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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3757
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Rigby Anniversary Boars
#392876 - 10/08/25 02:36 AM

The 250th Anniversary of Rigby this year inspired me to carry the .275 HV Model currently in my custody, for a stint in the Back Country Hunting blocks.
I was hoping to bring some game to bag as a celebration of Rigby's long history of gun-making and my respect for their marvelous hunting rifles from the golden era.
Accompanied by Mark (m239) with a .400 Nitro and Ian with a .458, I was happy to carry the diminutive stalking rifle with confidence knowing that any buffalo encountered would be dealt with by my buddies.
The first chance came when a reasonable boar jumped from a hidden wallow and bounded up a steep embankment to flee. As he topped the bank, my 140gr Woodleigh Protected Point caught him in the throat and destroyed the jugular and/or carotids, dropping him instantly but the death throes took him back down into the creek bed.

A couple of kms later, I was poking my way through a creek meander shrouded in long grass when a shout from Ian got my immediate attention! "Coming your way!"
I barely had time to mount the rifle before the fleeing hog topped the intervening rise and raced past my position at full gallop.
Luckily I got the lead right this time and placed the 140-grainer perfectly on the shoulder, bringing his frenzied flight to a skidding halt!

While these quarry were not huge in the tusk department, I was more than happy to bag a couple of decent boars under exciting circumstances in the company of good mates to help celebrate Rigby's important milestone year.

Next task will be to bag a brace or three of magpie geese with the Rising Bite Sidelock shooting bismuth twos when the season opens early next month.
Hopefully Mark can make it back up to the Top End to share a few sun-rises out on the floodplain!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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85lc
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Reged: 19/01/18
Posts: 1217
Loc: Georgia, USA

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392877 - 10/08/25 03:11 AM

Tony, What a great tribute to teh 250 year old Rigby Gun Company. Nice shooting.

--------------------
RB

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93x64mm
.416 member

Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4477
Loc: Nth QLD Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: 85lc]
#392882 - 10/08/25 07:00 AM

Wonderful to see you had a great day out together with good mates & an old Rigby to boot!
Nice pigs regardless of who got them!
Those little 7mm 140gn certainly do a good job, that what I use in my 7x57 & 7x64! Is Woodleigh back making all their lines again Tony?

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Rule303
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Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 5283
Loc: Woodford Qld

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392885 - 10/08/25 08:17 AM

Marrakai what a great way to spend the day and with great results.

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m239
.300 member

Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Rule303]
#392886 - 10/08/25 09:49 AM

What a great week we had - it was a joy to see the Marrakai .275 Rigby taking game with grand aplomb as always.

A fitting celebration of Rigby’s 250th.

I was able to make a meagre contribution to the porcine tally, just scraping into the 250th celebrations on our last morning, decking a sow that broke from long grass with the Big Rigby, the 450 grain Woodleigh soft proving emphatic. At the report of the .416, pigs egressed the long grass en masse. Despite another couple of shots, they all made it out there. Our efforts at giving chasing only resulting in shortness of breath.

The miraculous end to that little encounter was we even managed to recover 2 of my 3 Bertram empties, despite the bedlam and vegetation :-)

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m239
.300 member

Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392887 - 10/08/25 11:28 AM

Despite thorough planning of the anniversary trip - we’d overlooked arranging a Rigby birthday cake - so had to improvise, adapt and overcome with an attempt at coal baked campfire banana splits using some stale old Army ration pack M&Ms.

I can state with certainty it was the best desert we had all week - possibly as it was the only one

;-)

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3757
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392888 - 10/08/25 04:51 PM

That Rigby Birthday Cake wouldn't have won any beauty contests, but in the context of a hunt-camp desert it hit the spot.
Needed room in the esky for buffalo backstraps...

Mark and Ian knocked over four buffs for the week, mostly meat animals, while my .400 Jeffery retained clean barrels.
Unsurprisingly, none fell to the .275 Rigby!

