The sweetest .400 bore rifle.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jim

I get what you are saying. A quick snap shot might be your one and only shot in a life or death situation. And just BTW a double rifle is worlds best tool for that situation. Think of how fast and sweet a well fit shot gun comes to the face. Searcy used to build a stainless, composite stock version in .470NE or .500NE just for that reason. They did not sell well due to the high price inheritant in double rifles.

I've been in the one snap shot only situation but I've also been involved in a full out gun fight with Cape buffalo on two occasions. Where lots of bullets mattered. You can find yourself needing multiple pegs in elephant country on occasion too.

Back to my original post however, back in the day multiple round capacity was extremely important for guys who were professionally hunting ivory or commercially hunting meat or cropping critters. You either had magazine capacity or if you were a double rifle guy you had two doubles and a gun bearer. The rapid reload for a double with or without ejectors was developed by professional DG hunters in Africa. When done correctly you can get 4 rounds down range as fast or faster than a good guy with a bolt gun.

The age old argument of double vs bolt gun.....
 
H&Hhunter said:
The rapid reload for a double with or without ejectors was developed by professional DG hunters in Africa. When done correctly you can get 4 rounds down range as fast or faster than a good guy with a bolt gun.
Click to expand...
Is that the same as I described in post 9 in this thread?
 
a fair number of years ago walking through a gun show and found someone with a decent looking mauser. asked them if they were wanting to move it and they said yes.

Caliber I never heard of before...416 Taylor. I asked about ammo and they had a set of Hornady dies to go with it.

400 dollars later I had me a nifty rifle. Using hard cast gc'd bullets and medium loads of 4198 can make most hogs have x's over their eyes. Using Trailboss and some cast bullets make this rifle seem like its a 30-30 or similar. :)

BUT...I read about this rifle caliber...and its supposed to be dropping major energy at the muzzle etc etc...so...got me some 400 gr speers and decided to load up some full house loads. Found some loads using 3031 and 4320 and cranked them up. Was pushing 400 gr speers at 2350 with those powders and started doing math. a bit over 5000 lbs at the muzzle. so if there were ever a grizzly or kodiak were ever to make it down to SE Texas I will be ready.
 
db_tanker said:
a fair number of years ago walking through a gun show and found someone with a decent looking mauser. asked them if they were wanting to move it and they said yes.

Caliber I never heard of before...416 Taylor. I asked about ammo and they had a set of Hornady dies to go with it.

400 dollars later I had me a nifty rifle. Using hard cast gc'd bullets and medium loads of 4198 can make most hogs have x's over their eyes. Using Trailboss and some cast bullets make this rifle seem like its a 30-30 or similar. :)

BUT...I read about this rifle caliber...and its supposed to be dropping major energy at the muzzle etc etc...so...got me some 400 gr speers and decided to load up some full house loads. Found some loads using 3031 and 4320 and cranked them up. Was pushing 400 gr speers at 2350 with those powders and started doing math. a bit over 5000 lbs at the muzzle. so if there were ever a grizzly or kodiak were ever to make it down to SE Texas I will be ready.
Click to expand...

The .416 Taylor and the .416 Ruger are ballistic twins.
 
db_tanker said:
yeah and hurt on the shoulder. lol
Click to expand...

If the rifle is properly fit I find the .416 Remington to be about the top end that anybody can learn to shot well. Recoil is stout but not viscous like some of the bigger stuff.
 
I shot one it was owies, but not horrible. I emptied the mag, as fast as i could run the bolt and aim (which isn't horribly quick), and actually had fun.
 
While in South Africa a couple times shooting long range rifle matches, some local white hunters were there competing. We chatted about bolt action reliability and all three of them said the Winchester 70 controlled feed action was the most reliable and easiest to maintain afield for all bores. Brevex magnum Mauser's got their nod for bolt gun cartridges larger than the 458 Win Mag.
 
I have a 416 Taylor, which is easy to form and load since it is just a 458win necked down to 416. The recoil is not severe and it works from a standard length M-98 Mauser action.
I also like the old 405 Winchester from Winchester model of 1895.
 
Float
Float Pilot said:
I have a 416 Taylor, which is easy to form and load since it is just a 458win necked down to 416. The recoil is not severe and it works from a standard length M-98 Mauser action.
I also like the old 405 Winchester from Winchester model of 1895.
Click to expand...

The .416 Taylor or the .416 Ruger make a double truck load of sense in that they are easy to come by, the Taylor for the reloader and the Ruger for either a reloader or a factory ammo guy. They can be had on compact and inexpensive rifles and they offer serious thump for cruising in DG, big bear, buffalo, elephant you name it country.

If I were to find myself back in Alaska I'd most likely be carrying a Ruger Guide Rifle in .416 Ruger. It just makes too much sense.

Which BTW was the EXACT appeal of the .404 in it's day. Compact, cheap and easy to come by in standard Mauser action rifles.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Article on the .416 Rigby
Replies
2
Views
2K
JShirley
JShirley
S
  • Locked
big bore rifles
Replies
4
Views
518
.38 Special
.38 Special
F
  • Locked
Ammo availability 404 jeffery 416 Rem 416 Rigby
Replies
19
Views
2K
Reid73
R
T
  • Locked
Availability of Ammo for DG in Africa?
Replies
4
Views
848
TK73
T
J
  • Locked
404 Jeffery, but in a Lever Gun?
2
Replies
32
Views
1K
js8588
J
Back
Top