Critique my rifle choice (s)? Looking for experienced advice?

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Crap Enysse that's what 2 feet less than 6 foot (BRICKBURN!!! ) you can shoot mine you'll like it... it fits me well...

Could not agree more Pieter its not like guys hate the 500 A square, or Jeffrey, or 505 gibbs but demonizing the 460's seem to be a favourite..

I shot a 505 Gibbs once and I can honestly say I hated it. I've not shot the .460 Wby, but if the selling point is it's no worse than the Gibbs, well no thanks my friend. But no demonizing here, if a person can handle it and make follow up shots quickly, all the more power to you.

 

[Velo Dog]

Good Evening,

IronCowboy:
Sounds like you're leaning toward a .416 possibly.
If you decide you want one, you'll save quite a bit of cash if you buy a used rifle already chambered in either the Remington or the Rigby version and have it otherwise modified to your taste, or do the modifications yourself.
I'm repeating myself from an earlier post, sorry.

I do not know who makes rifles in .416 Remington these days but no doubt they are available.
That big Ruger 77 Magnum in .416 Rigby shows up on the used market often enough.
I have the Rigby version in a CZ 550 but, Gunsmith modified as mentioned in previous post/s to my liking and have about $2,000. in it total.
It is one of my favorite rifles.
Sadly, I cannot say that for the one in .500 Jeffery, I bought from their so called "Custom Shop" as it will not chamber A-zoom snap cap dummy "ammunition" or feed from the magazine with live Kynoch ammunition.
I would not recommend CZ Custom Shop rifles, I'd stick with their standard production rifles.
The standard ones in various calibers I have, are very good.

Building a rifle from an action up is very expensive.
I will never do it again, unless it is the only way to get a particular type rifle I want awfully bad.

Rem vs Rigby:
I prefer the original Rigby version, for nostalgia reasons but, the Remington one throws the same bullet at the same speed, unless you want to hand-load the huge Rigby case beyond that for some unknown reason.
I never go beyond the original specs.
Admittedly, I often "plink" with mine loaded down a bit (bottom 400 gr bullet load in Hornady reloading manual).
Likewise, I'm not ashamed to admit that I also prefer to "plink" with my .458 Lott hand-loaded down to .450 Nitro velocity (as if that iconic cartridge has suddenly become too feeble to use on heavy game).

Well now, as for the .460 Weatherby Fan Club:
Far be it from me to spoil your fun.

One man's bread is another man's poison.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

I'd say build a 416 Rem, just because I'm biased and own one :biggrin:

And I would get a 416 Ruger

 

[GL416]

I am with Enysse, in the .416 category I would build a .416 Remington (I am biased as well since I own one), very versatile cartridge.

 

[baugust]

And I would get a 416 Ruger

Its is at the end of the day very difficult to propose a large bore rifle for and individual....in fact you cant really make a wrong choice on any of the of the calibers mentioned on this thread...they are all damn good for the intended purposes and boils down to the individual. If the choice should be a 416 then I will side with the Rigby for its African reputation and nostalgia...After all Harry Selby can speak volumes for it..

 

[spike.t]

I'm not a "big guy" either, at 5'10" and a muscled 195lbs... But I haven't had issues with the .458Lott, .416Rig, or .375H&H - given a proper recoil pad on the buttstock. Haven't played with a .460Wby though.

I also agree that muzzle brakes are four letter words - except for on target or colony vermin, where having zero muzzle rise is actually worth something. Definitely not as recoil mitigation to protect my shoulder.

So I'm now kicking between rebuilding a used Ruger Magnum to .458Lott or .416Rem (might consider a 460 ), rebuilding a .416Ruger on a new Ruger Hawkeye, or building a .458L or .416RM on a Brno/CZ Magnum action. Guess I better get to gathering parts

IronCowboy here are a couple of photos of my ruger .375h+h that was rechambered and bored out to .458lott. barrel cut to 21 inchs and a peep sight fitted. the barrels on those were so thick on the .375 that it now has a "normal" amount of steel thickness showing round the hole in the end

 

[IronCowboy]

I'd tend to agree, in my past rifles, I favored a Rigby over a .416rem, but for this one, I'm planning a "switch barrel rig" so it'll be more useful for me in the US after Africa (or hopefully BETWEEN trips). Re barreling down to .338wm or .300wm, or 7mmRM is pretty straight forward for the .458lott or .416rm. So that's why I've chosen those two for this rifle.

And yeah, I really expect this rifle to be none-too-cheap. I do intend to do as much of the work on this one as possible by myself, I've built a few rifles, usually I only need a smith to set headspace. Pricing out parts, it actually does look like I can build for slightly more than some rifles run new, around $1200 for action, barrel, and stock for a cz, with a fairly similar price, a bit higher, for a Ruger after I sell the take off barrel and stock. Likely do most of the build myself except the barrel installation. If shilen sells me a short chamber, I may finish ream it myself, but that won't actually save me much $, just the satisfaction of doing it myself. And if I screw it up, I'm only out $350 for the barrel. If I get out of it for under $2500 before optics - if I scope it at all - I'll be content.

 

[Velo Dog]

Spike.t,

Nice work on the .458 conversion, I like the looks of it quite a Lott, tehee.
Can't say that I'd do anything different to it except have a larger bolt handle welded on (and I prefer at least 22" barrel - some of mine are 23"), but probably would not bother, as your rifle looks about perfect.....beauty.
I REALLY like the big Ruger 77-Magnum (and their #1 single shot as well).

For many years, when I was young, (I'm a geezer now) here in Alaska, I carried a Rem Mod-700 ADL converted to .375 H&H and completed with the same over-all notions that you have on your Ruger (Great minds think alike), including the proper receiver sight, short barrel (mine was 22" but, anyway), etc.
It weighed only about 7 & 3/4 Lb, accurate and joy to carry all day, but miserable to shoot from the bench.

I shot my share of deer and caribou with it, plus it was my constant companion hiking to and from my cabin in the bush, (north of Willow, AK / not on the road system).
I even took it to the lower-48 and shot jack rabbits with it, back in the day.
It has never had a scope on it.

As I have bashed along life's sometimes bumpy road, I've slowly drifted away from the push-feed rifles for DG and now carry a Mauser, in one caliber or another, if I think I might bump into a grumpy old bear.
Also, I have a double rifle (Heym 88B) but rarely carry it in AK, since the weather is often unpredictable and I don't want it getting soaked - too expensive - but I do carry the double here, once in a great while.

Bears've tormented me several times but, no shots fired for effect yet in 32 years of living here, hunting and fishing.
Except twice, I have had to shoot into the water or mud beside one each grizzly, so they would stop trailing me while I carried meat on my pack frame back to camp. (One about 40 miles from Kingsalmon and one near Karluk Lake, Kodiak).
Blah, blah, blah, (I'm rambling as old folks will do, sorry).
Any whooo, I compliment you on that rifle.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.