Which .416 and why?

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

416 Rem M70 Winchester Safari Express
Great rifle.

 

[slad68]

416 Rigby.

 

[IvW]

416 Rigby
404 Jeff(favourite in a bolt)

500/416NE

 

[Whitebear995]

I have a .416 Remington in a model 70 Winchester and I can't see any real advantages, that a .416 Rigby would have over the .416 Remington caliber, other than higher price for ammo.

The old wife's tale about African heat and pressure build up making the Rigby a better choice is nothing but BS. The Remington has proven itself over the last 15 years or so in Africa hunting and NO stuck cases have I ever heard about from anybody or read about in any hunting magazine.

I for one like the model 70 Safari verses the Ruger in stock and 3 position safety, which is larger and less cumbersome on the Winchester model 70.

The 416 is a most versatile caliber, letting one use those 325 or 350 grain bullets for plains game out to 250 yards and 400 grainers for the Big Bad Nasty animals, that just might want to dine on your hide.

 

[spike.t]

There is only one 416 and it's the Rigby...simple..

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I have a 416 Rem in a modern CRF M70 and a 416 Taylor in a Pre-64 M70.
Both are great custom built rifles but the Taylor feeds like greased lightning!

Dollar for dollar the current CRF M70 in 416 Rem is the way to go.
For tradition, nostalgia and what not, the 416 Rigby will always be one's choice.

The 416 Ruger is probably a great cartridge. I do however prefer Winchester M70's over Ruger M77's. The Ruger and the Taylor may be hard to find cartridges in Africa, should the airlines loose your ammo.

 

[Happy Myles]

I own and use both a 416 Rem and two 416 Rigby. Both are great rounds for Africa buffalo. When the 416 Rem came out some gun writers conjectured it would be the the end of the Rigby popularity. Instead a resurgence of popularity occurred. I have only taken seven Cape buffalo with my 416 Rem but over 50 with my two 416 Rigbys over many decades. Also have used several other calibers on Buff. The 416 Rigby is still my favorite. The reason I guess is along the lines of hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but also it just always works. Kindest Regards

 

[TOBY458]

Load the 416 Rem Mag to a mild 2350 fps, and you have a cartridge that will never have pressure problems, will offer identical ballistics as a 416 Rigby or 404 Jeff, and can be housed in a lighter, more compact rifle. Plus you'll only have to burn around 70-75 grains of powder, vs 100 grains in the Rigby, to achieve the same goal.

 

[CoElkHunter]

There is only one 416 and it's the Rigby...simple..

In a CZ 550!

 

[sureshot375]

One cannot simply skip over the .375. Everyone needs a .375. The .375 is a pleasure to shoot, is super versatile, and seems to be much easier get to work properly in a bolt rifle. I object on behalf of the .375.

Of the .416s, I vote for Rigby because it is the coolest

 

[CoElkHunter]

One cannot simply skip over the .375. Everyone needs a .375. The .375 is a pleasure to shoot, is super versatile, and seems to be much easier get to work properly in a bolt rifle. I object on behalf of the .375.

Of the .416s, I vote for Rigby because it is the coolest

Well, Ok, you just opened up Pandora or somebody else's box, so which .375 cartridge? It's thread creep, but since this thread is almost as old as the .375 Ruger cartridge's birth, it'll be OK. Ha! Ha!

 

[geoff rath]

The 404J does recoil more then the 375H&H, however it, at traditional loading of 400gr @2150, recoils a little less than the 416's. I found the difference to be small but noticable. I was shooting a CZ in 404J at traditional loading, a Ruger in 416Rigby, Fed Factory loads, and a Blaser in 416 Rem, Rem factory loads. For what it's worth, Rigby was a little gentler than the Rem. In all cases, the difference in recoil was not so great so as to be a deal breaker.

I THINK the 416 Rigby is factory loaded to lower pressure than the other 416s, about the same as the 404. Does chamber pressure have an effect on recoil? Along with stock fit, I believe it does ...

 

[ARod]

I am in the process of collecting the necessary resources and equipment for my first African hunting experience (1st of many I hope). After much thought, I believe for a dangerous game rifle, I will skip the 375 and go for a 416 (don't have the money for a double - will stick to bolt action). But which one? If anyone with experience would be gracious enough to comment on their preference and why that caliber over the others, I would greatly appreciate it.

Here are my current choices:
416 Ruger
416 Rem Mag
416 Rigby
404 Jeffery (not a 416 but on my short list)

Thanks!

If you’re want to kill a Cape buffalo or other dangerous game a CZ 550 chambered in 416 rigby is up to the task. The gun has amazing knock down power Vs recoil. It is important that the gun be fitted and sized to your statue. The gun caliber, size and weight must be a good match. If the shooter is under 5’ 6” and weighs less than 220 lb….go with a smaller rifle.

The 350 grain Barnes solid will kill any dangerous game animals within 150 yards. Reality, most African guides will not let you shoot any dangerous game animal past 100 yards.

Here are my successes with a 416 rigby at 80 yards. The Buffalo dropped immediately and never got up or ran. The solids penetrating 3.5’ - 4’ from nose to tail! The skinners recovered 2 bullets in the rumen. The rumen had 150 lb of wet grass. Attached are the pictures to prove my assessments.

Before you go to Africa, train with your rifle and gear. Work all the bugs out of your gear. Know exactly how everything will perform.

Practice…practice…practice. You can use less expensive cast bullets from Montana bullet works. Hope it helps.

-Langosta

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

416 rem mag all the way
why? bcos its my favourite, its what i use, so it must be the best
ammo generally is easily accessible, it is cheaper than most other 416 ammo, and has same if not better balistics, recoils less etc etc

 

[spike.t]

416 rem mag all the way
why? bcos its my favourite, its what i use, so it must be the best
ammo generally is easily accessible, it is cheaper than most other 416 ammo, and has same if not better balistics, recoils less etc etc

....go wash your mouth out with carbolic soap....

 

[sierraone]

....go wash your mouth out with carbolic soap....

Agree, thought there was only one .416......

 

[spike.t]

Agree, thought there was only one .416......

Of course....these people

 

[CoElkHunter]

Agree, thought there was only one .416......

.416 Taylor?

 

[spoonieduck]

The .416 Taylor I believe is a .458 Win Mag necked down to .416 - I have been keeping the option open of getting a tired 458 win and rebarreling to 416 Taylor - just not sure how available ammo would be in Africa - must plan the logistics better if I go with a caliber that is not so common. Thanks

 

[spoonieduck]

Mine is bigger than yours. I'm 5 ft 5 inches and, when it comes to really BIG animals, I like to shoot them with a 416 Weatherby Magnum. Yes, it is extremely accurate. It kicks but if you really lean into the stock, you won't hurt yourself. Nobody has ever dinged himself firing my rifle.

Ammunition is all important. I prefer and EXCELLENT solid. It will shoot entirely through an elephant's body. It would be interesting to shoot a major balleen whale, if it were legal. My son shot a giraffe one time using a Barnes triple shock. He hit the giraffe too far back breaking his short ribs. The bullet ranged backwards taking out his spleen and liver then completely shooting through his huge stomach that was filled with water and large sticks and leaves. The bullet nicked the pelvis and came to rest under his far side skin. The slug was intact.

An interesting thing was the spleen and especially the large liver. They were totally smashed, looking like blood pudding.