257 Roberts or 275 Rigby?

[d4dave1]

Gibbs505 you may very well be correct as two things have happened since I last read the Maneaters of Kumaon. 50 some odd years have gone by and uhhhhh...the other thing is.....uhhhh...I FORGET....damn it!

I do vaguely remember reading about Col Corbett carrying his Rigby 275 once looking to shoot a sambar for bait and finding himself very close to the maneater he was hunting. He talked about how much he liked the 275 but felt that, given the choice, he would prefer to have his other rifle so he chose to ease out of the situation to return again the next day with his double rifle.

I no longer remember what the other caliber was that he used? I lent my old original book that I was given back in the early 60's to someone who chose to not return it. Just a book, nothing special but it was given to me by someone special and I sure would have liked it back. As it is I found a newer copy on line and bought it and it sits in my library. I should dig it out and read it again someday.

You can say what you want about the Brits and the Raj in India but one has to admit that Corbett must of had Kahoonies the size of Texas!
Regards,
Dave​

 

[Gibbs505]

You are right d4d, when Col Corbett went to hunt the Champawat Man-eater, he carried a 500 rifle, never mentioned the make, but only carried three bullets. He figured that he would only get one shot and the other two bullets were spares!!

 

[Boomer]

There was of course the occasion where Col. Corbett came eye to eye with a tigress, who apparently was sizing him up for her next snack. He very slowly rotated the muzzle of his .275 Rigby until he was instinctively lined up on her, then pressed the trigger. It must have worked, as he was around to write it down later.

My personal preference would be the 7X57 over the .257 Bob (one half of a .275 - .416 brace of Rigbys) but perhaps what you should do is pretend both rifles are chambered alike, and simply choose the one that looks better, feels better, and catches your imagination, better.

 

[bearkilr]

Calling it a 275 Rigby doesn't make it more powerful or efficient than a 7x57 Mauser.

 

[d4dave1]

Calling it a 275 Rigby doesn't make it more powerful or efficient than a 7x57 Mauser.

You are absolutely 100% correct. I guess it is more or less how it rolls off the tongue...lol

Comparative I suppose to calling your daughter by her given name or calling her "you sweet little tax deduction!"

In this case "beauty" is on the tongue of the beholder rather than the eye.

Personally I have, in my much watered down heritage, a grandmother that was born in India during the Raj, the daughter of a British officer. So I suppose I might be inhabited by a ghost that has a stiff upper lip, a monocole in their eye, a large handlebar moustache and a natural abhorence to call anything by it's common european name.
All in good humour.
Regards,
Dave.

PS. Does anyone know if the Ruger RSI is marked 7x57 or 275 Rigby?​

 

[d4dave1]

There was of course the occasion where Col. Corbett came eye to eye with a tigress, who apparently was sizing him up for her next snack. He very slowly rotated the muzzle of his .275 Rigby until he was instinctively lined up on her, then pressed the trigger. It must have worked, as he was around to write it down later.

My personal preference would be the 7X57 over the .257 Bob (one half of a .275 - .416 brace of Rigbys) but perhaps what you should do is pretend both rifles are chambered alike, and simply choose the one that looks better, feels better, and catches your imagination, better.

You know Boomer I remember that story now that you have refreshed my memory! That is cool. I remember Col Corbett dissecting the situation afterwards and how the fates must have been on his side that day because if he had carried his 500 as he usually did he probably would not have had the muscular strength to rotate the heavier weapon as he was able to and his conviction that had he actually turned his body it would have precipitated an attack.

I still remember reading those stories as a young boy and how the fear caused sweat to trickle down my own temples just reading the story!

I think the only solution to my rifle dilemma is a drive to visit the good folks at Prophet River. I wonder if they would stand a fellow to a cup of coffee after a 5 hour drive?....lol
Regards,
Dave.​

 

[Prophet River]

the only solution to my rifle dilemma is a drive to visit the good folks at Prophet River. I wonder if they would stand a fellow to a cup of coffee after a 5 hour drive?....lol
Regards,
Dave.​

you bet

 

[hoytcanon]

Prophet River has the 7X57 RSI in stock and is taking orders for the RSI Bob... so if you want both, no reason you can't have them both... Clay and the crew are excellent to deal with, but be prepared for the ridiculous price increase for 2014 Ruger's... $1449 + tax and shipping... as compared to the same gun in 2013 at $1149... the Canadian dollar and high demand have inflated prices beyond where they should be IMO... thus far I have picked up all of my No.1's on the used market... I am teetering on the edge of buying one new... or not...

