My first 416 finally!

[Axle2010]

It's not the Rigby I've been wanting but it's a first step. I got the Ruger Hawkeye African in 416 Ruger, the smallest of the 416's but she'll do for now and has a durned nice trigger for a dg rifle. Does anybody with experience with these have any advice? Do I need to look at getting it glass bedded? I'd like to replace the factory rear sight with a 3 leaf express type, is that hard to do?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I suspect the rear sight is easily removed but why change it? Ruger's rear sight is windage adjustable and those old style express 3-leaf things are not. They are as close to useless as you could get. No way will you ever be popping off anything at 300 yards with a 416. Filing away on rear sights or moving front sight in its slot to adjust zero? Ugh! That's cave man stuff. A Ruger rifle is not a 19th century cave man club.

Take it out of the stock and see if it's bedded. Must be or the rifle would be in pieces after sighting it in. 416 is not a gentle thing to shoot.

 

[RLL]

The stocks are notorious for cracking behind the rear tang if bedded or not…my 375 has started to after the last 5 years and a lot of rounds down. But pillar bedding and glass bedding helps the longevity as well as a bit on accuracy

 

[Ridge Runner]

It's not the Rigby I've been wanting but it's a first step. I got the Ruger Hawkeye African in 416 Ruger, the smallest of the 416's but she'll do for now and has a durned nice trigger for a dg rifle. Does anybody with experience with these have any advice? Do I need to look at getting it glass bedded? I'd like to replace the factory rear sight with a 3 leaf express type, is that hard to do?

I see you are from South Georgia, so I'm guessing you are looking at knocking down some hogs for a little live target practice out to 100+ yards. Wanting a 3 leaf rear sight I'm also guessing you are looking into DG hunts.

I'd stick with the Ruger factory rear adjustable iron sight for DG and look into a 1-6, or 2-10, with a 30mm or 32mm tube with a QD mount that doesn't require readjusting when removed and remounted that should get you out to 300 yards for an eland, gemsbok, sable in relatively open terrain.

 

[cajunchefray]

It's not the Rigby I've been wanting but it's a first step. I got the Ruger Hawkeye African in 416 Ruger, the smallest of the 416's but she'll do for now and has a durned nice trigger for a dg rifle. Does anybody with experience with these have any advice? Do I need to look at getting it glass bedded? I'd like to replace the factory rear sight with a 3 leaf express type, is that hard to do?

Congratulations on your big bore rifle.
Rugers are nice but not perfect. I like the way that they handle.

Just for me, I have it glassed and pillar bedded by a gunsmith that understands the angled Ruger front screw bedding. Relieve the tang area.
Torque the action screws properly, make sure that you tighten them back after shooting.
Then shoot the hell out of it before going to Africa.

 

[Axle2010]

Yes sir dead piggies are hopefully right around the corner. I'd like to get my H&H to SA first but it depends on how much I like this 416. I'm trying to decide on the scope, most LPVO's seem to be geared towards the AR crowd and honestly I just can't see $1500+ for a short range scope so the 2-10 is appealing but due 2x instead of 1x make any difference in a dg scenario?

 

[RLL]

Yes sir dead piggies are hopefully right around the corner. I'd like to get my H&H to SA first but it depends on how much I like this 416. I'm trying to decide on the scope, most LPVO's seem to be geared towards the AR crowd and honestly I just can't see $1500+ for a short range scope so the 2-10 is appealing but due 2x instead of 1x make any difference in a dg scenario?

1x only makes a difference inside ~30yards vs 2x, in my experience on DG and hogs. I use 1x or irons inside 50yards if I know that’s the game. I’m happy with 2 or 3x base mag at 50-75 yards or more…

 

[Northern Shooter]

The Hawkeyes are a nice sensible rifle, 416 Ruger is the cheapest ammo of the 416's.

What does your rifle weigh I know they are notoriously light for caliber but Ruger has been gradually increasing the weight on them over the years.

 

[Axle2010]

7.8 lbs. A bit light for 416 I've heard

The Hawkeyes are a nice sensible rifle, 416 Ruger is the cheapest ammo of the 416's.

What does your rifle weigh I know they are notoriously light for caliber but Ruger has been gradually increasing the weight on them over the years.

 

[Letzhunt]

Finding ammo for it is not easy...... brass even harder. HS precision makes a replacement stock. Put it in one of those and shoot it ..... a lot!

 

[PanhandlinPat]

Friend of mine just got a couple Hawkeye Africans in 416 and 35 whelen. The whelen is much more refined and polished, but that 416 shoulders and handles so nice it makes the 35 feel like a kids toy. Very lively rifle, I think you’ll do well with it!

