Introduced in 1911, this classic cartridge is legendary in terms of performance, possesses unmatchable panache virtue of its history with and connection to a storied British firearms house of almost mythical proportions, and is available in factory-loaded form across most of Africa. Gun Tests RecommendsRuger Mark II Magnum .416 Rigby, $1,550. The energy generated by the cartridge was on par with that of .450 Nitro Express which, until the ban on the 11.6mm (0.458in) caliber in India and the Sudan in the early 1900s, had been the standard of measure for dangerous game rifles. However, the checkering was not fully completed when we tested the rifle. With a rim of .580 inch, belt diameter of .604 inch, and case length of 2.913 inches, the .378 Weatherby Magnum requires a full-size magnum action. 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. I expect to be schooled when I start pulling the trigger on my new rifle. The rifles and ammunition performed admirably, and the result was that the .416 Rigby soon achieved a stellar reputation in Africa. (center), and the compact, high-performance .416 Ruger (right) are triplets in terms of ballistic performance, but the .416 Ruger fits and functions in smaller, sleeker rifles. Two snot nosed kids vs. two veterans. The woodwork consisted of modifying the original Model 70 stock, reduced in overall thickness and length. John Hunter provided a testimonial to John Rigby & Company stating "You will be pleased to know that the rifle which accounted for all the rogue lions on my last hunting expedition was the .416 Bore Magazine Rifle you supplied me with. This is a dangerous game gun, so you should be that close or closer. The performance of these cartridges was due to the sectional density (greater than 7.6 millimetres [0.300in]) and higher velocity (~700m/s[2,300ft/s]). Buy it. 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. In fact, when staying inside approved pressure limits, the .416 Rem. Our Oehler 35P chronograph told us we were pushing the 350-grainers out at about 2,350 fps with our load, and the 400-grainers came out at 2,200 fps, giving us just about the power of the .404 Jeffery, though we could have loaded both loads hotter. World's most popular community & resource for hunting in Africa since 2007. To overcome the greater resistance encountered by larger frontal area, the bullet must be driven faster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. One of our shooters experiences with several CZ Brno rifles in the past indicates they are a sound rifle in need of a bit of massaging inside the stock and on the trigger, and we have no doubt the new rifles are very similar. Top velocities can be achieved with Alliant 2000-MR powder. Email Signup. 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. Ammo. Different bullet weights offer versatility. Jeffery & Co, and Westley Richards designed cartridges which could operate in the Magnum Mauser 98 action and could offer big-bore nitro express ballistics and performance in a magazine rifle which was what the British called their bolt-action rifles. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Mag. The British firm of John Rigby & Co. is older than the United States. mandates a 6-groove barrel with a bore diameter of 10.36 mm (0.408 in) and a groove diameter of 10.57 mm (0.416 in) with each groove being 3.60 mm (0.142 in) wide and a twist rate of 420 mm (16.54 in). Farmer 1 wrote on Mark Biggerstaff's profile. The rifle is a Ruger No. Cautious handloading can significantly increase the .416 Rigby's muzzle velocity. When loaded to their respective maximum average pressure level, both the Rigby and Remington cartridges are capable of driving the 26g (400gr) bullet at over 760m/s (2,500ft/s). It features a single . We think you could get a .416 Taylor for about $500-$650 with loading dies, if you shop around. It was recontoured at the pistol grip area into a much trimmer configuration than Winchester had put onto it. This website contains many older reviews. 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: . While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. 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. Also, the workmanship on his rifles was as good as it gets. [citation needed], With renewed interest in dangerous-game hunting in Africa, the demand for big-game cartridges increased. This was named after Robert Chatfield-Taylor, who developed it in about 1972. Look at trajectory chart. The metal was removed to get the lower (right-side) cartridge wider within the magazine so it wouldnt force the upper one out past the rail. If youve got a good .416, you probably dont need any bigger rifle, and will have precious little need for a .375. The .416 Weatherby Magnum is by far the fastest, a 400-grain bullet loaded to the gills at 2,700 feet per second, yielding nearly 6500 foot-pounds of energy. The Taylor has a lot going for it. 