Inside the Rigby Big Game Vintage

Grumpy gumpy · Oct 25, 2026

PerH said:
The 6,5x52r

.25-35 by metric name was named “Hochwild “ in Germany so it was legal for red deer and boar to/ fallow there . One of reasons why so many combo and drillings turns up . Over here sadly it is Roedeer sized only .

But perhaps of the smaller non German countries developed cartridges to be used .

I saw somewhere .22 HP originally had 70 and 90 grain .228 bullets but only 70 was kept .

I’ll try later today to get some photos of the different 22HP projectiles I’ve got and the box of 6.5x52r brass, got to go out shortly so don’t know when I’ll be back.
Gumpy

Markinnz · Oct 25, 2026

I always liked the idea of a big game vintage..but i think it should be a single square bridge,with original Mauser flag safety,and a second safety on the side of the rifle or tang, allowing for scope use. And use a Holland and Holland style scope claw mount .Id like a light version of a highland stalker in 250 savage,you could call it a colonial stalker...similar to the pre war oberndorfs type k.. And maybe a limited run of 280 ross patterned of the type a pre war Mauser but with Rigby influence.

Grumpy gumpy · Oct 26, 2026

Markinnz said:
I always liked the idea of a big game vintage..but i think it should be a single square bridge,with original Mauser flag safety,and a second safety on the side of the rifle or tang, allowing for scope use. And use a Holland and Holland style scope claw mount .Id like a light version of a highland stalker in 250 savage,you could call it a colonial stalker...similar to the pre war oberndorfs type k.. And maybe a limited run of 280 ross patterned of the type a pre war Mauser but with Rigby influence.

The Ross cartridge was the 280 nitro express and the action was a cleaned up military Mauser , I’ve got one in the safe
Gumpy

Markinnz · Oct 26, 2026

Grumpy gumpy said:
The Ross cartridge was the 280 nitro express and the action was a cleaned up military Mauser , I’ve got one in the safe
Gumpy

Yep,some were but others weren't, I have a pre war oberndorf non sqaure bridge magnum action type a 280 ross,with a 28 inch barrel,seen a few brit guns on standard mauser actions too.

Accidental Villain · Oct 26, 2026

pc3 said:
I think a lovely addition to a collection of Rigby's would be a .450 Rigby single square bridge with a bolt aperture....could it be done ? and would I be daring enough to one day order that combination ? as if you forgo the double square bridge an optic is mostly out of the question with out altering the originality, and that wouldn't be a sensible move on Rigby for resale/originality down the track.

Maybe you could have them (in London) do something on the rib behind the leaves to take a tricon rmr type set up.

On the other hand In my view the .416 Rigby Rigby lends itself to the double square bridge due to a 30/06 like trajectory with some bullet weights, a Swarovski 1.7-13x42 wouldn't be out of place on an all round .416.

I think an aperture/peep sight would work very well on the Vintage BG. It is essentially an open irons shooter as far as I can determin, so having a low profile precision sight available, then, whats not to like about that.
The excellent fixed rear sight on the Big Game have a very wide V shape and should not obstruct your sight picture I believe using aperture.
The best example of aperture/peep working very well with fixed expess sight is the old ZKK602 with pop-up peep. Personally I would hesitate to shoot at anything alive / unwounded at over 100 meters but an aperture sure increases precision at longer ranges.

Huvius · Oct 26, 2026

I will say that the Rigby style bolt peep (and the Jeffery patent version) are probably the best option for heavy recoiling rifles.
The usual Lyman style folds back and ends up pointing right at the web between your thumb and index finger.
Even original Jeffery 450/400 Farquharsons were offered with a Lyman tang sight and a special standing rear sight on the barrel island that was troughed for peep use.
I had a 400 Jeffery Farq and was sort of glad it didn’t have the Lyman sight…

Huvius · Oct 26, 2026

Markinnz said:
Yep,some were but others weren't, I have a pre war oberndorf non sqaure bridge magnum action type a 280 ross,with a 28 inch barrel,seen a few brit guns on standard mauser actions too.

I had a George Gibbs retailed TypeA in 280 Ross on a square bridge magnum length action.
It was restocked in the early ‘90s but I forget who did it. Very well done though.
We also have a Charles Lancaster 280 Ross built on a standard length action.
The Lancaster worked just fine but the Gibbs showed too high pressure with the same ammo. I thought of trying .284s in it but never got around to trying that.
There’s a bit of a mongrel 338WM on the market right now that is built on an ex 280 Ross magnum length Mauser action.
Would make a great basis for a project but I need that like a hole in the head…

Grumpy gumpy · Tuesday at 5:23 PM

Grumpy gumpy said:
I’ll try later today to get some photos of the different 22HP projectiles I’ve got and the box of 6.5x52r brass, got to go out shortly so don’t know when I’ll be back.
Gumpy

I found these two boxes, couldn’t find the box of metric equivalent primed brass or the other old box of projectiles, I moved a couple of years ago and everything was just stuffed into three 8’x4’x18” lockable cupboards and I still haven’t sorted them out
Gumpy

pjaln · Thursday at 7:01 AM

here's my vintage (standard offering )from 2018 flag safety, no cheekpiece ,SSB, no scope mounts just like the original , it has a 24" barrel it was the cheapest way to order it back then now its a specialty

Jack Stevens · Thursday at 8:00 AM

pjaln said:
here's my vintage (standard offering )from 2018 flag safety, no cheekpiece ,SSB, no scope mounts just like the original , it has a 24" barrel it was the cheapest way to order it back then now its a specialty

Very nice Old School!

Inside the Rigby Big Game Vintage

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