I have begun building a 416 x 300 WSM for a customer of mine. I am wondering if anybody has any load data for such a thing, or if anyone has heard of it being done. This rifle will be a 20" PAC-NOR stainless barrel on a MRC 1999 WSM action. The customer has a custom mold made by Mountian Molds. I am making the fireforming barrel right now. Tonight I'll form up some brass and post a picture of them. Hornady will be making the dies for it.

John,
I can give you the 416 jamison data...

email me and we'll talk

jeffe

John,

I have Jim Busha's Heavy Express data books for his cartridges. If you give me a fax number I can fax you the appropriate pages for the .416 HESAM.

jim

My .416 HESAM shoots Hornady softs and solids at 2250 to 2300 fps with 61 grains of AA2520. My rifle, btw, was the gun in which the load data was determined by Jim Busha. It has a 22" barrel. It does not need a muzzle brake, even though a screw-off model is available for it.



Using .300 WSM brass, I would think you could start off at 58 grains and work up to a comfortable load. I believe the WSM may have a less sharp shoulder than the Busha cartridge, but the WSM has a wider base. In any event, they are pretty darn close in capacity.

JudgeG,

Are these loads your using with 400 grainers?

Roger QSL

Yes.

Thanks

Roger QSL

I fireformed some brass. It looks nice. This time I annealed the necks. The sucsess rate was great with the 416 and 458 WSM. I'll put a picture up when I'm done with some family priorities.

John,

Is the neck the same length as your 458WSM?

Instead of .410 like your 458, maybe .330 like the Alaskan. Just a little more boiler room.

Roger QSL

The neck is the same as the 458 WSM/Noveske, appx .400". This is for two main reasons: The shooter is using cast bullets and wants neck for lube grooves, and it is easy. The headspace is the same as the 300 WSM, fireforming is easy, everything is easy. Maybe I am lazy. I just wanted to keep it simple. I agree with you about the shorter neck and the increased volume. Perhaps that will be done in the future. Here are three pictures. From left to right, 300 WSM, 416 x 300 WSM, 458 x 300 WSM (Noveske). I'm ordering dies tomorrow. Fireforming on the 416 was 10 gr bullseye, lg pistol primer, yellow box cream of wheat, and a little bit of cotton. If anyone needs a case for their collection, let me know.

John,
what's the water capacity of the 416 and 458? I am wondering how far from the 416 jamison these will be... Let's talk.. at 57,500 psi, the 416 jamison with a 20" barrel, barely gets to 2200 fps... which matches the 404 jeffery factoryh, btw

jeffe

I'm wondering why anyone would bother with this cartridge...

AD

Allen
That is a hard core hunters answer to a hard core gun nut's question.

Jeffe,
The 416 flush water to top of case 85.3 gr
The 458 flush water to top of case 90 gr

Allen,
It is fun to bother with these sorts of things. The 416 isn't my first choice since the 458 works so well. The idea is to have a very short rifle with as much power as can be had without too much fuss. This is the 458 WSM I built myself for the type of hunting I find myself doing. I'd call it a cross between bow hunting and trap. Most everything is under 50 yds, including visibility. 5 lbs, 11 ounces, 35" OAL, 14" LOP. 300 barnes XFB @ 2612, 16" barrel.
For each is own.

oh my, that is a dandy conception and execution. i'm thinking i may re-do my swede a bit and drop the scope, go to a heavy ghost-ring and fat bead set-up ...

Looks like fun.

Thats why I would consider it.

Twelve years ago I went into my uncles gunshop with a cartridge I had put together. It was a 300 win mag case with a 44 bullet with the case cut down and an overall length just short enough to fit in a short action. I showed it to him and he said "why don't you just get a .444 marlin?"
ITS NOT THE SAME THING.

Of course he was working on a cartridge too. His was large beltless 30 cal based on the 404 jeffery at 2.85". Go figure.



Right now I have a 300 WSM and 300 and 375 ultramags. I like the new cartridges and the wildcats from them.

My dad has had a 300 win mag for decades and is planning on getting another one. He did ask me what he might gain with one of the other cases and I said "not much get a 300 winny". He is a one rifle hunter.

Me on the other hand I am a caliber slut. I want a 6mm WSM and a 416 WSM.

I like the idea of shooting large bullets without having to do it in a 12# rifle.