's maximum is 62,000 psi. Muzzle energy is almost 5,200 ft-lbs, and even roundnose solids or softpoints carry almost 4,000 ft-lbs at 100 yards. Joseph VonBenedikt is with Joel Hodgdon to talk about the improved accuracy and long-range potential of the already reliable Core-Lokt ammo line. If you want a custom Rigby, there are better actions than the 98 Mauser around which to build it, even though John Rigby & Co. did just that when Magnum Mauser actions were unavailable right after WWII. It was possible to gouge our fingers on the eyepiece when we were in a hurry. The addition of the rim will make it more suitable for being chambered in double rifles such as the Rigby . The larger case of the .416 Rigby allows the cartridge to generate the same velocity and energy as that of the .416 Remington Magnum but does so at far lower pressure levels. The cartridge is capable of producing over 5,400J (4,000ftlbf) of energy at a range of 100m (110yd). Rizzini USA 7001-416 Rhino Express 416 Rigby 23 in Coin Anodized Silver Oiled Turkish Walnut Double Gun Stock Pistol Grip Ambidextrous Hand. Any rifle that can be chambered for the .458 Winchester will prove to be ideal for rebarreling to .416 Taylor. I've read how the mil dot reticle can be used for rams estimation, but never looked into it. The Ruger fed and fired perfectly, but all who tried it wanted a better trigger pull. does at 75 yards, recoils significantly less, penetrates more, and fits into the same size rifle action. Best Buy. 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. Even though the Rem. This is about as easy as wildcattingmaking non-factory ammunitiongets. As a sporting cartridge, the .416 Rigby may not be as popular as the .30-'06 Sprg. All that iron between the hands gave the rifle excellent fast-handling characteristics and a weight of 9.8 pounds unloaded. Terminal performance benefits, but recoil spikes. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. 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. Lovely!! Notify when available. The .416 Rigby operates at lower chamber pressures than smaller cartridges of its caliber and that can be a good thing when hunting under an African sun with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Two massive recoil bars and a slightly longer stock are incorporated to deal with the three calibers on offer: .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby or .450 Rigby. We could find absolutely nothing wrong with the Dakota. Hence the question. This was his attempt at acquiring an English .416 Rigby. This was a custom rifle for those who traveled the world in search of big game, so rifle and cartridge were proprietary. The current standard using smokeless powder is a 26g (400gr) bullet at 730m/s (2,400ft/s), generating 6,935J (5,115ftlbf). Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, The .38 Smith & Wesson: History And Performance, 7.62 NATO And .308 Win. It would be, we thought, an excellent choice for a one-rifle African safari, or to take against the biggest game anywhere in the world. Paul Mauser did not invent the bolt-action rifle but rather he refined the design, allowing controlled round feeding, a stripper clip for fast loading, and a strong action with the ability to withstand high pressures generated by the new smokeless powders. 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). As cordite was susceptible to high chamber-pressure variations dependent on ambient temperature, the relatively moderate pressure loading of the .416 Rigby provided a safety margin against dangerously high pressure levels when used in tropical regions. We thought it should have been heavier for general use, but the owner liked it as it was. This worked well for me for a number of years. Federal, Hornady and Norma tooled up and began producing .416 Rigby ammunition. Sure, it's a tad shorter, but its performance is a tad short, too. The wood looked good. It was not until Bill Ruger of Sturm, Ruger & Co. began offering the Ruger Model 77 RSM Magnum Mk II in 1991 that the cartridge finally took off. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A brother to the .375 H&H Ruger we tested recently, the .416 Rigby Ruger appealed to us just about as much as the smaller version. He found it a very effective cartridge for heavier game, with less recoil than the .450 Watts OConnor used on previous hunts on the Dark Continent. or .375 H&H, but thats normal. In 1816, Rigby, now 58 years old, brought his son, William, in as a partner. The .416 Barrett or 10.683mm centerfire rifle cartridge is a proprietary bottlenecked centrefire rifle cartridge designed in 2005. "The .416 Rigby: Just Enough", Learn how and when to remove this template message, .416 Rigby data from Federal Premium Ammunition, "The .416 Rigby: A Classic African Big Game Hunting Cartridge", "An Official Journal Of The NRA | The .416 Rigby: History and Performance", "The 416 Rigby, A Big Game and Dangerous Game Cartridge "par excellence", John Rigby & Co. (Gunmakers) Ltd. London, England, John Rigby (Gunmakers) Ltd. London, England, TDCCs (cartridge dimension and specs tables), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=.416_Rigby&oldid=1117949555, Articles needing additional references from January 2013, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 400gr (26g) Trophy Bonded Sledgehammer Solid, Test barrel length: 610 millimetres (24in), This page was last edited on 24 October 2022, at 11:39. Ruger produced approximately 1,000 rifles between 1991 and 2001, dramatically boosting the number of .416 Rigby rifles in circulation. Jack O'Connor used a .416 Rigby on his African safari and