I've been futzing about for the past several months trying to decide what to do about my next shooter project and trying to find a "cheap donor" rifle/action to do a wildcat maybe.

About 2:00 pm I just said heck with it and ordered a Savage 116 375 Ruger. The 75 dollar rebate helped the process...that's a set of dies and 20 pieces of brass basically free, and for less than $500 delivered including transfer fee(rebate added in) it's not much more than the cost of a used donor rifle, and the factory available 375 Ruger cartridge, MUCH cheaper than custom dies, no custom reamer required and no case forming also helps in the decision making process...being stainless steel with a 22" barrel ain't bad either.

I was really leaning toward the B&M series or a Rigby based 2.25" case, but the custom components added $400 to the total price before even beginning.

I know...lots of folks don't like Savages, but I've been playing with and building Savage rifles since the early to mid 60's, with and without the nut and never had any problems with them. They're not CRF Mauser/clone per se, but the newer center feed, 3 shot box mags and feeding are as good as any other push feeds. I have more Rem's and Ruger's than Savages, no Wins anymore and only about a half dozen Mausers.

The Savage stocks are pitiful but initially usable and good for the wet and now that Boyd's has nice walnut stocks, that wart can be excised.

The action/magazine is also just right for any 2.25 - 2.5" cased wildcat I might want to do...that 2.25" case length/3.25" COAL 50 CAL Rigby keeps singing her siren song in my ear.

Anyway I can just sit back and relax now and stop burning up the airwaves being a big wheel and running in circles. Hahahahahahah.

MAYBE ...once you get bit by the wildcat bug you never recover.

I've got Savages along with my Remington, Winchester, Mauser, MRC, CZ, Ruger, etc. rifles and they all work fine.

WEll, if the 375 will cover, then you just need to do load buildup and accuracy fiddling/bedding.

However, if you really want a 50 calibre, then I would suggest going with the 500 AccRel Nyati.
It is Rigby case body.
Does the Rigby case body fit in your new magazine with a little widening? If so, you are good to go. McGowen will do a barrel for you. Contact Capoward for a reamer.

A 50 calibre needs a lot of powder to move the heavier bullets. So I would recommend against starting with 2.25" max. You can always load down to that level, but you won't be able to load up to the larger level. The Nyati will let you load up to 7000 ftlbs, which should be plenty. If you are in the US or SouthAFr, you can easily get 450 grain GSC HV bullets. Quality Cartridge has stamped brass.

I have my own named 50 cal on a full size blown out Rigby case I designed many years ago and finally built a few years ago...before I subscribed to Ammo Guide. My 510 MAKATAK is very close to the 500 Mbogo and 500 AHR with ~145 gr H2O capacity using Hornady 416 brass. 22" McGowan barrel, of course, and integral brake.

It's on a M77 Tang Ruger and I designed it for the 535 gr cast lead Cast Performance bullet because the cannelure was at the perfect place for a COAL of 3.25" for the Ruger mag. Works OK with 570, 600 and M33 jacketed and my cast lead 715 gr GCFN "slugs"...single loaded on the longer bullets.

I'm guessing the Rigby case might fit the Ruger detachable mag, two down at least, with a bit of tweaking. I think the mag is basically the same as my 25-06 Axis detmag, just bent slightly different...a 375 H&H loaded with 260 Noslers works albeit a bit tight....I won't know for a few days, the rifle will ship today and should be here by next Monday.

I probably won't do any more 50 cals I have 3 already and I don't have a .435 or .475 cal. Not too many .435 wildcats out there and only a few .475's so those worms are already eating at me.

Anyone for a 416 Ruger necked up to .435??? Probably not...no real gain over the 416 and a small selection of bullets and NO factory stuff...albeit good bullets and for this a million bullet types/brands to choose from might be the real disadvantage.

And the 475 B&M or 470 AR are good choices. I might be able to get one or the other to chamber me a barrel...the cost of a reamer vs the cost of the chamber job might be a wash and dies are avail...I HATE paying custom die prices tho'.

This happens every time...I start thinking "what wildcat next"...buy/use one of my receivers...then before I even GET the rifle/receiver I'm already working on several other designs, digging up pieces and parts and when a barrel arrives I'm already bored with it and looking for something else to do...and the only thing In shoot with ANY of them is sage rats.

TOTALLY WORSE THAN BEING HOOKED ON HORSE, DUST, CRANK OR ICE.

Boyd's Classic walnut stock, Hornady brass and dies ordered...a cast lead mold almost decided on...at least a thousand 375 bullets of various weights/shapes and plenty of powder and primers on hand for a change...maybe I'll get some trigger time by Thanksgiving to go along with the turkey and rum/brandy eggnogs.

Rifle came in Monday, picked it up Tuesday, Boyd's walnut stock shipped today and due around the 25th, brass, dies and Lee crimper due tomorrow.

Yeah, yeah...cock-a-doodle too...

Spent some of today cleaning the bore...totally NASTY...UGLY black, greasy krap that is hard to clean out...now sitting overnight with Wipe-Out foam in bore.

3 round clip designed for 375 Ruger and 300 WM with shoulder humps ay ~2.36"(WM shoulder length) to maintain cartridge position...will handle a smidge less than 3.50" COAL and RUM, WSM and shortened Rigby cases.

I designed three 475 wildcats, one straight cased using the 338 RUM case, one blown out using the RUM and one shortened Rigby.

Might have to do some slight milling on the lifter to get the Rigby to fit two down and probably to get the RUM to 3 down...or just make a new alum one.

Rigby wildcat 2.72" case, 3.48" COAL, 135-7 gr H20...basically equal to a 470 NE case volume wise but able to get higher velos so higher energies and MUCH shorter COAL.

RUMS both ~115 to 120 gr H2O...~10-15 gr more than a 470 A.R....same RUM based case but 2.62"/3.48" against 2.55"/~3.35".

Cost to convert including dies, reamer barrel...~$500-700, depending on shipping, which barrel maker, barrel cylinder blank or contoured....maybe next fall.

Bolt is easier to remove now with the release slide in front of the trigger guard...maybe....I was used to the upper release using my thumb and one finger...????still two hands tho'.

The non grooved nut blends better but neither ever bothered me and many times I didn't use the nut anyway, set it up the same way I did Rems and Ruger's.

I'm going to really enjoy this toy...