Hi fellas-

I'm looking for a little advice here for a friend.

He writes:

quote:

My dad has always loved the .416 rigby from all of his books on hunting Africa. He’s turning the big 60 this year, so me and my brother want to get him a nice .416

I looked up the models on John Rigby’s site, and 18k is a little too steep for me.

Any suggestions on something nice (like classic fine wood look) but not crazy expensive? The CZs and rugers are like 1200-1400 then it seems to jump way up over 10,000 after that. Something in between would be nice.

You gentlemen are never short on opinions, so what do you say? Do you have any suggestions that I can pass on to him?

Thanks in advance!

CZs and Rugers. You can spend more but your would not get much better stuff. I shoot a Ruger RSM-most reliable and accurate rifle I own.

Buy the CZ and have AHR build a thing of beauty out of it. Wood can do wonders...

Rich

Dakota makes a nice rifle.

SSR

Get him a CZ... it has all the features of what a DGR should be.

I agree with a Dakota.

It ain't entry level, it's right down the middle of the road.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Buy the CZ and have AHR build a thing of beauty out of it. Wood can do wonders...

Rich

I've seen a lot of happy AHR (American Hunting Rilfes) customers on A.R. with nicely reworked CZ's, so I give another vote for getting a CZ with the AHR treatment. If he isn't too hung up on 416 Rigby nostalgia (like I am), the 416 Remington Magnum is fully equal in performance to the 416 Rigby and can be had in the super-fine model 70 Safari-express now being produced in South Carolina. Those new model 70's are smooooth! If I wasn't hung up on the Rigby, I would have one right now. I'll probably get one someday, when I'm not spread so thin.

Another vote for the Ruger RSM. The recoil is not bad and mine is very accurate.

Thanks for all of the quick responses! Keep them coming...

I will share your sentiments with him.

[quote]Another vote for the Ruger RSM. The recoil is not bad and mine is very accurate.

Call Wayne at AHR. Best and finest rifle I own.Shoot a silver dollar group all day.

The CZ with some custom work (which is required) would make a nice gift with some engraved note from the son.

roughly, if 18k is too much, your choices are going to look like
custom 10k +
empire 7-9K
dakota ???
ruger RSM 1200-1600
CZ 550 magnum 900-1200 +AHR
in decreasing cost

I personally feel that the ruger RSM in 416 rigby is hard to beat,certainly if it is ones first bigbore .. the weight keeps the recoil down a bit

14

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Buy the CZ and have AHR build a thing of beauty out of it. Wood can do wonders...

Rich

or an empire!

or, call the cz safari shop and ask for one, in 416 rigby, rather than rem

If a Dakota is of interest I will likely be putting one up for sale at much less than retail when I get home the third week of March. It is an early (1995 IIRC) gun in near new condition with quarter rib, 2 panel checkered bolt, inletted/checkered grip cap, unengraved initial inlay in stock and Tally bases (I believe they are still on there). Very accurate and it feeds/functions flawlessly too.

I own an RSM a buddy owns a CZ i like my RSM much better, I think he does too he just won't admit to it, But i don't think you could go wrong with either rifle for the money, just my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
Dakota makes a nice rifle.

SSR

+2
If your looking for a step up from the CZ and Ruger, look at the Dakota, great balanced rifle, that still might need some work though. Their quality control has been found lacking at times.

quote:

I own an RSM a buddy owns a CZ i like my RSM much better, I think he does too he just won't admit to it, But i don't think you could go wrong with either rifle for the money, just my opinion.

I agree. I prefer the Ruger out of the box. Most of the recommendations here are to include an AHR upgrade. Depending on your taste and what work you select the CZ can become a far better rifle than the RSM.

So nobody mention the Ruger RSM is DISCONTINUED! That could be a factor right?

Count me among those suggesting an AHR-modified CZ.

Lots of bang for your buck, if you'll pardon the pun.

I've had one in .416 Rigby for years and I've been very happy with it.

Personnaly I would give AHR all details and ask Wayne to make it,thats all, you don't have to do anything except look at pictures of wood and give measurements and you will have a great rifle.You can spend alot more but you will not get anything any better

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Buy the CZ and have AHR build a thing of beauty out of it. Wood can do wonders...

Rich

I am with Rich. Buy a CZ .416 Rigby and send it to Wayne at American Hunting Rifles and have him do a #3 on it. That's what I did and he made me a superb rifle. You can get it all done for about $4,000.

quote:

I looked up the models on John Rigby’s site, and 18k is a little too steep for me.

