New to me 416 Taylor Improved

[Cleveland48]

I don't recall, but I would think you could turn off a thread or two and rechamber to the standard Taylor and that being a composite stock it would not interfere with the inletting. It would be well worth the trouble and small cost to do that and resale value would be considerably more, not that its a bad caliber, its just a better opition anyway you look at it...but then one could just punch it out to a .416 Rem, one of the best calibers Ive used short of the 404 but that has more to do with nostalgia..

.I never could understand why Win opted for the 458 Win, it should have been the 416 Taylor and the the 458 should have been on the 416 REm case, They got it all backasswords..Well at least in my opinion!

Another great caliber was the 375 C. Taylor, it was a great cartridge. Had Win. made the short calibers, those two I would have been shooting long ago..Neither had much recoil and the were ballistic twins to the H&H case..In fact they would do that today if they would wake up for once..

I thought I read somewhere that John Wooters almost had Winchester talked into clambering the 416 Taylor in the model 70? Would of been nice if they did. And the 458 would of been of been great in the 416 rem mag case for sure.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Thanks it took me a while to decide if I wanted to bid. Was saving for a model 70 in 416 rem mag. Finally decided that I'd had good luck with interarms and decided to go for it. Honestly would have preferred the normal 416 taylor. I really like the rifle but all this fire forming is for the birds lol.

@Cleveland48
It's all part of the game mate. Look on the bright side you get plenty of experience with your rifle.
Have you considered cast gas check bullets for forming or practice. You could even dare I say use the cast downloads for deer.
I get great joy out of playing with my Wildcats.
Bob

 

[Cleveland48]

@Cleveland48
It's all part of the game mate. Look on the bright side you get plenty of experience with your rifle.
Have you considered cast gas check bullets for forming or practice. You could even dare I say use the cast downloads for deer.
I get great joy out of playing with my Wildcats.
Bob

Thanks Bob, I have not thought of that. I have used 44 mag cast bullets on some deer and a pig handgun hunting. I need to look into that.

 

[Chris M.]

Picked up a used 416 Taylor and tested at the range today. This will be my cape Buffalo rifle for the originally planned for a Tanzania Masailand safari trip, now deferred to 2021. Unknown barrel manufacturer but built on a Mauser Model 1908 action and topped it with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X 40 mm scope. Barrel length is 25 inches. The rifle came with rings and a Lee reloader set (which had some issues) so bought a Redding Custom reloading die set which has worked really well.

To crimp, ended up getting a Lee Factory Crimp die specific for the 416 Taylor from a store in Pretoria, South Africa (RSA) which I picked up with my son passing through during a hunt in RSA just before the lock-down at the end of March 2020. This item makes the perfect crimp and is truly a unicorn - perhaps one of a few left in the world and in stock at safari outdoor for 150 Rand (https://safarioutdoor.co.za/416-taylor-lee-factory-crimp-die-g00110927.html).

Did my home work and landed on the following two loads to test: 74 grain of RL-17 and 75 grains RL-17 for each of Woodleigh 416 Rigby 410 grain RN SN bullets and corresponding 416 Rigby 410 grain FMJ bullets; picked up online from TradeEx in Canada. I also loaded up some of the 350 grain 416 Barnes TSX bullets that came with the rifle and used 73 grains of RL-17. I did also purchase 75 rounds of Norma 416 Taylor brass from Prophet River Sports in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, but will save for loaded rounds to import into Tanzania as is head stamped. So I annealed and fire formed (using cream of wheat), Hornady 458 Rem brass and sized to 416. COAL of the Woodleigh bullets is 84.43 mm and 85.54 mm for the Barnes 350 grain.

RL-17 I believe is a good powder for short magnums (N.B. - I use for my 300 WSM loads) and is not reportedly as temperature sensitive as RL-15, its predecessor powder for such applications. I waited for a good hot day to test (which in the foothills of Alberta at 28 Celsius is as hot as it gets). Results as follows (100 yard target range):

The 350 grain bullets made a tight grouping at 100 yards (O.5").

