Author Topic: Rigby Help? (Read 1989 times)

Lawdog · « **on:** April 24, 2003, 12:07:03 PM »

I'm looking for any data and load information of the .350 Rigby. I own a .416 and a .450 and I'm wanting to find out more about the complete line of Rigby cartridges. Lawdog

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2003, 05:13:02 PM »

There's a fella from Alaska over at accurate reloading web site that has a 350 Rigby. You might shoot him an email. I think it is Paul H. Whatever you find out, please post it here as I've become curious about it also.

Lawdog · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2003, 10:34:23 AM »

Yukon Jack,

I'll check out Accurate Reloading for anyone that may know anything about Rigby's line of cartridges. After doing background checking on John Rigby's line of cartridges I have become a fan of sorts. The man seemed to be able to get more out of his cartridges without the pressures others did. My .416 Rigby does this and I have every reason to believe that my .450 Rigby will do the same. If the .350 and the .275 Rigby's follow suit then I will be building one each of these. Thank you for the idea. :wink: Lawdog

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2003, 11:08:12 AM »

The 275 Rigby IS the 7mm Mauser. Exact same cartridge. The Rigby carts have cavernous cases, so they don't need to be loaded to high pressures. There's a lot of powder difference between the 416 Rigby and the 416 Taylor (416-458 Win Mag). The 350 Rigby and 358 Norma should run give about the same ballistics, but the case of the Rigby is quite a bit larger than the Norma version, so it has lower pressures. The idea for the lower pressures was hunting in Africa and India when the temps were at or above 100 F. A high pressure cartridge in that kind of heat is dangerous. Bad for the rifle, sticky extraction, etc... Bad idea when target is about to stomp your liver into mush, I guess.

As for the 7mm, the old 275 H&H Mag will duplicate the performance of the Remington version. Also Westley Richards 318 is nearly the ballistic twin of the 338-06.

Lawdog · « **Reply #4 on:** April 26, 2003, 01:00:10 PM »

Yukon Jack,

You see this is my problem. One guy tells me the .275 Rigby is nearer to the 7mm Rem. Mag. and another said it's like the .280 Rem. AI. This is why I want to get printed material on the Rigby line. Thanks for the information. Lawdog

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #5 on:** April 26, 2003, 06:42:00 PM »

From everything I know of the two cartridges, they are exactly the same, the 275 Rigby and the 7mm Mauser. The English gunmaking firms of Holland & Holland, Rigby, Westley Richards did not want to chamber a rifle for the German military round, but the ballistics of the 7x57 were well above any other smallbore rifle of the late 1890's and early 1900's that Rigby adopted the case, but designated it the 275 Rigby. That is the rifle that Karamojo Bell took to Africa and won so much acclaim with.

Here's a link to Chuck Hawks' page on the two.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/7mm.htm
Also check this link from Kynoch ammunition (manufacturers of the 275 Rigby ammunition. http://freespace.virgin.net/kynoch.ammunition/list%201.htm. From Realguns, http://www.realguns.com/features/articles?13

And lastly, from John Rigby's new webpage, http://www.johnrigbyandco.com/pages/History.html

The one that is often compared between the 280 Rem and the 7mm Rem Mag is the 275 H&H Mag. Original offering the H&H in 1911(2)? was 160 grain bullet pushed to 2800 fps. Amazing at the time and probably what led to its downfall. The 7mm bullets available at the time were designed around the velocities produced by the 7mm Mauser (7x57, 275 Rigby) and they didn't hold together at the new H&H velocities. Another is the 7x64 that really is the ballistic twin of the 280 Remington.

Hope this helps.
YJ

Yukon Jack · « **Reply #6 on:** April 26, 2003, 09:29:39 PM »

Lawdog,
Kynoch ammunition's website has the ballistics for most of the older European cartridges, from H&H's 244 to the 700 Nitro. It does include the 275 Rigby and the 350 Rigby.
http://freespace.virgin.net/kynoch.ammunition/contents.htm

Some load info at, http://www.sahunt.co.za/sahunter/reload/350magnumrigby.html
There's a good comparative photo of the Medium Rigby at http://www.african-hunter.com/the_9_3_x_62_mauser.htm

Brass looks very expensive from Bertram, about $110 plus s&h for 20!!!

Another excellent article about the 7x57 (275 Rigby) and the 350 Rigby at http://www.hunters.com/africanhunter/rifels.htm

Lawdog · « **Reply #7 on:** April 27, 2003, 09:59:33 AM »

Yukon Jack,

Thank you for the information and the web sites. Lawdog