Well, the link to the article I originally posted no longer works. So, I thought I'd post the entire article.

-Bob F.

Rigby the "Excellent" .275
American Rifleman, Nov 2004
by Joe Coogan

The .275 Rigby - really the 7×57 mm Mauser - is one of the greatest African and North American hunting cartridges of all time. The .275 "never let down" famed elephant hunter "Karamojo" Bell, and still renders sterling service to hunters worldwide today.

"Speaking personally, my greatest successes have been obtained with the 7mm Rigby-Mauser (.275 Rigby) .... It seemed to show a remarkable aptitude for finding the brain of an elephant."-W.D.M. "Karamojo" Bell The hunting exploits of Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell often bring to mind the use of small-caliber rifles for taking Africa's largest game. Bell's adventures and big game experiences are chronicled in three books he wrote-Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter, Bell of Africa and Karamojo Safari. Judging by his accounts of hunting prowess and successes, it may not be too much to suggest that Bell was largely responsible for elevating the .225 Rigby rifle's capabilities to almost mythic heights.

Among his many rifles, Bell considered the .275 Rigby-Mauser a favorite, for it was with this rifle that he reputedly shot many of his more than 1,000 elephants taken during 30 years of hunting in Africa. As the ultimate tribute to his .275 Rigby, Bell claims in Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter, "[T]he fact remains that, although I have used about every other kind of rifle and bullet, the only one which never let me down was my .275 Rigby/Mauser using DWM ammunition."

When Bell first arrived in Africa shortly before the turn of the 20th Century, he was not yet 20 years old. In 1902 he pushed through to a remote territory in northern Uganda called Karamojo, which was destined to become one of his favored hunting grounds. It also accounted for the moniker by which he's most commonly known-"Karamojo" Bell.

As Bell's knowledge and big-game hunting experience increased, he embraced more and more the use of light-caliber rifles like the .256 Mannlicher and .275 Rigby (which he sometimes referred to as the .276). For a majority of the open-country hunting he did, he felt that either one of these calibers was superior to the heavy double guns used by most of the elephant hunters of that period. Bell firmly believed the size of bullet made less difference to the kill than did the placement of the shot, as long as there was sufficient penetration.

Explaining this contradictory concept of little bullets for big game Bell wrote, "I possessed the double .400.1 also had a .275. Sometimes I used one and sometimes the other, and it began to dawn on me that when an elephant was hit in the right place with the .275 it died just as quickly as when hit with the .400, and vice versa. When the bullet from either rifle was wrongly placed death did not ensue." Although Bell was controversial for his firearms predilections, history still counts him among the era's greatest elephant hunters.

Bell's Guns

Shortly before Bell died in his native Scotland in 1953, his accomplishments as an elephant hunter became known to writer Robert Ruark. It was during his first safari with Harry Selby in 1952 that Ruark became fascinated by accounts of Bell's extraordinary big-game achievements. Sometime after his first safari, Ruark happened to be in London and paid a visit to the Westley Richards gun shop. There he discovered that Bell's widow had recently consigned her late husband's guns to Westley Richards to sell.

Ruark bought two of Bell's rifles-a double Jeffery .450/400 N.E. and a .275 Rigby, both of which he earmarked for his godson, Mark Selby. Ruark had small silver nameplates encrraved with "Mark Robert Selbv from Uncle Bob Ruark" inlaid on the buttstocks of each and presented the famous rifles to Harry Selby for safe keeping-Mark was only 2 years old at the time.

Mark's .275 Rigby, originally owned by Bell and given to him by his godfather Robert Ruark, was a take-down model-a useful feature for the traveling sportsman. An early Rigby catalogue describes removing the barrel by grasping the barrel and fore-end with your right hand and placing the stock under your left arm. Pulling open the spring catch in the fore-end with the index finger of your left hand then allowed you to unscrew the barrel and fore-end.

The rifle was also distinctive for the elongated hole that was cut through the butt-stock, the purpose for which is uncertain. Possibly Bell utilized the hole for some form of specialized carry. For whatever reason the hole was meant, this particular feature is unknown on any other Rigby and is not mentioned in any of the Rigby catalogues, so Bell must have cut the stock with some specific purpose in mind.

