ChrisG
AH elite
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2015
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- Adirondack Park, NY, USA
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- NAHC, NRA, Rocky Mtn. Elk Foundation.
- Hunted
- USA, Canada
So I just finished a project on my .416 Ruger and I thought I would share my results.
After removing the threads and that awful brake from the end of the barrel and recrowning it, the next thing to address was the weight. A .416 Ruger Hawkeye African comes from the factory weighing LESS THAN 8lbs. That is a horrendous mistake in a rifle capable of slinging a 400 grain bullet to 2,350fps or 350 grain bullet up to 2,700fps. It would put its recoil up near 60 ft-lbs which is at .458 WM levels.
It actually worked out though, because if you find the balance point of the rifle, it is really too far forward. So the first thing I did was cut a 2.25" piece of 1/2" copper plumbing pipe, put a cap on the end and fill it up with molten lead. This ends up being about 4 oz. of extra weight. Then I drilled a hole and epoxied this into the buttstock. This moves the balance point back to somewhere mid floorplate, which is about where I like it (everybody has a slightly different balance preference). Once the scope is mounted on steel rings and the gun is loaded, weight hovers right around 10lbs. This is perfect for recoil management and is light enough that carrying it isn't arduous.
The next issue to resolve was Ruger's use of a thin, hard, red rubber pad. I understand why they do this as it gives the rifle a traditional look but it is no fun to shoot that way. I replaced this with a Pachmeyer XLT sand-to-fit recoil pad made for trap guns, which I carefully shaped to the stock. Both of these made a MASSIVE improvement in how it functions and shoots.
The better balance with added weight produce more stable offhand shooting and cycling the bolt no longer feels like I am cycling the whole gun, it is more stable and smoother during hard cycling due to the increased inertia and the fact that gun is no longer muzzle heavy, which just makes the whole thing more solid feeling.
I glass bedded the recoil lug and tang inlet to prevent it from hammering the wood behind it until there was a lot of slop and the last thing I did was epoxy a 4" chunk of 1/4" threaded rod into the pistol grip to reinforce it. This was done by very carefully drilling a 4-1/4" long 3/16" hole down the axis of the grip starting just behind the tang screw and angling into the grip. Then marine epoxy was injected using a large syringe (purchased at a farm supply. These are incredibly useful for so many projects). Then the rod was inserted and left to cure.
I love a wood stock so the whole project was about making it the best wood stock I could that will handle the rigors of a lifetime of hard hunting trips. I could have just gone with a composite stock but thats just not who I am....
All said and done, the rifle is now a tough, hardy, large game gun capable of taking years of full power loads and hauling through the hunting fields of the world without missing a beat. Recoil is SO much more manageable off both a bench and off hand. It carries very well and the only other thing I may eventually have done is to have it cerakoted for corrosion resistance and to reduce the glare for the hunting woods.
After removing the threads and that awful brake from the end of the barrel and recrowning it, the next thing to address was the weight. A .416 Ruger Hawkeye African comes from the factory weighing LESS THAN 8lbs. That is a horrendous mistake in a rifle capable of slinging a 400 grain bullet to 2,350fps or 350 grain bullet up to 2,700fps. It would put its recoil up near 60 ft-lbs which is at .458 WM levels.
It actually worked out though, because if you find the balance point of the rifle, it is really too far forward. So the first thing I did was cut a 2.25" piece of 1/2" copper plumbing pipe, put a cap on the end and fill it up with molten lead. This ends up being about 4 oz. of extra weight. Then I drilled a hole and epoxied this into the buttstock. This moves the balance point back to somewhere mid floorplate, which is about where I like it (everybody has a slightly different balance preference). Once the scope is mounted on steel rings and the gun is loaded, weight hovers right around 10lbs. This is perfect for recoil management and is light enough that carrying it isn't arduous.
The next issue to resolve was Ruger's use of a thin, hard, red rubber pad. I understand why they do this as it gives the rifle a traditional look but it is no fun to shoot that way. I replaced this with a Pachmeyer XLT sand-to-fit recoil pad made for trap guns, which I carefully shaped to the stock. Both of these made a MASSIVE improvement in how it functions and shoots.
The better balance with added weight produce more stable offhand shooting and cycling the bolt no longer feels like I am cycling the whole gun, it is more stable and smoother during hard cycling due to the increased inertia and the fact that gun is no longer muzzle heavy, which just makes the whole thing more solid feeling.
I glass bedded the recoil lug and tang inlet to prevent it from hammering the wood behind it until there was a lot of slop and the last thing I did was epoxy a 4" chunk of 1/4" threaded rod into the pistol grip to reinforce it. This was done by very carefully drilling a 4-1/4" long 3/16" hole down the axis of the grip starting just behind the tang screw and angling into the grip. Then marine epoxy was injected using a large syringe (purchased at a farm supply. These are incredibly useful for so many projects). Then the rod was inserted and left to cure.
I love a wood stock so the whole project was about making it the best wood stock I could that will handle the rigors of a lifetime of hard hunting trips. I could have just gone with a composite stock but thats just not who I am....
All said and done, the rifle is now a tough, hardy, large game gun capable of taking years of full power loads and hauling through the hunting fields of the world without missing a beat. Recoil is SO much more manageable off both a bench and off hand. It carries very well and the only other thing I may eventually have done is to have it cerakoted for corrosion resistance and to reduce the glare for the hunting woods.
