I want a 450 Rigby bolt action rifle. I can get a CZ Custom shop model for $2000 which seems like a good price for a good rifle. It's not an AHR work of art but, seems like a solid choice. I can also get a brand new CZ 550 416 Rigby for $800 but, I'm thinking rebarreling and moving the sights would cost too much to make that a good option.

What other ~$2K options should I consider? I definitely want to stick with Rigby based options in a .458 bore size. I don't really want to consider another wildcat but, something easy to make yourself is an option. I should also note that I have a short light fast handling 458B&M planned for the spring so, this rifle will need to be built for heavier loads and keep recoil manageable.

I think $2000 for a CZ Custom shop rifle is a good deal. I just checked AHR's web site $6000 is a lot of money. Be prepared to send your rifle back to the CZ Custom Shop once, you may not have to, but be prepared. Have some dummy rounds made up and make sure it feed / extract a full magazine slow, fast, many times over before you're satsified. Also I'd buy some Talley QR rings and make sure your scope will come to zero. All cautions aside, when they're right, they're great rifles, it just takes a bit of patience. I love my CZ 500 Jeffery, but it took sending it back to the CZ Custom Shop once plus having my local gunsmith machine a new magazine follower, with the Rigby it should be much easier.

You could also consider the Ruger RSM. They come in 416 Rigby and you could have it rechambered for the 450. I'm sure someone here has done one and maybe they can help you with the details.

That does seem like a good price on the CZ since the suggested retail is over $3k. But like Chuck stated everyone seems to have to get them worked on to get them up to par. You may also want to get a 3 position safety and that's more money.

quote:

I just checked AHR's web site $6000 is a lot of money.

I agree and say go cheap, or find a good no name smith to iron your choice out.

Only a few years ago we were happy for a working custom to come in nicely under 4k and even the inventors of the some of the big calibres around here(including one AHR chambers) had 3 grand working man's rifles in mind.

Not sure what happened to the market in such a short time or maybe animals refuse to die if shot by a custom under 5k these days. If you want fancy the sky is the limit but claims you need an extra 3-4k in a gun as some kind of bare necessity for reliability is a complete fad.

You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

quote:

You get what you pay for

10-4 on that. There's usually a pretty good reason behind the price of a rifle, scope, binoculars, hunting clothes...or anything else for that matter.

Not a Rigby, but a fantastic rifle in .458 in an action that is reliable, accurate, and very slick. Might be worth a second thought.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100212172

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

Yikes! You didn't happen to be behind that rifle when it split off like that, did you? Any pictures of the grain structure in the wrist before that? I'll be paying extra special attention to the stock when I go check out a CZ Gibbs tomorrow now.

Here you go.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100192476

Then call Wayne at AHR and say Upgrade 2 please!

1995+1395=pretty darn good 450 rigby!

Good luck on your hunt for a rifle.

Ed

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Here you go.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100192476

Then call Wayne at AHR and say Upgrade 2 please!

1995+1395=pretty darn good 450 rigby!

Good luck on your hunt for a rifle.

Ed

That is a good deal! If I didn't already have a 450 Rigby, I would jump on this.

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Here you go.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100192476

Then call Wayne at AHR and say Upgrade 2 please!

1995+1395=pretty darn good 450 rigby!

Good luck on your hunt for a rifle.

Ed

Except Make it a Number 3 Package

quote:

Originally posted by FFemt5287:

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

Yikes! You didn't happen to be behind that rifle when it split off like that, did you? Any pictures of the grain structure in the wrist before that? I'll be paying extra special attention to the stock when I go check out a CZ Gibbs tomorrow now.

It split while on a Hunt, tracker noticed it while looking for Buffalo, fell apart walking back to truck. Wayne bedded it, check it out, and did his number 2 package. I shot approx. 100 rounds before going on Hunt thinking any problem would show up before hand, still broke at the wrong time. I wasnt being cheap jsut have 4 other AHR and thought it would be nice to a different wood.


Still have the wood if you would like me to take a picture.

I would appreciate that at your convenience greatly, tradewinds. I'll probably put the Gibbs on layaway tomorrow if I like it that much.

Me too, mine was a 404 Jeffery that snapped off at the wrist, though the .505 Gibbs shown with it held up fine. Read the wood grain and weep.
CZ kept the broken wood and sent a Kevlar stock to me gratis, and I am happy.
Riposte by Ron the Unforgiven

Would having added a wrist pin and making sure the tang was relieved helped prevent the stock from splitting?

quote:

Originally posted by FFemt5287:
I would appreciate that at your convenience greatly, tradewinds. I'll probably put the Gibbs on layaway tomorrow if I like it that much.

I've got about 400 rounds through my 500 Jeffery most of those full power (570g at 2300 fps or better) and about 50 of those with a lead sled which is probably worst case for a stock or scope. So far so good, but you never know what the next shot will do. I've been told the grain in my stock isn't the best (not straight). No wrist pin, but the tang has been relieved some, so fingers are crossed ... If it cracks, I'll go synthetic like Rip and have the metal Cerakoted, give me an excuse to go back to Alaska and look for a 10 foot brown bear.

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

Tradewinds:

There is an easy way to solve this problem. When I ordered my CZ 500 Jeffery, I just had them put a laminate stock on it. They are so much stronger than wood. I like the laminate better than the synthetic stocks. CZ has some really nice laminates.

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

Why?

Add me to the list also. The wrist on my CZ 500 Jeff. Got cracked during shipping to AHR. Jason repaired it even though the insurance company was willing to replace it. (Don't ask). Within 20 rounds the repair failed.


Know waiting for a replacement, which Wayne at AHR will be doing the work, I am also picking up a synthetic stock from Wayne as a backup. My rifle won't be spending any more time in Missouri, ever again. Life is way too short.

quote:

Why?

