Originally Posted by
Big Uncle
Actually the .416 Ruger is becoming fairly popular with the Africa hunting crowd, as is the .375 Ruger. Some guys that live in South Africa have told me that ammunition for the .375 Ruger is sometimes easier to get than the good old H&H. Both Ruger cartridges share the same basic case. I believe they are here to stay.
It is always good advice to buy brass for any cartridge.
The CZ550 has a good many fans and it is a good solid action, but it has it faults also. A good many need a trip to the gunsmith, but after that they turn into very good rifles. If I were looking for a magnum length action for a .416 Remington or a .375 H&H I would buy a Winchester.
I'm actually a fan of the 416 Ruger, but I'd stand by what I said there. The two Ruger Safari magnums are gaining a lot of ground in the few years they've been around, but in the grand scheme of things, the jury is still out at best. Take its predecessor, the .416 Remington Mag, as an example - it took around 20yrs before the Rem Mag really got on its feet and carved out its niche over the 416 Rigby, and there was more than just ONE manufacturer making rifles and more than just ONE manufacturer making brass and factory loads for it over that time. I REALLY hope the Ruger Safari Mags stick around, but if a person isn't a rifle collector (and this OP obviously is not) then I think it's a bit irresponsible to not mention the risk involved with buying one. It's REALLY easy for what happened to Ruger's OTHER proprietary cartridges to happen to the Safari Mag's too - the .480Ruger, 327Fed, .300RCM, 338RCM, etc... Nobody is regularly making firearms for them, nobody is regularly making brass, and the options are incredibly slim. I didn't say NOT to buy one, but rather there are safer bets out there for a kid what is green enough to question using a Cheytac rifle on bear...
As for the CZ vs. the Win 70, after owning both - including magnum length and "safari cartridges," I'd rather spend my money at the smith (or take the time to alter it myself, having done so on a few of them) and own a CZ than buy a Win 70. They make both because different guys will buy one or the other, but my recommendation is the CZ. Find me an unfired Pre-64 M70, maybe we'll have a different conversation, but as far as what's on a shelf today at the store, I'll take the CZ every day and twice on Sunday before I spend money on the Winchester.