheaper to feed over the next couple of years. The plains game you are going to shoot on a buff hunt will probably be taken at ranges you can shoot with the Lott. Especially with your good eyes and physical conditioning.

Perry

Seems like some good advice as well. Thanks for muddying (sp?) up the waters a bit more for me!

Seriously though, I will have to try and track down a Lott to fire. I am confident I could work up to being able to use it, by using some reduced loads at first. But I'd feel more comfortable giving one a try before stepping in and buying something that I couldn't get comfortable with. I know I'm good with the 375 and 416.

So, most likely, until I get to try a Lott... I'm in a bit of a holding pattern. If the Hornady Rigby brass is more expensive than I think is reasonable, it will be between the 375 and the Lott. (Plus nearly all 416 bullets are expensive right now, at least with the 375 and Lott there are cheaper bullets that are suitable for practicing) If I think the Lott is too much gun to control and being able to shoot well... then it will be the 375.

Sound like a decent plan?

OK, you said you are on a budget.

Make a spread sheet to compare actual and costs of a 375, Rigby, and Lott. If the bullet length requires you get a new press that cost gets added in a separate collum. Make collums for rifle, scope, press, dies, brass, bullets (over two years), powder (estimating usafe rate over two years), and anything else you need to feed it. Now you will know what the real end cost will be to you and which option is truely within your budget.

To me it sounds like you really and truely want either the Rigby or the Lott. You know you can manage the Ridgy but the big bore bug has you ans you are woundering if you could in fact handle the Lott. By laying out ALL the associated costs of each choice you may find that the Rigby is not that much more expensive. Of course it also depends on which rifle make you pick too Ruger or CZ. I have not run the numbers so i do not know how the end costs stack up.

quote:

Originally posted by 54JNoll:
OK, you said you are on a budget.

If the bullet length requires you get a new press that cost gets added in a separate collum. .

54JNoll, has the right idea, with the learning what the actual cost will be for the rifle, and what it takes to feed it! About the press, let me tell you I have loaded the LOTT on a RCBS JR press, one of the smallest presses on the market , and was my first press. I have a very large press as well, because I have some very large bore rifles, with vry long cartridges.

The LOTT can be loaed on any press that will load a 375 H&H magnum. The cases for the 458 LOTT, are 375 H&H cases blown out almost straight.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:

quote:

Originally posted by 54JNoll:
OK, you said you are on a budget.

If the bullet length requires you get a new press that cost gets added in a separate collum. .

54JNoll, has the right idea, with the learning what the actual cost will be for the rifle, and what it takes to feed it! About the press, let me tell you I have loaded the LOTT on a RCBS JR press, one of the smallest presses on the market , and was my first press. I have a very large press as well, because I have some very large bore rifles, with vry long cartridges.

The LOTT can be loaed on any press that will load a 375 H&H magnum. The cases for the 458 LOTT, are 375 H&H cases blown out almost straight.

Thanks for clearing up the issues about the preses. That was the impression that I was under, that what would work for the 375 would work for the Lott, based on length. But, that with the Rigby I'd likely have to get a larger press.

Noll has a great idea about writing up the spreadsheet and working the numbers. I think I'll waste some time at work this afternoon to do just that!

Ok... I've crunched the numbers and found some interesting things. Things like rifle price/scope/dies etc all cancel out since they will be needed for both.

Based on the conservative assumption that you can get 4 reloads from each case, and shooting 400 rounds a year over the next two years. I would need ~200 of each case on hand. Here the Lott has a clear advantage since brass is like $.40 and the Rigby is about $1.92

Also assume ~600 of those rounds will be with cheaper cost bullets and 200 being higher quality hunting rounds. Here the high quality rounds are about equal... and the Lott has another advantage with the cheaper bullets. 400gn jacketed bullets for plinking and fun are like $.35 each... and bulk 400gn lead bullets are stupid cheap at like $.18 each. It seems you'll be lucky to get .416 bullets in the $.50 range... most "cheap" bullets are in the ~$.65 range.

Move on to powder and the Lott uses about 85% of the charge the Rigby does.

So, with the current prices, it would be roughly 45% less costly to feed a Lott over the two year, 800 round time span. The new Hornady Brass could change things quite a bit though. I'll have to wait and see. Either way, I won't get a Lott without spending some time with one first.

Alrighty guys, I managed to hunt down a Lott to shoot and got the chance to do so yesterday. All i can say is WOW! that thing really got my attention. It honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be... but it wasn't what I would call pleasant to be sure. I fired about 10 shots total, from a variety of different field positions, including standing, sitting, kneeling, and one prone (Ouch!) to try and get an overall feel for it. These were all with Hornady 500grn FMJ factory loads. The rifle was a CZ with the stock open sights. I could see where having a scope on a rifle such as this, when using the full house 500gr loads would not be a great idea. esp front some weird positions. But the irons seemed to work really well. (and I'm thankfully blessed with good eyesight) The recoil was pretty freakin' stiff.... but it never seemed like it actually "hurt" me. I'm a hair over 6'1" and 185 lbs, (pretty average) but I tend to a decent job of rolling with the recoil rather than absorbing it. It didn't seem as bad as the old shotgun I used to kill my first deer with when I was a kid. It was a 12ga H&R single shot. The kind that had the hammer exposed that you had to cock... that thing didn't have a recoil pad at all and must have weighed under 7lbs. Shooting deer slugs through that thing wasn't what I would call fun in the least

I;m not going to get on a soap box and spout off that the recoil didn't phase me and that it's just a "big push"... etc like I've seen some people do. Maybe compared to some REALLY big $hit it is like a pussy cat! But, shooting the full power loads were in fact managable. I know if I got one that I'd have to start with some lesser loads and work up. But I wanted to give the factory spec stuff a go, just to see how bad it would be in the "worse case" setup. I shot some 5 gal buckets of water just for fun. What a show that was! It really does feel like you're sending some serious power down range when you touch the Lott off

I think that with two full years of using the rifle that I can become more than comfortable with it at full power, assuming that I do my part of course. The jury is still out on what I will end up with in the end. But I sure do appreciate all the comments and suggestions from you guys. (Too bad I can't get a 375 and the Lott ) Either way, I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on what path I decide to go with.

If budget is in your criteria and you want power then get the lott, and you can shoot cheap 45/70 bullets any way.

But I would say if you want te .416 just get it, you will find the money to feed it, get what you want the first time.

I'm with PC. I've debated over the caliber thing, as I have a 338-06 too. I think the best route would be to just go to the 416. A nice step up from the 338 caliber and not a real big hammer. Myself, I'm leaning towards the 416 Rem, probably built on a CZ 375 action, so I can get 5 in the magazine Plus, I'd like to build a 500 A-square eventually, and will be using a CZ action for this as well. That way, they will work the same.

Figured against the lifespan of the rifle and the cost of safaris, the incremental price of brass to go to the Rigby is not that great - especially if you buy it in smaller bunches than 100's of cases at once.

It is pretty easy to get used to a 375, though, so I can see the attraction. It's a tough call. Good luck with your choice!

quote:

Originally posted by blah:
Now, I do handload so that would help a lot in the price of shooting it... but I know my current press isn't big enough to handle the rigby, so I'd have to factor in getting a new one as well.

Check eBay for used reloading equipment. You can save some money this way.