Considering CZ Safari Classic in 450 Rigby

Hi everyone,

As the title says I'm considering a trade for this rifle at a local shop. I've noticed that ammo isn't as readily available as other calibers such as .416, etc. This concerns me a bit. Also, I should add that the largest caliber I've fired as of yet is my 9.3x62 which I feel very much at home with. (There was actually a .50 BMG once, but it was a 30 pound rifle so I don't count that.) Most of my shooting has been in the .30 caliber class range as well as shotguns.

This rifle would be for fun and (hopefully) for a buff hunt in 2019. I'm planning a plains game hunt in 2018 and will probably take my 9.3 along for that. We'll see.

My questions for you guys:
1. Am I nuts?
2. Does anyone have a US source for expanding ammo in this caliber that doesn't cost $13 per round? (Not a reloader)

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave. I like the 450rigby and think that's it's one of the best in the 458 class. However you will pay a price in terms of recoil. It will take some serious practice to get used to the recoil and to shoot it well. Seriously if your going to hunt buffalo I would look at 40 call class or rifles. A 416 or 404 will handle any buffalo and even be more easy on the shoulder. The 450 rigby would make more sense if you were going to hunt elephant. You might also cosider a 375 plenty for buffalo. Don't forget your 9.3 will do the job. Whatever you decide it will depend on how you shoot it.
I have a 450 rigby and use it for buffalo in heavy cover and generally shoot without backup. But generally I used a 416 for year without an issue. Best of luck as choosing is half the fun.

Good advice! Thanks for the comment.

Dave Lowe said:

Good advice! Thanks for the comment.

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There is a used M70 in .416 Remington with a bunch of factory ammo for sale here on the forum. And the price can't be beat.

At this point in your shooting career, I would only consider a .450 Rigby if it were a once in a life time deal. You can buy .416 Remingtons and .375 Hollands anytime, .416 Rigbys are harder to come by than the two previous, but not as hard as a .450 Rigby. So my advice is unless you see elephants in your future or for maybe as a pure collector. Go with a smaller caliber!

sierraone said:

At this point in your shooting career, I would only consider a .450 Rigby if it were a once in a life time deal. You can buy .416 Remingtons and .375 Hollands anytime, .416 Rigbys are harder to come by than the two previous, but not as hard as a .450 Rigby. So my advice is unless you see elephants in your future or for maybe as a pure collector. Go with a smaller caliber!

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I can't disagree at all. I think I already knew the answer but maybe just wanted to hear it from someone else. Thanks!

I heartily recommend a CZ Safari Classic in whichever dangerous game caliber you fancy. Wonderfully sturdy platform

broncolcj said:

I heartily recommend a CZ Safari Classic in whichever dangerous game caliber you fancy. Wonderfully sturdy platform

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Thanks bronco. I'm a big fan of CZ rifles in general. My 9.3 is a 550FS and I love it. But I do believe I'll keep this next aquisition at .416 or less.

If you frequent AH on a regular basis you will soon see that new "Big Bore" CZs often have correctable feeding issues. If you are going to purchase a new one, make sure you get it early enough to send it to a good gunsmith and get it back in time to practice with it. Once the feeding issues are rectified, CZs make a fine working rifle.

@Shootist43 I've read that and am keeping it in mind. Thanks for the tip!

Dave,

As an owner of a 450 Rigby (American Hunting Rifles DGR version of the CZ550 Magnum), I can tell you that I went through the same questions you had. It's not a very common 0.458 caliber cartridge compared to the 458 Win Mag or the seemingly more popular 458 Lott, but it's a cool round nonetheless. One of the biggest issues with the round is one you've clearly identified, and that is the cost to feed the behemoth.

I'd say $10-13/round is about right for premium ammo, although you can get Hornady factory fodder (480 grain, 0.458 DGX/DGS Ammo for around $5.00 per round). There is some concern over the construction of the DGX bullets, and I won't beat that dead horse again on here, but suffice it to say you can read all about them (good and bad) if you do a search on this forum. Handloading is no better really as brass is anywhere from $4-6/piece and premium bullets can run $2-3 a piece. The big advantage is you can reuse that expensive brass several times if you take care of it...

