Talk Me Out Of A Sako 85 450 Rigby!!!

[TOBY458]

You see, that is what procrastination has caused! You should already have the 500J. Now we are in a bind here, I had to go all the way to Darwin, NT to replace the bullets that got lost. That one box of bullets cost around 15k buddy! Ha

I understand that! So, I'll sell them back to you for $13,500.00. How can you resist a deal like that???

 

[matt85]

Yes, but I would only load it to Lott levels and keep pressure low. But good try! Lol!

500gr at 2300fps is standard velocity for the 458 Lott. I have fired more then a few 458 Lott rifles over the years and my minimum weight for a 458 Lott is 10.5 pounds. however the recoil on the 458 Rigby will be more then the Lott because it will take more powder to get the same speeds.

ive never understood Sako's or Kimber's light weight DG rifles. ive shot some of the biggest sporting rifles ever made and when weighted properly they are fun to shoot and its practical to put 10-20 rounds down range for practice. these 8-9 pound 458 Lott/Rigby rifles are too light to practice with and you will find yourself avoiding shooting them as much as possible because... they will hurt to shoot. heck even if you download them to 458 WM levels they are just too light for caliber. one of the worst guns ive ever shot was Winchester M70 in 458 WM which weighed around 8 pounds.

-matt

 

[Bruce]

It's a lovely rifle..but only a nice to have!!
You have a perfect arsenal already, so use the equivalent cash for hunting!!!

 

[Dr Ray]

F you are going to mount a scope use medium height mounts. If a low mounted scope the extracted cartridge / case will hit the low mounted scope and probably cause a problem to the case and/or jam.
Sako makes absolutely great rifles.

 

[TOBY458]

500gr at 2300fps is standard velocity for the 458 Lott. I have fired more then a few 458 Lott rifles over the years and my minimum weight for a 458 Lott is 10.5 pounds. however the recoil on the 458 Rigby will be more then the Lott because it will take more powder to get the same speeds.

ive never understood Sako's or Kimber's light weight DG rifles. ive shot some of the biggest sporting rifles ever made and when weighted properly they are fun to shoot and its practical to put 10-20 rounds down range for practice. these 8-9 pound 458 Lott/Rigby rifles are too light to practice with and you will find yourself avoiding shooting them as much as possible because... they will hurt to shoot. heck even if you download them to 458 WM levels they are just too light for caliber. one of the worst guns ive ever shot was Winchester M70 in 458 WM which weighed around 8 pounds.

-matt

I typically like lightweight rifles. That's why I've chosen to pair down my collection to 375 and 416 rifles for DG. To me the 416 is just fine with a total weight of 9-10 lbs with scope installed. The 375 works fine at 8-9 lbs scoped.
That said, I have owned a few of those Winchester 70 458 rifles that you mention, and I agree they are stout to shoot with normal 458 loads. But the worst offender I owned was a Remington 798 in 458 WM. It weighed in at 8lbs bare. It was absolutely brutal to shoot! So, this Sako 450 would probably be in that category I would assume. Good job! You talked me out if it.

 

[TOBY458]

It's a lovely rifle..but only a nice to have!!
You have a perfect arsenal already, so use the equivalent cash for hunting!!!

Good idea!

 

[johnnyblues]

Beautiful!!! Buy it!!!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Anybody trying to talk you out of it, ain't a true friend....

Personally I shoot a 500NE , but absolutely love the 450 Rigby. It's an animal.

 

[jacques smith]

Passed on a rigby chambered for 450 rigby several years ago. I’m still kicking myself over NOT buying it[emoji56][emoji56]

 

[BC.Pat]

I built my 450 Rigby on a Ruger RSM, but had the Sako 450 Rigby been out I would not have hesitated to go that route. No regrets on the choice of the 450 Rigby caliber. Its a beast as others have mentioned under recoil, but very manageable with some practice. Took me some time to get bolt manipulation during recoil sorted out for follow up shots. I would pull the trigger …….
My 2 cents

 

[dchamp]

The Sako 85 Grizzly in 9.3x62 and the Brown Bear in .450 Rigby would make an awesome pair. You can always tell yourself that you will sell two other rifles to offset their cost. If you were to only get one of these though I would choose the 9.3x62, it is a superb little cartridge.

 

[TOBY458]

The Sako 85 Grizzly in 9.3x62 and the Brown Bear in .450 Rigby would make an awesome pair. You can always tell yourself that you will sell two other rifles to offset their cost. If you were to only get one of these though I would choose the 9.3x62, it is a superb little cartridge.

Yes I like the idea of a 9.3, but already having two 375s, it just doesn't offer enough difference in performance to really make sense for me. I mainly like the lighter weight rifles it comes in, compared to the bigger calibers. To me a lighter weight rifle just comes to the shoulder so much quicker than a heavy rifle.

 

[TOBY458]

I built my 450 Rigby on a Ruger RSM, but had the Sako 450 Rigby been out I would not have hesitated to go that route. No regrets on the choice of the 450 Rigby caliber. Its a beast as others have mentioned under recoil, but very manageable with some practice. Took me some time to get bolt manipulation during recoil sorted out for follow up shots. I would pull the trigger …….
My 2 cents

You're not helping matters! Haha!

 

[TOBY458]

Passed on a rigby chambered for 450 rigby several years ago. I’m still kicking myself over NOT buying it[emoji56][emoji56]

Yes, sometimes those things only come around once in a lifetime. But look on the bright side. Your retinas are still attached. Lol!!!

 

[Bas]

Nice rifle, if you can afford it, treat yourself !

 

[matt85]

I would recommend looking into AHR for a nice 450 Rigby. he will make you a fantastic gun that is both properly weighted and balanced. he built a 505 Gibbs for me and that rifle was a true pleasure to shoot.

-matt

 

[cagkt3]

Don't you need a few more???

That's besides the point!

 

[colorado]

Don't buy that one, get .500 Jeffery version!

Yes go 500 Jeffery, why shoot a 500g bullet at 2400 fps when you can shoot a 570g bullet a 2400 fps? Beautiful rifle though.

 

[TOBY458]

Yes go 500 Jeffery, why shoot a 500g bullet at 2400 fps when you can shoot a 570g bullet a 2400 fps? Beautiful rifle though.

If a 450 is supposed to be brutal in the Sako Brown Bear, I can only imagine what the 500 would be like!

 

[colorado]

What not to do at the range in your first session with a 500 Jeffery, shoot 30 plus rounds from the bench doing load development, topping out with a 570g TSX at 2510 fps in a T-Shirt... It's now my favorite rifle (I treat it with more respect)