I'll chime in here since we have the exact same rifle. I've never shot mine from prone, and don't plan to. However, I don't plan to hunt deer with it either. What I can tell you, from experience gained in a recent safari, in real action the recoil is just not that bad...especially when the heart is pumping and adrenaline is rushing. Of the eight animals I took, six were with the .416 Rigby and the recoil was unremarkable (though I did get a slight kiss from my scope once). You've made a good choice; the mighty .416 Rigby is an outstanding caliber for Africa!
njc110381 May l ask your height and weight ? The others are correct . Shooting anything of this large calibre from the prone position may cause damage to your body. I personally would not recommend anything larger than a 9.3 millimeter mauser cartridge to be fired from the prone position. It is a position which makes your body bear the brunt of the weapon's recoil. On a related subject , recoil can actually cause severe body damage if one is not careful. Last year a student at Bangladesh Shooting Federation had his collar bone broken by attempting to shoot an over under 12 bore shot-gun calibrated for the 89 millimeter cartridge . The poor young man was in a great deal of pain.
I'm around 14 stone/85kg. Height 5'7"/1.7m. I can see how that could happen. I hope the poor lad recovered and is able to shoot again now?