The 410 grain Woodleigh RN SN grouping with 75 grain RL-17 came out at 1.12 inches and the FMJ very close. I believe the rifle is capable of better accuracy - i.e., it took me my surprise the roar of this fire breathing dragon compared to shooting my my muzzle braked and tamed 300 WSM. There were no pressure signs including bulged or deformed brass, primer flattening or difficulty in removing spent rounds.

Measured velocity using a friend's Magnetospeed and happy with the reproducibility of the 75 grain RL-17 loads: i 2,346 ft/s; ii 2,359 ft/s; and, iii 2,354 ft/s (SD of 6.5). So I have achieved 416 Rigby performance with the Taylor!

Will settle on the 75 grain RL-17 loads. Watch out buff!

 

[mdwest]

That gun will definitely do well with a buff...

I keep mine loaded with 400gr TSX and am able to get 2350 with them with no problem at all..

Like yours, my Taylor is also built on a 1908 Brazilian mauser action.. I absolutely love the rifle.. and even prefer it over my 375 H&H Win70.. My next trip over is for PG.. but I'll be bringing the taylor.. I figure for larger PG it will be excellent.. and for the smaller stuff I've got some 350gr solids that Ill load up..

 

[CoElkHunter]

I thought I read somewhere that John Wooters almost had Winchester talked into clambering the 416 Taylor in the model 70? Would of been nice if they did. And the 458 would of been of been great in the 416 rem mag case for sure.

Yeah, Winchester had a couple of prototype rifles in .416 T and I believe Ruger had one in their M77. They procrastinated and blew it and thus Remington came out with their .416.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Picked up a used 416 Taylor and tested at the range today. This will be my cape Buffalo rifle for the originally planned for a Tanzania Masailand safari trip, now deferred to 2021. Unknown barrel manufacturer but built on a Mauser Model 1908 action and topped it with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X 40 mm scope. Barrel length is 25 inches. The rifle came with rings and a Lee reloader set (which had some issues) so bought a Redding Custom reloading die set which has worked really well.

View attachment 361359View attachment 361360


View attachment 361360
To crimp, ended up getting a Lee Factory Crimp die specific for the 416 Taylor from a store in Pretoria, South Africa (RSA) which I picked up with my son passing through during a hunt in RSA just before the lock-down at the end of March 2020. This item makes the perfect crimp and is truly a unicorn - perhaps one of a few left in the world and in stock at safari outdoor for 150 Rand (https://safarioutdoor.co.za/416-taylor-lee-factory-crimp-die-g00110927.html).

Did my home work and landed on the following two loads to test: 74 grain of RL-17 and 75 grains RL-17 for each of Woodleigh 416 Rigby 410 grain RN SN bullets and corresponding 416 Rigby 410 grain FMJ bullets; picked up online from TradeEx in Canada. I also loaded up some of the 350 grain 416 Barnes TSX bullets that came with the rifle and used 73 grains of RL-17. I did also purchase 75 rounds of Norma 416 Taylor brass from Prophet River Sports in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, but will save for loaded rounds to import into Tanzania as is head stamped. So I annealed and fire formed (using cream of wheat), Hornady 458 Rem brass and sized to 416. COAL of the Woodleigh bullets is 84.43 mm and 85.54 mm for the Barnes 350 grain.

RL-17 I believe is a good powder for short magnums (N.B. - I use for my 300 WSM loads) and is not reportedly as temperature sensitive as RL-15, its predecessor powder for such applications. I waited for a good hot day to test (which in the foothills of Alberta at 28 Celsius is as hot as it gets). Results as follows (100 yard target range):

View attachment 361363View attachment 361363View attachment 361363
The 350 grain bullets made a tight grouping at 100 yards (O.5").
View attachment 361364

The 410 grain Woodleigh RN SN grouping with 75 grain RL-17 came out at 1.12 inches and the FMJ very close. I believe the rifle is capable of better accuracy - i.e., it took me my surprise the roar of this fire breathing dragon compared to shooting my my muzzle braked and tamed 300 WSM. There were no pressure signs including bulged or deformed brass, primer flattening or difficulty in removing spent rounds.

