For Axel who is turning over a new leaf and not loading the .416 Rigby to Weatherby ballistics:

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Four shots, one each of these, all went into one inch center-to-center at 100 yards, all with 104.0 grains of H-4831:

Swift 400 grain A-Frame ... 2451 fps
Hornady 400 grain steel FMJ ... 2491 fps
Speer African Grand Slam tungsten solid ... 2452 fps
Barnes 400 grain Monolithic Solid ... 2431 fps

Rifle: Ruger .416 Rigby M77 Magnum, 24"
Brass: Norma
Primer: Federal GM215M
Powder: 104.0 grains of H-4831
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Same rifle and components except new bullet and different charges of H-4831:

GSC FN 380 grain, average of three shots for each:

104 grains/2475 fps
105 grains/2509 fps
106 grains/2534 fps
107 grains/2546 fps
108 grains/2574 fps

The 105 grain charge put three of the FN's into 0.147" at 100 yards. Killed one cape buffalo with one shot through the heart.
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A nice, gentle plains game load that shoots 2 inches higher, from the same gun, than the 105 grain FN zeroed at 100 yards:

Barnes X 350 grain, 105 grains of H-4831, vel. = 2509 fps! What a coincidence! Better BC, shoots flatter than most .375 H&H 300 grainers. This bullet can be loaded up to over 2700 fps with IMR 4831, just over 100 grains, but, I won't go there, since we want to stay away from the .416 Weatherby path.
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Another outstanding load:

105 grains of H-4831 with the 400 grain Swift A-Frame: 2482 fps
Also a one hole grouper for three shots at 100 yards. Other components same as above.
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My rifle seemed to like 105 grains of H-4831 with any bullet I tried.

That is the Jack O'Connor powder charge for the .416 Rigby.

DaggaRon--Give the Ruger a lot of credit too.Ed.

Ed,
Right. It is one of the later production "fat barrel" Rugers, 0.810" at the muzzle end, not including the barrel band on the front sight. The factory did "good" the day they chambered that barrel.

I hear that many of the newer slim barreled Rugers are very accurate in .416 Rigby. Some credit goes to the cartridge AND the rifle, including the Ruger scope ring system.

Yes and they build a tough strong reciever.The
Rigby cartridge has good attributes, due to its
shape it can get different bullet makes with same powder to give same ignition characteristics and keep the time to peak
pressure the same. This keeps barrel vibrations
same so they hit in same spot, using the moderate loads.Ed.

RAB,

I believe the accuracy of the 416 Rigby can be put down to two things:

1) Being a big bore we simply test them differently to high velocity small bores.

2) Loads typically used in the 416 Rigby are reduced loads of slower powders.

For reasons which completely escape me, rifles seem to be far more forgiving of barrels, bedding and even mounts and scopes when such loads are used. It can't bea recoil issue as even with mild loads a 416 Rigby or 375 H&H kicks a heap more that a hot loaded 270 or 7mm Remington.

I believe one of the reasons that Saeed uses the 375/404 is because he finds the accuracy far more reliable and forgiving of different bullets etc. than is the case with a 375 H&H with flat out loads.

Of the big bores I have owned which include countless 375 H&Hs, two 378s, 1 416 Wby, 3 458s and 2 460s, it has been the 416, 458s and 460s that have given me the nicest results. With my loads all three of those have been mainly used with backed off loads. Not so for the 375 and 378.

3) I have never shot a 416 Rigby but after two 460s and one 416 Wby I do have some experience with what would be considered similar calibres. I get the feeling that the relationship between the case capacity/bore size/Fed 215 primer is also a contributor.

Mike

Hey, let's not forget to credit the shooter! It takes a good man to ring out the best these bigbores have to offer!

Nickudu,
Aw shucks, 'twasn't nuthin. Thanks!

Mike375,
You are right, there is something very special about the .416 Rigby. No coprobovoscopy about it!

DaggaRon

Read my post again!!! I don't think it is a Rigby exclusive

Mike

Aw shucks, Mike. I read your post twice already!

You know the others are based on the .416 Rigby, so any specialness about them comes from the Rigby. Flash as a brick dunny in the outback, .416 Rigby trash is the greatest.

404 Jeffery lovers, read 'em weep. The cards have been dealt. No bluff.

Ron,

In my opinion one of the problems with the 404 is that the case capactity is too small for it to work on backed off loads, unless the user is happy with 2100 or 2200 or so. You will have noted, I am sure , that Saeed is operating his 375/404s at a velocity which relates to full pressure 375/404 loadings in about the same manner as does the 416 Rigby/Wby when loaded to energy levels of 5000 ft/llbs plus ralates to full pressure loadings in those two calibres. Ditto for 460 Wby/Dakota/Rigby when at 2300 with 500s or equivalent energy from other bullet weights.

