.275 Rigby is the British designation for the 7x57 Mauser. The 7x57 was introduced by Mauser in 1892 and adopted by Spain in 1893. At the end of decade John Rigby had an exclusive arrangement with Mauser; using the British protocol of naming cartridges by the smaller land diameter rather than groove or bullet diameter he renamed the 7x57 ".275 Rigby" and introduced a high-velocity load with a 140-grain bullet at a stated 2900 fps. This is much faster than current 7x57 or 275 Rigby loadings, but was possible with the longer barrels of the day. 7x57 Mauser and .275 Rigby are interchangeable, and Hornady offers headstamped .275 Rigby ammo. Famous users of the .275 Rigby included famed ivory hunter W.D.M. "Karamojo" Bell and Major Jim Corbett, who slew a number of infamous maneating cats in India. The 7x57 was a favorite of both Jack and Eleanor O'Connor, and is one of Craig Boddington's favorites today. By either designation the .275 Rigby/7x57 is a useful and versatile hunting cartridge.
