Oh, the glory…
My hand and heart yearn for this piece, which is entirely out of my league. Ah, well. I am glad it exists. Here is the Karamojo Bell tribute Rigby Highland Stalker, presented beautifully. Class of the field.
The African big game hunter is celebrated worldwide as an advocate for accurate shot placement using smaller calibre rifles, a technique he perfected by the dissection and study of the skulls of elephants he shot, namely with his Rigby Mauser 7×57.
The limited run of just 50 rifles is the first model in Rigby’s new Heritage Series, which will form part of a collector’s series over the forthcoming years. Based on the original 1928 Rigby rifle design, on the magazine floor plate is the engraving of ‘W.D.M.B’, as per Bell’s original rifle. Plus the rifle has a Rigby spoon bolt handle and Mauser flag safety just like Bell’s.
Similarly the rifle features a Mauser 98 action, as well as an ivorine front fore sight and custom design rear half moon sight, regulated at 100, 300 and 400 yards, as per the original rifle. It also comes with a spare interchangeable standard Rigby rear sight regulated at 65, 150 and 250 yards.
Presented in a limited edition vintage style canvas case, the rifle comes with a limited edition print of the Rigby ledger book where Bell’s gun is listed, a Rigby knife and a copy of new previously unpublished stories by Bell, ‘Incidents from an Elephant Hunter’s Diary’, signed by all the Rigby gunmakers involved in production of the rifle.
The rifle is available in .275 Rigby, as per Bell’s original rifle.
Bell was one of the greatest of the Frontier Partisan hunters — and one of my heroes. Read a full piece on his remarkable life here.
wayne says
Can’t get enough John Seerey-Lester!
lane batot says
Sorta in the same subject line–I FINALLY got a copy(a recent nice reprint) of the epic African adventurer P. J. Pretorius–his own autobiography “Jungle Man”–just EXCELLENT! A bit pricy(for my peasant arse), but DAMN worth every farthing! Of course, he describes all his guns throughout, too(I’m more interested in his dog references, though)….
JimC says
One of my favorite books.
RLT says
“…which is entirely out of my league.”
I hear you there. My ever-fluctuating gun collection is at an all-time low due to bills and such. In fact, I’m down to just the muzzleloader, which is probably going to be my deer rifle this fall unless something changes.
The Rigby is gorgeous, of course. I’m sure the knife it comes with is pretty high-quality too. And unpublished Bell stories? That right there might be worth the price of admission. Or at least an internet search in three or four months…
JimC says
You know what they say — beware of a man with just one rifle; he likely knows how to use it…
RLT says
Especially one that loads 4 times a minute, because anything that arises between those gets the hatchet.
RLT says
…aaaaand apparently Lyman issued a recall on my muzzleloader. Guess everything is getting the hatchet.
JimC says
Noooooooo!!!!!
John M Roberts says
I just got up, went outside, and like every normal man saluted the rising sun with a rousing rendition of “‘Enery the Eighth I Am, I Am.” This has nothing to do with the subject at hand, I just thought I should share it. Now I’m going to do the other thing all sane men do under the circumstances. I’m going back to bed.
JimC says
Top of the morning to you JMR.
Thom Eley says
Hope the shooter is using something bigger than a .275 Rigby. However, I wouldn’t mind having one!
JimC says
Bell was noted for using that caliber on elephants. He was a very precise shot. He also tripped on his balls when he was running.