Went out today and fired my new .416 Rigby Ruger magnum rifle and I gotta say I'm pretty darn happy with it. I'm really a model 70 guy so I did a lot of thinking before going with the Ruger and, in fact, a dealer tried to talk me out of it but I couldn't be happier with the fit, finish and the way it shoots. As another poster said the recoil is "invigorating" but as Ray said, after shooting a .375 a lot I didn't find it unmanageable at all. I was able to put 3 out of 4 rounds in a pie plate at 100 yards off hand with the factory express sights so I'm more than happy with the accuracy so far. I'm gonna mount a 1.5-5x Leupold on it next week and see what it will do off the bench but initial impressions are very positive and boy was it a lot of fun to shoot.

Snake,

I too really liked my .416 RSM. I was the one who said the recoil was "invigorating", and I still stick by that...but it's so damn fun. What loads are you shooting?

Joel Slate
Slate & Associates, LLC
www.slatesafaris.com

7mm Rem Mag Page www.slatesafaris.com/7mm.htm

Snake. I used a 415 rigby for most of my african hunting (Ruger)and I am convinced that it is the best calibre for the big ones. Its recoil is moderate compared to some of the 45s and 500s.

have fun with it. Jhon

For a great practice load, try 54 grains XMP5744 in Norma brass with the RCBS .416 350-grain gas checked lead bullet. The No. 1 I had in .416 Rigby was very accurate with this load, and at about 2000 fps, it was extremely pleasant to shoot.

Well I was in a hurry to try it out and I wasn't set up to reload yet so I went out and splurged on a box of Federal's (Sportsmen's Warehouse in Loveland has them) but at $97 a box I won't be doing that much. These were the 400 grain soft points but I couldn't really tell you much more about them.

Joel - you're absolutely correct. My buddy and I joked all morning about whether or not the cold whether was more invigorating than the actual shooting.

My Ruger 77 RSM in .416 Rigby is the early version with the heavier barrel, .835 at the muzzle. Accuracy is unbelievable, several loads are sub m.o.a. at 100 yards, my best 3 shot group measured .550 inch, a beautiful clover leaf. Unaltered factory bedding. That load was 104 grains of old H-4831, Fed magnum primer, Norma brass, 400 grain Hornady SP.

Kick-Eez pad, large white bead front sight, Leupold 1X4 heavy duplex, feed ramp and rails polished, trigger tuned to a crisp 3.5 lbs.

Recoil? I weigh 150 lbs with my boots on and I learned you had better spit your snuff out before you pull the trigger!

Pure classic lines. Good fit and finish. The barrel with integral quarter rib alone is worth the price.

Snake,

Congrats on getting a super rifle. I love my 416 RSM and agree with Ray as to the value of these Rugers (they are a steal at $1300!). Mine shoots moa or better with Hornady 400s and North Fork 325s and will soon try Frtiz's monometals.

John

Craftsman: I have the same rifle, one of the very first ones and it's as accurate as yours. Your load looks like a HOT one. What velocities are you getting? jorge

Jorge

I plan a chrono session in a few weeks when the weather warms up a bit.

I've been up to 106 grains of H-4831 with no pressure signs at all. However for me the recoil is a little above my threshold. I would much rather shoot 102 grains, it's more managable. You would think 4 grains would not make that much differance in recoil but it is very noticable.

Oh, I should mention, I'm seating the bullets a good deal farther out than the cannelure. That might explain my lower pressures.

Craftsman: I'd be very interested in your velocities. I shoot IMR-4350 (90.2gr) and according to the Hornady book, I should be getting around 2350 which is the original design velocity. Jorge