The Rigby is here...

[Brandon.Gleason]

What a beautiful rifle! Congratulations and best of luck hunting with it.

 

[enysse]

Stunningly beautiful gun!

 

[Ironhorse375]

Beautiful rifle. Nice groups

 

[norfolk shooter]

Nice to see a stunning British rifle being made again at a good price too. Well chosen options on yours very nice

 

[sestoppelman]

You should be able to shoot that thing with a good quality sissy pad, or two instead of the sled. The other danger is stock cracking. Not that the SLED will surely do that but anytime you put something that doesnt move much behind a hard kicker the danger is there. The Rigbys recoil just isnt all that bad. Be a real shame to damage that beautiful stock. I know of it happening when guys have put a big sandbag between them and the rifle and broke stocks that way. The rifle needs to be able to move rearward.

 

[automagic]

Nice rifle!!! I have been looking at Rigby for a few months, this makes me look a little harder! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rule 303]

You should be able to shoot that thing with a good quality sissy pad, or two instead of the sled. The other danger is stock cracking. Not that the SLED will surely do that but anytime you put something that doesnt move much behind a hard kicker the danger is there. The Rigbys recoil just isnt all that bad. Be a real shame to damage that beautiful stock. I know of it happening when guys have put a big sandbag between them and the rifle and broke stocks that way. The rifle needs to be able to move rearward.

Agree.

To my mind a 416 should have two cross bolts and have the stock relieved behind the rear tang, no more than a playing card in thickness.

 

[Adrian]

Congratulations on being the owner of such a fine rifle.

 

[Dr Ray]

I suppose this post is overdue, so here it is. In the fall of 2016, I placed an order for a Rigby Big Game with a few options of my choosing. After months of waiting I received it in June. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but without further delay;

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I am very pleased with the fit and finish of this rifle, which is without a doubt, the nicest I have ever owned. In the months leading up to it's delivery, I had acquired the Swarovski Z6i 1-6 that you see mounted on it, and some reloading components. I already had several rounds loaded for it with a few different powders. This is my first large bore rifle, if you don't count my Marlin Guide Gun 45/70. So, off to the range I went. All load development grouping was done from my lead sled. I first fired 2 shots at 50 yards to make sure I was close to being on target, then moved to 100 yards to fire my first 3 shot group.

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Needless to say, I was impressed. I had expected good accuracy, but was not expecting that good right from the start. Here are some more groups, each from a different load.




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This is the worst group of the day:

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4 shots fired off my shooting sticks at 50 yards at a semi-rapid rate:

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A picture of the rifle on the lead sled at the farm (aka the range). Natural light really brings out the character in the wood.

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I forgot my chronograph that day, unfortunately. I ended up loading some more of the "104" group and making it back out there, this time with my chronograph. It consistently clocked in right around 2400 fps, with a max spread of about 2393-2411 with a 410g Woodleigh Weldcore. That's going to be my load. These rounds also feed through the action as smooth as butter, even when working the bolt quickly.

This is the most powerful rifle I have ever owned. However, I find it surprisingly pleasant to shoot off sticks. I attribute that to the design of the stock, the weight/balance of the rifle, and how well the Z6i 1-6 Extended Eye relief pairs with the rifle.

It's maiden voyage is going to be a black bear hunt the end of this month. Overkill, yes, but I'm anxious to try it out.

The real test will come in 2019, when I take my first trip to Africa for a cape buffalo hunt. I'm currently looking at guides in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

That is an absolutely beautiful rifle.
I always wondered though why Rigby had the bolt handle the way it is.
If I owned this rifle I would be frightened to use it in the scrub in case it got scratched.
You must be very proud and excited.

 

[Shootist43]

How lucky can a guy get? A beautiful rifle in an awesome caliber that shoots sub MOA. Truly a gun we'd all love to own.

 

[CDorroh]

Update,

I loaded up a few Woodleigh Hydro solids. The end result was this group, using the exact same powder charge as my softs. 3 shots at 100 yards off the bench. I couldn't be happier.

It would suffice to say that I'm done with load development, which was a faster process than I've experienced with any other rifle that I have owned. For those fretting about the stock, I'm done shooting it from the sled. I appreciate the concern. I've been shooting it some off-hand, and off sticks as well. The recoil is surprising tolerable for such a large cartridge.

 

[lockingblock]

If you don't mind, can you post a photo of the scope mounts? I'm curious what options Rigby has for optic mounts and it doesn't specify much on their website. What all options did they have for stock shape/mods? it looks like the only choice is length?

 

[CDorroh]

If you don't mind, can you post a photo of the scope mounts? I'm curious what options Rigby has for optic mounts and it doesn't specify much on their website. What all options did they have for stock shape/mods? it looks like the only choice is length?

Rigby uses Recknagel scope mounts on their Big Game. The front is a dovetail that pivots into place, and the rear is a claw that tightens by rotating a ring at the bottom. Mine have met my expectations and return to zero within 1/2 moa based on my experience. I think another user here had some issues with his Recknagel mounts, but I believe those may have been resolved by a gunsmith.

As far as the stock goes, I think they will do whatever you wish, but for a fee of course. I went with the standard 14.5" length of pull, which I have found to fit me quite well. If you order a London's Best, they ask that you come to one of their shops and be measured for your rifle, which will be built to your measurements. If I were a tycoon in any industry, I could see choosing this option and am sure the resulting product would be absolutely superb, given my experience with their Big Game rifle.

 

[Britt Beck]

Beautiful rifle. Congratulations

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Nice load @CDorroh. H4831 and the .416 Rigby just seem to be made for each other. If you decide to try any other bullets, I believe you'll find the H4831 will work well with them too.