450 Rigby

[Fisher]

Hallo Okes

I have just bought a New CZ 550 Standard in 458 WM for an extreamly good price. It wil be rechamberd to 450 Rigby. My plan is to use 600gr Jacket bullets @ 2200fps in it for hunting, but it's main use will be to play with. I have everything set up for casting, and i am seriosly considering to purchase a mold in order to make it more economical to just shoot for fun.

The barrel has a 1:14 twist, will it be possable to drive a 600gr CB @ 2200fps for +/- 40 shots with reasnoble accuracy ?

I want the same velocity with the CB as with the hunting loads.

I will not have a problem to hunt plainsgame with the CB.

What boolit and alloy would you okes suggest.

[Potsy]

Never fooled with anything that big. Just my .45-70, but I'll get the ball rollin'.

Kinda thinkin' hard alloy (water quenched WW or lino), gas checked. Might find better results closer to 2000fps. Powder wise maybe something in the 4064 to 4350 range?

Will it be accurate for 40 shots? The gun might be accurate for 40 shots and probably a whole lot more. But if you shoot 40 600grainers at 2200fps you, uhhh, might start to flinch just a little. Matter of fact, I'm kinda hurting and nervous just thinking about it.

[elk hunter]

If you're an experienced big bore shooter rechambering to 450 Rigby will be a step up in power that you can appreciate. If you're not experienced in big bore rifles you may want to leave your rifle chambered for 458 Winchester and start your shooting trials there. If you can get 500 grain cast bullets to shoot well at anything near 2000 fps you will at least have an idea whether you can get 600 grain bullets to shoot at 2200.

From my limited experience with cast bullets at velocities over 1800 or 1900 fps I'll just say that everything will have to be right in order for them to shoot well.

Good luck, post some pictures of your groups.

[frank505]

Lyman 462560, if you can find a mold. Weighs a bit less than a 600 grain j word, has shot through three power poles stubs in line in my 458. As an aside, I have never been kicked as hard as shooting 600 grain Barnes in my 458 @ 2000 fps. The rifle twisted counter clockwise and came straight back, no rise at all..........

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

I did this four years ago, but used a CZ 416 Rigby and just rebarreled for the 450 Dakota cartridge. It worked very well on Cape Buffalo in Zimbabwe, but I used Swift A-Frame softs and the old Barnes single driving band solids. Both 500gr, at about 2470fps.

You will need a very good gunsmith using the 458 WM. The bolt face will need to be opened up. Then the frame rails modified.

If I may offer a suggestion, why not just rechamber for 458 Lott? It will do 2350 with 500gr bullets, and your gunsmith will only need to rent a chambering reamer.

My suggestion, if you go this route, contact Wayne Jacobson at AHR. He specializes in CZ custom work.

Rich

I sold mine this spring, and Wayne is building me a 600 OK (think 900gr bullet at 2150).

[405]

Whew!, lots of gun.

Anything in the 450 Rigby, 450 Dakota or 450 Ackley category stoked all the way up whether it be jbullet or cast just gives me a headache thinking about it. That category for accurate-at-distance plains game??? Seems more like a dangerous game shorter range stopper type.... mostly carried by Phs to be used as stoppers. There are a lot of stories about such heavy recoilers carried to Africa by outsiders :(.

I like the idea posted of starting with a 458 WM trying it out with cast and if more is needed then the simple job of 458 Lott ream. The 458 Lott is also in that category listed. Whether or not the 450 Rigby will be as accurate with cast at the higher pressure/velocity levels- who knows. For me, the recoil alone in a sporter bolt gun would likely mask any accuracy the rifle or any load might have and I doubt I could give a load or series of loads a valid accuracy test. :)