As a reletively new owner of a .416 Rigby, I am not impressed so far with the accuracy. I am a hand loader and and pay great attention to detail when loading.

Does anyone have any proven loads for the .416 that they would be willing to share?

Range results so far are 5" at 200 yds. using 350 grain Speer Hot Core over 98 grains of Reloader22. Firearm is an Encore Pro Hunter.

I load 100grs RL22 behind a 410gr Woodleigh solid and it shoots under an inch consistently in my custom CZ550 with a 21"bbl. Have not really tried any other loads as this was the first I tried and it worked in my Ruger RSM and in my CZ so why go further.

My CZ is extremely accurate! However, seeing as you have an Encore, I am not sure that helps you!
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
My CZ is extremely accurate! However, seeing as you have an Encore, I am not sure that helps you!
Peter.

Wow Peter, a 416 Rigby, how big are the jackrabbits down Jacksonville?

My CZ gets 1 1/4" at 200 yards with 350 gr Barnes Xs (not TSXs) at 2704 fps driven my 98 gr IMR 4350, FED 215S on Norma cases. (as always ... works in my rifle ... use very good judgement when reloading for yours!)

Ammo_Dog,
Thanks for the opportunity to trot out this old target, my second-best "big bore 3-shot group."
All 380-410 grainers shot at worst 3/4-MOA-3-shot-group with this combination of powder (105 grains of H4831), primer (GM215M), and brass (Norma).

This is the Buhmiller-O'Connor Memorial Load: BOML

If your rifle won't shoot it accurately, then the problem is that break-open action or TC barrel. Mine is the 2nd Generation Ruger RSM with heavy 24", 1:14" TWIST, barrel.

I stopped load development when I got to this point. I loaded a bunch of this and zeroed it dead on at 100 yards, and it stayed that way all the way to Botswana and back.

Why shoot the thing @ 200 yards when you are struggling? The Ruger .416 Rigby I have is extremely accurate and shoots all loads very well. Remember that 5" at 200 yards is 2.5" at 100 yards and that sounds twice as good!

RIP,

Why are you bragging about your group when it is soooooo farrrr left of the center of the target???

NICE SHOOTING!!

In my Ruger I’m continually amazed at how accurate the Rigby cartridge seems to be. Even factory ammunition from Hornady and Norma is accurate enough (right around 1.5†at 100 for 5 shots) for dangerous game as well as plains game. Here are a few loads that have worked for me:

All with Norma 1x fired and fully prepared brass, Federal 215 primers,:

101.0 grains/IMR 7828 SSC/400 grain Barnes Banded Solid (one ragged hole at 100 yards)

100.0 grains/IMR 7828 SSC/400 grain Swift A Frame (~11/8†@100 yards)

100.0 grains/H4831/400 grain Hornady FMJ (~1.25" @100 yards)

Your results are surprising as the TC single shots are usually very accurate rifles. You might try a slightly faster powder with the 350 grain bullets such as IMR 4350 or perhaps the time proven H4831. Reloader 22 while a great powder is a slow powder better suited to heavier bullets in my opinion.

Good luck

Paul

I have had results similar to those posted above, with the 416 Rigby using the GS Custom FN's. Just amazing acuracy!
Oldun, I was getting ready for my DG Africa trip. Still hasn't happened yet. My wife canned the idea. I have a couple of doubles as well!
Peter.

Hi Ammo_Dog, I don't have a 416 Rigby yet, but Reloader 22 is a relatively slow powder, and my experience with slow powders is that if you load them just below maximum they work fine, and Reloader 22 is accurate with 300gn and 250gn bullets in my 338 Win Mag at just below max loads. However if you load well below max you can get inconsistent velocities and poor accuracy. Reloader 22 is listed in one of my manuals for 350gn bullets in the 416 Rigby at 103 gn starting load for 2580 fps, and 108gn maximum for 2705 fps. Your load of 98gn will probably doing less than 2500 fps, and is probably too mild for the best accuracy. If you want that velocity try a faster powder like H4350, as 2500fps will be close to the maximum with that powder. Alternatively work up to around 2700fps (or the safe maximum for your rifle, keeping a close watch for pressure signs) with Reloader 22, and you should get better results.