Barry: There's a back-story to the 140gr .275 Protected Points! I had none and couldn't get any locally, the gen being that .30-cals had only just started arriving consistently in Darwin and the .275s were not yet available but expected soon. Luckily Mark had a couple dozen spare from before the fire, so sent them on ahead. They arrived in my PO Box with only a day to spare!
I believe Mark has spoken to Shirley recently about 7mm/.275 production and may elaborate.

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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m239
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Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392889 - 10/08/25 05:09 PM

Quote:

Luckily Mark had a couple dozen spare from before the fire, so they arrived in a padded post-bag with only a day to spare!

And I had a spare 20 of the 7mm 140 grainers aka Rigby Special HVs ;-) on standby ready to bring with me if Australia Post aka ‘The Donkey Express’ didn’t deliver.

Quote:

I believe Mark has spoken to Shirley recently about 7mm production and may elaborate.

Shirley expected the 7mm’s (in general) would be in production within the next 3 months or so.

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40770
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392890 - 10/08/25 05:32 PM

Well done guys.

Those Right .275s are certainly special rifles. So slim and petite. I'm sure most of us would love one.

What action length are they as a standard?

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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m239
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Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: NitroX]
#392891 - 10/08/25 05:57 PM

Quote:

Well done guys.

What action length are they as a standard?

Thanks John - my .275 is a custom I had Rolf Bachnick do on a small ring 98 - from memory originally produced for one of the South American contracts.

I think a standard length action

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NitroX
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Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392893 - 10/08/25 08:42 PM

Quote:

Needed room in the esky for buffalo backstraps...

Mark and Ian knocked over four buffs for the week, mostly meat animals,

How much meat do you take?

The back blocks? Are these the back blocks of the Park?

Quote:

while my .400 Jeffery retained clean barrels.
Unsurprisingly, none fell to the .275 Rigby!

Yet the .275 and more so, the 6.5mm was Bell's buffalo slayer.

Quote:

I believe Mark has spoken to Shirley recently about 7mm/.275 production and may elaborate.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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NitroX
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Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392895 - 10/08/25 08:51 PM

Thanks Mark. Have you pictured your rifle? If not this thread elsewhere on NE?

I'm also referring to Marrakai's vintage Rigby. I'm interested in what action length was used? I remember for Rigby's recreation of the Corbett rifle, was an intermediate length action was required.

Beautiful, petite, slim rifles.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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93x64mm
.416 member

Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4477
Loc: Nth QLD Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392896 - 10/08/25 09:27 PM

Quote:

That Rigby Birthday Cake wouldn't have won any beauty contests, but in the context of a hunt-camp desert it hit the spot.
Needed room in the esky for buffalo backstraps...

Mark and Ian knocked over four buffs for the week, mostly meat animals, while my .400 Jeffery retained clean barrels.
Unsurprisingly, none fell to the .275 Rigby!

Barry: There's a back-story to the 140gr .275 Protected Points! I had none and couldn't get any locally, the gen being that .30-cals had only just started arriving consistently in Darwin and the .275s were not yet available but expected soon. Luckily Mark had a couple dozen spare from before the fire, so sent them on ahead. They arrived in my PO Box with only a day to spare!
I believe Mark has spoken to Shirley recently about 7mm/.275 production and may elaborate.

Great to hear that you landed some buffalo backstraps, well it ended up in your esky that's the main thing!
Yep I would have ditched those M&M's too - the dessert may have looked a bit rough, but I reckon it would have went down well with a few rums!

Stoked that you got the Woodies off Mark for the hunt, he wouldn't let you or anyone down for that matter, especially not on Rigby's 250th; especially if you were using a 275 High velocity, it just wouldn't be cricket if he didn't!

Well done lads - bloody jealous!

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3757
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: 93x64mm]
#392903 - 11/08/25 06:19 PM

Here's one of the buffs that fell to our rifles, a joint effort in this case as Mark was best positioned
to administer quietus once Ian's opener had stopped the bull:

A better candidate for the ice-box. Ian on the knife:

John:

Quote:

Yet the .275 and more so, the 6.5mm was Bell's buffalo slayer.