Why What?

I was quite relieved when I received my .458 Lott a few years ago in the wonderfully straight grain through the wrist. I've only about 100 rounds through it (probably 80 of them being Hornady DG series) with no problems. Probably not going to get a chance to get up to Cabela's today to look at that Gibbs, so I'll have to put that off till next week.

quote:

Originally posted by FFemt5287:
I was quite relieved when I received my .458 Lott a few years ago in the wonderfully straight grain through the wrist. I've only about 100 rounds through it (probably 80 of them being Hornady DG series) with no problems. Probably not going to get a chance to get up to Cabela's today to look at that Gibbs, so I'll have to put that off till next week.

I had 100 rounds through the 505 and thought i was safe. But oh well S&^% happens.

quote:

Originally posted by mdstewart:
Not a Rigby, but a fantastic rifle in .458 in an action that is reliable, accurate, and very slick. Might be worth a second thought.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100212172

Tempting ... very tempting.

I've got a 458 Lott which is probably going to find a new owner at some point. It's not a terribly good rifle though so, I may be a bit biased against the 458 Win Mag / Lott.

quote:

Originally posted by 505ED:
Here you go.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100192476

Then call Wayne at AHR and say Upgrade 2 please!

1995+1395=pretty darn good 450 rigby!

Good luck on your hunt for a rifle.

Ed

I think you've got me figured out Ed! That's one of the rifles I was looking at on-line. I'm sure Wayne could fix me up if I hit any snags with it or a something similar.

I am concerned, I have two Ceska, a Safari Magnum, in 458 Lott, and a 550 Magnum at 375 Holland. With the 458 I have not shot, but with the 375, I shot and I had no problems (only fired 10 bullets). I'm thinking, apparently seen, request a fiber butt.

Sincerely,

Oscars.

Oscars,

I wouldn't worry too much. I don't know if you have access to a good gunsmith locally but, you could always put a steel rod through that area and take the stress off the wood.

What does the grain in your stock look like?

Best Regards,
Sid

This snapping off at the wrist seems to only be a problem with the CZ USA rifles that were stocked in Kansas City with the "fancy" American Black Walnut stocks that came out of Missouri.
The ones with the marbled figure in the grip area seem to be the ones that snap off.

Relief of the tang has nothing to do with preventing this mishap.
A steel rod axially through the grip should prevent it.
And that would be a chance to add a grip cap too.

I have never had a problem with the old Euro Lux rifles (hogback) that were stocked in Czechoslovakia ... they seem to have proper grain flow in the grip!

quote:

Originally posted by tradewinds:
You get what you pay for, this is a stock from a CZ Custom shop 505 Gibbs. This never would have happened with an AHR Stock.

Some folks buy a big bore then shoot it with a lead slead. Then they gripe when the butt stock breaks.

[/QUOTE]

Some folks buy a big bore then shoot it with a lead slead. Then they gripe when the butt stock breaks.[/QUOTE]

Gun was never in a Lead Sled

Hendershot's Sporting Goods has a CZ 500 Jeff Safari that received the AHR treatment for sale for about $2500 on their web site under used guns. Thats a lot of gun for the money.

quote:

Originally posted by ovny:
I am concerned, I have two Ceska, a Safari Magnum, in 458 Lott, and a 550 Magnum at 375 Holland. With the 458 I have not shot, but with the 375, I shot and I had no problems (only fired 10 bullets). I'm thinking, apparently seen, request a fiber butt.

Ovny, if you're really worried, relieve the tang and add a wrist pin. It wont cost you much, but can give you some good piece of mind and it's cheap (and fun) to do. Here is an article on how I go about reinforcing a stock, including how to install the wrist pin and relieve the tang (with pics). Link



I'm a fan of the CZ and AHR option. I also see there is a 450 Rigby listed as "coming soon" in the available now section on the AHR website. Anyone else see Wayne has Oberndorf style bolt handles as an option too ... tempting.

Friend thanks for the link, but I have hooves instead of hands and I am a disaster with manual labor. I would not dare to touch one of my rifle butts so they could pass.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
Hendershot's Sporting Goods has a CZ 500 Jeff Safari that received the AHR treatment for sale for about $2500 on their web site under used guns. Thats a lot of gun for the money.

Okay, who beat me to it!

I called to buy it and it was sold a little earlier.

Sid, Ivory Beads has a nice 505 Gibbs on a BBK-02 action for $3K if you're interested. Link

That is a nice laminated 505 Gibbs.

It just needs some sand cloth from 320-400-600 to clear up the varnish acne

Yea, but only nine pounds!

Just an FYI -- I see that Wayne is having a sale from now until year end -- still has that .450 Rigby too...

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
Just an FYI -- I see that Wayne is having a sale from now until year end -- still has that .450 Rigby too...

That's tempting ....

If you want a 458 Rigby inexpensively, then go to Gunboker and get an inexpensive CZ 458 Win. Send that out to a reliable gunsmith that handles bigbores and have it rechambered for 450 Rigby along with modifying the feeding, boltface, and magazine. the CZ 458WM should handle the Rigby-case conversion. However, since you will soon have another .458" calibre you might question spending alot of money for 400fps. (E.g.: Why go from 308Win to 300WM when an inexpensive 375Ruger or many 338WM's are available?)

I almost did a rechambered 450Rigby but then decided that 500 calibre would be nicer still. (OK, some of that was based on already having a couple of 416Rigbys and finding it hard to justify the money for a single increment upgrade. It would be just as heavy or heavier for a long day's hike, though a comfortable sling can help.)

So I'm having a Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan rebarreled as a 500 AccR and looking at $1500 for the finished product. That's a working-man's rifle, especially if a son goes in for half.