Going to Zim for the first time in Sept. Working up loads for my Rifles,Inc 416 Rem. Rifle loves Barnes bullets much more than any others (have tried Swifts, Northforks, Noslers, Hornadys). Shoots less than 1 moa no matter what load of RL 15 I put in the cases. Started low, working up to 24000+ fps on the advice of this group. Shot 4 different groups today, Barnes 400 gr TSX, hottest was 81 gr of RL 15, avg 2463 fps, 3 shot group 0.75 inch. Questions:
1) Do I stop here? Continue up to 82 gr in 1/2 gr increments? Stay at 81 gr and work up in 0.1 gr increments to check max accuracy? I question the last, as I noticed that 0.5 gr difference only changed the velocity by 30 fps.
2) Once I settle on the TSX load, I need to load some Barnes Solids. If POI is the same, I know I'm good to go. If not, any advice on how to vary my load to get POI to get as close as possible to the TSX's?

Thats the same sweet spot load I found for my Winchester. With that group I would say you are good to go with what you have. You can burn up allot of powder and bullets only to find you already have the recipe.

For the solids, you just have to try. If it is within an inch I would leave the load alone. If you are high, back off the powder a little. If you are low try bumping the powder a little, but watch pressure signs.

Have a fantastic hunt. You will be infected with the desease and forever more yearn to return.

I'd stop right there with 2463 FPS with the 400 Gr. TSX. That's perfect buffalo medicine. I use the 400 Gr. Barnes solids in my 416 rigby. I developed a load of 108 Grs. of H-4831 which give me a velocity of 2398 fps. I got great penetration on elephant with this load. Since I only used this rifle for elephant I sighted it with the solids. My notes show that the 400 Gr. TSX impacted 1 3/4" low and 1" left of the solids at 100 yds.

quote:

24693 FPS

Probably too hot!

SSR

82 to 83 grs. of RL-15 is max in most of the .416s I have played with and that is quite a number of them..

However, my hunting load has been 78 or 79 grs. of RL-15 for right at 2400 FPS...

I have not tried your load at 24000 FPS but intend to do that as soon as the snow melts in Idaho, it should be a flat shooting son of a gun.

quote:

24693 FPS

Oops - a slip of the finger. Post has now been corrected.

If your rifle likes the 400 grain TSX, you might try the 350 TTSX at about 2600-2650fps. Its .444 BC would allow you to use the rifle for some longer range plains game, too. 350 grains TTSX will exit a buffalo, too.

My friend Ross Seyfried, as a PH in Tanzania for 11 years shot many buffalo with the 350 gr. Barnes X in his .416 Rem. I think it was a Blaser.

A 370 grain North Fork soft backed up by a 370 grain NF solid is the perfect load for my .416 Rem. Model 70 Winchester Safari Express. 80 grs of RL-15 a Fed 215M primer results in approx. 2450 fps. Good shooting.

I have had great luck with a similar load using 81.5 gr RL-15 that chrono's at 2520 FPS with the 370 NF and is extremely accurate; Win Mod 70.

quote:

Originally posted by phurley5:
A 370 grain North Fork soft backed up by a 370 grain NF solid is the perfect load for my .416 Rem. Model 70 Winchester Safari Express. 80 grs of RL-15 a Fed 215M primer results in approx. 2450 fps. Good shooting.

.416 and Barnes Bullets are a deadly combination for buffalo. I shot one two years ago. Used a Barnes 400 gr Flat nose solid. When they dressed it out it had a .40 cal entrance and exit hole in the hide and a 2" hole clean thru the heart. Ir ran 60 meters and dropped over dead. I have some pictures of the heart, just wish I knew how to post them.
I like the A-Frames from swift, but have switched over to Barnes.