416 Rigby Velocity

[Andrew Short]

All,

Does anyone load there 416 Rigby to 2100-2300 FPS for practice ammo? I’m thinking of shooting factory 416/404 ammo on safari. Just thinking out loud.

Thanks,
Drew

 

[375Fox]

I can’t answer for a 416 yet, but I had the same thoughts when I first got my 375. I had my gunsmith load me up some lighter loads to get familiar shooting gun, I now have a bunch of bullets I have no interest in shooting. If you are going to shoot might as well shoot with bullets you are going to hunt with or bullets with same point of impact. If you want to practice with less recoil dry fire is best practice, get some dummy rounds or put in a spent shell.

Just curious why would you choose to hunt with factory ammo over hand loads?

 

[BRICKBURN]

All,

Does anyone load there 416 Rigby to 2100-2300 FPS for practice ammo? I’m thinking of shooting factory 416/404 ammo on safari. Just thinking out loud.

Thanks,
Drew

I only "practice" with the loads I will be using during the hunt.

 

[Andrew Short]

I can’t answer for a 416 yet, but I had the same thoughts when I first got my 375. I had my gunsmith load me up some lighter loads to get familiar shooting gun, I now have a bunch of bullets I have no interest in shooting. If you are going to shoot might as well shoot with bullets you are going to hunt with or bullets with same point of impact. If you want to practice with less recoil dry fire is best practice, get some dummy rounds or put in a spent shell.

Just curious why would you choose to hunt with factory ammo over hand loads?

I’ve only ever loaded for 300WSM, 7mm08 and 223/5.56. I consider myself to be a novice reloader at best and I’m not sure if i trust my handloads on dangerous game... My hand loads may be just fine but I lack confidence in the skill.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve only ever loaded for 300WSM, 7mm08 and 223/5.56. I consider myself to be a novice reloader at best and I’m not sure if i trust my handloads on dangerous game... My hand loads may be just fine but I lack confidence in the skill.

Fair enough, definitely some good factory loads available. My new 416 is sitting at gunsmith until I get home from work, curious to see how I handle the recoil. I always thought my 375 with 300 grain bullets was a lot.

 

[Andrew Short]

I dont mind the 416. I think It’s very comparable to a 3 inch 12 gauge turkey load. I think You will be just fine given you shoot a 375.

 

[Andrew Short]

Wh

Fair enough, definitely some good factory loads available. My new 416 is sitting at gunsmith until I get home from work, curious to see how I handle the recoil. I always thought my 375 with 300 grain bullets was a lot.

What is your 416???

 

[375Fox]

Wh


What is your 416???

I bought a sako 85 brown bear Toby458 posted for sale on here couple weeks ago.

 

[Andrew Short]

Oh

I bought a sako 85 brown bear Toby458 posted for sale on here couple weeks ago.

That’s a very nice rifle! I think You will be pleased.

 

[The Engineer]

I never feel recoil when hunting. That being said I find I can shoot DG caliber rifles a lot more and not have the potential for developing bad habits (flinch) if I shoot lighter loads when practicing. The muscle memory carries over into hunting. My current 416 Rigby practice load is a 400gr Midway blemished bullet (Very cheap.) over 42.0 grains of 5744 powder. In my rifle this load consistently shoots 1.0 to 1.25" at 100 yards. I keep saying I will chrono the load but have not done so yet.

Light practice loads do not shoot to the same point of aim as a factory load but with the repeatability of modern scopes it is easy to reset the scope without having to sight in again. However, I have two scopes for my Heym Martine Express 426 Rigby. The Heym has machined in scope bases and using Alaskan Arms quick release rings I can change scopes and go exactly back to the same zero.

 

[Andrew Short]

I share the exact same thoughts as you! I think i will load some up for around 2000 FPS. You’re right, it’s not an issue to sight on a scope with a different load with just a few rounds.
My 404 has the Alaska QD rings as well. Very nice set up.

