The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores 416 Ruger Range ReportGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Well, the weather finally cooperated for a weekend, and has been in the 60-70's with no wind. YIPPEE! Didn't have anyone available with a chrony today, but what the hey. Let's go play anyway. I'll get real data later. Love shooting my Ruger Alaskan in 416 Ruger with the factory 400's, but have wanted to try the Barnes 350 TSX's in it for an elk load for a long time. Really tempted to take it to Arizona for my Nov. bull hunt in Unit 8. After researching the data Hornady sent me, and several other gunwriters tests and articles I picked Reloder 15 powder and Federal Gold Medal 215M's to light it off. Figured 74.0 to 78.0 grains was way safe to play with and after evaluation, loaded 3 of each for length measurement, pressure check of primers, and case inspection. Color marked each lot, so I wouldn't get them mixed up. I'm nervous that way, with new loads next to my face. Green for lowest, then blue, black, orange, and red for the hottest. Cycled them thru the rifle about a hundred times, and feed and eject operation was flawless.   They all checked out fine, and the felt recoil seemed like it was quite a bit less than the factory loads. No problems with bolt closure or lift after firing, and extraction was slick. I figured I'd start in the middle and load 10 of each of 76/77/78 and see how they shot. Article results seem to indicate I should get between 2400-2500 FPS from my 20" barrel. The factory loads for DGX/DGS measured right around 3.240-3.250". There are 4 bearing bands on the 350 TSX and seating to the first gives me 3.310" for COL, and allows a lite crimp. There is more room in the magazine, and I believe 3.400" is possible, maybe even a little more. Man, those Barnes bullets are long, tho!   Since I wanted to shoot some ground squirrels also, I went out to the hills and just shot off the jacked-up Suburban hood with my Caldwell bag and a standing rest. Off a real bench would be a better test, but will save that for later. It has a Leupold VX-III 1.75-6X on it for glass, and these were shot at 6X. All loads shot good, and were under 2", but the 77.0 and 78.0 grain ones opened a little. Moving 40 caliber holes around on paper sure makes the groups look big.  The 76.0 grain load was fantastic tho, and exceeded expectations. I've included it here for all to look at. You certainly can't complain about this at all. Also, I'm a believer in 5-shot groups, instead of 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You do get a little punchy after 30 rounds with this liteweight, so accuracy testing suffers, I'm sure. When I asked Craig Boddington about it (the 416 Ruger) at Reno SCI, he just smiled and in his polictically correct way put it "It's awful light, and kicks pretty good!". I think this rifle has real potential, and look forward to more fun with it in the future. | ||
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Good stuff and good shooting. | |||
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You'll be able to kill lots of stuff with those loads. | |||
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Great report! | |||
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Hey, measure your groups from center of the hole to center and it actually is much better than 1 3/8th. My rifle shoots well, too. JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous. | |||
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I always assumed a 458 Lott was minimum for gophers & ground squirrels, but if you think you can get enough penetration w/ the 416 Ruger, I might have to pick one up. | |||
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Great report. I am about to start a custom build in the .416 | |||
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Blank That's nice shooting but as JudgeG has said measure your groups correctly so they will be comparable to others posted here i.e. measure as you are showing, then deduct one caliber from that measurement. Your corrected group is actually under an 1" (1.375"-0.416") which is a winner. | |||
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So how much does it weigh? No guessing please. ------------------------------- Will Stewart / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor Member, GOA, N.A.G.R. _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ Hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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Nice, and these are 5 shot groups not three. So, already cannot easily compare to other big bore AR groups. I used the ruler and I estimate 1 1/8 inch max for this group. I know this is the best group, but very pretty darn impressive and first try reloads. Squirrels watch out! I was thinking about the feeding and extraction a bit. Had Ruger based this design on the Rigby they could have a little more taper instead of H&H head diameter. And, now they kinda shot them selves in the foot as far as a 458 to round out the family. Then as a 375/416Ruger hater, I should be grateful for any over sites they made. | |||
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That gun deffinatly shoots. It'll be interesting to see how fast those are going. In my 416 Rem. Mod.70 83 grs. Rel 15 only gives 2535 fps. Pressure is mild. I used it for Bear this spring but will pump it up for fall. Please post chrono results when you get a chance. | |||
