Ive always been rather amused at the response I see from most guys who have NEVER used or owned a rifle in a caliber or power level that exceeds a 300 mag, when someone brings a large bore rifle with a bit more recoil/and power to the range!
Ive used a 375 H&H on dozens of elk hunts and a 458 win on a couple hunts mostly for grins, and just to see the results.
Ive had both rifles work really well in the past and because Ive generally hunted thick timber and remote narrow canyon country the "RANGE LIMITATION ISSUE " or the "excessive recoil" that all the guys using the more common 270 win-300 mag rifles has never been a factor or problem, and recoil has never been a issue either.
just because a rifle has the potential to be used at power levels far exceeding the application,does not demand it be used with full velocity or power loads.
now ,one of the guys in our elk hunting group has decided that the 416 rem is the ideal elk rifle!
I think a great deal of that thought process is and was at least partly based on his finding a really great deal on a 700 Remington rifle chambered for the 416 Remington cartridge.
when he brought the rifle over to the range and asked if i could reload for it if he bought the components and dies , I told him, Id buy the dies if he bought the components, and that he might want to buy a good bullet mold as in the long run it might prove to be very cost effective given the cost of factory projectiles.
http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/index.html
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personally I can't think of a single reason that a 416 remington, properly loaded won,t make a great elk rifle, especially knowing that one member has used a 45/70 with 400 grain cast bullets pushed to near 1900fps for many hunts with good success.
the 416 rem, rifle should be able to shoot flatter and at higher velocity's, and while I,m certain the small bore crowd will still look at the choice as ODD or excessive I can,t think of any reason it won,t work, in fact just the fact he has one and may use it in 2014 might persuade me to try my 458 LOTT on an upcoming hunt, just for giggles!


http://www.nosler.com/416-remington-magnum

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0003530519

Last edited by 340mag; 02/12/14.