For those that can't afford the Rigby Big Game or Heym Express, What's the next best thing?

[ChrisG]

For those that can't afford the Rigby Big Game or Heym Express, What's the next best thing?​

There is a Dakota .416 Rigby and a Kimber Caprivi listed now in the classifieds.

You could put $500-$1000 into the Kimber and have the equivalent quality and accuracy. And save $4000-$10,000 from Rigby or Heym. Or leave it alone because it’s fine as is.


I don’t know if Kimber has someone else make the action as the others do. Or if they make their own components.

Kimber has a nicely designed action
The key to the proper design of a CRF action is to have the tip of the ejector forward of the rim of the cartridge in the magazine box. If made this way, you cannot double-feed a CRF action. Many CRF-style rifles, including the Winchester model 70, do not conform with this design concept. The smooth CRF-styled action of the Kimber Caprivi however comes very close. If the cartridges in the magazine box do not slip forward under recoil, they cannotbe double-fed. And, even if they do slip forward, your margin for error is less than 1/8th of an inch.

Another feature of true CRF actions that makes them less than ideal for dangerous game is that they must be fed from the magazine box. With the CRF-styled Kimber 8400 Magnum action, you can just drop a cartridge into the ejection port and close the bolt.

After reading my post. I may buy the Caprivi and cut the barrel to 22” :&gt))

The Kimber action doesn't look like anyone elses CRF action. I always wondered if they made them, or spec'd, and had someone else make them. I had a hard look at their talkeetna in 375 H&H for an all weather 375. It's really the only game in town for an all-weather 375. I don't think you could go wrong with a kimber Caprivi.

 

[Bush Buck]

For those that can't afford the Rigby Big Game or Heym Express, What's the next best thing?​

There is a Dakota .416 Rigby and a Kimber Caprivi listed now in the classifieds.

You could put $500-$1000 into the Kimber and have the equivalent quality and accuracy. And save $4000-$10,000 from Rigby or Heym. Or leave it alone because it’s fine as is.


I don’t know if Kimber has someone else make the action as the others do. Or if they make their own components.

Kimber has a nicely designed action
The key to the proper design of a CRF action is to have the tip of the ejector forward of the rim of the cartridge in the magazine box. If made this way, you cannot double-feed a CRF action. Many CRF-style rifles, including the Winchester model 70, do not conform with this design concept. The smooth CRF-styled action of the Kimber Caprivi however comes very close. If the cartridges in the magazine box do not slip forward under recoil, they cannotbe double-fed. And, even if they do slip forward, your margin for error is less than 1/8th of an inch.

Another feature of true CRF actions that makes them less than ideal for dangerous game is that they must be fed from the magazine box. With the CRF-styled Kimber 8400 Magnum action, you can just drop a cartridge into the ejection port and close the bolt.

After reading my post. I may buy the Caprivi and cut the barrel to 22” :>)))

Hi AS,

I have hunted with a Kimber 375 quite a bit. I am a fan of the Talkeetna and the Caprivi. I think they are terrific hunting rifles. In my experience they may or may not need some gentle tweaking to get optimal feeding and ejection ( this is pretty common with off the shelf rifles ).

The front and rear sight are adjustable. I would prefer totally fixed sights regulated to a single load - but this will always be a custom option.
I am curious how you would spend $500-$1000 to improve the Caprivi?

 

[Altitude sickness]

For me, it would be far less. I would just have the barrel cut to 22” and have it re-crowned. Maybe a New England masterpiece site.

 

[Bush Buck]

Yes, if you added a classic banded front sight you would also have to refinish at least the barrel and sights. Plus your cut and crown. That would probably get you to $500 pretty quick.
You get so much for your money with a Kimber 375 H&H that I have hesitated to do any custom work.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I wouldn’t use a banded sight

 

[Altitude sickness]

I meant to say, I wouldn’t install a banded sight on the Kimber. I was thing a ramped one from New England sights

 

[BourbonTrail]

Another gun to consider is the Kimber Model 89 which was made in a 416 Rigby. Haven’t shot one but it looks like the predecessor to the Caprivi.

One note, according to the interwebs, the quality is hit or miss as they were made when Kimber was having financial troubles.

 

[Altitude sickness]

They are proud of the model 89. 416s are around $8k

This one for sale makes the one for sale a bargain

Kimber of Oregon Model 89 .375 H&H Magnum, AAA English, quarter rib, Leupold, Talley, 99 percent, layaway

Kimber of Oregon Model 89 .375 H&H Magnum, AAA English, quarter rib, Leupold, Talley, 99 percent, layaway for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

 

[pjaln]

cheap out of the box , interarms/whitworth in 375 or 458 only. the workweek and a poor mans big game rifle the whitworths have a decent British look although definetly not a bench made rifle