Stock design is the key to shootability with any medium or big bore rifle from .338 Win. Mag. on up, but it gets critical when you're shooting bigger than a .375 H&H.
You want an American Classic style stock with a high, straight, thick comb; a full cheekpiece; a bit of built-in cast-off; and a proper pistol grip that allows you to control the rifle with your shooting hand -- not your support hand.
With a proper stock a .416 Remington is not all that tough to shoot. If you can shoot a .375 H&H well, you can learn to shoot a .416 Remington with little trouble.
Now how do you know that? I'll bet I have VASTLY more big bore shooting and hunting experience than you!
Straight comb, large butt area, relatively soft recoil pad, proper length of pull , open pistol grip = good big bore stock. Cast off doesn't seem to me to be of that much consideration.
Will,
Stop polluting this darned thread it FACT and REALITY! Everybody knows that a properly stocked 600 NE kicks less than a varmint weight .223 Rem. To argue otherwise simply reveals your LACK of experience/knowledge!!
ASS_CLOWN
Posts: 1673 | Location: MANY DIFFERENT PLACES | Registered: 14 May 2004
Quote: ...With a proper stock a .416 Remington is not all that tough to shoot. If you can shoot a .375 H&H well, you can learn to shoot a .416 Remington with little trouble.
AD
Thanks Allen. This is good info. Someday (not too soon I hope) I have to give my brother's .375 back to him. I am thinking "Do I want to get a .375 for myself or move up to the .416 Rem"? I think the .375 is a great round and the recoil is very managable. If I can get used to the recoil of a .416 I might go that route.
The 416 does recoil sugnificantly more than the 375, however I think anyone that can shoot a 375 can shoot a 416 with a tad of effort...Neither of which bother me in the least, a 458 Lott bothers me and I have to concentrate to shoot them, and thats not a good thing....so I don't shoot them much...
Stock fit is the real secret to the .416...I like a stock that is set up for iron sights with any big bore, but I do use a scope on them...A proper stock for a big bore can also be too straight as many are today, and that sticks the gun right back into the shoulder, I like to split up that recoil with half going up and the other half coming back, it suits me much better that way..I also don't place a lot of emphasis on those wide butts that supposedly spread the recoil over a larger portion of ones shoulder...I have found the English rifles handle big bore recoil better than any rifles that I have shot, particularly the Holland and Holland bolt guns...My stock patter is from a Holland and Holland with a few changes here and there, it is used by Jim Brockman also..It works for me and you can get a drop in from Jim....
The American classic is a good design up to 300 H&H, but for big bores I like the English guns, they figured it out about 100 years ago...
Posts: 42554 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
I'm interested in your ideas on stock design for heavy-recoiling rifles. Straight vs. considerable drop at heel, comb height, cast-off, etc. Would you mind expanding a little bit?
Posts: 515 | Location: AZ | Registered: 09 February 2004
500grains, Thanks for the invite. I used to take my daughter over to university hospital for physical therapy for her burns. If I get through SLC again I'll give a shout. I actuall thought of turning my P-17 (by Winchester) into a .470 Capstick. Don't know what I am going tro do with it now.
Quote: ... with an animal in your sights, I don't know about you guys but not only do I not really feel recoil, but the noise doesn't seem to bother me either. Sighting in a big bore or developing loads is never all that pleasant after some time.
Whitworth
I agree with you. I shot my elk this year with the 270 Hornady loaded in the .375. I honestly cannot remember the recoil. Same way when I took a deer with it (Barnes 235 gr X bullet).
I heard that a skinny old codger with a glass shoulder tried to shoot a plastic stocked .458 Lott that was way too light for caliber and it knocked his dentures and nearly, but not quite, all of the snot out of him.
I did hear that the incontinent old bastard was using a Depends for cushioning, though.
Of course, he blamed it all on the baby.
Posts: 14289 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003