Good to see some Rel. 22 data. I was sort of feeling my way in the dark when I settled on 106 grs. with the 350 TSX last year. Didn't get a chance to use it on anything but it was quite accurate

Here's my recipe: 90.2gr IMR4350, Fed 215M primers, Norma Brass and 400gr Swift AFrames (or any 400gr bullet). Out of my 24" barrled 416 Ruger, I get right round 2400 fps and sub half inch accuracy. Also the same recioe and old-style 410 Hornady solids, shoots to the same POI. Tested them at temps from near freezing to close to 100(F) with zero problems. Good luck. jorge

Being a new owner of a .416 Rigby in the CZ, I AM extrememly thankful to those that posted their loads here! AND that the CZ is an accurate gun in this caliber.


Bill

In my Ruger, 104 grains of H4831 with the 400 Nosler or 105 grains with the 370 North Fork will always go 3/4 in. I have shot groups as small as .248 with this rifle and a Leupold 1.75-6x. RL22 shoots OK, but not up to the level of the H4831 in my rifle.

I agree with 338User, until you get the Chrony out you will not really know what you're doing...

RL22 is fast enough in the Rigby to give big velocity, the Rigby is a big case. You can go clear to 106 grains with a 400 partition for 2700 fps, but hold on tight, things are going to happen when you touch one of these off. there is a hell of a difference in recoil between sending one 2500 fps and 2700 fps, and not much reason to do it anyway.

My .416R shoots most bullets nicely, so far I´ve tried Rhinos, Hornadays and Woodleighs loaded over VV N160 at moderate velocities.

I've also settled on the 105 gr H4831 w/ 400 gr TBBC as the best load in my Ruger 77.

95 grains of IMR4831 with 400 grain anything very accurate at 2400fps.

Dirk

Gents,
in this case, having experienced the weight of a 416 rigby on an encore, the problem is NOT the load or the barrel.. that setup, at 7# or so, is going to lead to shooter fatigue and/or flinching....

it's too light for 99.9999% of shooters...

jeffe

I can comfortably make it through 8 or 10 rounds without being affected by fatigue.

I'm just not so sure about the Encore as a very good rifle. I have heard good and bad about it all over the web, but it seems like they need a lot of tuning before they shoot decently.

I ran across a website dedicated to the Encore and have applied some of the advise to mine. The new trigger spring I installed has reduced trigger pull down to a clean and crisp 2 3/4 lbs. And the oversized hinge pin has taken all of that annoying wiggle room away. I have still yet to try creating more gap between the barrel and frame. One thing is for sure, vertical stringing is definatly a problem. If it wasn't for that, the rifle would be right around MOA.

It would sure be too light for me. Forget about those 106 grains of RL22 loads with a 400 grain bullet in that Encore. Those will definitely lead to a flinch, I thought they were bad in my 10-lb. RSM.

RIP said:

quote:

0.140 MOA

Dammit, man!

You could punch out your name on the target with that kind of accuracy! And out of a Ruger 77, no less.

quote:

Originally posted by Ammo_Dog:
I can comfortably make it through 8 or 10 rounds without being affected by fatigue.

I'm just not so sure about the Encore as a very good rifle. I have heard good and bad about it all over the web, but it seems like they need a lot of tuning before they shoot decently.

I ran across a website dedicated to the Encore and have applied some of the advise to mine. The new trigger spring I installed has reduced trigger pull down to a clean and crisp 2 3/4 lbs. And the oversized hinge pin has taken all of that annoying wiggle room away. I have still yet to try creating more gap between the barrel and frame. One thing is for sure, vertical stringing is definatly a problem. If it wasn't for that, the rifle would be right around MOA.

If your dispersion is vertical then I would think it was the rifle, not the round unless your SD is haywire. Last resort would be bad technique holding it on the bench. FWIW, I never had a lot of luck with the 350 gr Speer. Others may but not me.

I am not so sure about the Speer bullets either, just trying to keep the recoil to a reasonable level.

I was kind of leary about the accuracy of the round nose bullet at first, but hearing of others success has got me thinking. It also seems I am not pushing bullets fast enough. I think I will try kicking it up a notch.

I am not looking for any sympathy here, but I am leaving for Iraq in just a few days. (3rd tour) If anyone else has any valuable input please send it my way ASAP. I would really like to have this rifle squared away before I leave.

I've never been able to get the Speers to shoot either. Thats in several .416s.

I agree with tiggertate.The most common cause of vertical stringing is a bedding problem.These high powered cartridges should always be glass bedded and have cross bolt reinforcement.