P.S - just clarification... I was not pointing the inflated pricing at Prophet River... the prices are inflated at all retail outlets that I have checked...

 

[Prophet River]

P.S - just clarification... I was not pointing the inflated pricing at Prophet River... the prices are inflated at all retail outlets that I have checked...

Ruger put #1's up 20% this year AND we are looking at another 10% currency. We literally, pay more for them than we sold them for last year and the margin has always been tight on this model.

 

[hoytcanon]

Ruger put #1's up 20% this year AND we are looking at another 10% currency. We literally, pay more for them than we sold them for last year and the margin has always been tight on this model.

That's why I wanted to clarify... it was Ruger jacking their prices across the board... it is certainly not a "cost based" increase... it is a company taking advantage of an abnormally skewed demand... but Ruger is not the only company on that bandwagon. Sucks to be the end user... especially if you failed to pull the trigger in December 2013.

 

[ATOM]

Calling it a 275 Rigby doesn't make it more powerful or efficient than a 7x57 Mauser.

Quite right. Nor does it make it any less of a time-proven very capable medium-game round for those whose fragile egos don't demand something new, shiny, expensive and capable of killing mastodons at three times the distance the average user can hit one.

 

[west250]

Rigby all the way!

So like most folks I have some limits to my firearms budget. The good part is I have unlimited storage available and a wife that likes spending money on her toys (woodworking tools) as well so we can be dysfunctional together....lol

I have been eyeing up a 275 Rigby (7x57) in a Ruger RSI and a 257 Roberts in 1RSI. Buying both would push the limits of both my budget and my survivability but I wouldn't mind owning both. Xmas and my birthday are a ways off but I plan to ask for cash donations to help me feed my addiction.

So any words to help me make a choice?
Regards,
Dave​

 

[Mike Webb]

You are absolutely 100% correct. I guess it is more or less how it rolls off the tongue...lol

Comparative I suppose to calling your daughter by her given name or calling her "you sweet little tax deduction!"

In this case "beauty" is on the tongue of the beholder rather than the eye.

Personally I have, in my much watered down heritage, a grandmother that was born in India during the Raj, the daughter of a British officer. So I suppose I might be inhabited by a ghost that has a stiff upper lip, a monocole in their eye, a large handlebar moustache and a natural abhorence to call anything by it's common european name.
All in good humour.
Regards,
Dave.

PS. Does anyone know if the Ruger RSI is marked 7x57 or 275 Rigby?​

All American firearms so chambered are marked 7x57 or 7mm Mauser as far as I know.
The .275 Rigby handle was used when the word Mauser and perhaps all things German were looked down upon in Great Britain due to the clash of empires in Africa and the outbreak of WW1.
A more versatile round than the Roberts as it should be as the Roberts is just a necked down 7x57.

 

[Gibbs505]

Indeed, there are many more options for the 7MM if you handload. Factory ammo is different of course.

 

[A-zone]

All American firearms so chambered are marked 7x57 or 7mm Mauser as far as I know.
The .275 Rigby handle was used when the word Mauser and perhaps all things German were looked down upon in Great Britain due to the clash of empires in Africa and the outbreak of WW1.
A more versatile round than the Roberts as it should be as the Roberts is just a necked down 7x57.

Cooper does make the M52 Jackson Game in 7x57 (rollmarked "275 Rigby"). It's a sweet rifle but my all-time favourite "woods" rifle was my Ruger Number One RSI ("International") in 7x57 Mauser. Absolutely lethal on whitetails, mule deer, black bear, moose and bull elk (although the elk were taken with a Ruger M77 in the same 7x57 chambering.)