Any suggestions on something nice (like classic fine wood look) but not crazy expensive? The CZs and rugers are like 1200-1400 then it seems to jump way up over 10,000 after that. Something in between would be nice.

I missed this detail on the budget and decided to edit my post: I guess I agree with a 5K budget, you could go to AHR and get one scratch built, exactly to your needs.

I never owned or shot one, but I handled a few Dakota in gun shops and they looked like great guns in classic tradition and 'looked' worth the price of 5-6k ,I guess.

The best Idea would be to handle the CZ and the RSM. Once I picked both up I knew I would NEVER be happy with the CZ I just don't like it. Not to say it isn't a great rifle it just isn't my cup of tea. The Dakota's I have seen are really nice but not 4-7K nicers than my RSM's. I took the money I would have spent on a nice Dakota and bought me a Searcy DR which is really what I had wanted all along. The Ruger is no show stopper it is a practical nice looking hunting rifle that shoots great out of the box. I just picked one up for $1200 on the boards last week and they just plain are a great deal for a 416 Rigby. Now that they are discontinued they WILL increase in value like the pre-64 winchesters did any other rifles will Heck Jeff was trying to give his 458Lott RSM away a few months back for like $1400 and now he want $2400 go figure. Even if you find you don't reallly like the RSM go sell it for what you paid you'll get you money out of it. My RSM 416 shoots sub 1 MOA groups all day long what more could I want.

Brad

quote:

Originally posted by Brad aka Pill Shooter:
The best Idea would be to handle the CZ and the RSM. Once I picked both up I knew I would NEVER be happy with the CZ I just don't like it. Not to say it isn't a great rifle it just isn't my cup of tea. The Dakota's I have seen are really nice but not 4-7K nicers than my RSM's. I took the money I would have spent on a nice Dakota and bought me a Searcy DR which is really what I had wanted all along. The Ruger is no show stopper it is a practical nice looking hunting rifle that shoots great out of the box. I just picked one up for $1200 on the boards last week and they just plain are a great deal for a 416 Rigby. Now that they are discontinued they WILL increase in value like the pre-64 winchesters did any other rifles will Heck Jeff was trying to give his 458Lott RSM away a few months back for like $1400 and now he want $2400 go figure. Even if you find you don't reallly like the RSM go sell it for what you paid you'll get you money out of it. My RSM 416 shoots sub 1 MOA groups all day long what more could I want.

Brad

Brad, I think you would be surprised at what Wayne can do. He has a new slim stock profile. The CZ he did for me handles really well.

I have the Ruger RSM in the .416 Rigby. Great rifle but a little heavy,compared to some other large bore rifles.

Best bang for the buck is the new Ruger.

quote:

Best bang for the buck is the new Ruger.

Yep! Mine is very accurate also.

I have a Don Allen era Dakota and it is fabulous! I'm not familiar with the "new" or current Dakota's but can recommend the earlier ones without reservation check out Gulf Breeze or others who deal in Dakotas new and used.

Or as has already been suggested, purchase the CZ and let Wayne do his great work. I'm having him "tune up" a CZ 458 but leave it in the laminate stock as I'm interested in a working gun without the extra cost for the wood but if you have one gun get the replacement wood you will be glad you did.

Good Hunting and enjoy what you decide on and go use it and have fun!

The Cabela's gun library usually has several Dakotas as well as other 416 Rigbys for sale.

I'll still argue in support of the RSM. Just went to Cablea's and see their still selling for a fair price. A lot of gun for 1500 clams.

Brad


RSM 416 Rigby with Box in great shape
Caliber: 416 Rigby
Reference #: 2126342
New Listing
Price:$1,499.

Brad-aka, Thats a nice looking stock and 2-300 cheaper than some other Cabelas RSM in Rigby. It does not have that cheesy lazer etch floor plate. Nice clean looks. No mention of the rings? I bet you start to see those creeping up in price.

This is interesting too, non tradition synthetic stock CZ that might be a custom shop gun with 22inch bbl with bbl band sling stud. Dont know if it is, but $1500 would seem pretty fair if it was built in St Louis.

http://www.cabelas.com/product...16-Rigby/1196546.uts

Another vote for the RSM. I think thier the most bang for the buck.
Lott
Rigby
H&H
Old Style H&H
500 Jeffery
That's how much I like them!

quote:

My dad has always loved the .416 rigby from all of his books on hunting Africa. He’s turning the big 60 this year, so me and my brother want to get him a nice .416

Perhaps you could pass on to your friend that I'm also turning the big 60 this year and that if they are looking for a second father then I'm willing.
My own sons are hovering like vultures waiting to set their claws into my Oberndorf Mauser 404, one having already flapped off with my Rem700 7mm08.