Recoil is the other factor. Big step up from a 375 H&H.......I'm still learning how to handle mine. I'm not scared of it, but technique is important. It definitely will get your attention but it's very manageable. I still say the worst recoil I've personally ever experienced was full house 3.5 inch magnum turkey loads out of a very light Mossberg 835. But, I learned to manage that, and that's how I've approached this rifle as well. A few rounds (10-15) per session of earnest practice from field positions (sticks and off hand) and then I case it, and shoot something more pleasant. And once you get a big bore rifle dialed in on the bench, get off it and practice off sticks, etc. It's much more pleasant.....

Like sierraone said, if it's a must have then do it. Especially if elephants are in your future. But if you want a good buffalo rifle look at a 375 H&H. If something bigger is in the cards maybe a 416 Rem, Rigby, etc., or even a 404 Jeffery. Of course the 458 Lott would be a great big bore as well, and much cheaper to shoot, although still expensive.....

In my opinion, where the 450 Rigby really shines is handling heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocity, and subsequently moderate pressure. I recently switched from 500 grain Barnes TSX's @ appx. 2300 fps, to North Fork 550 grain SS Bonded "softs " and CPS (solids) at around 2150 fps.

Just to put the size difference into perspective (from left to right, 30-06 Spg (180 grain Barnes TTSX), 9.3x62 Mauser (286 grain Nosler Partition), 404 Jeffery (400 grain North Fork SS Bonded), and the 450 Rigby (550 grain North Fork SS Bonded):



And a side by side comparison of the bullets alone, again from left to right in the same order as previous:



Hence the expense and recoil (big hunk of copper and lead)

Good luck in your decision. You can't go wrong with any of the big bore cartridges that were named in the replies....including the 450 Rigby.....you just have to decide what's right for you, and what you think you'll become most proficient with.....

So think about what sandman has said. For practice you can get the. Hornady ammo. Then when it's time for the buff you get premium stuff! After all with a 500 grain bullet you aren't going to shoot him a dozen times. So one or two boxes will do you for buff and other dangerous game you may come across on safaris to come. If you like the rifle and can get it for a good price I say why not!

Dave Lowe said:

Hi everyone,

As the title says I'm considering a trade for this rifle at a local shop. I've noticed that ammo isn't as readily available as other calibers such as .416, etc. This concerns me a bit. Also, I should add that the largest caliber I've fired as of yet is my 9.3x62 which I feel very much at home with. (There was actually a .50 BMG once, but it was a 30 pound rifle so I don't count that.) Most of my shooting has been in the .30 caliber class range as well as shotguns.

This rifle would be for fun and (hopefully) for a buff hunt in 2019. I'm planning a plains game hunt in 2018 and will probably take my 9.3 along for that. We'll see.

My questions for you guys:
1. Am I nuts?
2. Does anyone have a US source for expanding ammo in this caliber that doesn't cost $13 per round? (Not a reloader)

Thanks,
Dave

Click to expand...

Hendershots, but it's $13/round or more.
https://hendershots.net/product/450-rigby-extreme-custom-ammo/

This...

sandman0921 said:

In my opinion, where the 450 Rigby really shines is handling heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocity, and subsequently moderate pressure. I recently switched from 500 grain Barnes TSX's @ appx. 2300 fps, to North Fork 550 grain SS Bonded "softs " and CPS (solids) at around 2150 fps

Click to expand...

and this...

CAustin said:

So think about what sandman has said. For practice you can get the. Hornady ammo. Then when it's time for the buff you get premium stuff! After all with a 500 grain bullet you aren't going to shoot him a dozen times. So one or two boxes will do you for buff and other dangerous game you may come across on safaris to come. If you like the rifle and can get it for a good price I say why not!

Click to expand...

If its a good deal, get the 450Rigby. You will learn to handle the recoil and if you could get it loaded with 550gr rounds at a moderate speed, you will have a serious thumper. If not, the standard 500gr will not let you down...

As a side note, your 9,3 will be suitable for buff in any are that they will permit you to use it.

