I want this as a hog gun for the most part, I hunt in Albany texas on the lambs head ranch and they do have some big piggies there...

Im looking for anyones opinion on if I should go with the 458 WIN MAG or the 416 RIGBY, which and why, also, what are yalls thoughts on the CZ safari models, i have a cz 17 varmiter and its a sweet shooter...hence why im looking at them again'

thanks guys

You mean the Safari Clasic in 450 Rigby?? The .505 might be a tad too much for piggies...

I think the .416 will be more practical (yet expensive to shoot if you don't reload). I've got the CZ 550 in .458 Lott and I've used it on hogs. It thumps them quite hard to say the very least. No man needs to justify a caliber that he wants -- because you want something is good enough reasoning to me. I guess the question is what else are you going to use it for?

I would suggest the 416 has all the thump that any pig needs to be converted into Bar-B-Q. I have one and love it.

I love both the Lott and .416 Rigby hence I have both.....I could not part with either. Practicality has to go with the lott/winmag due to all the bullets around.

I'd go with the .458 either Win Mag or Lott. There's a huge selection of .458" bullets and either round delivers all the whoop-ass you are ever likely to need. I'm assuming you reload, so it's not hard to work up inexpensive plinking loads that still deliver plenty of whallop for moose, elk, deer, pigs, etc.

I've found the .458 Win an easy round to work with and fun to shoot. Brass is easy to find, especially in Win Mag and cheap. Rigby brass is expensive and uses larger powder charges to get the job done, though it is a truly classic round. On my list for the future is a Ruger RSM in .416 Rigby though I will admit...

if you get the 458 lott--you can shoot 458 winnie ammo in it and lott ammo--plus ammo is cheaper than the 416 rigby as stated previously--but the rigby is such a classic that I'd find it hard to pass it up--'ell buy one of each and have fun---chris

I would recommend the 458 Lott because then you can use cheap 45/70 bullets (Rem 405 gr. FN) for pigs.

I agree with the others who named the 458WIN/Lott. There is a great choice of .458 bullets at very good prices. I especially like the 350 gr Hornady RN for deer and pigs. This bullet performes well from 1700fps to 2330 fps.
I have used it in the 45/70 the 458 Win and my 450 No2 double.
Plus with 400 grain premium bullets it is a great rifle for elk in the timber, moose, and the big bears.With 450 to 500 grain bullets you have a good buff, lion, and elephant rifle.I think the 458 is the best choice for a persons first big bore bolt rifle.
The selection of bullets is why I chose the 450 No2 as my first double.

I'd go with the 375H&H first then the 458Lott. Both very versatile.

My vote is for the Lott. Then you can load the right horsepower ammo for what ever suits you, it's a very flexable round.

Hog Killer

I'd also say 458 win mag or lott. You can load either of them to do what a 416 can do, as well as what a 458 can do, and with less expensive brass, and way more componet bullet options.

I still think the 458 win mag would have been way more popular if Winchester had pushed the 350 gr loading for NA use. You get the recoil of a 375 H&H, and plenty of terminal performance for NA game.

get a lott, barring that, the win mag, for SHOOTING... the rigby is COOL...

the winmag can be feed for less than $1 per NEW loaded round (50 cents for brass, 13 cents for 405s, and 18 for powder and 2primer) and can be reloaded

and reloaded for 33 cents...

cheapest commerical powder load for 416
50 cents for bullets, 30 for powder)

I shoot a LOT of rounds, so this matters to me

jeffe

The following statement in NO WAY is meant to imply anything negative about the 458 Win Mag as a persons choice as their primary Dangerous Game Rifle... But it is the best "FIRST", "FUN", "Learning", " I want a big bore rifle to hunt pigs, deer, black bear, etc" rifle.
For your first Big Bore you cannot go wrong with the 458.

.458 for heaps of bullet choice or the .416 for charisma, the .416 will also shoot as flat as a .375 which is a bonus.

I have never been one to buy on the basis of "cartridge charisma" as I do, after all, own a .416 Rem rather than a Rigby. HOWEVER...the fact that a .505 Gibbs exists in an "off the rack" rifle now might make it too good to pass up. Yes, it will be expensive to shoot and impractical in terms of ammunition availability, but since when were practicality or low cost major factors to consider when buying a big-bore rifle? If CZ only puts out the .505 for a year and then shelves it, there will likely come a time when you think "gee, I wish I had bought one of those".

