Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa CZ 550 or Ruger RSM (in 416 rigby)

planning a Cape Buffalo hunt in 2014. Want to buy the rifle soon so I can become very familiar with it.
Which one is the best bang for the buck. Or is something out there in the same price range better?

My suggestion is, between these two rifles, don't buy the best bang for the buck. Buy the rifle you like best. In the total cost of your hunt, the price difference between these two rifles is insignificant.

That being said, I went with the CZ American. It came up to my shoulder more naturally than the Ruger. The downside of the CZ is that it requires a little work to smooth it out. After 5 or six hours of polishing, mine was smooth as glass.

An interesting side note is that in safari camp I was in, several of the young PHs, who carried 375H&Hs or 416 Remingtons, aspired to own a CZ in 416 Rigby. They really liked to handle my rifle. I don't really know why they liked it, but it was interesting to watch.

405wcf

My Ruger RSM is a 458 Lott, not the Rigby. But it is very reliable and I plan to use it on elephant this year. It didn't require any additional work other than a better recoil pad than the factory issued one and a larger front bead due to my bad eyes.

Which one fits you? You will want to do a few things to the CZ, but epoxying inserts in, bedding the action/receiver area, etc. is no big deal if the stock fits you better than the Ruger.

With the bigger bores it is all about recoil management and stock fit. (My .416 Rigby CZ 550 Safari Magnum is not a "classic" / American stock. I bedded with Steel-Bed and put a Leupold 1.7x5 scope in Talley rings on it.)

There is a RSM 416 Rigby for sale on Accruate Reloading right now.

I handled both and preferred the Ruger. Mine is very accurate the worked fine on the one elephant I shot with it. Something else to consider is the twist rate in the barrel. CZ uses a slower twist than Ruger in the 416 Rigby and I saw one post where a guy using the CZ with 400 Gr. Barnes TSX experienced tumbling on Cape Buffalo with that long bullet. My Ruger RSM shoots them along with the Barnes solids very accurately.

I've owned a total of 5 416 RSMs (still have 3) and one CZ 416 with the old Euro stock. If I had to start from scratch, I'd get the CZ American and spend the $500 difference between the RSM on this upgrade No 1.

http://www.hunting-rifles.com/CZ/CZowners.htm

Pete

I would go with the CZ model because they for one, have the real Express Sights on the rifle. Now every CZ I have purchased so far, has been a tack driver. The CZ model also felt better in my hands and mounted to the shoulder better for me, a personal thing but that what counts.

Now you can read the results of tests done on ALL models or rifles in the NRA Hunter magazine (.22 caliber rifles) and the only rifle that is mentioned of shooting tiny groups the size of a quarter at 100 yards, is the CZ brand of rifles. The author states that he has had the same type of accuracy with several caliber CZ rifles!Now granted this article is not about Big Bore rifles but if they put that kind of quality in a $400 dollar rifle, it will also be in their $1000 dollar guns too.

Those Express Sights that they advertise on "Tracks Across Africa" are not in my humble opinion real Express Sights. So there you go, so much for the marketing BS. Now if I didn't already have model 70 Winchesters in the .458 Win mag, .458-Lott and .470-Capstick, I would be taking home a couple of those CZ rifles for my African hunt in the near future.

Don't know what you consider "real Express sights." IMO the Ruger has exactly that - a simple single-blade wide V that can't get flipped down and where you won't have the 300 yard sight flipped up inadvertently for a 25 yard shot. I won't argue about the FS - I replaced mine - but the rear is exactly what's needed, rugged, simple, visible, always ready and (almost) idiot proof.

Fancy multi-blade 'express sights' may look cool, but with DGRs reliable simplicity trumps looks every time IMHO.

They're both good guns, both their pros and cons from what I've heard. I have a CZ it needed some work to start with, but it shouts sub .75" groups with a multitude of loads. The CZ's probably need a little more smoothing work to start with but cost less. They may be a tad more accurate though on average from what I've heard...

Chuck

IMO the Ruger is a much nicer rifle, albiet more expensive..but the African model with its better wood, and the intregal quarter rib, is the best bang for the buck in a factory rifle to date..the intregal quarter rib alone on a custom rifle will cost you twice as much as the complete Ruger rifle..

I'd go with the Ruger African model..I would also opt for the 416 Rem. same balistics, dies, brass are cheaper and more available, the bolt throw is shorter, cases are smaller, ect, ect...Unless your a nostalgic, in which case the Rigby may be for you..If I have an action that big, I want a real big bore like a 500 Jefferys or 505, but I don't like the recoil on them so I stay with the 416 Rem and for my nostalgic side I opt for the 404 Jefferys.

Ray, I'm a Ruger fan too, both of the African (Hawkeye) and of the RSM (Mark II Magnum) models. However, the African while available in the 416 Ruger (in the standard 30-06-length action) is not available in the 416 Rem, which requires a long (375 H&H length) action. The only 416 cartridge available in the RSM is the Rigby variant.

But, I do agree with you that the RSM is worth every penny and sufficiently reliable right of the box as a DGR, though a few (relatively) minor changes do improve it IME.

Thanks guys for your input, I went with the Ruger RSM

Good choice, good rifle.

The only needed upgrade in that $500.00package is the bolt moved forward, $10.00 by the guys at Pacnor cause they thought a 416 Rigby was kind of unique. Not a normal service they provide.

Still, give me a why for changing the safety and the trigger. Because I don't see the need, and especially for that amount of money.

Congrats on the new Ruger, what ever rifle its in the 416 Rigby is a real winner.

I missed this thread while in Calif visiting the kids and grandkids.

Congrats on getting a nice rifle in a terrific caliber. Before taking the Ruger on a dangerous game hunt, be sure to have the safety lever modified so it is not HIDING so deeply and well inside the bolt shroud when engaged. A good gunsmith with a wire feed welder and a dremel or other small grinder should be able to fix that one and only - but major - flaw in the Ruger rifle.

Also, check and double check feeding reliability at high bolt operating speeds with the ammo you plan to use.

Good luck and good hunting.

MARK