K any help would be really appreciated...I am having a problem with a rigby being really hard to shoot off the bench...lets just say that the recoil is well...astounding.

I have shot lots of big bores,just b4 I shot this again i took my 460 Wby out and produced a 1.25 inch group with 3 different loads at 100 yards off the bench with no ill effects. The 460 is a # 1, braked and ported and weighs 12 pounds. The rigby is 10 pounds with no brake or porting. The 460 is getting 2800 fps with a 405 grain slug...the rigby is only at 2400 fps with a 400 grain slug...but beating the living crap out of me.I took a ruger 416 bolt rifle and made a nice 3 shot clover leaf with it..sooo..any ideas??

I know all about stock design..The rigby is a classic..the 460 is factory...could it be possible the rigby stock is to soft and setting up a accordion effect?? I have drilled out the 416 stock and added lead to it...but it didnt help out one bit..

Also after firing it the PAST recoil shield i was wearing had a groove in it from where the recoil pad was touching. The recoil pad on the Rigby is a decelerator pad and probably about 75 % as wide as a A square rifle...so lots of space there to deal with...

Please throw out some thoughts or questions at random and I will answer them as best I can...

I would try 2 things if you are not doing it already.

First if you can shoot from a "standing benchrest" it will be much easier on your body.

If you cannot then try this.

Stack up your sand bags very high. Both under the forearm and under you other elbow.

Keep your back as straight as posssible with the same amoount of body lean as if you were standing.

Then hold the rifle like this.
Grip the forearm HARD, grip the pistol grip HARD, plase your face on the stock HARD, pull the rifle into your shoulder HARD, hold your shnoulder FIRM. do not relax this grip until AFTER the shot and you have come down out of recoil and are back on the target.

For quick second shots hold the rifle as described, working the bolt and getting back on the gun HARD.

Do not shoot it like a target rifle.

Do not relax between shots.

You did not mention what kind of .416 you have. Is it factory-standard/semi-custom.custom? How much does it weigh? What kind of ammo?

I guess, I'm stunned, the brake on your 460 Weatherby must be amazing. What kind of rifle is it? Tell me it's not a CZ 550 please I have one in 375 H&H and I'm planning to go up in caliber ... I'm guessing the stock doesn't fit you, the gun's still too light, both can be easily remedied. Get fitted by a good gunsmith and maybe replace that lead with a mercury recoil reducer.

Chuck

Try using a "poor mans lead sled" between the stock and your shoulder. It's a 25 lb. bag of lead shot wrapped in duck tape. Works wonders when shooting from the bench.

quote:

Originally posted by icehunter121:
I have shot lots of big bores,just b4 I shot this again i took my 460 Wby out and produced a 1.25 inch group with 3 different loads at 100 yards off the bench with no ill effects. The 460 is a # 1, braked and ported and weighs 12 pounds. The rigby is 10 pounds with no brake or porting. The 460 is getting 2800 fps with a 405 grain slug...the rigby is only at 2400 fps with a 400 grain slug...but beating the living crap out of me.I took a ruger 416 bolt rifle and made a nice 3 shot clover leaf with it..sooo..any ideas??

I assume your Rigby is a Ruger #1? Can you post pictures please?
I, and possibly others, would also like to see a braked and ported 460.

To post pics in here can I just upload them or do I have to use something like photobucket?

Then rigby is based on a enfield action with a classic style straight stock but with cheekpiece added to it. I picked it up at a gun show many years back and have no idea who built it. The loads I was using last night wass...86 grains of H4350 with a 400 grain interbond and a federal 215 primer. The second load was 94 grains of RL 22 with the same slug and primer.

I will try and get some pics up of both rifles as soon as I know which route to take for posting in here

icehunter121 you have a PM.

OK kiddies..here is where we are at on this project...Ammo sales in Kanaduh are stupid right now..A box of 416 Rigby now retails for..199.95 for 20 rounds ...Yup 10 bucks a shot...that is just plain stupid.

366 send me another pm as as i read the last one but cant find your e-mail addy...

NE 450

You are dead on target with how to shoot the big bores from a sitting bench! Bravo--Job Well done. I have to teach most guys how to do this with any big bore rifle! The off hand and arm holding the forearm of the rifle needs to pull the rifle back to your shoulder tight and hold tight. That is one of the key points in shooting big bores from the bench. Very Very well said and done! I suppose this proves to me that you indeed have done some shooting! I commend you. These are the things I have done for years, and I have never heard anyone else doing it exactly that way!

My problem is that I shoot so much big bore that I cannot go backwards and shoot the tiny guns worth a hoot! I get below 338 caliber and can't shoot for crap!!!!! I forgot how to do the small bores!

