project time!!... what barrel length for a .416 taylor????... it will be a truck gun, south texas/mexico hog gun... p17 eddystone enfield action....

more than anything the length of a barrel is a matter of balance and personal preference.

I'm one that likes short.....21-22".....more if you like but you'll never shoot anything that will be able to tell the difference.

Because of the 338 case volume and larger 416 bore volume, there is no need to go any longer than 22" for efficiency other than asthetics or personal sight radius issues w/ fixed sights.

I would consider 22" to be maximum for me and would consider 19- 20" on the short end.

GVA

quote:

what barrel length for a .416 taylor????... it will be a truck gun, south texas/mexico hog gun... p17 eddystone enfield action....

A story: I suspect most of us who are gun nuts have had that itch to "roll our own..." I've always wanted a .416 but know African hunting is not in the future for me. The big Remington and Rigby types are more gun than is needed in north America in my opinion. In addition I am a small man and those big bruisers are not fun to shoot for me. I have used a .458 Winchester and didn't like it. I've avoided the big Weatherbys because they really batter a guy 5/5 and 145.

When Winchester brought out their WSM's I looked at the case and decided that was my .416 waiting to be built. I bought a Montana Rifle Co short action, a Pac-Nor .416 barrel and had the rifle assembled with 20" barrel and Wolf synthetic stock. It is toped with XS aperture and white dot tritium front bead. I use cast bullets a lot and had a mould made that drops a 350gr bullet with 75% FN meplat. I load the cartridges to ~2300 fs. With that combination the recoil is ~45 ft lbs. I am extremely pleased with my gun. Being so short I don't care a lot for longer barrels. Bigger men likely have a different opinion.

If we can rely on QuickLoad data I give up less than 100 fs with my load in a 20" barrel compared to a 24" barrel. I gain a lot of handiness in exchange.

I did a quick check before writing this. With the Taylor cartridge and roughly equal pressure levels and bullet weight you will better my .416x300 by about 300 fs in a 25" barrel and only about 50 fs in a 20" barrel.

Enjoy your new rifle.

Well,
I met Jim this evening, and a heck of a nice guy he is!!

ew ran the quickload data against a 23 and and 19... about 107fps difference....

sure quickload is "flawed" but it's the same flaws....

should be about to get 2250 out of a 19, easy, which "bests" the 404 jeffery original factory load, anyway

jeffe

Ears....anyting less than 22" is going to hurt like hell....but if he is using muffs, anything legal.