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

I have shot most of my hogs wit a 25-35 and a 30-30 and a few with a 222 without any problems I might add...but I have shot enough Wart hogs in african countries with a 375, 416, 404 and 470 to say that a big bore rifle works very well on them and doesn't ruin a lot of good eating meat...but surprisingly enough I bet the 30-30 will kill a hog quicker than a big bore, as the bullets open faster and fully expand and it kills them very quickly, usually on the spot.

quote:

JohnTheGreek:since when were practicality or low cost major factors to consider when buying a big-bore rifle? If CZ only puts out the .505 for a year and then shelves it, there will likely come a time when you think "gee, I wish I had bought one of those"

Good point, or wait til they show up on the used rack including a box of 2 spent cases and 18 rounds of factory ammo!

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
The following statement in NO WAY is meant to imply anything negative about the 458 Win Mag as a persons choice as their primary Dangerous Game Rifle... But it is the best "FIRST", "FUN", "Learning", " I want a big bore rifle to hunt pigs, deer, black bear, etc" rifle.
For your first Big Bore you cannot go wrong with the 458.

'

thats what I want it for, big texas piggies and then for bear in Canada, so I guess I should consider the Win Mag for its versitality and cheeper reloading compontes, I know the old saying, get what you want but I have not considered it enough, so thanks for the thoughts guys, keep em comming

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I have shot most of my hogs wit a 25-35 and a 30-30 and a few with a 222 without any problems I might add...but I have shot enough Wart hogs in african countries with a 375, 416, 404 and 470 to say that a big bore rifle works very well on them and doesn't ruin a lot of good eating meat...but surprisingly enough I bet the 30-30 will kill a hog quicker than a big bore, as the bullets open faster and fully expand and it kills them very quickly, usually on the spot.

I have not been to africa, but I live in texas and hunt on a lease in Albany and the pigs we got there range between 200- and 450 lbs easy. I saw one that looked like a motorcycle standing next to two smaller ( 200-250 lbs) piggies...and I would NOT want to engage them with a 30-30 lever....hence why I am stepping up from a 270 to a big boy BIG BORE. I guess its all about shot placement, however my shooting partner/hunting partner and good friend/roomate shoots a 300 wby mag and still hard a bore charge him, I would have liked to have a gun which would have put that pig down, luckliy for him the pig veered off when he shot at it again, but he for sure didnt hit it. Both of us being fairly good shots, I was shocked when he hit it with a 300 mag and the damn pig just simply looked pissed off instead of comatose....now I would think a 45-70 would be a nice lever gun round for pigs, yes, no?

The 45/70 works a treat for pigs, infact it is one of the all time greatest pig rounds, that and the .375 H&H. The latter having the 45/70 smahing abilit with the faltness of a 30/06 !!

Ray,

On small pigs I can assure you that the 45/70 bullets loaded in the 458 are way out of the class of a 30/30 and so is the 500 grain Hornady at 2500 f/s from the 460 Wby.

Mike

Cold,

As most of the others have said I would get the 458 Win or 458 Lott and because of bullets.

The 416 Rigby has more charm as a cartridge but personally I think most of that charm is lost unless it is chambered in a high end custom rifle.

Mike

Cold,

From a fellow Texan:

Forget the bolt gun period!

We're talking high volume shooting here (if you are a serious hog hunter).

My point is this: Most hogg'n in Texas is done at fairly close quarters 25-75 yds. Multiple shots are a definate possibility (I nailed 2 out of one bunch recently). So, use a caliber and a gun that you can get the most advantage with (fast handling & powerful) and that you are comfortable with as well. I personally recommend one of those Marlin 1895G "Guide" lever guns in 45-70, if in fact you want to be the "Hoginator". Why mess around with loading, etc, when you can get really good 45-70 stuff already loaded for 1/5 the cost of .458 win. and get a lot more trigger time, thus become a more effective hunter. You will up your kill ratio dramatically with a lever gun on hogs!



In a couple of weeks I'll be on an "Industry" hog hunt south of San Antone. There will be several magazine editors / writers as well as a bunch of gun industry folks. I'll report back what everybody was using and how successful they were. Personally, I'm taking a 94, 30-30 and a 300 WSM (gonna try something new).

Lastly, hog hunting can involve a lot of moving on foot and from location to location in ATVs, etc...Use a gun you don't mind banging around! The fun part about hogg'n is when you get into the thick of them - then it's fast and furious!

Good luck with your TX hogg'n and let me know how you do with your rifle selection.



JW out!