275 Rigby

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captdavid

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I am a proud US American. I am also somewhat of an Anglophile. My outlook on life is traditional. For the life of me, I don't understand why the 275rigby/7x57 is not used by the vast majority of you Brits.:british: Although not invented by you, it was 'sporterized' by you. It's one of what Many, including myself, consider 'The Three' big game cartridges, including the 30-06 and 375 H&H. It seems it would be the perfect cartridge for the British Isles much as the 30-06 is for the Americas, because we have the bears. and the 375 for your empire, because of the big boys. It's traditional and perfect for your game. Why isn't it more popular in Britain?:british: capt david. a happy traditional curmudgeon:old:
 
I suspect that calibre choice is driven by availability.
We don't have a well stocked gun shop in every sizeable town, just smaller shops, selling a few rifles and shotguns as part of a wider business.
So buying even the more common calibres can be difficult. Locally, I would have to hunt around to find even 308.

Also the licencing system is set up so that you can't easilly try out different calibres. You have to apply for permission to by a rifle in calibre X, that could take 6months to arrive on your licence. And if youbuy that rifle and decide you want to change, you have to sell off that rifle, send in your licence to be altered and wait again. You can't even sell one rifle and buy another in the same calibre. You have to send the licence away to be varied every time.
So it's usually easier to just pick something that everyone else used and stick with it.
So 308 and 243 are ecerywhere.
 
I realize that laws are tougher there than here, but is ammo sales restricted? can one by multiple boxes at the same time? One could stock up. plus, if it was more popular more would carry it. capt david
 
It's a supply and demand thing. I don't think the 275 / 7x57 was ever that popular. Rigby, Westley Richards, Holland and Holland who all offered the 275 were all top end Gentlemen style rifles. The vast majority of rifles used in Deer stalking were more likely a 303, and most gunmakers produced a sporting version of the 303 Enfield - the Lee Speeds. The top versions would have been bought by officers - who would then carry them whilst on duty, and plainer versions or the basic military style would be used by the Stalker. And post WW2 most estates and the Forestry Commission were using the 303, and as that got phased out the 243, 308 and 270 came to the fore. Most of the older calibres - 303, 6.5 Mannlicher and 7x57 got phased out as their original loadings did n't meet the velocity requirements of the Deer acts with a min of 2450fps.

In Africa the 7x57 was the weapon of the Boers and hence its popularity on that continent, but the 303 was far more widely used.

The 7x57 however hasn't gone away. There is not a hug choice of ammo, but it is available. I have a 7x57 Rigby built in the early 1970's for a friend's father for his stalking estate in the North of Scotland. It shoots really well, but no better or worse than a 308 or 270 - they do the same job. Most good gun shops will get it in and then store it for you. Ammo allowances are limiting - I am only allowed to possess 100 rounds, but I have a batch that I have paid for sitting with a friendly dealer that draw down as required.

The vast majority of deer stalkers, and indeed shotgun shooters in the UK enjoy the shooting / stalking and to be honest the gun is almost an irrelevance. Half the people I shoot with would n't have a clue what their gun actually is. Its a 12 bore and was handed to me by my father, or its a Berreta or Browning. And a highland deer stalker will use a 270 (once a Parker Hale, now a Tikka or Sako) and in England a 308 if he has bigger deer, otherwise a 243.
 
I don't understand why the 275rigby/7x57 is not used by the vast majority of you Brits.
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Cost, Capt. David, cost. This Anglicised version of the 7x57 Mauser sporting rifle was sold mostly by Rigby. Therefore it was a bespoke rifle and therefore less affordable than the volume produced .303 Lee Speed sporting rifles from BSA and the various volume produced 6.5mm calibre Mannlicher rifles. Also it offers nothing that the .270 WCF with 140 grain bullet, or the .303 with 174 grain bullet doesn't offer. But mostly Cost, Capt. david, cost.
 
Sometimes I reflect on younger days and many hundreds of deer ago, when I used my 6.5 x 54 Mannlicher 1903 model stutzen as a woodland rifle, and my 7 x 57 as an open area rifle. I loaded all my own in those days, happy memories and something else to fascinate my great grandkids.
 
I have a BSA sporter in 7x57 I bought 20 odd years ago, it came with an old box of DWM bullets, marked round nose 139grs, load 43.6 grs index no 7036, that I won't shoot. I reload so no need to, this was reportedly a rifle that someone in the forces had, it is marked with the BSA 3 rifle logo. I have used it in Africa, and killed a big kudo with it but the tragetary is somewhat loopy at long ranges. Bell used one on most of the tiger he killed, but at short range, I have all his books, and wanted a 275, so I bought one, no mod will ever be put on it by me, it has just a smallish Leopold, and iron sights. deerwarden
 
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I have just got a 7x57 Rigby. The wood work is a bit tatty so will be on its way to my mate to refurbish. It was built in the late 60,s and I do have all the provenance. It comes up to the eye a treat and will be picking up some ammo soon. I will put a small scope on it but never a mod:eek:. I just need to locate a side mount for it.
Tusker
 
I don't know about the UK, but here we can get Hornady and Nosler brass Marked 275 Rigby at normal prices. capt david
 
Tusker, take it to Africa the next time you go, a 7x57 has authority when you pull the trigger, and it's great to shoot the older calibres, it is a great calibre with history, I envy you refurbing a classic calibre. deerwarden
 
Quite a lot of people don't reload. So needs to be a factory loading.
Even dealers loading for you is not simple.
 
deerwarden said:
Tusker, take it to Africa the next time you go, a 7x57 has authority when you pull the trigger, and it's great to shoot the older calibres, it is a great calibre with history, I envy you refurbing a classic calibre. deerwarden
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That is excactly were it will be 2020 Namibia. Cant wait. This rifle will also be a family rifle and as I have just become a grandfather I will leave it to him in my will. I will post photos when it is finished.
Tusker
 
Sometimes I reflect on younger days and many hundreds of deer ago, when I used my 6.5 x 54 Mannlicher 1903
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Did you have headspace issues with your MS? I had one maybe thirty-five years ago. The same 1903 Model but the sporting version without the schutzen stock. Belonged previously to one of the Orr-Ewings. Factory ammunition then Hirtenberg as the Canadian Dominion was by the 1980s unobtainable. I got rid of the rifle because of the headspace issues and got a Churchill .270 WCF.
 
I like it here in Germany that you can still posses as much ammo and in whatever calibre you want by using a Jagdschein as authority even if you do not own a rifle in that calibre you may need to loan a rifle from another hunter for a few days.
After my times in the USA as experience it is just a more relaxing way of going about your lawful business.
The UK is very over restrictive without real good reason as we are all fully background checked first anyway IMO.
 
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