I want to pick a bullet that can go to Alaska for brown bear immediately. In the future I'd like to hunt Africa for large plains game and maybe take a buffalo or other member of the big five. I have 350 grain Barnes TSX bullets and 400 grain plain X bullets as well as factory 400 grain A-Square Dead Tough and Monolithic Solids at a nominal 2350 fps. These are still sealed in the box "just in case" of that dream hunt to Africa. Are handloads suitable for Africa, while I'm asking? My experimenting has been with the 350 grain TSX with Reloader 15, 76 grains, for 2550 fps from a 22" Douglas barrel and 64 grain with 400 grain X bullet for 2150 fps, sort of a .450/400 N.E. class of load. I want to get the feel of one bullet's drop while practicing at targets of opportunity at unknown distances from field positions, a stump or rock across the meadow, estimate distance, shoot, then check with rangefinder and so on.

I'd stick to the 350 grainers.

http://www.northforkbullets.com/416-370.htm

this is the one... just check the site and ask others who have used them. i only use the 200 gr 308 in north forks but they are awesome and considered the best. they will give you about 2300 to 2350 fps at acceptable preasures. ask other taylor users like canuk what they think.

You can't go wrong with the Swift 350 grain bullet loaded to 2550 fps.
Take care,
Dave

better yet rechamber for 416 a.r. and get an extra 150 fps just contact jeffeosso

I decided on 350 gr bullet weight in mine. Just enough more vel the the 400s some hitting at longer ranges well be easier. Then just enough more bullet weight then the 300s.

If I was suing the .416 T for your purposes I would use the 340 gr woodleigh protected point.

There's many good replies here but BS...ah...er....well...I mean Boomstick has my interest on the Northfork 370 grain sledgehammer. It's the correct thing to do to a very big bear and the 416 Taylor is just the cartridge to deliver it.

It's a good bullet, Vapo but very long. In a Taylor it will cost you a lot more powder room than a conventional 400 gr. Maybe not a big deal to you and the intended purpose but I thought I'd bring it up.

...I've been shooting a .416 Taylor since 1988, and have used 400gr bullets exclusively.
I have not hunted the big bears, and perhaps you'll be served quite well with a lesser bullet weight.
However, you mentioned your plan to someday hunt DG in Africa with your Taylor. All my hunting with the Taylor has been in Africa, and I know for a fact the 400gr bullets will do the job out to 200+ yds. Viz: In Zambia in 2003, I was hunting buffalo, and the shot was 212yds (verified later) One shot, one kill.
The majority of the time you'll do DG shooting at distances much, much closer. This instance was rather an anomaly for buffalo. Of the six I've shot, the previous five were 40yds, or less.
For accuracy, I shoot both softs, and solids at 2385fps. At 100yds, they print within two inches.
As an aside, my rifle is zeroed for 100yds, and the shot taken in Zambia, at the buffalo, the bullet drop was about six inches, and the 'ol dude dropped in his tracks...400grs works for me.
Just one man's opinion...and several years of first hand experience using the caliber/bullet combination.
Shoot what bullet weight pleases you, and enjoy the Taylor... I've enjoyed mine.

JLS

the s.d. of the 370 gr 416 northfork is .305 which is about perfect. yes it is long but that is partialy why i reccomend the 416 a.r. for the extra case room. vapo...glad you agree. also the band design and lower preasure makes up some for the length.

who here has loads for the taylor and the north fork???

1. Tiggertate...you're right on this and the Swift A-Frame might be a better choice in the Taylor for that reason.

2. Boomstick...here is some 416 Taylor load data with 400 grain Hornady bullets and Northfork says to start their bullets 8% lower and work up from there.

I'd start a bit lower actually.

400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-3031 62.0 2,193
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.26
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-3031 65.0 2,263
Remarks: average group size (inches): 0.92; mild
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-3031 66.0 2,297
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.81; low SD
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-3031 67.0 2,335
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.30; maximum
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4064 64.0 2,169
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.00
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4064 66.0 2,226
Remarks: average group size (inches): 0.71; mild
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4064 68.0 2,236
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.46
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4064 69.0 2,281
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.40; maximum
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4320 64.0 2,243
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.00
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4320 68.0 2,301
Remarks: average group size (inches): 0.87; good load
400 Hornady roundnose IMR IMR-4320 69.0 2,343
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.01; too hot
400 Hornady roundnose Winchester W-748 66.0 2,092
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.73
400 Hornady roundnose Winchester W-748 68.0 2,084
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.50
400 Hornady roundnose Winchester W-748 70.0 2,125
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.25
400 Hornady roundnose Winchester W-748 72.0 2,204
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.44
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-7 52.0 1,938
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.81
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-7 54.0 2,041
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.75
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-12 63.0 2,046
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.25
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-12 66.0 2,121
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.00
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-12 68.0 2,219
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.67
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-12 70.0 2,244
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.01
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-15 64.0 2,150
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.25
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-15 66.0 2,172
Remarks: average group size (inches): 1.16
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-15 68.0 2,247
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.24
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-15 70.0 2,301
Remarks: average group size (inches): 0.98; best load
400 Hornady roundnose Alliant RL-15 72.0 2,313
Remarks: average group size (inches): 2.00; maximum

