I've discussed this on Big Bores recently but this is likely a more appropriate forum. My ideas is this: I have a ton of 375 Dakota brass and would like to have a 416 based on that case. Dakota already had a 416 based on a larger case so they came out with a 404 Dakota (.423) instead of the more versitile 416 to, I assume, avoid confusion with their other cartridge.

Anyway, necking up my 375 brass is a snap but as dies don't exist for this round is there a way to load for it without the expense of custom dies? I think that a custom reamer wouldn't be necessary as one could use the 375 Dakota reamer (with 416 pilot) and a 416 neck reamer, right?

Finally, A fellow on the other forum didn't think that reaming out the 375 Dakota dies' necks from 375 to 416 was a good option. Is there a way to do this and get good results?

Thanks a million for the help.

Snowcat - Here is an answer...

The case length of the .375 Dakota is 2.57"
The case length of the .416 Dakota is 2.85"

The cost of a custom reamer and die set will be far more expensive than either building a .375 Dakota or simply purchasing 100 cases of .416 Dakota. To shorten the .416 Dakota chamber by a few hundredths is a waste of time and money. Trust me, brass just ain't that damn expensive.

As far as the performance of the .416 Dakota, it is the best .416 in my books. I can easily get an honest 2500 fps without any problems with a 410gr Woodleigh Weldcore. I can do the same thing with my Rigby, however it takes more powder and a bigger action.

Not sure what game you are after but either the .375 or the .416 Dakota are great cartridges. I would think in your neck of the woods, the .375 Dakota is more versatile than the .416.

Snocat If a 375 dakota necked up to 416 is what you want ,go for it. You shouldn't have to buy a reamer.Look for a smith who has a 375 Dakota reamer and a 416 reamer to do the throat. A custom set of dies are not that expensive . Give CH4D a call. I've had them make a couple sets of custom dies and they were only about $70. They are also every bit as good as any off the shelf dies from any of the common makers.

Hornady makes my custom dies I think last price was around $95.

As mentioned, they did do a 416 Dakota, but it was on the full-length case (COL 3.6") instead of the 3.34" round on the 2.5" case.
In fact, Ken Howell made the 404 2.5" necked to 375 before Dakota did (Jeffery did the 330 even before that!) He called it the 375 Howell. He also made one in 416, called - you guessed it - 416 Howell. It was originally being designed for Winchester, called the 416 Win Express or similar, but they dropped the idea pretty late in the game, so he finished it and there are a numebr of rifles out there so-chambered. He gave the reamer to Redding or someone like that, in hopes of making the dies more readily available, only to find they still charge their custom price for it. He was steamed, from what I hear. (May not have been Redding, note.)
Anyway, it gets 400/2400 well within safe pressures, as it should, since it has the same case capacity as the 416 Remington.
John Ricks has chambered a few pre-64 M70's in this round, though it sounds like he may not be the one to call at the moment.
Anyway, the round is out there, and it works.
It will cost you a barrel, a reamer (~$140) and a smith, as well as dies (~$120) so, maybe plan another $500 after your gun and barrel, for lapping lugs, crowning, feed, etc.
If you want it on the cheap, get an A&B short-chambered in 416 Taylor threaded for a k98 and go from there. Set it up as a single-shot for a while to do load development. If you like it, fix the feeding, do whatever cosmetics you want, maybe put a nicer barrel on it later.

Just in case some can use it, I have a Bauska 416 bbl, unchambered in the white, 23 inches long with a 1 in 14" twist and threaded for a LR Mauser, that I will let go for $75.00. I bought it for a Taylor project that never happened. Can anyone use it??
Doug

Zero-
I'm working with a 98 action and, although its possible to make the 2.8"case work in the Mauser, its a pain.

I'll look into the Howell, nothing new under the sun, guess I can't call this thing a "416 Kolbe" after all! Brass cost is an issue--I bought several hundred pieces of the old Dakota brass of Mast manufacture which has significantly less case capacity than the newer Norma stuff and which I don't use for my Dakota. Necking it to 416 would be a great use for it and make for an interesting and fun round.

Thanks for the leads on the die makers--I would have thought that custom dies would have been more expensive _I just bought 375 whelen AI dies for over $100 and that round has been around for a while...hell, Dakota die sets are that much.

Doug, sent you a PM.

Thanks Snowcat, I emailed you.
Doug

I have a 416 Howell. I love it. I have only put ~100 rounds through it so far, and most of those were just fun rounds at rocks. I have only shot groups for it once and it is about a MOA or slightly better shooter. It is pretty expensive to feed, and it can be a pain to from the brass, but so far so good.