Karamojo Bell used the heavy round-nosed FMJ solids for all his .256 and .275 shooting as I understand it.
Seem to recall his barrel had "never been polluted by the passage of a soft-point bullet".
I would consider shooting at a buffalo with a HV 140-grain soft-point while on foot in the presence of others to be fairly irresponsible.
...especially when "the others" are more appropriately armed!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

Edited by Marrakai (11/08/25 09:27 PM)

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m239
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Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392905 - 11/08/25 10:11 PM

I reckon Marrakai's marksmanship with the .275 is closer to Bell's than mine ;-)

We've just had some of the backstrap for dinner tonight. The reverse sear approach worked well.

I'm sure Waidmannsheil Matt would have got a better result. ;-)

Have some more minced up for burgers or sausages later in the week.

It was great to tip some bulls over with the 450/400 NE - it's got a very special history, having been in Mick 264's capable hands previously - they are big boots to fill.

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85lc
.400 member

Reged: 19/01/18
Posts: 1217
Loc: Georgia, USA

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392909 - 12/08/25 02:09 AM

m239, That looks like a great meal.

--------------------
RB

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Claydog
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Reged: 17/08/12
Posts: 1177
Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: NitroX]
#392911 - 12/08/25 07:49 AM

Thats a nice looking little Rigby. Have you posted pictures of it on here somewhere Marakai?

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3757
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Claydog]
#392914 - 12/08/25 09:13 AM

Clay:
Details of that Rigby .275 HV Best currently in my care were posted previously on these forums HERE.

Its certainly a cutie!
...if a stalking rifle can be described as such.

Here's a reminder:

New acquisitions and other projects (and grandkids!) seem to continuously overtake my commitment to filing-up a replacement
rear square-bridge for that .275...
Hopefully I'll get to it one day soon!

It would be nice to get it done during Rigby's anniversary year.

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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Claydog
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Reged: 17/08/12
Posts: 1177
Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392918 - 13/08/25 07:39 AM

One of the nicest Rigby 275s I have seen.Love the bolt handle.

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3757
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Claydog]
#392923 - 13/08/25 02:39 PM

That style of bolt handle is certainly uncommon and may be exclusive to Rigby.

Karamojo Bell's .275 had the same bolt handle.
We know this because that very rifle was bought by Robert Ruark in the 1950s and later presented to his godson,
professional hunter Harry Selby.
Selby's daughter Gail famously killed a bull elephant with it in 1973 on the open savanna using 175gr solids.
Bell would have been stoked!

Did I mention I like Rigbys...?

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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Waidmannsheil
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Reged: 19/04/13
Posts: 2534
Loc: Melbourne Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Marrakai]
#392924 - 13/08/25 05:38 PM

Looks like a great trip away Tony, with some good mates and nice rifles. That 275 is a gem and looks fantastic, good to see you guys had a successful hunt as well.
Which block did you hunt ?

Matt.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.

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Waidmannsheil
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Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392925 - 13/08/25 05:40 PM

Lol thanks Mark but i think you did a pretty good looking job on those buffalo backstraps. Some Chimichurri would go really well with that meat.

Matt.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.

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m239
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Reged: 13/09/17
Posts: 152
Loc: Australia

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Waidmannsheil]
#392926 - 13/08/25 06:31 PM

Thanks Matt - Southern block this time.

Did some backstraps in a Thai style sauce last year that was pretty good.

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NitroX
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: Waidmannsheil]
#392928 - 13/08/25 08:53 PM

Quote:

Some Chimichurri would go really well with that meat.

Matt, do you make your own Chimichurri?

I make my own Salsa Criolla and Chimichurri. The SalsaCriolla is traditional. But instead of a leafy, cut up small leaf, chimichurri, I prefer the chimichurri run through a blender with a small amount of red chillis. Argentinian Salsa Criolla and Chimichurri go very well with grilled meat, steak, chops, sausages, roasts.

Would be great with grilled or roasted buffalo.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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NitroX
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: Rigby Anniversary Boars [Re: m239]
#392929 - 13/08/25 08:54 PM

Quote:

Looks great.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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