successfully took elephant and lion with it. In reality, the Barrett is a very inefficient design, far to much capacity for that bore diameter. The bolt was just as slick as that of the .375, and we looked forward to rapid-firing the big rifle. The .416 Rigby's dimensions and specifications are governed by C.I.P. Its stopping power was extraordinary, and the fact that all the lions, rhino, buffalo, etc., were shot at comparatively short range, and no other rifle to back me up, speaks volumes for the accuracy and efficiency of your rifle." The cartridge was designed as an improvement to the .50 BMG cartridge, a common machine gun and rifle cartridge. While the interest was strong because of more people heading into big game country, ammo was still a sticking point. It is virtually identical to the .450 Rigby which it predates by a few years. The original 27g (410gr) bullet has a sectional density of .338 and at a velocity of 700m/s (2,300ft/s) generated 6,375J (4,702ftlbf). Bob my friend from Sydney went to Safari firearms yesterday to pick up some stuff & looked at the Marlin 35 REM for me, they want $1900 for it with a tasco scope, & $1600 with out scope i think its a $900 rifle at the most thank you for the lead but i will not pay that much. There were no sling-swivel studs fitted to the rifle. SAAMI have listed the .416 Rigby, and there are no discrepancies between SAAMI and C.I.P. Mag. of energy. However, the Rigby case is much fatter. It had a wide-angle V, and a platinum centerline had been inlaid into it by the owner. A beautiful rust blued rifle in the original stock, refinished with a matt lacquer. So the .416 Taylor can drive a 340gn Woodleigh PPSN bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .330 at a healthy 2,500fps or more, making it able to be zeroed at 200 yards and used reliably out to around 300 yards. The stock was tied to the steel by five bolts, just like on the .375. JavaScript is disabled. This new .416 caliber cartridge is basically the rimmed version of the .416 Rigby. Assuming your rifle shoots it well- and you're rifleman enough to place your shots precisely- I wouldn't hesitate to use it out to 400 yards or so on moose and the biggest antelope species. We stayed well within prescribed limits and ended up with useful ammunition that gave very lengthy brass life. Try Cutting Edge's 300-grain Safari ESP Raptor, a unique reversible bullet that serves as either a polymer-tipped expanding bullet or a flatnose solid and can be pushed to well over 2,700 fps. The pores were well filled and the stock had a pleasant sheen. The 416-408 Cheytac is a very close second to the 416 Barrett. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. A 400-grain bullet- whether a Barnes Banded Solid for use on pachyderms or a Nosler Partition for stopping big coastal brown bears- loaded to 2,250 fps is completely capable of the task. While considered overpowered for the big cats, the .416 is regularly used for the hunting of these felines. The .416 Rigby was intended for use in Africa and India. Each of these cartridges easily outshined the .450 Black Powder Express cartridge that they replaced. [citation needed] Both the Remington and Ruger cartridges were designed to fire a 26g (400gr) bullet at over 730m/s (2,400ft/s) to emulate the performance level of .416 Rigby. The forend was checkered completely around in an English-style point pattern, and the pistol grip had a large panel of checkering on each side. At the range we expected to get kicked, and we werent disappointed. Payment / Access Right of Recission Help . [2] It is the first cartridge to use a bullet of .416 inch (10.57 mm) diameter. Too, its not something any sane person would want to shoot 200 rounds of it in a day of shooting. Well let you know more when we get our hands on one of the new 550 Magnums. However, two shots will get most jobs done, and we though this concept was better than a single shot. Mag. Compare the ballistics to see why: The .416 Rem. (Ret.) [5] Between 1984, when Paul Roberts took over the John Rigby & Co., and 1997, when the company was purchased by Geoff Miller's investment group, 184 more rifles were produced. Today's loads in .416 Rigby feature 400- to 410-grain soft-nose or FMJ bullets at 2,300 to 2,400 f.p.s. The accuracy was as good as the Rugers, and we got 2-inch groups with a variety of our ammunition. The most probable quarry would be Cape Buffalo. The .450 Dakota fires a 32g (500gr) bullet at 780m/s (2,550ft/s). More importantly, 8mm Rem. Buy It. 416 rigby effective range. 