In looking at the performance of the two cartridges, it seems the 416 Rigby and the 416 Remington are remarkably similar.

If one were choosing between the two, and was interested in being able to more easily find ammo in Africa should a bag be lost, which cartridge would be easier to locate?

I got to go to rifle shops in Pretoria and Jo-Berg last April. They had a couple brands of Rigby, but I saw no Remington ammunition at any of the shops.

The Rigby operates at a lot lower pressure as well.

Rich

As a guess I would say 416 Rigby. With that being said I have been in camp with 3 different PH's that had 416 Remingtons.

BigB

I'm not guessing when I tell you that I know of many more .416Remington rifles in PHs hands then the .416Rigby. If they have the rifles then the ammunition is available. Remember, there was a long period of time when the Rigby was not available in rifle or ammo, which is why the .416Remington was born.

Rich, do you recall what the cost of the 416 Rigby ammo was in Africa?

I also can tell you that their are more PH's with a .416-Remington than a .416-Rigby. The ammo is almost twice as much for Rigby verses Remington.

I once purchased 20 boxes (10soft & 10solids) the cost was $66 dollars a box, the .416-Rigby was 128 dollars a box.........so go figure.

My observation in Zimbabwe is there are more .416 Remington rifles and ammunition. If available, try to split your ammo supply between two pieces of luggage. Mix your solids and softs in the same box and then sort them upon arrival.

In 2009 I bought an action off of the classified and was intending to build a .404. While in RSA that same year I was sitting around the campfire and asked several PHs which .40 bore they liked best and everyone present agreed on the .416 Remington for effectiveness and ammo availability.

So that's what I built...

Most of the gunshops I have been in had 416 Remington ammo..Most of the Africans I know have 416 Remingtons, they are cheaper re: Remington push feeds. I, personally, have seen precious few 416 Rigbys in the hands of Africans. I believe the two most used big bores in Africa today are probably the .375 and .416 Rem. Opinnion only.

Very interesting, and the opposite of what I would have expected.

Thanks!

I returned from Namibia last Tuesday. I did a 21 day hunt. I also visited my fellow friends at their gun shops. I found plenty of .416 Rigby, not a box of .416 Remington.

Rob,

I think we tend to confuse the romance of old with the practicality of the present in safai rifles. Most PH's are not affluent enough to afford a 416 Rigby or the ammo. They shoot what is available, effective and cheap. The 416 Remington offered in off the shelf Remington and Winchester rifles fills that bill. The 375 and 4-5-8 are in that ball park also.

Mark

You're not getting one of those too are you?

The 416 Remington by far. And consequently the best ammo to leave behind.

In spite of what most like to think, .416 Rem ammo is almost impossible to find here in SA. I know many more Rigby owners/shooters than Remington, and Ruger and CZ rifles in that calibre are fairly freely available over here and quite reasonably priced.

At present, only Winchester rifles in .416 Rem are available over here, and they sell for about R 5k more than a CZ in .416 Rigby.

I have no idea where the Zim boys get their ammo from, departing clients probaly. Certainly they don't buy it over the counter in SA or Namibia.

I would only use factory 416 Rigby if I absolutely had to. Handloaded ammo is my preference for hunting, so the question of the thread is not very applicable.

I've bought 416 Rigby-s because they easily handload 150fps over the 416Remington. A 350 TTSX and 350 flatnose-solid loaded to 2800fps are an awesome load, It's like the difference between the 30-06 and the 300WM or the 458WM and 458 Lott.

If you want traditional ballistics get a lightweight 416 Ruger or a heavier-to-carry 416 Remmie. Great guns. But if you want a 'do-it-all' calibre, for long-range antelope and in-close nyati, the Rigby is the hands down winner. It is an incredibly well-designed calibre, sort of like a 270-280-30-06 that went through an enlarging machine.

If I wanted to take 1.5 lb off of the rifle I would get a 416 Ruger. Meanwhile, I'm still trying to decide if I really need a 49/338Lapua or 500AccRel or a lightweight 416 Ruger (8 pounds plus scope). But, it's hard to trade in those handloaded Rigby ballistics. Sweet.

Great feedback all, thanks!