I apologise to Dakota and Rigby owners for prefixing their calibre with 460, but hardly anyone has every heard of the 450 Dakota or Rigby. Readers will now know that the Dakota and Rigby are fully equal to the 460

Mike

Bonza, Ron

(now that's an old one)

Ron, what was comparitive POI of the various loads? In other words, if your first load using the Swift A-Frame was dead center on target, where did the Hornady, Speer, and Barnes loads print? Did all loads shoot to the same aproximate POI?

I don't know for the life of me why anyone in their right mind would want to pack around a big ugly, heavy, oversized, poorly pointing 416 Rigby, when they could be carrying a trim, slim, light, lean and mean 404 Jefferys on a m-70 or std. 98 action that depicts the attributes of a Boss 410 shotgun as to handling qualities and with the same balistics as the ugly 416 Rigby, a freak of nature by design and only fit for cordite...If I were inclined to such clumsly big guns for dangerous game then I would use that same action for a 505 Gibbs, a real mans gun and settler of all disputes with bad animals..

Oh hi Daggaron, I see you posted this thread, nice to hear from you, good to know your here and agree with my post, but knowing your fickleness, you'll probably disagree this time, but you know I'm right in your heart of hearts,

Love an kisses,
Ray

Karl and NitroX,
My predominantly Irish heart of hearts feels more akin to Australians than any others. I am working on the lingo, but little influence from Steve Irwin. "Bonza" sounds good, I think ... official translation to the Queen's English please?

Mikeh416Rigby,
They all go into the same one inch square from a fat barreled Ruger.

Ray,
What do you take me for, a larrikin who couldn't organize a pissup in a brewery? That is lower than a snake's armpits! You've got more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba. I don't think you would know a .416 Rigby from a bar of soap! You think you are as flash as a rat with a gold tooth when you have your 404 at hand, eh?

Just practicing the lingo, mates.

Your getting better with the Ockerism's Ron.
Bonza means Good/Great. "We had a bonza time" or "thats bonza mate" and how about this one, instead of saying "What do you take me for, a larrikin who couldn't organize a pissup in a brewery?" You can also say " "What do you take me for, a larrikin who couldn't organize a root in a brothel?"

Bakes

RAB
While your humping that Bull Barrled Magnum wannabe along on the caissons that come with it take a look at GAhunters 2.8" two load group at 200 yards.

Ray is right, if you're gonnna pack a huge chunk of wood and steel why not get it in a 'Real' stopper?

Have I been insulted?, not sure what the blighter said to me!!

He gets bloody touchy about his 456 Rigby or whatever it is, some gun from yesteryear, probably still shoots cordite

Daggaron, thanks for the load data.

Axel

Ray.
Seems to me I can do the same thing with my .416 Rem. and still have a few shots left over for Ron's "BULL".
GEE that comes out funny if you say it fast.

Sorry DuggaRon! That was Rigby stupid.
Can't be helped

Recon it was the reek of cordite or his tracker took a dump in the bush behind him, smells the same.

HI,

MR. DAGGARON, seeing how you know about this than I do, if a 350 grain bullet was loaded to 2700 fps in a 416 Rigby, would't the pressure still be okay. Thanks,Kev

Kev,
Sorry I have run Dagga off in a cornor where he is convelesing, pouting, and licking his wounds, but I have taken my revenge on him for flaming my beloved 404 so I will answer your question in his absence

the answer to your question is a simple Yes, and that would be an awsome load in a great caliber...It would outperform the 375 H&H in the all around catagory and as a matter of fact I'm betting you could get more velocity if you wanted to and still be within safe pressure limits..The Rigby is a huge case and capable of things beyond the reloading manuals. It is truly one of the great rounds of Africa.

Ray
good to see you redeemed yourself with previous post, I was nearly going to have to say
"don't come the raw prawn with me china"

DaggaRon or Ray
if you sepo's ever find your selves in the land of ockers
give me a oy on the dogga an well go down the rubbedy dub and get brahms and list
aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi

Well said, 416SW!

Haven't used them on game yet, but have hit more than one gallon jug of water at 200 yards with the 350 gr Barnes X bullet at about 2700 fps mv. Results are pretty spectacular!

Recoil is not severe, and accuracy has been quite good from a CZ 550.