Guys,

My local dealer got them in and at a great price. I need your input on which to get, the .375 H&H or .416 Rigby. I'll likely never use either for what they were intended for but what the heck, that's never stopped me before. I doubt I'll hunt outside of North America in the foreseeable future which makes the .375 seem like the better choice but I like the idea of the Rigby.

Any input pros/cons would be appreciated. I'm a handloader so ammo availability isn't really an issue.

Thanks,

Zach

Zach,

I have a Weatherby in .375 H&H and a CZ in .416 Rigby.

Have used the .375 for deer ... certainly works and with the right bullet isn't nuts. Would be a great elk or bear rifle! Especially where you didn't have to carry it too far up too steep a slope. Recoil is only moderate.

The Rigby is a wonderful cartridge ... but not needed on anything in North America but the largest of nasty bear. Delivers astonishing energy with great precision. It is a pretty stout kicker ... an experience to shoot. Requires significant stock work to be sure the stock won't break.

Rigby brass is expensive. .375 projectiles and brass are cheaper ... but the Speer 350 grain MAG TIP in .416 isn't too bad and makes a great lighter game round.

You can't lose either way ... but the .375 H&H really makes more sense. Make your choice and enjoy the experience! O

Heck, i'll go the other way...
If you can shoot factory 375, then you can load the rigby to that recoail level to get started... fling a 300gr for north america in teh high 2000s, or a 400 at 2400... and the recoil, while more than a 375 at those levels, is nto felt in the field.

however, the 375 will be much cheaper to feed.

Me? rigby...

jeffe

Jeffe,

Don't get me wrong ... I love the Rigby. I was lucky enough to have purchased it completely and correctly set up by Aleko Jensen at Heritage Arms. It is a real joy. Terminal ballistics are simply awesome!

But, I had to mention the practical matters. As someone said, a .375 H&H is like a pair of black shoes ... no wardrobe is complete without them. And for very good reason. The .375 H&H is well mannered and very well balanced for hunting all over the world.

I could easily recommend both calibers. Does lead to some confusion at times though. What do you take on the first plains game hunt? Good choices are great to have!

For small bodied deer and antelope either is a good choice.

.375 H&H was my choice when I was faced with the same question. Less recoil, cheaper ammo -- cheaper once fired brass.

Good luck and enjoy. There is no wrong answer to this question.

David

If you have other "more appropriate" guns for hunting, then it sounds like this will mostly be for the range, and for having fun.
Which one will be more fun for you?
For me, it would definitely be the Rigby.
And I'm not above shooting an elk with it, either.
Hell, I'd probably shoot a deer with it under the right circumstances.
When in doubt, go with the bigger hole.
(Well, not with ALL things!)

I have 550s in both calibers. As much as I absolutely adore the .416, even the brass is expensive. It is however a joy to take to the range to make the jaws of those around you drop. I'd say a good way of going about it would be to look at the test targets of each gun and see which impresses you more.
Andy

I�m in the same boat. A local chain has a .375 at the store nearest me. They just started carrying the Safari model that very day. They looked and have a .416 at another location that they can transfer if I place an order for it. I�ve been wanting a .416 and, like Zach, have no specific need for it or for the .375 for that matter. Despite the fact that I think the .375 would make more sense for North American game and from a component cost stance, I�m leaning toward the .416. Here�s the kicker, if they transfer the .416 I have no control over the wood. The .375 has a very nice stock for a mass produced, as issued stock. Also, someone mentioned that the .416 would need the stock strengthened. This kind of tips the balance toward the .375. Hmm, decisions, decisions. I didn�t know they packed em with test targets. That�s a very important bit of info.

Stocks:
Let's see, I have a beautiful piece of wood in a 375 H&H. I was lucky.

The 416's have a tendency to break their stocks, but, that could be because the wood shrinks after production. Have a good gunsmith pull either apart, and make sure tolerances are good, and tight.

375 kicks 3 times what my 30-06 does. 416 kicks a bit more, but not that much more. Muzzlebrake removeable, would be my first addition, after I have a gunsmith cut the stock so it fits you correctly.

You get bored with 375, you can rebarrel to 458 Lott, and have a 6 shooter.

Bored with the 416, easy upgrade to 510 Wells.

375 is really all anyone could want, but, if bears are around, I would like as heavy a caliber as I can shoot.

