The Swift would not chamber when seated at the cannelure for crimping due to the tight throat on the Rigby. So I just seated them deeper with no crimp, but I had to go all the way down to 3.59" COL to chamber them, so I only loaded two of them to get an idea of velocity when doing the final zeroing of the FN bullet. I also decided to push the FN in a little deeper and crimp it between the second and third driving bands to see what the accuracy would be like crimped.
The results were agreeable:
FN crimped COL = 3.67" group = 0.541"
FN no crimp COL = 3.71" group = 0.147"
Velocity crimped: 2489, 2521, 2492 av = 2501 fps
Velocity uncrimped: 2507, 2512, 2507 av = 2509 fps
Do you reckon some energy is used up and nonuniformity introduced in breaking loose the crimp on firing? Either load is good enough for me.
The two Swift bullets were then fired: velocities for the 400 grainers were 2484 fps and 2480 fps. I wished then that I had loaded more of this compressed load of H4831! The two bullets went into the same hole at 100 yards.
This two-shot "group" measured 0.008" center-to-center It was simply a single slightly out of round hole.
I have a talented factory Rifle apparently.
The standard Rigby throat has no freebore I think. It is just a leade of gradual taper from case mouth in the chamber down to the bore over a run of only about 0.3" or so.
Throat equals freebore plus leade, and the Rigby has no freebore. Mr. Ruger was having a good day when he cut the chamber on Eleanor Rigby, obviously!
------------------
Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB
Dang!!! What those boys that shoot the pea shooters are missing. And what I'm missing by not having a big bore at the moment
On the up side, I have a 480 ruger waiting for me, and have both a 390 gr LFN mold, and just started casting with my buddies 310 gr LFN. Too bad they are plainbased, or I'd have to consider a 470 NE Ruger #1, once one has some good molds, seems like one should have a few guns to shoot the bullets out of.
It sounds like you have a definite keeper there!
Saeed, in his FAQs, has some info on crimping. It seems to help rather that hurt accuracy in his tests. I have never seen it hurt accuracy, or velocity deviation.
Did you get any setback on the uncrimped cases under recoil?
Time is short!
I'll be away a few days, so I'll wish you luck now. Slay 'em!
Don
She weighs 10.75 lbs. naked and 12.25 lbs. clothed in Ruger rings and Leupold glass. She does shoot tight groups though.
------------------
Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB
For hunting I will crimp and go shorter COL.
For Big Bore Bench Rest shooting at the Mitch Carter School of Big Bore Zen, I would want to go with the 0.147" load.
I attribute my recently reduced group sizes to several factors, including the tutelage of Professor Carter. I had three lessons on the T.rex!
------------------
Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB
I have the new model Ruger and I have a friend that has an old one like yours, in 416 Rigby. Both shoot like you describe. My friend is loading 118 grs of Rel 22 with a 350gr Barnes bullet. He had no loading data at the time and used Weatherby load data and worked up to that load. I am using 108gr Rel 22 with a 350 gr Barnes bullet. My son shot a 3 shot group, 1 (near perfect .416) hole.
I had sent my scope back to Leupold and got the German type cross hairs installed and was resighting mine in, just the other day, with some new reloads. Hornady 400 gr softs and solids. I started resighting with the 400gr Trophy Bonded bearclaws I had left. I finally got it back to zero and they started cutting a ragged 1 hole group. I then tried my new handloads. Two shots (soft and solid) in the same hole!!
(about 3/4" all together)
This is just an amazing rifle. I have never owned a rifle so accurate. This rifle has never produced a flyer. The irons are dead on with the 400 grainers. The action was a little rough when I got it but I polished the ramp and wore out 4, 416 bullets, until it loaded smooth. I had bought a 470NE for my next trip over but I couldn't stand to leave the 416 Ruger behind. The 470NE is for sale.
Good shooting,
Terry
Could you confirm the weight of the newer model and it's muzzle diameter, from your specimen?
Is the weight (without rings and scope and unloaded) in the 9.25 to 9.75 (lbs.) range? I know the wood can make them vary a little. Mine is 10.75 lbs.
Is the muzzle diameter (just beyond the front sight band) 0.720"? Mine is 0.810".
Thanks.
------------------
Good huntin' and shootin',
RAB
I turn the resizer button down four thousands and use a powder that fills the case...never have any problems...
Set back occurrs mostly from reloading rounds on top of a round and the setback occurs over a large number of shots...just be alert to that and it won't happen.
------------------
Ray Atkinson