I have a 450 Rigby on a CZ ZZK602 action. It has served me as backup for 15 years and I will not swop it for anything. Recoil is high but you get use to it. If you shoot a buff or Ele recoil is not felt . Its only at the bench that it's felt and you are not going to sit at the bench and shoot 20 rounds. I had a 450 Watts but because of pressure it recoiled more than the Rigby.
I think if its a good deal go for it.

Well guys I checked out the rifle today and it's just beautiful. However, I've decided on the same model in .375 H&H and placed my order for it. .450 is just too much gun for me I think and I like the idea of only having to bring 1 rifle to hunt from plains game up to buffalo.

Thanks again to everyone who weighed in with advice formhelping me make an informed decision.

Dave

A good choice. Is the rifle new? If so, did you check it for feeding problems? There is an outfit called Superior Ammo Co. that will work with you to develop loads for your specific rifle. They make up "sample pacs" of 10 rounds. Once you have decided on a particular load they will make it up in quantity if you like. For a non-reloader I think using their services is the thing to do. Johnnyblues uses them (Superior Ammo), send him a PM I'm sure he will be glad to fill in all the details.

Thanksmformthe tip about Superior Ammo! The gun will be new from CZ, so fingers crossed that it feeds well.

Congrats, your 375 will serve you well .

sandman0921 said:

Dave,

As an owner of a 450 Rigby (American Hunting Rifles DGR version of the CZ550 Magnum), I can tell you that I went through the same questions you had. It's not a very common 0.458 caliber cartridge compared to the 458 Win Mag or the seemingly more popular 458 Lott, but it's a cool round nonetheless. One of the biggest issues with the round is one you've clearly identified, and that is the cost to feed the behemoth.

I'd say $10-13/round is about right for premium ammo, although you can get Hornady factory fodder (480 grain, 0.458 DGX/DGS Ammo for around $5.00 per round). There is some concern over the construction of the DGX bullets, and I won't beat that dead horse again on here, but suffice it to say you can read all about them (good and bad) if you do a search on this forum. Handloading is no better really as brass is anywhere from $4-6/piece and premium bullets can run $2-3 a piece. The big advantage is you can reuse that expensive brass several times if you take care of it...

Recoil is the other factor. Big step up from a 375 H&H.......I'm still learning how to handle mine. I'm not scared of it, but technique is important. It definitely will get your attention but it's very manageable. I still say the worst recoil I've personally ever experienced was full house 3.5 inch magnum turkey loads out of a very light Mossberg 835. But, I learned to manage that, and that's how I've approached this rifle as well. A few rounds (10-15) per session of earnest practice from field positions (sticks and off hand) and then I case it, and shoot something more pleasant. And once you get a big bore rifle dialed in on the bench, get off it and practice off sticks, etc. It's much more pleasant.....

Like sierraone said, if it's a must have then do it. Especially if elephants are in your future. But if you want a good buffalo rifle look at a 375 H&H. If something bigger is in the cards maybe a 416 Rem, Rigby, etc., or even a 404 Jeffery. Of course the 458 Lott would be a great big bore as well, and much cheaper to shoot, although still expensive.....

In my opinion, where the 450 Rigby really shines is handling heavy for caliber bullets at moderate velocity, and subsequently moderate pressure. I recently switched from 500 grain Barnes TSX's @ appx. 2300 fps, to North Fork 550 grain SS Bonded "softs " and CPS (solids) at around 2150 fps.

Just to put the size difference into perspective (from left to right, 30-06 Spg (180 grain Barnes TTSX), 9.3x62 Mauser (286 grain Nosler Partition), 404 Jeffery (400 grain North Fork SS Bonded), and the 450 Rigby (550 grain North Fork SS Bonded):

View attachment 181302

And a side by side comparison of the bullets alone, again from left to right in the same order as previous:

View attachment 181303

Hence the expense and recoil (big hunk of copper and lead)

Good luck in your decision. You can't go wrong with any of the big bore cartridges that were named in the replies....including the 450 Rigby.....you just have to decide what's right for you, and what you think you'll become most proficient with.....

Click to expand...

That seems like a great bullet choice/velocity to me. A 550g North Fork soft point at 2150 fps is just 20g shy of a 500 NE load, with better sectional density and a little less frontal area.