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Yikes, that is hot with 400 gr. bullets. ------------------------------- Will Stewart / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor Member, GOA, N.A.G.R. _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ Hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
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Will: I weighed it once before my Zim trip, but can't remember what it was for certain. I have an accurate baby scale that goes to quarter ounces, so will get numbers tonight. The fact that function was flawless was what pleased me the most! I was very pleased with the results of this load, and would gladly sacrifice some velocity for accuracy, but not too much. I'd really like the big companies to come out with some hard numbers in the next reloading books. Since I had just replaced the hard pad on my Rem SPR22 45-70 with a nice Kick-Eze, I used that with the 405's for the ground squirrels. Wanted that quick backup shot, in case one charged. Edited to add weights: Bare rifle, rings, and scope are 8 lb. 10 oz. With the Butler Creek sling and four (4) rounds, the out-the-door total is 9 lb. 5 oz. | |||
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except he's not using 400gr bullets, as he states
sort of like topping 2400 with a 416 taylor .. which is 12% SMALLER opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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MTM, Is that load you suggested a 400 gr or 350 Gr? I shoot 81.5 gr of RL-15 ahead of a 370 gr NF and chrono's about 2515 FPS.(Mod 70; 416 Rem.) Sounds more like a 350 gr. EZ | |||
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Those are exceptional 5 shot groups for such powerful caliber. Wish I too could absorb recoil force like a sand bag. | |||
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My 416 ruger chronoed at 2480fps with the 350gr speer ahead of 76grs RL15 from the 20"tube, I was getting 2305 fps with the 400gr.Neither of these were max loads | |||
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I love the speer 350 gr in my 416 rem mag with 76 grains of reloader 15.The barnes x bullet 325 grain was my favorite but its no longer made. | |||
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Looks super! Good Hunting, Tim Herald Worldwide Trophy Adventures tim@trophyadventures.com | |||
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sorry guys yes that's the 350 TSX. My 400 gr. load is 80 grs. Rel. 15 for 2450ish. | |||
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I worked up some loads for my 20 inch Ruger in .416 Ruger also. I tried the 350 TSX bullet with the load you worked up (76 grains RL-15) using WLRM primers and seating to 3.335 OAL but I only chronoed 2360 feet per second. The same combination with 77.5 grains RL-15 produced average velocity of only 2401 feet per second in my rifle. I was not satisfied, as I wanted at least 2500 feet per second with a 350 grain Barnes TSX. After several trips to the range and trying three different powders I settled on 77.2 grains of AA2520 with Federal GM215M magnum primers, and seated bullets at 3.336 OAL, and a moderate crimp. Several groups with this load gave me an average velocity of 2508 feet per second over the chronograph with very good accuracy and no pressure signs. I will use this load on everything from elk through Cape buffalo. I believe I could get another hundred feet per second with the 350 grain Barnes TSX if I felt it was really necessary, which I do not. "The government cannot give to anyone anything that it does not first take from someone else." | |||
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Guys, I've got a custom 416 Ruger in the throes of getting finished up. Gary Goudy has finished the custom stock. We used a stick of English that was cut some 25 or so years ago, and has been drying and stabilizing ever since. The action is a 1909 Argentine that I sent up to Salt Lake City for a new heat treatment. Roger Ferrell did the metalwork for feeding, polishing and generally "slicking it up." The rifle was originally a 338 Win Mag that Danny Pedersen re-bored to 416 and chambered for the new Ruger cartridge. Metalsmith legend Herman Waldron even got involved a bit in the metalwork. Everything is done now with the exception of rust bluing which Bruce Farman will do. I expect to have the rifle in another month or so. I'll post photos of the completed rifle then. Tom     | |||
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that's going to be a beautiful 416 opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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30 rounds at that energy level??????....You're a better man than me.....and by a long ways.... I shot a .416 Ruger only a few times and was happy to sit it down!  /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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John Sundra .416/375ruger wildcat (22" barrel); 350tsx 75.5gn Rel 15, 2570mv http://www.rifleshootermag.com...ng_200806/index.html | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores 416 Ruger Range Report
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