It was a great privilege for me in 1973 to have the chance to handle that .275 Rigby rifle, by then in Mark's care. It also planted the seed of desire in my mind to one day own such a rifle. The gun's already-rich history was further enhanced by the hunting the Selby family did with it. Both Harry and Mark used the rifle to pot plains game, and in 1973 Mark's younger sister, Gail carried it on an elephant hunt.

Gail with her elephant and the .275 Rigby

Gail, while still in her teens, had indicated to her father a desire to hunt a jumbo. Harry was then Managing Director of Ker, Downey & Selby (KDS) Safaris in Botswana, which late in the season happened to have a few elephants left on quota in one of their hunting concessions. Accompanied by her father and armed with the .275 Rigby stoked with 175-gr. solids, Gail was successful in dropping a good bull in the open grasslands of the Mababe Depression in northern Botswana. It was a great personal accomplishment for Gail, and a grand hunt conducted in a style for which Bell surely would have approved.

7×57 mm Mauser History

The .275 Rigby cartridge is also called the 7×57 mm Mauser or 7 mm Mauser (to further confuse things, in some pre-World War II ammunition catalogues it's referred to as the .276). Starting out life as a military cartridge, the 7×57 mm was first developed in 1892 for the Model 1892 Mauser rifles. According to Barnes' Cartridges of the World, in 1893, Mauser introduced an improved bolt-action rifle for the 7x57 mm that was adopted by the Spanish military. Later and with minor modifications the Model 1895 was adopted by other European and many Latin-American governments.

Americans first felt the sting of the new 7×57 mm military cartridge at San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War of 1898. The vastly outnumbered Spaniards (around 700) instilled serious casualties (around 1,400) on Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and other American troops with the 7×57 mm Mauser rifle. The upshot of that devastating experience for the United States was the development of the Model 1903 Springfield rifle, which embodies many of the fine features of the Mauser Model 98 action.

The 7×57 mm's performance during the Boer War of 1899-1902 is even more significant for the lasting impression it made on the British, who suffered major losses at the hands of the Boer sharpshooters using "the Mauser."The Boers, or Afrikaners, were white South Africans of Dutch and Huguenot descent who clashed with British rule in South Africa. Friction between the Boers and the British eventually led to war in October of 1899, when the Boer republics in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State invaded the British Colony of Natal.

As a group, the Boers were extremely accomplished rifle shots, the majority of them living off the land, as it were, in remote areas that teemed with game. Anticipating the impending conflict, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State had imported quantities of Mauser Model 1895 rifles chambered in 7×57 mm and supplied them to the enlistees of local "commandos."

When the British eventually took over the towns and cities in the Boer republics, the Boers dispersed into the vast countryside in small groups to fight a fast-moving, hard-hitting guerilla campaign. Largely successful because of their shooting skills with the 7×57 mm rifles, the Boers held off the might of the British Empire for more than 18 months, but finally surrendered in May of 1902.

It is generally acknowledged that the English soldiers were no match for the Boers when it came to rifle shooting. The Boer War generated great respect for the 7×57 mm, on both sides, and it wasn't long before the British gunmakers began, as did Mauser, chambering Mauser Model 98-action rifles for the plucky little cartridge. The original 7×57 mm military round utilized a 173-gr. round-nose bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2296 f.p.s. and 2025 ft.-lbs. of energy. Other loads were used by various countries with bullets ranging in weight from 139 grs. up to the original 173-gr. loading.

After World War II the United States saw an influx of surplus of Mauser action 7×57 mm rifles come available, many of which were purchased by sportsmen who converted them to more popular chamberings of the day. Most did not realize that the 7×57 mm round in the hands of an experienced hunter was, in fact, far superior to calibers like the .30-30 Win. for most North American hunting. Sound advice then as it is now is-if the barrel is in good shape-leave a 7×57 mm military rifle in its original chambering.

Currently, factory rifles available in 7×57 mm include Ruger's M77 Mark II Standard rifle and the Ruger single-shot No. Is in both International and Sporter configurations. CZ-USA also offers the 7×mm in its Model 550 American, which features a Mauser-style action, square-bridge receiver, hammer-forged barrel and single-set trigger.

