450 Rigby vs 458 Lott

[TOBY458]

I'm looking at buying a 45 caliber rifle. I've had several 458 Win Mags over the years, and managed to sell them all for some reason or another.
I have an interest in either a Sako Brown Bear 450 Rigby, or a Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott.
I can get either gun for about the same price, and I think they'd both be nice rifles, but I'm not sure about which caliber to go with.
I know the Rigby can be loaded hotter than the Lott, but I'm only wanting around 2200fps with a 500 grain bullet.
I feel this is all I would ever need, as far as power is concerned. It appears the Lott is much cheaper and easier to find reloading components for, so that is nice. But, something about the Rigby and the Sako rifle just keeps calling me as well.
Thoughts?

 

[IvW]

I'm looking at buying a 45 caliber rifle. I've had several 458 Win Mags over the years, and managed to sell them all for some reason or another.
I have an interest in either a Sako Brown Bear 450 Rigby, or a Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott.
I can get either gun for about the same price, and I think they'd both be nice rifles, but I'm not sure about which caliber to go with.
I know the Rigby can be loaded hotter than the Lott, but I'm only wanting around 2200fps with a 500 grain bullet.
I feel this is all I would ever need, as far as power is concerned. It appears the Lott is much cheaper and easier to find reloading components for, so that is nice. But, something about the Rigby and the Sako rifle just keeps calling me as well.
Thoughts?

450 Rigby without a doubt!

 

[IvW]

I'm looking at buying a 45 caliber rifle. I've had several 458 Win Mags over the years, and managed to sell them all for some reason or another.
I have an interest in either a Sako Brown Bear 450 Rigby, or a Kimber Caprivi in 458 Lott.
I can get either gun for about the same price, and I think they'd both be nice rifles, but I'm not sure about which caliber to go with.
I know the Rigby can be loaded hotter than the Lott, but I'm only wanting around 2200fps with a 500 grain bullet.
I feel this is all I would ever need, as far as power is concerned. It appears the Lott is much cheaper and easier to find reloading components for, so that is nice. But, something about the Rigby and the Sako rifle just keeps calling me as well.
Thoughts?

450 Rigby without a doubt!

 

[SWARA]

@Toby,, As I recall, you have been looking at that .450 Rigby for a long time.
The Lott will do the job, but you know if you go with the Lott that you will always keep coming back to look at the Rigby.
I would say just go for the Rigby and be done with it, you won't regret it.
As far as costs, once you buy the dies and brass the cost won't be so different to reloading the Lott.

Its no secret that I'm a fan of the .450 Rigby so maybe I'm a little one sided.

 

[TOBY458]

Two votes for 450 Rigby!

 

[DWB]

450 Rigby!

If 3 votes make the decision easier

 

[CTDolan]

Look at the rifle more so than the cartridge. The Lott and Rigby are each somewhat similar (basically the same, actually, if what you're wanting is 500 grains at 2,200 fps), but the Kimber and Sako quite different animals.

 

[Ray B]

I'm not sure how valid the comparison of prices for reloading components is. the biggest expenditure would be dies, since the Rigby is "more" custom than the Lott, but the cost is a one-time expense. The other is brass, but purchasing a quantity is virtually a one-time expense since they can be reloaded several times if loads are kept reasonable. This leaves primers, powders, bullets, all of which are the same price regardless whether they are going to a Rigby or a Lott. So, as above, I'd go with the Rigby.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

There's a few CZ550 in 450 Rigby on GB:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/764174532

 

[Alexandro Faria]

Rigby, hands down. What a classy cartridge, I'm exceptionally jealous. I personally feel that (with premium bullets) the 450 Rigby is arguably the greatest cartridge introduced by the company.

 

[Hank2211]

Rigby, hands down. What a classy cartridge, I'm exceptionally jealous. I personally feel that (with premium bullets) the 450 Rigby is arguably the greatest cartridge introduced by the company.

I vote for the Rigby as well, but interested in this comment.

I am curious why you think that the .450 is a 'greater' cartridge than the .416? The .416 was introduced in about 1911 vs. about 1994 for the .450, so I give the victory there to the .416 for both history and longevity. And as a result of that history, some of the great hunters of bygone days have said nice things about the .416 (Taylor for example) but they've said nothing about the .450 (because they were dead by the time it came around!). Edge to .416.

In terms of availability of factory ammunition, you can find both, but probably the .416 more reliably in Africa. Not much call for the .450; it's just not act common a rifle. To be clear, neither is a .300 Win Mag in terms of availability though. Edge to .416.

To the extent that either rifle is practical, I'd suggest that they .416 is the more practical of the two, since it has less kick (quite a bit less in my experience, but then the .450 I tried was a CZ, and they tend not to fit me that well), and tends to shoot a bit flatter (I assume you could come up with a loads that are comparable, but generally this is the case), and can kill anything in the world. Yes, the .450 can kill more than anything in the world, but unless you're looking at a charge stopper - which is really PH territory - then again, edge to the .416.