Measured velocity using a friend's Magnetospeed and happy with the reproducibility of the 75 grain RL-17 loads: i 2,346 ft/s; ii 2,359 ft/s; and, iii 2,354 ft/s (SD of 6.5). So I have achieved 416 Rigby performance with the Taylor!

Will settle on the 75 grain RL-17 loads. Watch out buff!

Nice rifle and great grouping on target. My groupings at 50yds with open sights are abysmal compared to yours. Guess I need a scope? I’m shooting a 400gr Barnes original bullet under 70.0gr of Reloader 15 for a light to moderate load. When Cleveland 48 sells me his AI Taylor, I can step up the velocity! Ha! Ha!

 

[Cleveland48]

Picked up a used 416 Taylor and tested at the range today. This will be my cape Buffalo rifle for the originally planned for a Tanzania Masailand safari trip, now deferred to 2021. Unknown barrel manufacturer but built on a Mauser Model 1908 action and topped it with a Leupold VXIII 2.5-8X 40 mm scope. Barrel length is 25 inches. The rifle came with rings and a Lee reloader set (which had some issues) so bought a Redding Custom reloading die set which has worked really well.

View attachment 361359View attachment 361360


View attachment 361360
To crimp, ended up getting a Lee Factory Crimp die specific for the 416 Taylor from a store in Pretoria, South Africa (RSA) which I picked up with my son passing through during a hunt in RSA just before the lock-down at the end of March 2020. This item makes the perfect crimp and is truly a unicorn - perhaps one of a few left in the world and in stock at safari outdoor for 150 Rand (https://safarioutdoor.co.za/416-taylor-lee-factory-crimp-die-g00110927.html).

Did my home work and landed on the following two loads to test: 74 grain of RL-17 and 75 grains RL-17 for each of Woodleigh 416 Rigby 410 grain RN SN bullets and corresponding 416 Rigby 410 grain FMJ bullets; picked up online from TradeEx in Canada. I also loaded up some of the 350 grain 416 Barnes TSX bullets that came with the rifle and used 73 grains of RL-17. I did also purchase 75 rounds of Norma 416 Taylor brass from Prophet River Sports in Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, but will save for loaded rounds to import into Tanzania as is head stamped. So I annealed and fire formed (using cream of wheat), Hornady 458 Rem brass and sized to 416. COAL of the Woodleigh bullets is 84.43 mm and 85.54 mm for the Barnes 350 grain.

RL-17 I believe is a good powder for short magnums (N.B. - I use for my 300 WSM loads) and is not reportedly as temperature sensitive as RL-15, its predecessor powder for such applications. I waited for a good hot day to test (which in the foothills of Alberta at 28 Celsius is as hot as it gets). Results as follows (100 yard target range):

View attachment 361363View attachment 361363View attachment 361363
The 350 grain bullets made a tight grouping at 100 yards (O.5").
View attachment 361364

The 410 grain Woodleigh RN SN grouping with 75 grain RL-17 came out at 1.12 inches and the FMJ very close. I believe the rifle is capable of better accuracy - i.e., it took me my surprise the roar of this fire breathing dragon compared to shooting my my muzzle braked and tamed 300 WSM. There were no pressure signs including bulged or deformed brass, primer flattening or difficulty in removing spent rounds.

Measured velocity using a friend's Magnetospeed and happy with the reproducibility of the 75 grain RL-17 loads: i 2,346 ft/s; ii 2,359 ft/s; and, iii 2,354 ft/s (SD of 6.5). So I have achieved 416 Rigby performance with the Taylor!

Will settle on the 75 grain RL-17 loads. Watch out buff!

Thanks for posting this. I still have some RL17 I've used in smaller calibers with great success. I'll have to try this out in my 416.

 

[Cleveland48]

Nice rifle and great grouping on target. My groupings at 50yds with open sights are abysmal compared to yours. Guess I need a scope? I’m shooting a 400gr Barnes original bullet under 70.0gr of Reloader 15 for a light to moderate load. When Cleveland 48 sells me his AI Taylor, I can step up the velocity! Ha! Ha!

Haha I'm not ready to give up on it yet. I've become quite attached to it lol. Now if only work would pick up so I can afford to try some different bullets in it. Really wanna try those woodleigh 410's.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on the new addition!