375 and 458 Lott offer more, cheaper, reloading options. 416 is expensive to load, less bullets avaliable, and more powder used.

However, if you get a good look at .510 caliber
bullets, they get onto your wish list.

I guess I would like a bigger case, and barrel.
I guess If I had it to do over, I would have bought a 458 Win mag, opened it up to 458 Lott, and been done with it.

I've looked at the recoil figures, and the 375, 416, and 458 all are in the same ball park, depending how you load em. The wells nearly Doubles recoil, so even with a brake, max loads are going to equal what the other 3 come up with
without a brake.

The Lott gives you greater bullet selection,
terminal ballistics pretty much better then the 416, and more rounds in the magazine, at about half the cost.

Straight cases are easy to reload, and resizing is easy on the brass.

So, my answer to you is I would go for niether.
Get a 458 Win mag, try that, cheap to feed,
and, if you want more, go to 458 Lott.

I can't make up my mind...A 375 is a great caliber
for anything you want to hunt. Go for the 458.

At the range it's easier to see, more impressive, and the holes look closer together when you are shooting it...

You know, it's kind of hard to shoot more then 20 rounds a day, unless you have a brake on any of these calibers. Maybe, because of that, the cost factor really shouldn't enter the discussion very much.

My guess is, however, that if you get the 416 you will be buying a new stock for it. That's going to be around 500 bucks, and, I suspect the same will occur if you go with a 458. The 375 is unlikely, if properly fitted, to break the original stock.

Buy one of each of them...

s

[ 09-23-2003, 01:22: Message edited by: Socrates ]

Zach

Just buy both and try to cut a deal, my guess you'll have a 375 and 416 before its over with anyway.

But if you have to have just one, I'd go with the 375 first, then when your rich uncle gets out of the poor house buy the 416.

Get the 416. Ray and all these guys are convinced it is THE rifle round, period.
But don't bother asking Saeed. He kind of necks down a 416 case, sans belt, and goes for the 375 bullet.

Do you get the general idea that this is a real confusing choice?

I'd get the bigger case. It's safer in hot weather, you can always load it down, and it's not working at the same kind of pressures the 375 is.

s

Toss a coin because you will finish up with both in the end any way,

I have cz 550's in

9.3x62
.375 H&H
.416 Rigby
.458 Lott

and now I want a second .416 Rigby for no reason

So mate just toss a coin heads for .416, tails for .375 and buy the loser in a few weeks time

I'd like an American in 7x57 and 9.3x62. Do any of you know who might have several of them, and be willing to sort through them for good wood?

For hunting NA I would certainly get the .375 H&H as its a fine deer, antelope and elk rifle and has the trajectory of a 180 gr. 30-06...The 375 btw does not bruise as much meat as a 270 or its ilk...My personal choice would be the 9.3x62 but thats just my choice and has little to do with your request....The 416 is a Buff gun IMO and not nearly as suitable as the 375 for your purposes....

Zach,

If it were me I'd go the .375 route. Then if the recoil doesn't bother you after awhile, can always go to a .416.

There is a significant difference in recoil between a 30-06 and a 375, and a 375 and a 416. I have no idea why folks say there's no difference. If there wasn't, the 416 stocks wouldn't be the ones cracking all the time. And Rigby brass is really expensive.

Get the 416 Rigby!!! Its fun, more power, a classic, and everybody has a .375 H&H ...Don't they? You can load it mild with the speer 350's or hot just a few fps under the 416 Weatherby in a Ruger or other modern bolt gun over 6000 foot lbs. of muzzle energy on tap!!!My best group 3 shots was .534 with 106 grs. of imr4831 and a 350 gr. Speer bullet at 100 yds. (out of the Ruger). I have also shot 7rds into 6 inches at 500yds with this load.This load cono's at 2730 fps. A 109 grs. will take you past 2800fps, if your up to it! I don't have a muzzle break, but I do use a Past recoil shield, which helps. Have a firm hold of the rifle and practice with lighter bullets and powder charges until you become acustome to the recoil...and have fun!!

I say neither, get a 458WM model. If you reload you can make some extremely great loads for north american game simply by using the load guides for 45-70. You want to be ultra cheap? Cast your own bullets. And should you feel down the line you need a little more power you can move the gun up to 458 Lott.

The versatility of the 458 cartridge is wonderfull.