Back 20 years or so ago, I had a Mk X Mauser built for a 416 Taylor. Didn’t really need one, but I had gotten into big bore cast bullets using an RCBS 41-360 FN mould. Never shot any jacketed bullets with it, but it was a hoot at the range. Ended up selling it to a professor at University of Georgia. He had a trip scheduled to Africa and was looking for a bigger caliber. I hope it served him well.

I don’t see much here on AR about this caliber. I know there are more viable calibers out there, but this one stirs up memories for me.

Good memories are worth the trouble to obtain them! But I think the 416 Ruger, being a factory round, has eclipsed the Taylor. Faster and no belt to boot.

I have one on a Mauser I bought at Cabela’s a few years ago.
I needed another 416 like a hole in the head but hey! The price was right.
Norma makes brass. Was sighted in well enough for close hogs. I have no plan to scope it.

M

You know, I had one too some years ago, built on a VZ 24 action, with three-position safety, Pac Nor barrel and bedded in a Carlson Medalist stock. I ended up selling it to someone here on AR, from Texas. It was a wonderful workhorse of a rifle. I still have a couple of Taylor cartridges and every time I look at them, I miss that rifle.

I use my 416 in AZ and TX where I hunt. People say it’s too much gun. But in the pitch dark morning in a blind or walking to the truck well after sunset the noises in the woods are not near as scary.

I like my 416T if doing a rifle now days it would be a 416 Ruger.

I probably wouldn’t have another one built. Just was pondering on the past and it brought back some good memories.

I have it's near identical twin,,411 KDF. A very useful cartridge especially for a person that's not to interested in factory rounds. I've never recovered a bullet yet with 400gr Barnes Originals or Woodleigh's. Always close so I don't expect to anyway.

I also had a 411 KDF, in a KDF Titan Mauser 99 rifle. It had nice wood and electroless Nickel metalwork. I remember shooting solids through 18"D Oak trees just for fun.

Another 416 Taylor owner here. Mauser action, M70 style safety. Just wish it had express sights, but someday I'll fix that.

Unless you absolutely love the idea of a "do it yourself" cartridge " the 416 Ruger is the best way to go.

it is a great round - but the 416 ruger obviated it, my 416accrel, the 416 rem..

Another Taylor owner here.

Mine is on a Mauser and I dropped it into a Coil Check stock from MPI. I also had pachmeyr flush mount sling swivels set into the stock.

One day it will make it to Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Unless you absolutely love the idea of a "do it yourself" cartridge " the 416 Ruger is the best way to go.

Yukk,,,, No can do Phil,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Unless you absolutely love the idea of a "do it yourself" cartridge " the 416 Ruger is the best way to go.

Yukk,,,, No can do Phil,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

If I know you Jim, you will love the 416 Ruger once you give it a fair trial.

There is something nice about thumping things with my 416.

The smallest being porcupines so far the largest a 500plus black bear.

Those two extremes and everything else in-between have died nicely.

Back before I ever heard of Chatfield-Taylor and we still called the .375 Taylor the .375-.338, I decided on a wildcat .416 of my own. I opened the .300 Winchester Magnum up to .416 and called it the .416-.300 Winchester Magnum. It easily achieved .416 Rigby factory load performance, but I never took it to Africa and eventually sold it.

It was on a P14 Enfield action and stocked by Hal Hartley. It was converted to cock on opening with a Dayton Traister trigger kit. The metal work was by my friend and mentor, Harry Creighton.

Tip Burns built my .416 Taylor on a 1917 eddystone.. 20" shilen #4... Necg rear and hooded front, fiber optic insert... Boyd pepper laminate stocked by john Valicek, 16 lpi 4 panel checkering... decelerator pad... parkerized... cock on opening kit in bolt... kept the bolt and saftey.... they guys on ar here provided me with cast, gas-checked 350's... 79 gr rl 17 makes a great load.... axis, armadillo, coyotes, speedgoats, lots of dangerous water jugs, i'd take it anywhere, anytime... drilled and tapped for weaver bases, wears a zeiss divarri 3-9x40......

.416 Taylor on a Pre-64 Model 70. 21.5" barrel with removable break. 8 pounds with irons. Scope on Talley quick release rings.

In terms of popularity, we make about two reamers a year for the 416 Taylor--seems like there's some nostalgia out there. While I don't have a Taylor, I do like to hunt with a bring-back Mauser that was sporterized post-war. It's chambered in 275 Ackley Mag, one of the many experimental 7mms developed prior to the superior 7mm Rem Mag being standardized.

Good to keep in touch with our past.

Dave Manson

Some years ago, I went with the 416 and 375 Chatfield-Taylors, and was more than pleased with both, shot a few elk, and buffalo and PG with them..Even today I can't think of a better wildcat, run a 338 thru the 375 and 416 die and they duplicated the 375 H&H and 416 Rem and the Rigby for all practical purposes and recoiled less..To bad they both died with the advent of the Ruger Hawkeye an African models, but they killed off the Chatfield Taylors and only a few old gray headed curmudgeons remember how fine a caliber and firearm on the 30-06 action they were..