I was in the LGS to grab a 6.5x55 action that someone had bubba'ed....at $149 it was a good deal. Well evidently someone else thought so as well, it was on hold.

Walking out out of the corner of my eye I saw a magnum 550, it was in 416 Rigby. I had entertained grabbing one when I was shopping for a 375. Well at the price they had on it I could not pass it up, $799, so I put the 20% down and will grab it tomorrow and if cabelas has ammo will take it for a spin in the afternoon.

might be too late to ask but is there anything I should check for before I grab this? The wood looks very good, it is missing the white dot on the front sight, not a biggie in my mind and it has the front sling mount on the stock not on a barrel band. Also not sure if these came with the set trigger but this one does not seem to have it, also not a big deal.

Any pointers?

Not sure if I am going to scope it or just add a peep sight from NECG but since I plan on trying this out on hog I will probably scope it as most of our hunting is at night.

Thanks ahead of time.

That's a pretty great price. I'd have a hard time walking away from it, too.

Set trigger easy to check. Mine is adjusted to 3# in such a way that the set function is defeated -- fine by me. Steel-bed it and/or crossbolt if not already done. If it has Decelerator already, you're good to go. Buy Hornady brass or loaded ammo and load your own afterwards because factory is EXPENSIVE!!!

Check for cracks n the stock (at the tng and between the stock screws.

George

Congratulations on a good choice. I hope you have fun like I did.

You may like reading my old post on my CZ 416 Rigby . Lots of input from people here on AR.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...671031791#3671031791

Check this as well

http://forums.accuratereloadin...101063581#2101063581

Thank you for the insights
I was supposed to grab it today but life happened, maybe tomorrow. Ordered a box of Hornady 400gr SP, not a terrible price, $83, from buds, they seem to have a good price on 375 ruger as well.

Will start reloading soon, I have the set up in the garage but buying a house so I have not set it up.

I was planning on bedding it and having a decelerator mounted, I may have a mercury reducer installed as well.....not sure how much it will help but I am hoping it helps for shooting it from a bench at least. Not that I am planning on that a lot but since I still have the Russian titanium plate on my collar bone (broke it in Sept) any bit would be nice.

Looking at the NECG barrel band it appears that they would have to de-install the front sight, is there another option that would be less expensive to install?

This is my first 4 caliber rifle and while not recoil sensitive it should be a fun time at the range. The 375 ruger is a pussy cat with the brake...and it sets off the car alarms at the range

I would not change anything until I try it first.

In my rifle, the only thing I had to do was to use the files and W&D paper to slick up the action.

If you keep the loads to the original level it will be comfortable to handle and not too hard to control. Just practice the way you hold the rifle, stand, mount to shoulder & cheek etc. The recoil gets uncomfortable when you mount the rifle wrong & get off balance when shooting.

My rifle was spot on 9 lbs with scope and did not need the mercury reducer etc.

Those mercury thingees will not only add to the weight but also affect balance for off hand shooting, which is very important when carrying it in a hunt or shooting DG in a tight situation of a second follow up shot.

I ended up buying a CZ550 in .458 Win Mag, instead of a .416 Rigby. I never had the problems with the 550 that others have, but as my life changed I did not need the .458 for my hunting.

The only thing that backed me off from the .416. even handloads were going to run me about $4.00 a round, and I just turned that down.

It will be something I regret for a long time.

make certain the screws are all in tight -- lots of these sat in the closet and due to some shrinkage, became loose -- which is bad on the stock when fired.

all of the screws, including the front one on the forearm-- if you take it apart, there should be an F block behind the barrel screw --- lift the stock out of the action, don't turn it over and "dump" it out - you can see how it goes together.

the trigger is complicated as all get out -- it likely is single set trigger - WITH AN EMPTY GUN, cock it and then push the trigger forward - if it clicks into place, it will be VERY light compared to regular

hogback stock ... you'll be able to hold your head more vertical, and many people find they like this, alot

quote:

hogback stock ... you'll be able to hold your head more vertical, and many people find they like this, alot

That was the style stock my .458 had. I think it was referred to as Luxe style, but the recoil was different between that rifle and the Model 77 Ruger .458 I had, which was unpleasant to shoot. The 550 was not that bad.

I have the same exact gun. I bought it at a local SCI dinner from a guy that won it on a raffle (for a great price).

As George stated look for cracks, especially at the tang.

I had mine bedded and a recoil reducer put in. I have used it on two hunts (buff and ele) and absolutely love the caliber and how the gun handles.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
make certain the screws are all in tight -- lots of these sat in the closet and due to some shrinkage, became loose -- which is bad on the stock when fired.

all of the screws, including the front one on the forearm-- if you take it apart, there should be an F block behind the barrel screw --- lift the stock out of the action, don't turn it over and "dump" it out - you can see how it goes together.

the trigger is complicated as all get out -- it likely is single set trigger - WITH AN EMPTY GUN, cock it and then push the trigger forward - if it clicks into place, it will be VERY light compared to regular

hogback stock ... you'll be able to hold your head more vertical, and many people find they like this, alot

thanks...I like the hog back my CZ550 in 9.3 was and it worked well for me

quote:

lots of these sat in the closet and due to some shrinkage, became loos

Jeff, is that what causes shrinkage? I thought it was cold water :-)