5 action. Custom Browning .416 RigbyOur recommendation: Although this was an extremely nice custom rifle that would likely sell for about $3,000, we felt the money that would have to be spent to duplicate it would buy a good Ruger, plus either a lot of ammunition or a down payment on a serious hunting trip to a place where the Rigbys power could be put to good use. The RCBS reloading dies we had on loan with this rifle were all we needed to make ammunition from .458 cases. Mag. The pre-64 Model 70 action, upon which this rifle was built, probably needs little description. Our test .416 Taylor came with a dovetail-slotted rear sight base, and there was also a two-leaf rear sight to fit the slot, but we never installed it. Corditea double-based smokeless propellant that looks similar to spaghettiwas patented in Britain in 1889. Traditional pressures offer all the performance necessary for even the biggest bull elephant or hippo. Dont Buy It. Show all 416 Rigby We didnt entirely like the three-position safety, in that it was difficult to find it when it was fully on. Internal case capacity is about five percent less than that of the .416 Rem. As a result, the .416 Rem. We would have liked a filler installed into the notch in the rear base. or .300 Winchester Mag. During World War II most Axis and Allied nations, with the exception of the Americans (M1 Garand), British (LeeEnfield), and the Russians (MosinNagant) used rifles based on the Mauser 98 action. Rifle actions appropriate for this relatively compact .416 are shorter than those for the Rigby and Rem. I fired 2 shots at 25 yds. Everything about the rifle was altered in some manner, except for the Browning-engraved, hinged aluminum floorplate. The buttpad was original Winchester, and although it appeared to be quite old, it was softer than many brand-new pads weve seen recently on hard-kicking rifles. Rigby then set about designing a cartridge that worked well in a bolt-action magazine rifle and perform as well or better than the Jeffery and Westley Richards cartridges. If it has a scope zero the 416 to 100 yds and it should also be very close to zero at 50yds also. Prior to India's independence in 1947 the .416 had success against India's dangerous game which included the Bengal tiger. Mag. Depends on the bullet you are shooting and at what! Todays loads in .416 Rigby feature 400- to 410-grain soft-nose or FMJ bullets at 2,300 to 2,400 f.p.s. Mark I would like to buy your scope unless you have one with a red dot . What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? It appeared to be sawn with the grain in the most favorable direction through the pistol grip and into the forend to give the best strength. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1G7xXag. Joseph Von Benedikt is with Jorge Spat to learn all about it. . With its admirable sectional density of .330, a 400-grain bullet driven at 2,200 fps is still big medicine capable of cleanly and efficiently dropping any buffalo or elephant that roams the veldt. The .416 Rigby cartridge case is one of the most voluminous case and was originally designed to utilize cordite strands as a propellant. The cartridge holds the same excellent reputation today, but not a whole lot of rifles that can handle it are available. Mag. The owner explained that he had had excellent results with old Weavers, and had another of them on a nine-pound .458 Winchester Mag. The bolt handle had oak leaves running down it, and the underside of the bolt knob held a small flower. In that guise it excels. to make sure the shots were at least on paper. Total:7,169 (members:950, guests:6,219). of energy and have a maximum-point-blank. Mag. It could have been larger, or higher, we thought. The well-figured dark walnut stock was given a stand-off cheekpiece, and finished in oil. Two years later, John Rigby died, and William brought in his brother, John Jason Rigby, into the business. If you can make do without a classic .416 Rigby and all its nostalgia, the Taylor might just be for you. The details of the rather immense task of converting the FN-made Browning action into one that would handle the huge Rigby case were written up in the 1997 issue of Gun Digest, if you care to read about it. The rifle can be built on most magnum actions, if you want to go to the time and trouble of getting the action, chamber, and barrel together. The .416 Rigby was advertized as driving a 410-grain bullet at 2370 fps, for just over 5,100 ft.-lbs. OConnor had a .416 made up on a Brevex Mauser receiver and took it to Africa. So which of the three is best? The result was the introduction of medium-bore big-game cartridges .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby, .404 Jeffery, and .425 Westley Richards. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? Nominally based on the .375 H&H, the cases feature an "improved" shape with blown-out walls and a steeper shoulder. Every cartridge is made with strict attention to detail ensuring optimal ballistic . as the readily available go-to favorite across much of Africa. Here are the features to watch out for. The first was the development of cordite in the UK in 1889 and second the development of the Magnum Mauser 98 action based on the Gewehr 98 bolt-action magazine rifle which was designed in Germany. Otherwise youll get hit by the scope. Today, in an echo of halcyon days before the Great War, we have resumed this arrangement with Mauser for our new range of Big Game rifles, making aspirational but affordable rifles for use around the world. Assuming equal penetration, the larger the projectile's frontal area, the more authoritatively it imparts shock. A disclaimer is called for here. 6.8 Western Ammo Options: The Load of Long Yardage, 5 Best Long-Range Hunting Bullets Available Right Now, .300 PRC vs. .300 Win Mag: Rifle Cartridge Comparison Review, Ruger MAX-9 9mm Micro-Sized High-Capacity Pistol: Review, Franchi Momentum Elite Bolt-Action Rifle in Varmint Configurations, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1.
