Paul Roberts, the former owner of the Rigby Co., confirmed this had been done, but also said the company didnt like to cut up the relatively short standard Mauser action. Want even more speed? Major ammunition manufacturers like Norma, Federal, and Hornady began producing .416 Rigby ammunition to meet the new demand. (+2.2 at 100 yards -9.4 inches at 300 yards -27.8 inches at 400 yards.) is 325.00MPa (47,137psi) for this cartridge. The first .416 Rigby rifles used the Magnum Mauser 98 Square Bridge No. It was recontoured at the pistol grip area into a much trimmer configuration than Winchester had put onto it. The 416 Rigby was and is one of the best possible choices for someone who intends to hunt dangerous game but also wants his or her rifle to be suitable for non-dangerous game including African plains game, elk or moose, a trophy Maral in Kazakhstan, or Sambar deer in south eastern Australia. Yup the 416 Rigby brass case will last a long time thankfully but do have to use care with those shoulders for sure, especially if crimp much but during tight seating too, will get bevel base bullets for target loads myself, for convenience plus no problem these days with lower velocity for elk. You find 12 loads in caliber .416 Rigby with Barnes bullets either below or in our load database by clicking the 'Matching Loads' button above Caliber:.416 Rigby: . The pre-64 Model 70 action, upon which this rifle was built, probably needs little description. The front sight had no protective hood, but the blade was dovetailed longitudinally, and was easily replaceable. It will also work perfectly on moose, elk, and deer, with suitable loads. The .416 Rigby was intended for use in Africa and India. The .378 Weatherby Magnum family of cartridges which include the .30-378, .338-378, .378, .416 and the .460 Weatherby Magnums use a case similar to the .416 Rigby albeit with a belt added to the case design. Ruger introduced the .416 Rigby in 1991 in its Model 77 RSM Magnum Mk II rifle. .338 Lapua vs .308: A Long Range Shooting Showdown. The wood was adequate in figure and excellent in grain. of energy or a 400-grain bullet at 2,150 f.p.s. Mag. of energy. of energy. OConnor was a gifted wordsmith and shared compelling stories of adventure with his rifles around the world. The .375, on the other hand, can be commonly found with 250- and 300-grain bullets, and some manufacturers also produce 260- and 270-grain loads. Need a .416 Bolt Action? Elevation was adjusted by a small wheel, and windage by drifting. Depends on the bullet you are shooting and at what! At the turn of the 20th century, four major British rifle manufacturers, Holland & Holland, John Rigby & Co., W.J. When loading for the torrid temperatures of Central Africa, handloaders can take it back several notches and push 400-grain solids or softnose bullets between 2,400 and 2,500 fps. On the subject of higher pressures, one largely unfounded criticism of the .416 Rem. If you can make do without a classic .416 Rigby and all its nostalgia, the Taylor might just be for you. It just depends what you want. Long Range Shooting; About; Reloading. Sadly, the 416 Rigby case was not strong enough to withstand the pressures needed to achieve RAI's ballistic goals. A balance must be struck. I will be using 400 Gr. In comparison, the typical .458 Winchester Magnum firing a 32g (500gr) bullet at 620m/s (2,050ft/s) manages to stay above the 5,400J (4,000ftlbf) just past the 46m (50yd) mark. The .416 Rigby case is 2.90" long, only 0.05" longer than the .375 H&H Magnum case. OConnor had a .416 made up on a Brevex Mauser receiver and took it to Africa. Internal case capacity is about five percent less than that of the .416 Rem. Mag. (or a .450/.423 with a 425gr) On the original qyuestion, comparing a .450/.400 to a .416 Rigby at factory specs is effectively comparing a 4K ft/lbs cartridge to a 5,000 ft/lbs cartridge. I do love those 416's. Now I just need $1600 bucks! Initial designs for the 338 Lapua Mag utilized the 416 Rigby as a parent case, simply necking it down to accept a 250 grain Hornady A-MAX bullet. Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 .416 TaylorOur recommendation: Our test rifles costly action, Marquart barrel, stock work, special bedding and sights would run the value up to about $1,000 to $1,200, depending on sources, but you can beat that a lot if you rebarrel a less expensive rifle chambered for any short-belted case, like a .458, .338, or even a 7mm Mag. "A buffalo could probably be taken with a well placed frozen herring but, the question is: "What's the point"?" We thought the excellent accuracy, fine workmanship, strong-grained wood, balance, outstanding iron sights, smooth operation, and reliability far outweighed the need for trigger massaging and a softer recoil pad. The owner told us he had wanted an original Rigby, but didnt want to spend the necessary money to get one. The most probable quarry would be Cape Buffalo. Mag. This isn't your grandpa's muzzleloading system. Kynoch had been the sole supplier of .416 Rigby ammunition until the 1970s, and the company was twisting in the wind by that time. 