I have one in .375 H&H. I caught a sale at Gander Mountain 7-8 years ago. They had 3, the .375 I bought, a .458 Lott and a .416 Rigby. I wanted a Rigby, but considered the cost of ammo and went with the .375 plus it had gorgeous wood compared to very plain on the other two. Considering it's more a fun gun than a hunting gun I made the right choice, plus it's big enough and heavy enough that it recoils less than a couple of 30-06 rifles I have.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
I ended up buying a CZ550 in .458 Win Mag, instead of a .416 Rigby. I never had the problems with the 550 that others have, but as my life changed I did not need the .458 for my hunting.

The only thing that backed me off from the .416. even handloads were going to run me about $4.00 a round, and I just turned that down.

It will be something I regret for a long time.

My reloads cost less than $2 per round for my CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery. I buy Jamison brass from Graf & Sons for $4 per case. I get 10 reloads per case then throw them out. I shoot either 570g Barnes TSX's or 570g Swift A-Frames they cost just over a buck each. 103g of H4895 and Federal 215 primers all add up to less than $2.00 per round. Your 416 Rigby should be cheaper to load. Congrats on a nice rifle!

Truth be told, .416 Rigby brass should really have an indefinate life span given how low the pressures are, as long as you anneal periodically to prevent split necks and you set your dies up right.

If its a fun gun, $80 for a box of Hornady ammo, and reload it for the next 50 years.

Yes, hunting usage you would want to get new brass for occasionally, usually because you lose some as time goes on. I can't say I have worn out a single case yet.

My 416 Rigby reloads cost me US$2 each, NZ prices for brass, bullets & powder - assuming 10 reloads.

My standard original pressure loads & a few 10% higher loads still did not expand the cases after 5 firings. In fact the cases were shorter after firing & came back to same length after sizing.

Here it is, no set trigger but it is around 3 lb with a little creep, no barrel band and needs a new front sight as it is missing the dot.

Hopefully if tomorrow is nice I will take her out with irons.

I have 2 416 Rigby's one a Ruger RSM and a CZ 550. The Ruger beat me up so bad I added a Mercury reducer. I tried my PH's CZ and liked it, when I Got home the LGS had one so I bought it.using the same load the CZ has a lot less felt recoil. Try it and see how it does other then checking the bedding the only thing I would do is install a AHR trigger

Just a word on shooting it.

Be patient. If a friend has a Kevlar model, try it too and compare.

I found the fit and balance of my rifle was a big factor compared to any smaller caliber I have fired.

BTW A friend tried my CZ and got a scope cut on 4 separate occasions! It took him about 20 shots before he got it to shoot with recoil straight back! On the other hand, I just got it to recoil straight back and rapid reload & fire 5 shots in less than 10 seconds into a 6 inch group at 25 meters - day 1 or day 2. My son videoed me - so it is fact - I am not exaggerating!

Congrats! Sounds like a good deal! Consider getting a Lee crimp die for it, that shoulder can be tricky otherwise..

took it out and tried the irons, 3" high at 50m. I certainly wakes you up (only experience is my 375 ruger, a pussycat in comparison) but it's not terrible off the bench. I forgot my magnum shoulder pad so I only put 5 through it.

Ordered a slightly higher FO sight and a peep sight from NECG tonight.

Fun Fun

I used the 340 gr Woodleighs, 350 gr TSX & 350 gr Speer and CEB 325 gr.

They were easier to control and shoot accurately.

The experts on AR will tell you that the Woodleigh, TSX & CEB are great on buffalo as well as longer range PG (the first two bullets). The Speer will be cheaper practice bullets.

I used the Hornady 400 gr RN (Not the DGX) for practice as they are a bit cheaper.

How quickly are you able to rapid fire 5 shots accurately - 3 inch group at 25 meters or 6 inch groups at 50 meters? That would indicate if the stock fits you well.

I like mine. Restocked of course and slicked up a little. Scary accurate with Hornady's factory stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
I used the 340 gr Woodleighs, 350 gr TSX & 350 gr Speer and CEB 325 gr.

They were easier to control and shoot accurately.

The experts on AR will tell you that the Woodleigh, TSX & CEB are great on buffalo as well as longer range PG (the first two bullets). The Speer will be cheaper practice bullets.

I used the Hornady 400 gr RN (Not the DGX) for practice as they are a bit cheaper.

How quickly are you able to rapid fire 5 shots accurately - 3 inch group at 25 meters or 6 inch groups at 50 meters? That would indicate if the stock fits you well.

Thanks, I have only benched it. I hope to get out to the farm to see what it (more important ...I) can do.

Once the sights come it I hope to take her for a real dance.

Do you have shooting sticks? You will need to practice off them for Africa.

Bench work is fine for making sure of zero & knowing where POA & POI are.

For actual hunting you will need to practice off sticks and free hand.

I played with my rifle for about 18 months. Unfortunately I had to cancel my African hunt.

Lots of info in the archives about shooting off stick etc.