I'm working up loads in my 416 for an upcoming buffalo trip. Hornady brass, Fed 215 primers, RL15, and Barnes 400 TSX and Hornady 400 DGS. Good news is I'm getting same POI with both bullets at 100 yds. 77 grains for the Barnes and 79 for the Hornady. At 15 ft my chrono is averaging 2267 for the Barnes and 2315 for the solid. I can go up some more with the DGS but am maxed according to the Barnes manual and no where close to the stated velocity in the Barnes #4 book. No pressure signs at all in either load. I have never had a Barnes manual load give me close to the stated FPS in any caliber. Oh-sub MOA groups for 6 rounds (3 of each).

1) Do I keep going up to try and get both closer to 2400? What velocity is acceptable at 15 feet?

2) What distance do I zero? Right now I am dead on at 100 yards and was going to adjust the iron sights to 50.

Any other advice?

Thanks,

Don

I don't think a buffalo will notice the 100fps difference. I'm loading 81gr of RL15 in my 416 rem and it's right at 2400fps with both the Barnes solids and TSX's. If I remember right, they grouped about 1" apart at 100yds--TSX's vs solids.

Don,
I will check my load data for my .416 when I get home tonight. I am shooting a 350 gr Barnes TSX and a 400 gr Barnes Banded Solid. Groups are in the area of .57 and both of them shoot to the same point of aim at 50 and at 100. One hole groups. I am using Varget with the 350 and honestly don't remember the load for the solid but I will check and post it for you. Neither load is over max and I am not getting excessive pressure signs in my Remington 700
Rick

Don,
This is what works for me, very well and accurate I might add.
350 gr Barnes TSX Varget 83.0 grains with a federal 215 Primer.
Barnes 400 gr Banded solid RL 15 79.5 grains again with a Fed 215 Primer.

Rick,

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping to get both loads to work using RL15. If that doesn't work out then I will try the varget.

Don

I only use RL-15 in the 416 Rem. its the most efficient powder for the caliber...I use 79 grs in all brass with Fed 215s for 400 gr. bullets, Max has been 82 to 83 grs. in all the many .416s that I have built or owned..

I don't shoot the 400 gr. Monolithics as I believe them to be too long, they Yaw out to 30 yards in most rifles and thats bad for elephants particularly and not great for close up buffalo or Hippo and I suspecion the tip from time to time pinches the HP shut...I like the 350 gr. monolithic, particularly the GS Customs bullets and love those North Fork cup points on anything that walks or swims.

I think I'm going to stick with 79 grains and stop looking at the chrono. I'm sure the buffalo don't care about 50FPS one way or the other.

I'm using Hornady brass. What is a conservative number of reloads I can expect using 79 grains before I need to trash the case? I don't want to push it and would rather buy new cases than deal with a case failure in the gun.

Don

If you are worried about the brass then only use new brass on a hunt but keep the used brass for practice. I have been annealing my brass after 4 reloads and only lost 1 case out of 100(Hornady) due to neck seperation. It seperated after the 2nd load and I suspect it was a bad case to begin with. Using a neck sizer instead of a full length die will also help reduce stress to your brass and they are a perfect match for your chamber after that. I have more trouble with primer pockets loosening up on Hornady brass than anything else so that's something I watch for.

I watched videos of annealing on youtube to get an idea of how to do it without overheating the brass. Ray gave good advice on RE15 loads. I was at the range this past weekend and averaged 2419 fps with 81 grains RE15 and 400 gr Hornady. 89 grains of RE15 with 300 grain TSX averaged 2721 fps. I haven't tried the 350 yet. Varget and H4895 work well also.

With 79 grs. and depending on how tight a chamber you have you can get up to 14 reloads with most good brass, if you had a sloppy chamber make it 10..That is what I have come to expect. Trim every 3 or 4 reloads or whenever they get long..toss the really loose primers along the way. With 82 grs. I would expect at least 8 reloads...

All that said, when I hunt I hunt with new resized brass or at least once fired to my chamber and loaded. I full length resize all big bore cartridges, I never neck size them.

Just curious Ray but why do you use a full length resizer every time? Is it because you use different guns or maybe worried about feeding issues with brass chamber sized from firing? If there is a downside to neck sizing I want to be aware of it. I'm not knocking you just wondering why.

Ray,

Thanks. That is what I wanted to know. I've been tossing the brass after 4 reloads to be on the safe side and figured that was way to conservative. I also hunt with new resized brass.

Don

My best load in a 1994 mod 70 is 84 gr BL-C(2) under the Speer 350 mag tip and Fed 215 for 2625 fps.



It literally electrocuted a 1,000 lb bison cow on a high shoulder/base of neck shot, and passed through. The guide heard it whistle through the trees 150 yards beyond the buff.

I'd stick with the accuracy. The Buff will never know the speed. My 416 spits out 400 gr AFrames @ 2395fps with 78.0 grains of IMR4064, well under an inch. Left two bullets against the offside skin on a Buffalo this August. Used this same load @ 300 yards on a Lictensteins Hartebeest. Good luck!

Sid,
Correct on the fact that I may want to shoot my reloads in several guns, but also for hunting DG, I always go for function first and foremost and sooner or later a neck sized case will fail to chamber, its inevitable..not often but it only takes once if a Lion or buff is too close. Any loads I have I may grab and head for Africa if I have no alternative, but my situation can be different than most..Like I said to hunt DG I really prefer new unfired fully resized cases, but sometimes it just doesn't work out and I have shelves of once fired full length resized reloads that seem to serve as well..