[Shodan]

I am interested in purchasing a .416 Rigby. It would be for hunting bears and moose, and going over to Africa. I am interested in some of your guy's opinions about this caliber; opinions about this cartridge in relation to others like the .375 class and other .416s like the rem mag, Taylor, and Ruger. If anyone has a rifle in this caliber I would love to hear from you about how the cartridge shoots and what kind of loads you have for it.

Thanks

 

[BarkBuster20]

If thats what you want, then get it. Anything on this planet has been killed with it, and still can be.

 

[puddlejumper]

416 Rigby

I picked one up in a CZ 550 Magnum a few years ago. Nice rifle and very accurate.

The factory loads kick pretty good but they are not severe from my experience. I do think it is a handloaders cartridge though as a box of Federal Cape-Shok's up here runs between $200 and $240 a box of twenty. The good news is you can readily buy brass at Cabela's and Speer Hot cores make great inexpensive practice fodder.

I bought two boxes of cartridges and then a bag of Norma brass at Cabelas. The brass lasts and lasts, I can't wear out the first forty brass.

I started out shooting 85 grains and then worked up to IIRC about 110 grains of H4831sc. It seem like anywhere north of 100 grains that Rigby is bucking pretty good. For hunting I use 400 grain Swift AFrames or Nosler Partitions.

It puts bears down more thoroughly than anything else I've used and it does feel comforting going into something thick after a bear. So far I've only killed bears with it but this fall I think I'll knock a deer and a moose over with it. The wound channel, while large, does not seem to blood shot the meat.

At the range I use an additional slip on pad over the stock to cushion it more. When I'm killing things I don't feel any recoil. It's a great round with a lot of historic panache, if you got the itch for one I would certainly scratch it - you won't regret it.

 

[MMichaelAK]

I have a Ruger 77RSM in .416 Rigby. Have had it about 6-7 years.
Norma brass cause you're gonna want to handload. RCBS for dies and get the neck sizer die as well as the full length die.

Federal Premium ammo with the Woodleigh 410 soft point shot right at 2345 fps out of my rifle over my chrono. My hand loads with the Nosler 400 grain partition shoot a little faster. The Ruger is heavy. Recoil is deep but a push. Not even as sharp as my Ruger Number 1 H in .375 Holland and Holland.

It's easy to shoot accurately. I have a Leupold vari-x II 1-4x20 on mine and three shots inside an inch at 100 yards is doable. Nice long eye relief is CRITICAL with a scope. Ive never been scope bit but I have been slapped in the eye brow with the Butler Creek scope cap.

It stomps anything it hits. Makes craters out of Arctic Ground Squirrel mounds. Incredible varmint rifle! lol

 

[Roc]

Don't have a 416 but I do have a 416 bullet a friend gave me .He works at the Wildlife Tannery here,the biggest in the USA.They do a lot of African game,elephants 10,000 dollars (ouch),lots of Cape Buffalo.He found this bullet still lodged in the skin of a Cape Buffalo after going through both shoulders.388 grains and not deformed accept for the rifling marks and still has a "T" imprinted on the nose.Don't know which 416 it came out of but it had some serious torque.He also said they find a lot of soft lead balls just lodged in the skin of the Cape Buffalos,wonder what that would be about?