Having said that, I won't belittle the .450. My South African PH (on all of my hunts there) was charged by a lion a few years back and after that, traded his .416 for a .450. As a charge stopper, it's much the better cartridge, so if that's what you're after, then edge to the .450.

 

[CTDolan]

The 450 Rigby is good but the Lott is just as good if you’re looking for 500 grains at 2,200 fps. In fact, one could argue that the Lott is better (more common, able to shoot 458 Win Mag in a pinch, etc.).

Again, look to the rifle to make your decision. The Sako and Kimber really are quite different.

 

[TOBY458]

The 450 Rigby is good but the Lott is just as good if you’re looking for 500 grains at 2,200 fps. In fact, one could argue that the Lott is better (more common, able to shoot 458 Win Mag in a pinch, etc.).

Again, look to the rifle to make your decision. The Sako and Kimber really are quite different.

Yes. I own a Kimber and a Sako in 375 H&H. Definitely two different animals. The Sako rifles have always fit me well, but the Kimber Caprivi feels really good too. Both hold 4 in the magazine, and both have good sights. The Kimber has a true mauser style control round feed, where as the sako has a semi control round feed. Not sure that really matters either way, because my Sako 85 375 H&H has the same system, and it works just fine.
The Kimber has a much nicer stock vs the Sako laminated stock, but the laminated is probably tougher and more weather proof. The Kimber retails for $400-500 more, but I have an opportunity to pick a pre owned, but unfired one slightly less than I can buy a brand new Sako for.

 

[flat8]

But, something about the Rigby and the Sako rifle just keeps calling me as well.
Thoughts?

You've answered your own question. The Big Bores are all about passion. Go with your gut.

 

[meigsbucks]

When in doubt... BUY 'EM BOTH! But seriously, if all you want is 2200 fps, I'd go with the Kimber in .458 Lott. Ammo availability, the ability to shoot .458 Win mag if needed.
TOBY458 and CTDolan covered all of this. Get which one fits and feels the best.

 

[matt85]

my vote is for the 458 Lott, it will be a more efficient cartridge at your desired speeds.

-matt

 

[SWARA]

Toby; I think you mentioned that the Kimber is 4 down, but as I recall its 3 down in the mag and one up.

 

[SWARA]

@Toby.. Lets say, If Kimber was available in both .458 Lott and .450 Rigby, which one do you think you would pick?

 

[Alexandro Faria]

I vote for the Rigby as well, but interested in this comment.

I am curious why you think that the .450 is a 'greater' cartridge than the .416? The .416 was introduced in about 1911 vs. about 1994 for the .450, so I give the victory there to the .416 for both history and longevity. And as a result of that history, some of the great hunters of bygone days have said nice things about the .416 (Taylor for example) but they've said nothing about the .450 (because they were dead by the time it came around!). Edge to .416.

In terms of availability of factory ammunition, you can find both, but probably the .416 more reliably in Africa. Not much call for the .450; it's just not act common a rifle. To be clear, neither is a .300 Win Mag in terms of availability though. Edge to .416.

To the extent that either rifle is practical, I'd suggest that they .416 is the more practical of the two, since it has less kick (quite a bit less in my experience, but then the .450 I tried was a CZ, and they tend not to fit me that well), and tends to shoot a bit flatter (I assume you could come up with a loads that are comparable, but generally this is the case), and can kill anything in the world. Yes, the .450 can kill more than anything in the world, but unless you're looking at a charge stopper - which is really PH territory - then again, edge to the .416.

Having said that, I won't belittle the .450. My South African PH (on all of my hunts there) was charged by a lion a few years back and after that, traded his .416 for a .450. As a charge stopper, it's much the better cartridge, so if that's what you're after, then edge to the .450.

To answer your question:

The 450 was brought about in '94, as you said, after an elephant hunt that went a little off beat... or so I'm told/read. The original issue with the 450 was that the velocity was too high for the the heavy soft points when hitting heavy bone.

Fast forward a few years, and we're sitting with mono's that can really stand up to the challenge. A 550 gr 2300ft/s is lethal as hell, it doesn't matter what it's launched from. For a big game rifle, the 450 comes up king (for me) against the 416. More weight, larger diameter and a heap load more energy (on both ends). It takes a lot for a company to take an 80 year old design and go "you know what, we can better this...".

Don't get me wrong, faced with the choice of .416 or .450, I'd personally take the .416, but that's for sentimental purposes. The 450 gives you more oomph for the same benefits (low pressure etc) and now with improved projectiles, the 458 bullets are more than trustworthy. As a dangerous game cartridge, in my eyes, the 450 comes up trumps.

It is, however, just opinion and completely subjective.

 

[CAustin]

Two votes for 450 Rigby!

Yea but I know where you can get a 458 Lott at a great price!