Nice sons and I'm sure their dad will be pleased with a 416.

quote:

Originally posted by Brad aka Pill Shooter:
The best Idea would be to handle the CZ and the RSM. Once I picked both up I knew I would NEVER be happy with the CZ I just don't like it. Not to say it isn't a great rifle it just isn't my cup of tea. The Dakota's I have seen are really nice but not 4-7K nicers than my RSM's. I took the money I would have spent on a nice Dakota and bought me a Searcy DR which is really what I had wanted all along. The Ruger is no show stopper it is a practical nice looking hunting rifle that shoots great out of the box. I just picked one up for $1200 on the boards last week and they just plain are a great deal for a 416 Rigby. Now that they are discontinued they WILL increase in value like the pre-64 winchesters did any other rifles will Heck Jeff was trying to give his 458Lott RSM away a few months back for like $1400 and now he want $2400 go figure. Even if you find you don't reallly like the RSM go sell it for what you paid you'll get you money out of it. My RSM 416 shoots sub 1 MOA groups all day long what more could I want.

Brad

Once I pick up a Ruger there is a feeling of perfect balance that I don't want to part with.I hope I still get that feeling when I receive both my custom rifles.

Ruger and CZ are excellent values. The Ruger tends to be heavier, the CZ not quite so graceful, IMO. Check out American Hunting Rifles website. There's a CZ built to be a .404 that's just what a dgr should look like, and the little handling I've done of the AHR remanufactured rifles makes them easily the equivalent of a Dakota and then some. Check out that .404 and just have them build a .416 like it.

Having owned more than one of each, I'm of the opinion that the later RSM tends to be a better rifle out the box, and the CZ tends to be a rougher rifle out the box. But, I'm further of the opinion that the CZ gives you more room for improvements than the RSM. What limits the RSM is its use of a bastardized recoil lug and 1-pound steel recoil plate which pretty much limits you to the factory wood stock (or a custom wood duplicate of the factory wood stock). The CZ uses a more traditional recoil lug system with the ability to easily change from wood to synthetic stocks should you so desire. This gives the CZ an advantage in versatility. CZ through B&C has even developed a new stock built around a full length 7075-T6 aluminum chassis which makes a viable option.

I personally wish that the CZ was closer to a more simple Mauser design in their trigger/sear engineering, but there are aftermarket options if one should desire to make such change to eliminate some of the CZ's Rube Goldberg over-engineering. But, with a well vetting and proper maintenance, either the CZ or the RSM should give many years of dependable service. Sporter weight packing rifles they will never make, but as stout and reliable heavy rifles they serve well.

Best

quote:

Idaho Sharpshooter: Buy the CZ and have AHR build a thing of beauty out of it

Ditto, or look around for a Ruger 77, some have beautiful stocks, or spend alot more money on something else.

Hey fellas, just wanted to chime in and say thank you for all the suggestions. My good friend is the one who started this thread when I asked him what he would suggest when I was researching which rifle to buy my dad.

Also thought it was only right to let you know I went with the CZ and had Wayne at AHR do his upgrade magic.

Not only did it come out exactly how I had envisioned, he got it to me well ahead of schedule. I love it, and I know my dad will love it when i give it to him in a few weeks. He's not much for birthdays or gifts but he's turning 60 and I wanted to treat him to something he's always dreamed about. 416 rigby. As well as a 21 day full bag safari to Tanzania next year. So it will definitely see some use!

anyways. here are some photos. thanks again guys.

That is a beauty and you are the best kids ever!
Well, maybe behind my kids but that 21 day hunt and a beautiful rifle to take puts you right up there.
I recently purchase several Rigbys to go along with the one I already have. The CZ"S handle differently but I think I prefer the feel of the RSM. I did get a CZ with the #2 AHR treatment but seeing your stock makes me think it will go back for that upgrade as well.
Frank

Bobby,

That is a spectacular rifle!

Congrats to you and your dad. Is a WONDERFUL gift!

Fantastic rifle and a fantastic gestures by you two bothers to your dad! Hope he has a great time with the rifle and the hunt. God bless!