 

[Ridge Runner]

Yes sir dead piggies are hopefully right around the corner. I'd like to get my H&H to SA first but it depends on how much I like this 416. I'm trying to decide on the scope, most LPVO's seem to be geared towards the AR crowd and honestly I just can't see $1500+ for a short range scope so the 2-10 is appealing but due 2x instead of 1x make any difference in a dg scenario?

Really IMO No. On 2 power a bit better than what you are seeing with the naked eye, providing you have uncorrected 20/20 vision at 50 to 60 yards. At 10 power, it really depends on the type crosshairs you opted for. Some like circles, I prefer very fine crosshairs with mil dot adjustments. But with the right ammo you should have no problem making a max range 300- 350 yard shot with your 416 Ruger on medium skin game.

 

[saswart]

I suspect the rear sight is easily removed but why change it? Ruger's rear sight is windage adjustable and those old style express 3-leaf things are not. They are as close to useless as you could get. No way will you ever be popping off anything at 300 yards with a 416.

The OP never mentioned old style express sights... The majority of express sights, post probably 1900 can adjust fyi. No need to explain the advantages and need for 3 leaf express sight. Almost all gun manufacturers (Rigby, Heym, CZ etc. except maybe Ruger - maybe hence the reason for the change) puts adjustable 3 leaf express sights on their rifles, oh and not all express sights are marked 100-300...

Axle - congrats on the new rifle! Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Axle2010]

Finally got a few shots in before dark, she's a bit snappy but not unpleasant at all. Damned LOUD though

 

[cajunchefray]

Finally got a few shots in before dark, she's a bit snappy but not unpleasant at all. Damned LOUD though

Damn loud!
When you touch off a round with 80 grains of powder, you know it.

Let us know how does she group at the range.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Finally got a few shots in before dark, she's a bit snappy but not unpleasant at all. Damned LOUD though

Welcome to the big bores club. That sure ain't a 22 you're a shooting.

 

[Papa72]

Congrats on your new Ruger! I have an African in .375 and really like it but could wish for a little more wood in the wrist area. If you don’t have an in-lbs torque wrench capable of 90#s, get one. That’s Ruger’s spec for the front action screw and their “solution” to stock cracking, apparently.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Congrats on your new Ruger! I have an African in .375 and really like it but could wish for a little more wood in the wrist area. If you don’t have an in-lbs torque wrench capable of 90#s, get one. That’s Ruger’s spec for the front action screw and their “solution” to stock cracking, apparently.

Looks like a better solution might be to reinforce the wrist with steel rod. I just restocked my 404J on standard 98 Mauser with a thin wrist (so thin I had to shorten the rear action screw and cut down the top of magazine box before action and bottom metal would pull together on wood). I built a jig to guide the special extra long drill. Most use 1/4" threaded rod but I went with 3/16" instead because the wrist was so thin. I felt 1/4" would require removing too much wood. A good gunsmith can do this fairly quickly (I did it and I'm far from being a good gunsmith). He should also cut away some relief in wood at ends of tangs. A Dremel tool with drum sander attachment works well for that. Those Hawkeye African look to be nice guns. It would be worth it to take extra precautions to avoid cracking or chipping the stock.
Post in thread 'Reinforcing stock wrist - anyone done this?' https://www.africahunting.com/threads/reinforcing-stock-wrist-anyone-done-this.81270/post-1213337

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

It's not the Rigby I've been wanting but it's a first step. I got the Ruger Hawkeye African in 416 Ruger, the smallest of the 416's but she'll do for now and has a durned nice trigger for a dg rifle. Does anybody with experience with these have any advice? Do I need to look at getting it glass bedded? I'd like to replace the factory rear sight with a 3 leaf express type, is that hard to do?

Instead of replacing the rear sight, you might consider a NEGC ghost sight. It simply mounts to the rear base, giving you a longer sight radius.

NECG Ruger Ghost Ring N-100G, Peep Sights | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.

 

[TOBY458]

The Ruger rifles definitely are hard on stocks. I’ve heard and seen many issues with stocks cracking at the tang. Even the laminated stocks give problems in this area. For ultimate reliability I’d look into a synthetic stock, such as HS Precision. They aren’t very pretty, but they are way tougher than the factory wood stock.
Ammo availability will be a problem, so if you see some for sale, buy all you can get. It seems that Hornady is supporting the 375 Ruger much more than the 416.
I agree with others that say to use the factory iron sights, as they are very tough and plenty good for anything you’d do with a 416.
As for scopes, I can’t see much reason to go with anything over 6x. That will handle anything a 416 would be used for. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a quick handling DG rifle by putting some huge 30mm 2-10 scope on it IMO. Also, the 416 can be hard on scopes, especially on a lightweight rifle such as yours. That said, the Leupold 1.5-5x20 is lightweight and pretty rugged. So I’d look into something similar.