Ammunition for the 7×57 mm is available from Federal in a 140-gr. Nosier Partition, a 140-gr. Speer Hot-Cor SP, and a 175-gr. round-nose soft-point; Winchester has a 145-gr. Super-X 139-gr. loads with either SST Light Magnum or Spire Point bullets. Quality factory loads generally offer adequate velocities somewhere between 2400 and 2600 f.p.s., but if you handload cautiously and carefully for a modern, strong-action rifle, you can obtain significantly higher velocities.

Rigby's 275

In 1907 John Rigby & Co., one of the first to recognize the sporting capabilities of the military cartridge adopted it for its own Mauser-action magazine rifle and called it the .275 Rigby. At the time Rigby was the British agent for Mauser who supplied all of the commercial Mauser Model 98 actions for Rigby rifles. The popularity of the 7×57 mm sporting cartridge grew such that by the 1920s several other London gunmakers, including Purdey, Jeffery, Westley Richards and Cogwell & Harrison, offered rifles chambered for what the British were commonly calling the .275.

As specified in its 1924 catalog, Rigby offered three versions of the .275 Rigby rifle. The Model No. 1, with a 23 ½'' barrel and weighing 7 ½'' lbs., was meant for shooting the 175-gr. bullet. The Model No. 2 High Velocity with a 23 ½'' barrel and weighing 7½ lbs., was intended for using high-velocity 140-gr. ammo designed for Scottish deer stalking. The Model No. 3 Light Weight rifle with a 21'' barrel and weighing 6 ¾ lbs., was Rigby's answer for a lady or youth model. The Model No. 3 could be ordered for use with either 175-gr. loads, or the highvelocity 140-gr. loads, which needed to be specified upon ordering.

My chance to own one of the Model No. 2 High Velocity Rigby rifles came about in the mid-1980s when Athol Frylinck, a fellow professional hunter from Zambia, happened upon a couple of vintage .275 Rigbys. He bought the rifles, but couldn't justify keeping them both, so he contacted me to see if I was interested in buying one. Fortunately, his offer came at the end of a good season, and a price of $1,250 didn't sound like too much. Besides, owning a .275 Rigby was something I'd dreamed of ever since handling the Bell .275 Rigby rifle belonging to Mark.

The rifle I bought was made sometime in the mid-1920s, when generally it's considered the best ones were produced. The rifle was simply elegant with sleek lines and fine scroll engraving on the magazine belly plate, and it handled like a fitted quail gun. But therein lay the single wrinkle-it sported open express-style sights (one standing leaf with two folding) with no means for accommodating a scope. The rifle was in excellent original condition, and far too exquisite to consider drilling and tapping the receiver for scope mounts.

I consoled myself with the simple joy of owning and shooting the rifle with open sights and accepting its limitations. A couple of years later another deal for a second .275 Rigby landed in my lap. Paul Roberts, then owner of John Rigby & Co. in London, was on safari with Safari South, the Botswana outfitter I worked for. During the safari I discussed the optics deficiency of my .275 with Roberts. He agreed that to retain the rifle's true value at this stage, it was best not to modify it.

Roberts proposed a mutually beneficial arrangement that resulted in my taking delivery of another vintage-1920s .275 Rigby-this one was complete with factory engraved and fitted, lever-detachable scope rings to accommodate a variable Kahles scope. The Mauser wing safety was replaced by a factory-fitted safety similar to a Model 70-type, designed for use with a scope.

The slim little rifle also sports the very desirable Rigby special aperture sight designed for use without a scope. The compact, retractable aperture sight is mounted on the rear of the bolt's cocking piece, and may be either kept below the line of sight when not required or quickly raised by the milled-edge wheel to the desired height. The elevations for different distances are indicated by white lines on the edge of the wheel.

A .275 Rigby on Safari

The rifle is a real gem, which for several years I kept safely stored in the States. But the thought of initiating the venerable old Rigby on an African hunt, for my purposes, was most appealing. I'd been away from Botswana for a few years when I had the opportunity to return to join Harry Selby on safari. Of course I jumped at the chance and decided this was the perfect occasion for my .275 Rigby's African baptism.

From the moment I arrived at a remote bush airstrip deep in the Okavango Delta's Matsebe concession, things happened fast. I climbed out of the small single-engine aircraft to greet Harry with a handshake and a broad grin. Also there to meet me was Sanga, my old gunbearer who now worked for Harry. It was great to see him again for we had spent many years on safari together. Now, we would be hunting an area we all knew well from having conducted many safaris there during our Safari South years.

