I just picked up my ruger stainless 338 and the 416 barrel that goes on it. Hopefully I can get it to the smiths with in a couple of weeks to have it rebarreled and chambered ect. I have the dies and Iam working on getting brass. Should be fun. I am still debateing on barrel length the blank well finsh to 26in. I am leaning towards 25 just to be differant. What to you all think the proper length should be.

If it were me, I'd build it around 350g bullets. And a 22" bbl. I know everyone who has ever read anything about Africa says "416" and "400g" in the same breath, but unless you're headed to the Mother Land, I'd take a hard look at the ballistics of the 350g.
It has the same SD as the .375" 270g, the .338" 225g, and the .308" 180g, i.e., just this side of HEAVY.
And that Taylor case will maybe just barely give you 2400 with 26" if you're lucky, so if you're looking for that sort of performance I'd go with another case anyway.
But a 22" 416 C-T would make me proud.
(For 400g @ 2400 fps take a long hard look at the Howell.)

pdogshooter,
Congratulations. It will be sweet. I used a 26" Shilen stainless 1 in 14" twist barrel on a Ruger MkII stainless action, and it will easily do 2400 fps with 400 grainers and RL-15. It esily gets 2700 fps with 300 grainers and IMR 3031. I haven't tried the 350 grainers, but the right powder ought to make them go about 2550 in my rifle. I would probably lose about 25 fps per inch chopped, but any .416 Taylor between 22" and 26" would be nice.

Congrats it should be a great rough weather gun, just go the barrel length you prefer. All my cz's have 25" barrels so that would be fine.

Dropped off the Ruger and barrel at the smiths today he says about 6 weeks to get her back. Should be fun.

I was doing the exact same project as you but a .404 Jeff project bit me on the ass and well the rest is history as they say. I really do need an all weather big bore and what your doing is just so practical. You will love it !!

We will require pics and reports on the first shots....but you already new that

I like the idea of building around 350 or th 340 gr woodleigh protected points for the Taylor. I have a Rigby for the 400 gr bullets.

You will have a great time with your 416 taylor. Mine has a 24 inch barrel and will get 2400 fps with 400 grain bullets. You will probably get 2500 fps with the 350 grain Speer but the 350 Barnes X will probably take up more case capacity than most regular 400 grain bullets. Looking forward to seeing some pictures.
Take care,
Dave

I just fired my lefty Savage 110 Taylor I assembled with the barrel I bought from snowcat and a custom fiberglass ambidextrous thumbhole stock. With a 2.5x8 Vari X III it weighs nine pounds and shoots terrific, even with the terrible factory trigger. With even starting loads of IMR 4895 the 350 Speer will not seat to the cannelure, that powder doesn't compress well. But the chamber allowed me to seat the bullet to COL 3.347" and the base is about to the bottom of the neck. Can't wait to do more load testing.

P dog,

I built my 416 Taylor on a Ruger 338 Win action Shilen barrel @ 26" NECG sights, barrel band swivel, pillar bedded and floated, trued action and trigger job.

The 338 will require no feed rail work and with a 26" barrel I get 2400 with 400 grain Hornady bullets. I am using RL15 and H4895. I also like the 350 gr. Speer mag tip, they are shorter than a Barnes X and perform well at Taylor velocities. I shot a bull elk last year w/ the 350 and it dropped him like the hammer of thor @ 156 yds.

I like the 26" barrel for balance shooting of hand, I also wanted a little more weight in the rifle. The Ruger are fairly light, my finished rifle w/ 1x4 Leupold loaded is tad under 10 Lbs.

Good luck with your project.

BD

Nice caliber but why?....The 416 Rem is just as easy to convert to and its not a wildcat and you can take it anywhere and get ammo anywhere, but if your looking for a toy then that's fine..I played with a Taylor or two some years ago but ended up going with the 375 H&H and 416 Rem..

Mostly because I think the stainless MkII is a very nice action It was the least expensive stainless action that is control feed. They are very strong ect. I did not have to buy longer action. I would reload any way so a wildcat isn't that much differant. As you said it is a nice round. I have shot the 416 rem liked that. It will be a nice toy to play with. I could ask you why a 9.3x62 when your 375 does it just as well. Or why a red head over a blond ect. Just because.

I went with a 25 in barrel just to be differant. I am planning on a 10 lb rifle even if I have to add some weight. I have a 1.75 x6x32E leupold coming for it should be just the ticket. No open sites I well see how it shoots I might bed it ect.

pds,
You will love the round and the rifle! Reloading and load developement is a cinch. I went with a 23" bbl. attached to a 98 Mauser action. At 2,350fps, the 400 grainers "just thump!" The 77 stainless sure seems the way to go to me. Sounds great!
Your p-doggies must be vicious critters indeed for need of 400 grainer pills!
best,
bhtr

I like the "just because", thats a perfectly good reason. Done it many times.

I wish Ruger would make 416 Rem mag stainless all weather they are awesome guns.I have two in 338 win mag both shoot awesome.I shot a group at 200 yards that was 3/4" with the old Remington 225 gr grand slam bullets.If one can convert to 375 H&H a 416 rem mag would be just as easy.I have a friend who is guide who shot a 9.5 ft grizzley with his 416 taylor .It charded guy he was guiding .That guy shot it three times with his 358 Norma mag then it was 50 yards and Daine shot it 3 times with the 416 taylor with 400 gr barnes x bullets.It fell at their feet.He changed to 410 gr woodleigh bullets after that.He said he would take the 416 caribou hunting after that.What stock are you going to use on that gun?My fun load for 416 rem mag with those speer 350 gr bullets 76 grains of Reloader 15 they go about 2400 fps.I use 78 grs behind those 410 gr woodlieghs.

Not sure if you're set on it or not, but I'll mention again that Howell is sure a nice round for that size action.

Norma cases are among the best. I'm sure dies are more expensive, but that's a one-time purchase, and maybe, just maybe you'll like it more.

With seated bullets, Howell at 3.34" has 1-2g less water capacity than 416 Rem at 3.6" COL.

John Ricks has a reamer for it....

The taylor should have all the thump that I need for now. If I need more heck I'll get a 458 lott. The reason for some many diffeant cartridge types is so we have more reasons to own more rifles.

Dam p dogs are getting harder to kill each year just like deer and elk. I think my p dog load might be the 300 gr barnes X. You know just a little move vel for the longer shots. I just might take it out next trip to MT and shoot one or two with it. Heck I found some 50bmg cases in one town. Makes my 416 look small.

We used my 416 Taylor on cape buffalo this year with satisfactory results. My Taylor has a 22" Douglas barrel and was built 15 years ago, well before the remington round. 400 gr. Swift A frames at 2300 f/s and barnes super solids at 2335 f/s about an inch lower. Four shots to kill the beast. First round through the shoulder with the A-frame and off he went. Second and third shot Texas style. W tracked him in high grass (12-16 ft) and the finisher at 20 yards for insurance. The P.H. liked the rifle a lot.

UPS just dropped of my scope a nice new leupold 1.75x6x32E should be just right. Matched it up with my scope on my MKII 338 should have about a inch of extra eye relief. Now the waiting sets in about 6 weeks to get the rifle back from the smiths. Time to form some brass.