 

[ianevans]

I shoot 350 gr Barnes at normal velocity ,bit kinder on the recoil and lets me practice a lot . i use proper factory ammo in Africa

 

[spike.t]

All,

Does anyone load there 416 Rigby to 2100-2300 FPS for practice ammo? I’m thinking of shooting factory 416/404 ammo on safari. Just thinking out loud.

Thanks,
Drew

2300 is basically the original standard velocity for 416 rigby....so unless you are one of those people over there that has to load things to hyper velocity you are already going to be using the perfect velocity for it....and it boots a bit but nothing that bad....

 

[Andrew Short]

That’s true. I usually load whatever the rifle likes similar to factory stated velocities.

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

416 Rigby is one of the calibers that I love the most, this is the caliber of work in Mozambique and South Africa, but it was hunting water buffalo in Brazil that I definitely fell in love with the caliber. Among those I hunted alone and those I hunted with clients, I have 154 hunts, most of them photographed and documented, so I have vast material related to ballistics of this caliber to share here with you. All the ammunition I use is made by me, with time patience for premium bullets. I use 400 Grain A-Frame tips, TSX barnes and monolitic solid nosler, I also used a lot of 410 Grain Woodleigh Weldcore. the 416 is an old caliber (1911) that has great volumetric capacity (made to accommodate cordite) and due to its large capacity it allows a safe pressure even in hotter loads, work with the tips of 400 grains at 2,500 feet, this causes effects spectacular in the buffalo. I already shot so much with my Ruger magnum that I no longer feel uncomfortable with the setback .. I am new here in the group, but slowly I will post my experiences. Tomorrow I travel again, I am going to hunt buffalo in the "Mato Grosso" swamps. Let's see if the rain gives them a break! sorry for the bad english!

 

[Andrew Short]

416 Rigby is one of the calibers that I love the most, this is the caliber of work in Mozambique and South Africa, but it was hunting water buffalo in Brazil that I definitely fell in love with the caliber. Among those I hunted alone and those I hunted with clients, I have 154 hunts, most of them photographed and documented, so I have vast material related to ballistics of this caliber to share here with you. All the ammunition I use is made by me, with time patience for premium bullets. I use 400 Grain A-Frame tips, TSX barnes and monolitic solid nosler, I also used a lot of 410 Grain Woodleigh Weldcore. the 416 is an old caliber (1911) that has great volumetric capacity (made to accommodate cordite) and due to its large capacity it allows a safe pressure even in hotter loads, work with the tips of 400 grains at 2,500 feet, this causes effects spectacular in the buffalo. I already shot so much with my Ruger magnum that I no longer feel uncomfortable with the setback .. I am new here in the group, but slowly I will post my experiences. Tomorrow I travel again, I am going to hunt buffalo in the "Mato Grosso" swamps. Let's see if the rain gives them a break! sorry for the bad english!

Look forward to hearing some Buffalo stories!

 

[Crishuntbrasil]

Look forward to hearing some Buffalo stories!

in 8 days I will be back from the bush, and we can tell dozens of stories, show videos and photos, if I can catch one on this hunt, I promise to bring some very fresh photos.

 

[Andrew Short]

Good luck!

 

[Rum Runner]

I went through the whole process working up a load for my .416 Rigby. (You can check that out here: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/velocity-issue.47020/ If you make it to the end of the thread, you'll find the final load I went to Africa with).

I practice with what I hunt with. It just wasn't that bad...

 

[flatwater bill]

Andrew, you are exactly right. There are a lot of reasons to shoot lighter loads in your hunting rifle. Cost, availability, different target requirements are only a few. I have shot dozens of different loads in my hunting rifles...currently have 300 to 450 grainers loaded for my 416 Rigby. Engineer is right on.....muscle memory is a key....hunters may never feel recoil, but I know a lot of them that flinch. Spike is right.....2300fps is already good enough...............to each his own but more trigger time is never a bad thing. Shoot whatever bullets you can get now and conserve the 410 grain Weldcores.....FWB