"Pity you weren't here yesterday." Harry mentioned casually, as he placed my rifles still in soft cases in the gun racks behind the cab of his hunting vehicle. "Saw a really big kudu, not far from camp." Harry is a master of understatement, so when he describes a kudu as being "really big," chances are it was a real eye-popper.

"Let's get one of your rifles ready," Harry suggested. "You never know what we might see on the way to camp. What have you brought?"

"A post '64-Model 70 Winchester in .375 H&H and a .275 Rigby," I said. "The Rigby is ready to go, but I still need to sight-in the Model 70 with some new ammo I've brought."

I had Harry's attention with the mention of the Rigby. His back-up gun for more than 40 years of safari work was a .416 Rigby, so he knew better than most the quality for which the name of Rigby stands. Harry instructed Sanga to take the Rigby from its soft case while I dug through my duffel bag for a box of ammo. He had not yet seen this .275 Rigby, so it was with pride that I watched him handle, admire and praise the feel of the elegant little bolt rifle.

I had worked up some extremely accurate handloads using a recipe developed by Aggie Whitaker, a good friend and gun aficionado from Atlanta. His recipe utilizes a charge of H414 to push a 150-gr. Nosier Partition bullet at around 2800 f.p.s. I'd gained a lot of confidence in the load from many range sessions and had taken several whitetails with it in Arkansas, Texas and Florida.

I've always enjoyed hunting kudu, whether it was accompanying clients, or for myself, and knowing we were in good country capable of producing a big bull was very satisfying. It felt good to breath in the sweet grass smell of late-afternoon in the Okavango Delta as we drove by herds of giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, impalas and tsessebes on our way to camp.

The air chilled rapidly with a sinking sun close to the horizon. With less than 15 minutes of daylight left and not far from camp, Harry suddenly stopped the Land Cruiser and looked through his binoculars. At least a half-dozen large-bodied antelope were barely visible across a flood plain several hundred yards away.

"There's your kudu. It's the same bull we saw yesterday. He's with a couple of younger bulls and five or six cows," Harry said. "They haven't seen the vehicle yet. Drop off here with Sanga and see if you can get to that palm island."

I stepped out of the vehicle with my .275 Rigby in hand and crouched low in the grass. Sanga was at my side, and as we moved at a crouching run, we quickly put the island between the kudu herd and ourselves. We reached the island's fringe of thick bush and scrub palmetto and crossed 75 yds. of open ground to the opposite side. At the edge of cover I parted several palm fronds to spot the kudu bull about 200 yds. away. He was to the right of the cows and watching in their direction. I knew this was as close as I was going to get.

I settled as solidly as I could in a kneeling position and used my Underwood foldable shooting sticks to steady the rifle. I found the kudu in my scope and placed the crosshairs on his shoulder. His chest was deep, and I put the horizontal crosshair just below the middle of his shoulder, and lined up the vertical crosshair with his front leg. I took a breath, let a little out, and began to squeeze the trigger, resisting a strong urge to pull it quickly. I was slightly surprised when the shot went off, the way you are when you know the shot is good. The bull jumped at the shot and a faint whunksound drifted back to indicate a hit.

I reloaded and watched the bull through the scope ready to shoot again. He loped for 50 yds. before he slowed to a walk, then wobbled and toppled over on his side. Sanga was already up and congratulating me with hand shakes and back slaps. We walked up to the bull, which seemed to grow bigger the closer we got. It was with pure delight that I held up 57" of beautiful spiraling horn as Harry drove up with the vehicle.

"I could tell by the sound of the shot that it was good," Harry told me, as he offered his hand in congratulations. "Jolly good show!"

I savored those few words of congratulations, which carried with them the weight of unspoken approval from one of Africa's most experienced professional hunters. I also felt proud for making a successful stalk with Sanga, and for making a good shot, but most importantly for having the privilege to take such a grand animal with a truly classic rifle and cartridge. The baptism of my .275 Rigby rifle was not only successful, but it further instilled in me an appreciation of the .275's legendary status as garnered by a man named Bell so many years ago.
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Gail Selby Wentink's website: http://gabrimaun.tripod.com/