If you were building a custom 416 Rem, what brand of barrel and contour/muzzle diameter would you recommend?

Also, any reason not to repurpose the take off iron sights from a Winchester safari express? Who makes better open sights?

The sights would have to work with the stock and fit you are looking for.

Tex, the Winchester sights would be fine, depending on what you like. I prefer square rear notches and blade front sights, due to familiarity with them on my handguns. I'd check out the NECG (New England Custom Guns) for their wide selection of safari sights.

Not being a jerk - what do YOU want in this? are you a recoil sponge, able to shoot soda straw big bore, or more normal, or, frankly, do you need an extra heavy rig?

winchester go it right, other than bedding, on the safari express rifles - i feel the barrel is too heavy on them, but are highly accurate rifles - a 416 rem m70 was my first legit "elephant rifle" and it's been big bore madness ever sense

to answer your question, for me
1: barrel - as light as the manf will make it
2: winchester sights are good, necg are nice, too -
3: add a barrel band sling mount
4: for a 416 rem, (or 416 ruger) length should be between 18 and 23 - it's a preference thing

If you are building a true custom and want island rear sights and a barrel band front sight I would look at NECG. I have them on a number of customs and like them. Some custom gunmakers like Duane Wiebe will fashion their own which work well too... depends on the builder.

Barrel, I would do a Lilja or Kreiger at 4 or 5 contour and 24 or 25 inches in length, heavier I know, and longer. But I am 6'3" and like those dimensions personally. And that's what a custom is... what YOU want.

I bobbed my .416 barrel from 24 to 22 inches; you don't need a long barrel to get acceptable velocities.

Mine is the original Model 70 24"pipe.
I had a NECG barrel band Front sight sweated on.
I removed the island rear sight.
I had a spring loaded pop up ghost ring on the rear of my Talley quick release scope base (I believe Brockman provided it). I have that product on three of my rifles (416 Rem, 375 H&H, 375 Weatherby).
IMO: The ghost ring is more accurate at distance (longer sighting radius). Much better for aging eyes as you only have to focus on two points (the front sight and the target. Your eye naturally centers the ghost ring in the rear.
No question;Quarter ribs are art on a rifle.
I like the clean mid section on the pipe.

EZ

Barrel twist should be 1 in 12 for best bullet stabilization and straight line penetration.

Douglas barrels, Only; and NECG sights; 3 leaf rear and banded front; mostly for looks but they work too. Length; I use 25 inches and most guys want that. Whatever you want.
Barrel band sling mount.
Douglas makes the best barrels on the market, and when you consider quality, response to custom orders, and friendly staff, no reason to use any other. Call Stan.

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
Barrel twist should be 1 in 12 for best bullet stabilization and straight line penetration.

Especially if using heavy monometals.
George Hoffman, the one man most responsible for the revival of the .416-caliber,
opined that 1:12" twist would be best, though he had used 1:14" on all of his .416 Hoffman rifles.

My Winchester Safari Express came equipped with a NECG rear sight. I replaced the stock sight with the see through express sight insert, and I really like it. The link shows you options that will fit.

https://www.newenglandcustomgu...products.php?cat=336

I have NECG on all my big bores.

A control feed Win. or a Mauser, a Lothar Walthar barrel, barrel band front sight 3/32 Ivory bead or flame red if you prefer all from NECG or Brownells, barrel band swivel, island rear sight with one standing and one down, at some point with a scope you might want to file te one standing down???better yet a quarter rib would be nice...Best but not particularly needed is a LW barrel with the sights and swivel intregal cut with the barrel, but that's expensive and a choice only you can make..Just the usual options and up to you.

What’s the minimum shank length you would do on a 416 Rem? I’ve got a pre cut stock blank with a pretty narrow barrel channel, and I’m trying to figure out if it could work for a big bore.

Re-barreled Zastava LKM70 375 H&H full stock carbine with 1:14 416 RM Sako barrel. Zastava open sights installed (aesthetics/optional use). About 80 fps muzzle speed reduction from 24" to 20" barrel.

I agree a short fat 20" barrel at .620 at the muzzle or a longer slimmer 26" barrel at .600 of about the same weight is a choice most can live with depending on your preference, loss of velocity in a big bore within reason has little if any effect on its killing power or range from a hunting standpoint, 99% of your shots will be under 100 yards in Africa, somewhat longer maybe even 300 yards in Alaska. The .416 is a fine caliber at 300 yard ranging.

I let feel and balance be my guide, as that differers from one to another..

Are yoing to scope it? If not, remove the rear sight and put a Skinner aperture sight on. Faster and more accurate.

Atkinson,
You sure about that ?
What you are recommending is about a no. 3 sporter contour for a 26" barrel, going by the Douglas scheme,
and most other barrel makers' schemes.
And a barrel that had 0.620" muzzle diameter when cut back to 20" would be even skinnier contour than that !
They get fatter when you shorten them, about 0.010" diameter increase for each inch of length decrease in the straight-taper portion of a sporter.
IMHO, no. 4 sporter contour is the lightest you should use on a .416.
About 0.670" muzzle diameter should be a happy minimum muzzle diameter for a .416 whatever the barrel length from 20" to 26", using a standard sporter contour.
No. 3 sporter contour is perfect for a featherweight .375.

What’s the minimum straight taper length of the barrel coming out of the receiver that’s needed for a 416?

Is 1.5 inches enough? Maybe 2 inches?

I like longish barrels. I'd top it with a Z6i Swaro 1-6 and you'll never need your irons. Crank it down to 1 power and turn on the lights and you have a red dot. Faster than irons, especially for old eyes.

Rip,
Just talking in generalities in that given a 26 inch tube on a #4 or #5, I like the #4 and cutting it off to 20 to 22 inches, then mic the crown if one feels the need..Im not too tech on that end and just go with feel that suits me! I wasn't even aware that a #3 came in 26 inch barrel length!