I don't have any big bores myself and I don't follow them that much but I am curious as to .416 calibre. I am aware of the .416 Taylor and the .416 Dakota but my question is: has anyone ever developed a .416 in a standard length based on a .404 case? If so, what is it called?
Posts: 2092 | Location: Canada | Registered: 25 April 2003
The 416 Howell can be duplicated by shortening the 375 RUM and necking up to .416...it fits the standard .532 bolt face better than the Howell and brass is much cheaper.
An easier approach is to just neck up the 375 Dakota to .416.
Posts: 1111 | Location: Afton, VA | Registered: 31 May 2003
quote:Originally posted by Sabot: The 416 Howell can be duplicated by shortening the 375 RUM and necking up to .416...it fits the standard .532 bolt face better than the Howell and brass is much cheaper.
An easier approach is to just neck up the 375 Dakota to .416.
Not exactly, if you look at Ken's measurement's for the 404 brass, it is .540" diameter at the base of the case. The Rum brass I've picked up measures .550" at the base. I did have Ken's original chamber reamer, the one used to chamber Newguy's rifle, and as I recall, it measures .545" at the base.
I had planned on using the less exspensive Ultra Mag brass when I'd planned on building a 416 Howell, but due to the differing base diameters, I don't think it'll work.
Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001
The real stumbling block in the 416 Howell was when RCBS increased their price on dies to $200! Ken even gave them a reamer for cutting the sizing die to have reasonably priced dies available. After my experience with CH4D for my 500 Jeffrey dies, and other folks comments, I dont' see CH4D as an option I'd persue.
I just don't see the reason or benefit of plunking down $150 for a reamer, and $200 for a set of dies, over the cost of building a custom rifle. The reamer and dies alone are 1/2 the cost of a complete CZ-550 416 Rigby. The only reason for the various 416 cats was when their wasn't a viable factory option. Now with the 416 Rem, 416 Dakota and 416 Rigby, there is no reason for a cat.
Still, I'd like a 416 Taylor, with cheap midway barrels, and reloading dies, I see it as on outstanding platfor for a bear gun. A relatively light 20-22" barreled gun pushing 350's @ 2500 fps.
Posts: 7213 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 27 February 2001
This may not be on the subject exactly but I thought I'd share a wildcat of mine. Actually it's one my grandpa created and I inherited. It's on a Rem 700 short action with a magnum bolt face. the rifle was orginally a 6.5 rem mag. It has a 22'' Marquardt barrel with I think a 1 in 16 twist. Jim Cloward put it all together. The cartridge is called a .416x2''. It's a 7mm rem mag cut off just below the shoulder and then necked down to .416. the new neck must then be reamed. I'm getting 2200fps (cronographed) with 330 grain colorado customs. I have yet to take it hunting but hope to soon.
Can get the same result by necking a 450 Marlin down to .416".....the original .458x2" American was created by Frank Barnes in an effort to make a bolt-action big-bore that was more suitable for use on American game than the 458 WinMag. The .416" you describe is a natural progression of this.
You might also try using 350RemMag brass to make your cases....a lot less trimming and you may not need to inside neck-ream.
Posts: 4360 | Location: Sunny Southern California | Registered: 22 May 2002
Maybe we could do some reamer sharing on this forum. In in the market for a 416 RUM finish reamer to clean up a 416 Rem Mag APR I have. I plan to just neck ream the RCBS 375 RUM dies and add decappers and seaters to fit .416, then add the Rem magazine insert for their RUMs.
Posts: 1111 | Location: Afton, VA | Registered: 31 May 2003
that's right about it being similar to the .458x2''. According to the information from my grandpa his cartridge has less cass wall taper. I didn't realize that the 450 marlin could be necked down and since this was all done in the 70s it wasn't around. Cases can be made from several different cases but I happen to have a large supply of 7rem cases. The trimming isn't bad though because I just cut them off with a saw while in the trim die.