Michael

Hmmm...M 458 perhaps you would like to try This beast off a bench?? Its literally friggen is God awful.The list of rifles I have owned and shot off a bench are...375 HH,375 WBY,416 Rigby,458 Win mag,460 Wby...

This Rigby for some reason is just a brute off a bench. I obtained some factory ammo from the local dentist in town as he has a rigby also...gonna fire that and see how it feels compared to my hand loads.

I also measured fired cases for expansion and all the measurements are with in the tolerance level.I even checked the barrel with a mic...yup its 416 just as its marked(stamped) on the receiver end..just in case it was something like a .411 barrel by chance.

I am really starting to think its just a brute to fire and thats the way it is..But I am gonna send some pics to 366 torque,get them up and go from there...

Icehunter

No sweat pal. I will be more than happy to shoot your Rigby off the bench. I do it weekly. In fact it would be a break from what I normally do. From what I gather it is a Ruger M77? I had one of those, mine did not shoot as well as I would have liked so I converted it to 510 Wells. But now it is so big and heavy at 11 lbs I don't care for it all that much. I have a 416 Rigby in a # 1 that shoots great, the fastest load workup I ever done in my life. After about 4 test loads I was satisfied with accuracy. But have not put much effort into it for a couple of years now, being tied up on my own wildcat series. But no, I dont' mind shooting it at all, I shoot on average 150 + rounds of big bore each week!

Maybe put a brake on it too, I don't have any brakes on my personal rifles, but it makes a big bore shoot easy. Some "REAL" big bores like SafariKid shoots I would not shoot them without a brake! I have limits too, we all do. The 510 Wells I was telling you about is my limit.
Michael

Michael...this Rigby is built on a Enfield action...

Ice
OK OK--I see in one of the posts above. I think maybe I would look into putting a brake on it then.
Michael

In my opinion, its either poor stock fit or you somehow crawl the stock when shooting from a bench. A 10 Lb .416 should not be painful to shoot with 410's at 2400fps. I have CZ worked upto 2750 with 410's, using 101 grains of powder the recoil is getting pretty full on then, but its tollerable for a few shots of a bench and not noticeable in the field.

You have also been given some pretty good advice on how to shoot these bigger rifles of a bench, perhaps practice some of those methods first, and then see how you get on.

Steve

quote:

lets just say that the recoil is well...astounding.

As Bill Clinton once said, "I feel your pain". I put 20 rounds off the bench in my converted ZKK-602, using 102 grs. of H4831SC and a 400 gr. Hornday Interbond. I don't know how much this rifle weighs but, it's probably a few ounces heavier than the original rifle. I did everything that NE 450 No 2 said and I still felt "punchy" when I left the range. I'm going to decrease the powder charge to about 95 grs. and see how that works and chronograph it to boot. If the velocity is over 2350 fps., I'll leave it there.

Aussie...I have been shooting big bores for over 20 years now...this Rigby is a complete pain in every muscle in my friggen body. when I get off work I have only 2 hours to gear up and get it out b4 its to dark or to cold in Canada right now.

I still have to get pics to 366 and hope fully get a video of me firing this thing....dont worry I grasp it with both hands but its still a brute off the bench. I dont think its about poor stock fit....I think the design of the stock is all wrong..its to straight back...which is what translates to more recoil the shooter feels...

Icehunter, I wasnt sugesting that you are a novice, just some people havent got the right technique for shooting big guns of bags, just thought I'd mention it in case.

I still am bemused as to why a 410 grain bullet at 2300-2400 fps will kick less than a 500 grain bullet at 2500+ fps. I personaly have no dramas with my CZ .416 Rigby but you couldnt pay me to shoot an unbraked .460 wby mag, and I own and shoot a .577 NE!

Do you have a Lead Sled? I shoot my .416 Rigby from the Sled or standing up from sticks ONLY.

From sticks standing it was still punishing so I installed a Vais brake - much better. Not for everyone but I am old and do not have giant testicles.

The truth is, contrary to popular belief, is that if you cannot shoot it off the bench then you will flinch in the field..I would say sell it and use the .460 Wby that does not bother you at all obviously...If you can shoot a 460 Wby like that, why would you even bother with a 416 Rigby...

Good points as always Ray. I can only think it's the brake on the Weatherby that's making the difference. I'm hoping my CZ 550 based 470 Capstick won't be so punishing ...

Chuck

Take a look at the Sissy Bag on the Protektor website.

Buliwyf

Thank you. Here is link
http://www.protektormodel.com/15.htm

Exactly how is this used? How well does it work?

I need EVERY recoil reduction device available!

Thanks