's maximum is 62,000 psi. 416 Rigby Very popular, highly favored and extremely effective big game hunting rounds, 416 Rigby's were designed in 1911 by John Rigby & Company in England, and were named for the diameter of the caliber (the first in this size). The current standard using smokeless powder is a 26g (400gr) bullet at 730m/s (2,400ft/s), generating 6,935J (5,115ftlbf). Mag. One of our staff, who was used to heavy recoil, fired the Ruger rapid-fire in three-shot bursts, and enjoyed it immensely. The new .416 Ruger seems like an excellent cartridge. London . Joseph Von Benedikt is with Jorge Spat to learn all about it. Neither the Taylor nor the Browning/Rigby were free-floated. I also solved the problem by buying one of each. The bolt had been lapped to the action. If it has a scope zero the 416 to 100 yds and it should also be very close to zero at 50yds also. At first glance, a brawny, classic African express rifle emanates an aura of power and old-time African adventure. Theyll do pretty much what the biggest .458 Winchester Magnum and larger rifles (large bores) do with less recoil, and will also do everything the smaller rifles (medium bores) do, but youll get kicked harder. Everything about the rifle was altered in some manner, except for the Browning-engraved, hinged aluminum floorplate. It had a rich, dark, blue-black glow that complemented the engraving very well. Between 1912 and the beginning of World War II, John Rigby & Co. produced 169 .416 Rigby rifles and 180 between 1939 and 1984. Maximum average pressure given by C.I.P. |
So which of the three is best? We noticed that the cut-rifled barrel was very easy to clean. A friend of mine had his new CZ-550 Safari Magnum out to the range today, it is chambered for the classic .416 Rigby. Candidly, if you feel the need to shoot 400-grain 0.416-inch projectiles faster than 2,450 fps, you are better off with the .416 Weatherby. Those numbers are just astonishing. And in some minds, it is the most practical. Compared to the classic .416 Rigby, it's still a young cartridge, but it has already displaced the .458 Win. Today this is still the most popular rifle design and is used by Heym, Holland & Holland, Mauser, Rigby, Westley Richards, Winchester, and several other gunmakers. How durable it will be by comparison remains to be seen, and well tell you about it in, oh, 50 years or so. I'm the least experienced here, but I plan to start at 100 yds, and see where it shoots at closer ranges. The scope was set far enough forward that we thought it would be safe to fire this rather light rifle without fear of imbedding the scope into our skulls. The .375 H&H Magnum can typically be found in 250-300 grain loads, while the .416 Magnum is nearly always sold in 400 grains. Some have stated the .416 Taylor is a good alternative to the .458 Winchester Magnum, and there are good arguments in favor of that opinion. Its development coincided with a plethora of exciting developments in the rifle and ammunition industry in the early 20th century, such as smokeless gunpowder and modern rifle actions like the famous Mauser 98. Since this is the first time I've ever fired a DG caliber I didn't have a clue as to what distance it should be zeroed at. Enthusiasts pay for that performance level in the form of sharp and vicious recoil. We attempted to get a supply of Federal ammunition for this test, but none was forthcoming. ammo of modest pressure, pushing a 400-grain bullet at around 2,250 fps. It's sleeker and fits in standard magnum actions, such as the Remington 700, Winchester Model 70, and Kimber 8400. Make sure to watch till the end. The brothers ran itnow called W&J Rigbyuntil 1887 when John Jason was appointed superintendent of the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock. The development of smokeless powder revolutionized the rifle. Payment / Access Right of Recission Help . Big-game hunting was still popular among the privileged class, but those gorgeous examples of the gunmakers artdouble rifleswere terribly expensive. Wed have liked a skeleton steel grip cap, but thats getting picky. Assuming equal penetration, the larger the projectile's frontal area, the more authoritatively it imparts shock. The rifles and ammunition performed admirably, and the result was that the .416 Rigby soon achieved a stellar reputation in Africa. The bedding compound was again Brownells Steel Bed. We ran new .458 cases through the sizing die, trimmed them to uniform length, and had .416 Taylor cases. The cartridge was designed to fire a 31g (480gr) bullet at 725m/s (2,378ft/s). In 1897, he negotiated an agreement with Mauser-Oberndorf to be the exclusive source for all Mauser-made rifles, barreled actions and parts in Great Britain; an arrangement that extended into the first 40 years of the 20th century. Mikey Hartman, Lt. Col. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Rafe Nielsen of Browning to take a look at a new X-Bolt series rifle. This new .416 caliber cartridge is basically the rimmed version of the .416 Rigby. You are using an out of date browser. Norma Range & Training - .380 Auto FMJ 95 gr. In 1816, Rigby, now 58 years old, brought his son, William, in as a partner. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. Page 1 of 1. I've read how the mil dot reticle can be used for rams estimation, but never looked into it. The accuracy was as good as the Rugers, and we got 2-inch groups with a variety of our ammunition. If you start sending 400-grain bullets downrange at a scorching velocity, your enjoyment of . Available in .375 H&H, .416 Rigby or .450 Rigby. The rifle was nicely put together. If as a serious hunter youve already got a good .375 H&H Magnum rifle, you may still need a really big rifle to complete your hunting battery.