If you hunt in Canada, you will not be undergunned with the 7x57/275 Rigby. I've used everything from 139 grain Hornady Spire Points on deer and moose to 140 grain Barnes Triple Shocks on Kudu and this cartridge WORKS!

(P.S. FWIW, the 120 gr to 175 grain range of bullet sizes really underscores this cartridge's versatility. My preference is the "goldilocks" middle-range of 140 grain bullets, with a preference for solidly-constructed bullets like TSX, Swift A-Frames, Hornady Interbonds or GMX and Nosler Partitions for bigger game like elk, moose and black bear (in Canada) or kudu, wildebeest and other African "plains game").

 

[Mike Webb]

I had a 7x57 for a time, shot three deer and a black bear with four shells. Not much to complain about.

 

[d4dave1]

Well so far it appears to be 9 votes to 4 in favour of the 7x57. As was mentioned by someone else it appears that I could flip a coin and not come out an actual loser either way as both calibers are held in much esteem.

I am in the process of assembling some 6.5x55 M96 Swedish Mausers with new barrelled actions onto sporting stocks so perhaps after I sell a couple of them next winter I will put that money towards locating and buying a 257 in a Ruger RSI.

It would be cool to own one of those old English double rifles in 275 Rigby but I don't think it would be cool needing to re-mortgage the farm in order to buy one....lol. Not sure if they even made them in a caliber as small as 275 Rigby as most of them seem to be made in HUGE calibers like a .989 Nitro Explosive Express Kodiak Elephant Killer.

Sorry guys...just my sick sense of humour there.
Regards,
Dave.​

 

[Mike Webb]

A few doubles rifles and drillings were made in 7x57R which is just a rimmed version of the original mauser round. But most of these were made in Europe not England. "Small" bores in double guns weren't highly regarded in Great Britain, they seem to prefer the rounds that were roughly the same size as asparagus.

 

[c-fbmi]

A few doubles rifles and drillings were made in 7x57R which is just a rimmed version of the original mauser round. But most of these were made in Europe not England. "Small" bores in double guns weren't highly regarded in Great Britain, they seem to prefer the rounds that were roughly the same size as asparagus.

The Brits actually made some very nice smaller bore doubles that I have seen, 303 was quite common and I have seen and shot a H&H double in 250 Savage, it was the German cartridges they shied away from more than smaller doubles. Wesley Richards made some very nice small bore doubles and I wouldn't be surprized to find one in 275 Rigby...........however at likely 60K plus for one in good condition.......well let's just say, not this cowboy! They are a specialty item without rhyme or reason as one doesn't need the reliability and quick second shot really when shooting game appropriately sized to these cartridges, and they function quite nicely through bolt guns unlike the 470 and other NE cartridges the double was specifically designed for.

Dave, if you decide not to pick up the mod 77 RSI in 7X57, please let me know where it is. I am currently without a 7X57 and I like the 77 RSIs. Or did I misread and both are in #1 RSIs

 

[d4dave1]

The Brits actually made some very nice smaller bore doubles that I have seen, 303 was quite common and I have seen and shot a H&H double in 250 Savage, it was the German cartridges they shied away from more than smaller doubles. Wesley Richards made some very nice small bore doubles and I wouldn't be surprized to find one in 275 Rigby...........however at likely 60K plus for one in good condition.......well let's just say, not this cowboy! They are a specialty item without rhyme or reason as one doesn't need the reliability and quick second shot really when shooting game appropriately sized to these cartridges, and they function quite nicely through bolt guns unlike the 470 and other NE cartridges the double was specifically designed for.

Dave, if you decide not to pick up the mod 77 RSI in 7X57, please let me know where it is. I am currently without a 7X57 and I like the 77 RSIs. Or did I misread and both are in #1 RSIs

Ha ha ha ha....laughing maniacally at the thought of saying to my wife "Honest dear I REALLY need this Wesley Richards rifle in 7x57 for $60,000.00 dollars!"

I wonder what one might cost that has been dropped in the African mud and then trampled by an elephant and then the blood chewed off the stock by the hyena's??

PM sent about the RSI's.
Regards,
Dave.​