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
the s.d. of the 370 gr 416 northfork is .305 which is about perfect. yes it is long but that is partialy why i reccomend the 416 a.r. for the extra case room. vapo...glad you agree. also the band design and lower preasure makes up some for the length.

who here has loads for the taylor and the north fork???

I have a Taylor that has taken 15 major animals as well as many lessor specis. I have loaded 400 gr. Swift A frames as well as the 370 CPS from North Fork and 380 gr FN solids from GS. All were @ 2350 f/s. You need nothing more.

lb404...

great post...

can you post your loads for him???

Where do you get the 370 gr North fork bullets and how much are they?I liked the Barnes 325 gr x bullets biut they quit making them.My 416 Rem mag rifles like the 350 gr speer mag tip bullets best of all and they are about $24 for 50.I have shot a ton of these through my 416s with good grouping results.Its not the best bc but its not two bad.I do like the 350 gr swift bullets also.

http://www.northforkbullets.com/

they run about a buck a bullet

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
lb404...

great post...

can you post your loads for him???

My load development took sevral years. I don't think a load is balanced if you haven't shot in in all the seasons. I quit looking for loads when I finally setteled on H4895. The Swift A frame bullet is heavily jacketed and is hard. 72 gr of H4895 will give me 2330-2360 f/s out of a 22" Doughlas barrel. My rifle is in a laminated stock and shoots quite well, 1"or less at 100 yards. When I started working up loads for the GS customs and the Northfork CPS with their driving bands and lessor weight, I was able to use the same load but my performance and speed increased. I was getting close to 2550 f/s out of the load. The GS custom in addition to being coated with a moly type product was actually close to 2600 f/s which was way faster than needed. I cut back on the powder charge until it was running at 2350 f/s and that charge weight was 68gr. Therefore, less powder and plenty of room for the extra length of solid copper bullet. As an aside, we took two buff and two hippo with the 416 Taylor and my 404 Jeffery this past year in Zambia. The Taylor using the GS custom whistled all the way throught Steves two animals. I was using the 404 Jeffery and the Northfork CPS penetrated very well but did not exit. The hippos were side brain shots at about 70-100 yards and the buff were both face on shots. All were one shot kills which suprised Peter Chipman all to hell. My wife later in the trip shot a huge waterbuck with the Taylor and was very pleased with it's performance. At the time I was preparing the loads for Zambia, I thought to use the Barnes X but none were available in 404 Jeffery and the Triple shock were not available to me at the time. The older X bullets did not shoot very accurately in any of my several 416's.

great post

thanks for the loads...

glad you had such success

One of these days I'm gonna have me one of these .416 Taylors. For now my .458 Winny will have to suffice.

Just a line to let all you helpful folks know I got my brown bear with one shot at 215 yds, judging by the hit at my point of aim, which was my zero, and the guides estimate of "a bit over 200 yards". It measured 10 ft 1 in wide by 8 ft 4 in nose to tail, after cleaning and salting. Beautiful chocolate brown color. The bear had been wounded in the right rear leg, so I was doubly please to harvest this trophy and prevent more suffering to the bear or danger to us or others. My guide and I heard six shots and then a single shot just before full light and scrambled to get in postition to intercept the bear. I used a 350 grain Barnes TSX at about 2550 fps. I was the only one in my camp of six hunters to get a bear with one shot. The bullet entered behind the left shoulder and exited the right shoulder, breaking the upper leg bone. The guide said he expected to find my bullet. He was quick to suggest I would be OK to take the same rifle next year for moose.

Congrats friend! Sounds like your Taylor really did the job. How about a photo of your bear? What part of AK were you hunting?

350 TSX.

One load.

quote:

Originally posted by cobrad:
Congrats friend! Sounds like your Taylor really did the job. How about a photo of your bear? What part of AK were you hunting?

I was hunting just north of the peninsula wildlife refuge above Cold Bay on the Alaskan Peninsula with Mike Vanning's Washington based Alaska Gateway guide service. His dad was my guide and gave me two choices, either hunt from base camp or work for my bear out of a spike camp. Glad I made the right choice, you can always rest at work. My expensive digital camera died on the six mile walk in through the tundra, alders, lowbush cranberries, cold, wind, rain, rivers, etc. I'll have to wait for his cheap disposable pictures and transfer them to digital.